Men of the Word Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The disciples were a group of twelve individuals chosen by Jesus to accompany him during his earthly ministry. They were diverse in their backgrounds but were ordinary, unrefined, simple men of faith who gave up everything to follow Christ. Jesus chose them to be leaders after he was gone and all, except for the one obvious exclusion, did not let him down.

I have listed them in the order in which they are named in the Gospel of Luke but their titles are a combined mixture to help identify them easier.

SIMON PETER
Simon Peter, who is known as simply Peter, was a fisherman from Bethsaida. Jesus saw him casting nets into the Sea of Galilee and uttered the famous phrase "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19 KJV).
Peter became one of Christ's foremost disciples. Jesus gave him the name Cephas, which means 'stone' in Aramaic. Later in the Gospels Jesus says that he is the stone on which He will build His church.

ANDREW
Andrew was Peter's brother and also a fisherman. His journey actually began with John the Baptist who told him to follow Christ. Andrew was transformed when he met Jesus and is best known for bringing others to Him.

JAMES, SON OF ZEBEDEE
James and John were brothers too, known as the Sons of Zebedee. They were both called by Jesus while they were mending their fishing nets with their father by the Sea of Galilee. Both also earned the name "sons of thunder" probably from their fiery and zealous nature. This James is also known as 'the Greater" to distinguish him from James the son of Alphaeus.

JOHN, SON OF ZEBEDEE
John is often referred to as the "beloved disciple" or "the disciple Jesus loved" throughout the scriptures. He also wrote the Gospel of John and (possibly) the Book of Revelation. John, James and Peter are recognised as being in the 'inner circle' with Christ.

PHILIP
Philip, who is also from Bethsaida, is best known for bringing Bartholomew to Jesus and for introducing many Greeks to His ministry. He is also mentioned as a practical disciple - he is the first to realise that they have nothing to feed the 5000 with.

BARTHOLOMEW
Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, is from Cana in Galilee. He is sceptical about Jesus at first but once Philip introduces them he is very quick to see him as the Son of God. His story highlights the transformative power of Christ and openness to the truth.

MATTHEW
Matthew, also known as Levi and the son of Alphaeus, was one of the Gospel writers. Matthew was originally a tax collector in Capernaum when he met Jesus and left everything behind to follow him. He is another example of the inclusivity of His ministry, as tax collectors were despised at this time.

THOMAS
Thomas was also referred to as Didymus meaning 'the twin' but there is no biblical reference to who this is. Unfortunately for Thomas he is best remembered for his scepticism about the Risen Lord. Called 'Doubting Thomas' for this reason, he is known for questioning the other disciples' accounts of meeting the resurrected Jesus as he was not with them

JAMES, SON OF ALPHAEUS
James of Alphaeus is also referred to as James the Lesser, not to denigrate him in any way but to distinguish him from James, son of Zebedee who is much more prominent. He is traditionally believed to be the author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament.

SIMON THE ZEALOT
Simon is another of the lesser known disciples, with not much written about him in the Word. The Zealots at the time were a political group fervently opposed to Roman rule and it is presumed that this is where his name originates from. Apart from their resistance to foreign rule they were also extremely zealous about God's law.

JUDAS THADDEUS
Judas Thaddeus is often referred to as Jude, Lebbaeus or by his last name probably to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. Tradition holds that he is the author of the Epistle of Jude in the New Testament.

JUDAS ISCARIOT
Judas Iscariot is probably one of the most infamous figures in Christian history, arising from his betrayal of Christ for 30 pieces of silver. This betrayal, with a kiss, seals the fate of Jesus and leads to his arrest and crucifixion. He commits suicide once he realises what he has done.

MATTHIAS
Matthias was the replacement for Judas within the group. He was chosen by the other disciples as they felt the need to restore the twelve as a symbol of completeness and continuity.

AND FOR THOSE INCORRECT OPTIONS:

Zacchaeus: The tax collector who climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus as he passed through Jericho.

Lazarus: Brother of Mary and Martha that Jesus raised from the dead.

Jairus: Synagogue leader who sought Jesus' help to heal his daughter.

Malchus: The servant of the high priest whose ear was cut off by Peter during Jesus' arrest.

Simon of Cyrene: The man called to carry Jesus' cross on the way to Golgotha.

Joseph of Arimathea: A wealthy man and a member of the Sanhedrin who provided the tomb for Jesus' burial.

Saul of Tarsus: Had a conversion on the road to Damascus and became Paul the evangelist