How Many Disciples Did Jesus Have 12 or 13?

When we speak of Jesus Christ, the first image that comes to our minds is of his 12 disciples. However, there is a lot of debate about whether Jesus had 12 or 13 disciples. In this article, we will explore this topic in detail.

The 12 Disciples of Jesus Christ

The Bible mentions the names of the 12 disciples who followed Jesus Christ. They were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus (also known as Judas, son of James), Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.

These twelve men were chosen by Jesus himself and were given the responsibility to spread his teachings to the world. They are often referred to as apostles as well.

The Addition of Matthias

After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, there was a vacancy among the twelve disciples. The remaining eleven apostles decided to fill this vacancy by selecting a new disciple through casting lots.

The disciple who was chosen was Matthias. He is mentioned in Acts 1:26 where it says “And they cast lots for them and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.”

Conclusion

So to answer the question – Did Jesus have 12 or 13 disciples? The answer is that he had twelve original disciples who were chosen by him during his time on earth. After Judas Iscariot betrayed him and died by suicide, Matthias was chosen through casting lots to replace him and become one of the twelve apostles.

It is important to note that while there were only twelve original disciples chosen by Jesus himself during his time on earth; throughout history many others have followed in their footsteps and become disciples in their own right.

  • Key Takeaways:
    • Jesus had 12 original disciples who were chosen by him during his time on earth.
    • After Judas Iscariot betrayed him and died by suicide, Matthias was chosen through casting lots to replace him and become one of the twelve apostles.
    • The twelve disciples were given the responsibility to spread Jesus’ teachings to the world.

References

  • Bible Gateway
    • Acts 1:26 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+1%3A26&version=NIV
  • Bible Study Tools
    • The Bible mentions the names of the 12 disciples who followed Jesus Christ. – https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/who-were-the-12-disciples.html

So there you have it – a detailed explanation of how many disciples Jesus had. No matter how many they were in number though, one thing is for sure – their impact on Christianity has been immense.