The Twelve Trivia Quiz

Answer: Andrew

Andrew was present at the baptism of Christ, and was called to be a disciple. He brought his brother Simon (later called Peter) to Christ's attention; after Christ's return to Galilee, he called them from their fishing, promising to make them "fishers of men".

Nothing of certainty is known about Andrew after the events of the Gospels, but the tradition that he evangelized in Greece is a very old one. Equally old and venerable is the tradition of his martyrdom by crucifixion. A much more dubious tradition has him evangelizing in Russia, of which he is also patron. His connection with Scotland dates from the transfer of his relics in the 4th century by St. Rule, who was reportedly guided in a vision to the place now known as St. Andrew's. The St. Andrew Cross appears on the Union Jack, along with the cross of St. George.

Andrew's feast in the Western Church falls on November 30th; it is the last major feast before Advent. In the past, weddings could not be performed during the season of Advent; this fact, combined with the fact that the name Andrew means "manly" resulted in his being invoked by maidens seeking a husband. Numerous bizarre rituals, such as holding cats over fires in the hope that it would bring a dream of one's future husband, grew up around his feast day. More sensibly, Andrew is also the patron of fishermen.

Answer: Peter

Peter was the brother of Andrew, and the second of the Apostles to be called. Of all the apostles, his is the most vividly delineated character in the four gospels, as well as the Acts, and the extreme peaks and valleys of his relationship with Jesus create some of the most moving episodes of the New Testament. Clearly, Jesus sensed a raw honesty and goodness in his nature, as well as the potential for great fortitude. Just as clearly, Peter had to continually struggle with his baser and weaker instincts, which often came perilously close to defeating his better qualities. The incident recounted in Matthew 14:22-32, in which Peter's faith enables him to walk on the water for a time, only to give out when he feels the strong wind, typifies much of his conduct throughout the gospels. During Jesus' arrest, Peter came violently to his defense, cutting off the ear of one of the guards, only to flee along with the other disciples. All four gospels, however, record that he followed at a distance and lingered in the courtyard during Jesus' hearing before the Sanhedrin, which is more than could be said of the others, save John (John's gospel records that Peter was accompanied by another disciple, probably himself, who was known to the High Priest). One can imagine that Peter was determined to prove false Jesus' prediction that he would deny him three times; however, as with the incident at Lake Genasereth, Peter's courage went only so far. When questioned by the others in the courtyard who recognized him, Peter panicked and vehemently denied any knowledge of Jesus. The gospels record that, upon hearing the cock crow and realizing what he had done, Peter "...wept bitterly", an occurrence rarely recorded in the Scriptures.

As craven as Peter's act of denial was, it becomes easy to forgive after one reads John's account of Peter's behavior after the Resurrection (John 20:3-10 and 21:1-19). After being informed of the empty tomb, Peter- along with John- literally raced to the burial place. Upon the second appearance of Jesus after the Resurrection, Peter (who had been fishing) leapt into the water and swam ashore to meet him. Peter's palpable anguish when Christ asks him three times to reiterate his love (a deliberate echo of Peter's three denials) is deeply moving.

After the ascension of Christ, Peter became the head of the apostles, and proved himself to be the "rock" that he had only intermittently been in the gospels. He was the first to address the Jewish populace after the descent of the Holy Spirit, preached the gospel to the Gentiles, and performed miracles in the name of Christ. He was imprisoned by Herod Agrippa, but was miraculously released by an angel and led past the sleeping guards (an event which has certain echoes of the Resurrection). According to tradition, Peter became the first bishop of Rome (the Roman Catholic Church regards him as the first Pope), and suffered martyrdom by crucifixion about 64 A.D., an end predicted by Jesus (John 21:18-19) He is said to have requested to be crucified upside down, feeling that he was unworthy to suffer death in the same way as his Savior.

Answer: James the Greater

The designation "the greater" indicates that James was the older of the two apostles by that name (he was also the first one called by Christ). However his inclusion in certain key events in the Gospels (the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus' daughter, and the agony at Gethsemane) indicates that he was clearly among the elite of the apostles, along with Peter and John. James and John were the sons of Zebedee and Mary Salome. According to the gospel of Matthew, their mother entreated Jesus to promise that they would each sit at his right and his left hand when he sat enthroned in his Kingdom (Matthew 20:20-28); according to Mark's gospel, it was the brothers themselves who made this request (Mark 10:35-45), In either instance, Jesus responded by asking if they could partake of the cup of which he was to drink, to which they gave their assurance that they could. According to both versions, the request angered the other apostles, whereupon Jesus took the opportunity to instruct them that he who would be the greatest among them must be the servant of the rest, just as he himself had come, not to be served, but to serve. On another occasion (Luke 9:54-56), they were rebuked by Jesus after they asked if they should call down fire from Heaven to destroy the inhabitants of a Samaritan village, who refused to receive Jesus while he was en route to Jerusalem. On yet another occasion recounted in Luke's gospel (Luke 9:49-50), the brothers found a man casting out devils in Jesus' name, and angrily ordered him to stop. When they related the incident to Jesus, he criticized them for doing so, explaining that "Whoever is not against us is for us."

