De twaalf Apostelen van Jezus
"Ga dan heen, onderwijs al de volken, hen dopend in de Naam van de Vader en van de Zoon en van de Heilige Geest, hun lerend alles wat Ik u geboden heb, in acht te nemen." Matt 28:19.
"Maar wanneer Die komt, de Geest van de waarheid, zal Hij u de weg wijzen in heel de waarheid.” Joh. 16:13.
“U zult de kracht van de Heilige Geest ontvangen, Die over u komen zal; en u zult Mijn getuigen zijn, zowel in Jeruzalem als in heel Judea en Samaria en tot aan het uiterste van de aarde.” Hand. 1:8.
Toen zij nu de vrijmoedigheid van Petrus en Johannes zagen en merkten dat zij ongeleerde en eenvoudige mensen waren, verwonderden zij zich en herkenden zij hen als mensen die met Jezus samen geweest waren.” Hand. 4:13.
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If, then, anyone who had attended on the elders came, I asked specifically what they said: what Andrew or Peter said, or what was said by Philip, Thomas, James, John, Matthew, or by any other of the Lord’s disciples. Papias (c. 120, E), 1.153.
These twelve disciples went forth throughout the known parts of the world and continued to show His greatness with all modesty and uprightness. Aristides (c. 125, E), 9.265.
From Jerusalem there went out twelve men into the world. These men were uneducated and of no ability in speaking. But by the power of God, they proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach the word of God to everyone. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.175.
When they had seen Him ascending into heaven, and had believed, and had received the power He sent upon them from heaven, they went to every race of men. And they taught these things and were called apostles. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.179.
Peter and Philip fathered children, and Philip gave his daughters in marriage. Furthermore, Paul did not hesitate to mention his “companion” in one of his epistles. . . . He says in his epistle, “Do I not have the right to take along a sister-wife, as do the other apostles?” However, the other apostles, in harmony with their particular ministry, devoted themselves to preaching without any distraction. Their spouses went with them, not as wives, but as sisters, in order to minister to housewives. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.390, 391.
He commanded equality with simplicity on the disciples, who were striving for the preeminence. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.451.
To James the Just, John, and Peter, the Lord imparted knowledge after His resurrection. These imparted it to the rest of the apostles. And the rest of the apostles imparted it to the Seventy, of whom Barnabas was one. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.579.
His disciples also, spreading over the world, did as their Divine Master commanded them. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.35.
“When He, the Spirit of truth, will come, He will lead you into all truth.” He thus shows that there was nothing of which they [the apostles] were ignorant, to whom He had promised the future attainment of all truth by the help of the Spirit of truth. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.253.
The apostles were ignorant of nothing and they preached nothing that contradicted one another. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.254.
When churches were advanced in the faith, much less would the apostles have withheld from them anything for the purpose of committing it separately to only a specific few. Even if we were to suppose that among intimate friends (so to speak) the apostles held various discussions, yet it is not believable that these discussions could have been of such a nature as to bring in some other rule of faith—differing from and contrary to that which they were proclaiming through the catholic churches. As if they spoke of one God in the church and another at home!
Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.255.
It is not believable that the apostles were either ignorant of the whole scope of the message which they had to declare, or failed to make known to all men the entire rule of faith. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.256.
You have the work of the apostles also predicted: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, which brings good tidings of good”—not of war, nor evil tidings [Isa. 52:7]. In response to which is the Psalm, “Their sound is gone through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” [Ps. 19:5]. Tertullian (c. 207, W), 3.340.
In fact, he is expecting us to trust him as we do the prophets or the apostles, who had authority. Origen (c. 228, E), 9.331.
As a matter of fact, not all of the disciples are described in Acts as unlearned and ignorant, but only Peter and John.
Origen (c. 245, E), 9.421.
On this account, the apostles left Israel and accomplished that which had been commanded them by the Savior: “Make disciples of all the nations.” Origen (c. 245, E), 9.426.
It was by help of a divine power that these men taught Christianity and succeeded in leading others to embrace the word of God. For it was not any power of theirs of speaking . . . according to the arts of Grecian dialects or rhetoric that was the effective cause of converting their hearers. . . . For had the doctrine and the preaching consisted of the persuasive utterance and arrangement of words, then faith, too, . . . would have been through the wisdom of men and not through the power of God. Now, on seeing fishermen and tax collectors (who had not acquired even the merest elements of learning) . . . discoursing boldly about faith in Jesus—not only among the Jews, but also preaching him with success among other nations —who would not inquire from where they derived this power of persuasion? Origen (c. 248, E), 4.424.
At the request of their Master and God, the disciples scattered over the world and gave forth His teachings for salvation.
Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.468.
I am also of the opinion that there were many persons of the same name with John the apostle, who by their love, admiration, and emulation of him . . . were induced to embrace the same name also. Just as we find many of the children of the faithful called by the names of Paul and Peter. Dionysius of Alexandria (c. 262, E), 6.83.
The apostles have overcome unbelief though powers, signs, portents, and mighty works. Victorinus (c. 280, W), 7.353.
The disciples, being dispersed throughout the provinces, laid the foundations of the church everywhere. They themselves did many and almost unbelievable miracles in the name of their divine Master. For at His departure, He had endowed them with power and strength—by which the system of their new announcement could be founded and confirmed. Lactantius (c. 304–313, W), 7.123.
They primarily attacked Paul and Peter, and the other disciples, as propagators of deceit. Yet, at the same time, they testified that these men were unskilled and unlearned. . . . Therefore, the desire of inventing and craftiness were absent from these men. For they were unskilled. . . . Yet, their teaching, because it is true, agrees in every place. It is altogether consistent with itself. On this account, it is persuasive, for it is based on a consistent plan. The apostles did not devise this religion for the sake of gain and advantage. Lactantius (c. 304–313, W), 7.138.
At that time [after the Ascension], his apostles were eleven in number. To them was added Matthias, in the place of the traitor Judas. And afterwards Paul was added. Then they were dispersed throughout all the earth to preach the gospel as the Lord their Master had commanded them. For the next twenty-five years (until the beginning of the reign of Emperor Nero), they busied themselves in laying the foundations of the church in every province and city. Lactantius (c. 320, W), 7.301.