Jesus had twelve apostles during his ministry, often called the Twelve Apostles or the Twelve Disciples. These were his closest followers, chosen and commissioned by him to spread his teachings. The twelve are traditionally named as:
- Simon (Peter)
- Andrew (Peter’s brother)
- James (the Greater)
- John (James’ brother)
- Philip
- Bartholomew (Nathaniel)
- Thomas (Didymus)
- Matthew (Levi)
- James (son of Alphaeus, the Lesser)
- Thaddaeus (also called Judas son of James, not Iscariot)
- Simon the Canaanite (or Zealot)
- Judas Iscariot (later replaced by Matthias after his death)
Beyond the original twelve, the New Testament also mentions other apostles such as Paul, Barnabas, and others who were called apostles after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, bringing the total number of named apostles in the Bible to around 22 or more
. In summary, Jesus had twelve apostles during his earthly ministry, with additional apostles emerging later in the early Christian movement.