According the the Acts of the Apostles, James was beheaded by order of Herod Agrippa I; according to a persistent, but much discredited tradition, he preached in Spain before his martyrdom. His supposed relics were said to have been transported to Santiago de Compostela, which was a great pilgrimage center. The pilgrims adopted a scallop shell as their emblem, which is now his principal symbol.

Answer: John

John's own gospel suggests that his relationship with Christ was one of particular intimacy, beyond that enjoyed by any of the other apostles. Certainly, according to all four gospels, he was one of the select triumvirate (along with Peter and James the Greater) who were chosen to be present at certain extraordinary events- the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus' daughter, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, and the Agony in the garden of Gethsemane. According to his own gospel, John sat closest to Jesus at the Last Supper, and was actually leaning against his breast (this makes more sense if one considers that everyone was reclining on the ground during the meal). John is closely associated with Mary; Jesus himself entrusted his mother to John's care from the cross. These facts, along with the gentle tone of his epistles (which are filled with admonitions to "love one another", and images of light and love) have created a popular image of John as mild-mannered and somewhat passive. In religious and devotional art, he is often depicted as youthful, long-haired, beardless, even (at times) somewhat effeminate.

It is important, however, to bear in mind that John, along with his brother James, earned the nickname "Sons of Thunder" from Jesus himself. John possessed enough ambition to aspire to sit at Christ's right hand in his glory, and enough temperament to seek to call down fire from Heaven upon the inhospitable Samaritans. He must also have possessed considerable fortitude, since he alone, of all the disciples, was present at the Crucifixion. His behavior after the Ascension, as described in the Acts of the Apostles, was exceptionally heroic; along with Peter, he addressed the Sanhedrin, which resulted in their being briefly imprisoned (Acts 4:1-22). Upon their release, they led the other apostles in a prayer for boldness in preaching the Word. According to the historian Tertullian, he was arrested on a later occasion and submerged in a cauldron of boiling oil, from which he emerged unscathed. He was subsequently exiled on the island of Patmos, where he is supposed to have authored the book of Revelation (a.k.a. the Apocalypse), a visionary account of the end times which is unique among the books of the Bible for its striking, often bizarre and violent imagery. He returned to Ephesus c. 96 A.D., and died of natural causes at an advanced age (Jesus had predicted to Peter in John 21: 20-24 that John would "...live until I come", shortly after predicting the manner of Peter's own death).

John is also known as "the Divine" because his gospel stresses Christ's divinity, and his oneness with the Father. He is symbolized by an eagle because of the soaring, majestic tone of his gospel.

Answer: Matthew

According to his own gospel (Matt. 9:9-13) Matthew was at his office when Jesus approached him and uttered two words: "Follow me." Matthew obeyed, apparently without hesitation, leaving his former life behind. Jesus and his disciples subsequently joined Matthew at table, where they were joined by other publicans and social outcasts, which aroused the disapproval of the Pharisees. Jesus famously responded that it was the sick, not the healthy, who were in need of a physician's care. The story of Matthew's call to apostleship is also found in the gospels of Mark and Luke, with very slight variations. In the latter two gospels he is referred to as Levi; it is not clear if this was an alternate name, or simply an indication that he was a Levite.

Matthew's gospel was written, probably in Aramaic or Hebrew, somewhere between 60 and 90 A.D.; the form in which it presently exists is a revision of the original (which is probably lost) written in Greek. Matthew's actual authorship of the gospel has been disputed, however it is certain that the gospel was authored by a Christian of the Jewish race living in Palestine. It was clearly aimed at Jewish converts to Christianity, since it begins by establishing Jesus' Davidic lineage, and repeatedly quotes from the Old Testament books in order to portray Jesus as the fulfillment of the writings of the prophets. Matthew's evangelical symbol is a winged man, since his gospel equally portrays Christ's human and divine nature (alternately, he is shown with an angel, who provides him with inspiration). According to tradition, Matthew preached throughout the Middle-East and Ethiopia, and suffered martyrdom in Persia.

Answer: James the Less

The son of Alpheus, and also known as James the Younger (he may also have been shorter of stature than the other James), he is listed among the "brothers of the Lord" in Matthew's gospel and is referred to in Paul's letter to the Galatians as the "brother of the Lord". This has created some confusion, since James' father's name is given as Alpheus, not Joseph. James does not play a major role in the Gospels, but was clearly quite highly regarded by the time the Acts of the Apostles were written. He was apparently the head of the church of Jerusalem, and ruled that only four laws should be imposed upon the Gentiles who wished to convert to Christianity (Acts 15: 19-21). Even Paul seems to have deferred to James' authority and wisdom, and it was he to whom Peter first sought to inform of his miraculous release from prison (Acts 12:17).

Some have argued that the son of Alpheus mentioned in the Gospels, and the "brother of the Lord" mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament are actually two distinct individuals. The latter may have been an actual brother (or half-brother) of Jesus, and was also the author of the Epistle of James. According to the second-century historian Hegesippus, James suffered martyrdom c. 62 A.D.; he was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem, and afterward (apparently still alive) either stoned or clubbed to death.

Answer: Philip

Philip is mentioned as an apostle in the four gospels, but does not play any significant role except in the gospel of John (always the source of anecdotes about the individual apostles not found in the Synoptic Gospels). According to John, he was called by Jesus the day after Simon Peter, and in turn encouraged his friend Nathaniel (Bartholomew). Jesus tested his faith during the miracle of the loaves and fishes (John 6:1-15) when he asked him where they could buy enough food to feed the five thousand. Philip took Jesus' question at face value, and replied that it would cost more than two hundred pieces of silver to buy enough food to give everyone even a little to eat, not realizing that the question was rhetorical, and a test of Philip's faith. According to John, it was Philip whom the Greeks approached to seek an audience with Jesus (John 12:20-26). During the Last Supper, Philip asked Jesus "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." This prompted a mild rebuke from Jesus, who asked "have I been so long a time with you, and you have not known me? Philip, he who sees me sees also the Father."

No further mention is made of Philip after the account of the descent of the Holy Spirit in Acts; according to tradition, he was crucified under the Emperor Domitian at Hierapolis.

Answer: Bartholomew

Nathaniel was incredulous when Philip described the Nazarene as the hoped-for Messiah, and replied "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:43-50). Jesus, who had taken note of Nathaniel on an earlier occasion when he saw him standing under a fig tree, recognized him as he approached, and sensed his inherent honesty. When he called Nathaniel by name before being introduced, and divined his character, Nathaniel declared "Rabbi, thou art the son of God, thou art the king of Israel!" Christ promised Nathaniel that he would see Heaven open, and the Son of Man in his glory with the angels.

Nathaniel is generally believed to be identical with the apostle referred to in the Acts of the Apostles as Bartholomew (Acts 1:13). The name Bartholomew is a patronymic meaning "Son of Tolomai". Nothing of any certainty is known of him after the events of the New Testament, but ancient tradition states that he preached in Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, and Armenia (of which he is patron). He is also reputed to have suffered martyrdom in Armenia by being flayed alive, by order of King Astyages.

Answer: Jude

Jude is listed among the apostles in the gospel of Luke and in the Acts of the Apostles (also authored by Luke). Matthew and Mark mention an apostle by the name of Thaddeus, who is not mentioned in Luke; the two are generally believed to be the same person, known by different names. His actual name was probably Judas, which was changed to Jude in later versions of the New Testament books to avoid confusion with the betrayer. He is referred to in the gospels of Matthew and Mark as being among the bretheren of the Lord, and is believed by some to have been either the son of Cleophas and his wife Mary, or the son of Alpheus and the brother of James the Lesser. An old tradition holds that he and Jesus bore a strong familial resemblance, and there has been speculation that the notorious kiss of Judas was in part necessary to enable the soldiers to distinguish Jesus from Jude.

According to tradition, Jude traveled to Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia with the apostle Simon, and suffered martyrdom in Persia. In Catholic tradition, Jude is the patron of lost and/or hopeless causes. This supposedly came about because he was often confused with the betrayer Judas, as a result of which people were loath to pray to him, and did so only as something of a last resort. However it came about, Jude is now rarely confused with his notorious namesake, and is one of the best-loved and most frequently invoked saints in Catholic tradition.

Answer: Simon

Simon (also known as Simeon) is referred to in Luke's gospel as "the Zealous", presumably because of his rigid adherence to Jewish law (he is sometimes given the designation "Zelotes", which was also the name of a fanatical sect to which he did not, in fact, belong). The gospel writers do not mention Simon's reaction to Jesus' decidedly unorthodox attitudes toward the dietary laws and the laws regarding the Sabbath, but it makes for interesting speculation. Simon is referred to in Matthew and Mark as one of Jesus' brothers, but some believe that he (along with Jude) was actually the son of Cleophas, who had been Joseph's brother, in which case he was Jesus' first cousin.

According to ancient Abyssinian tradition, Simon was the successor to James the Lesser (another of his cousins) as bishop of Jerusalem, but led the company of believers out of the city to Pella in about 66 A.D., having been warned in a vision of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. He also managed to avoid being a victim of Vespasian's (and, later, Domitian's) attempted extermination of the Jewish population, but was ultimately crucified (when he was over 100 years old!) under Trajan c. 107. Another tradition says that he was martyred along with Jude in Persia; this tradition says that he was sawed in half longitudinally. Yet another tradition says that he died peacefully at Edessa in his old age. If this tradition is true (and I, for one, sincerely hope that it is) it would make Simon the only apostle other than John to die a natural death.

Answer: Thomas

Thomas' skepticism regarding the resurrection may have been a by-product of an essentially fatalistic nature. According to John's gospel (John 11:5-16), the disciples reacted with dismay when Jesus announced his determination to go back to Judea after hearing of Lazarus' sickness. Their apprehension was well-founded, as some of the residents of Judea had been ready to stone him after their last visit. Thomas, apparently convinced that Jesus would never leave Judea alive, told the others "Let us all go along with the Teacher, that we may die with him!"

The story of "doubting Thomas" is found only in the Gospel of John (John 20:24-29), who also provides a motive for his skepticism; he had not been with the other apostles on a previous occasion when the risen Christ had appeared to them. The other three gospels describe all of the apostles as being generally skeptical at the news of the resurrection, and in Luke's gospel they have difficulty believing even after they see the nail and spear marks. In context, then, Thomas' stubborn rationalism, which earned him such eponymous notoriety, becomes far less striking. It should also be noted that, although Thomas is frequently depicted in art as probing Christ's wounds, John's gospel mentions no such thing. Instead, Jesus merely invites Thomas to examine his wounds in the manner in which he (Thomas) had specified. Thomas responds, not by accepting Jesus' invitation, but with the words "My Lord and my God!" Christ replies "Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."

Thomas receives little mention in the Acts of the Apostles, but according to the historian Eusebius, he preached in Parthia and evangelized the subcontinent of India. He was martyred (either by the spear or the ax) and buried near Madras

Answer: Judas

Judas' surname Iscariot indicates that he was a native of Kerioth, which is listed among the cities of Judah in Joshua 15:25. This set him apart from the other eleven, who were all Galileans. Very little is said of Judas in the gospels before the events of the Passion, and he is rarely mentioned without reference to his future act of betrayal. John's gospel mentions the name of his father- Simon Iscariot (John 6: 70-71), and that it was Judas who "carried the purse", from which he was wont to help himself (John 12:6 ). This precipitated a disagreement between him and Jesus, recounted by John, which has been much misinterpreted. While visiting Bethany, Jesus stayed at the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Mary had brought a jar of ointment, with which she anointed Jesus' feet. Judas criticized this extravagant waste of perfume which, he said, could have been sold, and the money given to the poor. Jesus defended Mary, reminding Judas that "the poor you have always with you, but you do not always have me." Some have interpreted this remark as discouraging care for the poor; in fact, it was simply a reminder that Jesus' time on earth was short. John also makes it clear that Judas was motivated by greed, not concern for the poor.

Understandably, Judas arouses controversy, even among Christian writers. Recently, some have argued that his betrayal was approved by Christ, as it was a necessary part of the work of salvation, and that the thirty pieces of silver were a fee routinely paid by the Sanhedrin in such cases, and not a bribe to seduce him into betrayal. This recalls certain Gnostic sects, who believed that Judas was actually worthy of veneration, not condemnation, for his act. While interesting, this seems at odds with the gospel accounts; also with Jesus' own words: "Woe to him by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It were better for that man had he never been born" (Matthew 26:24). On the other hand, vilification of Judas also goes to extremes- some apocryphal texts suggest that Judas was possessed by Satan in infancy. Certain anti-Semites have theorized that the name Judas itself is a designation for the Jews, and that Judas, as described in the gospels, is not an individual, but a personification of the Jewish people. In fact, the name Judas, in Hebrew, means "praised"; it is a common name in both the Old and New Testaments (including another of the apostles). And, of course, all of the apostles (as well as Jesus himself, and his family) were of the Jewish race.

Clearly, Jesus had considered Judas worthy of being one of the chosen Twelve, and Judas himself thought highly enough of Jesus to follow him. The gospels do not indicate what went wrong, but we may assume that certain idealogical differences arose; also that Judas' own character weaknesses (which all of the apostles possessed to some degree or another) may have caused him to lash out against one whom he had hitherto idealized. Judas may well have failed to anticipate that his betrayal would result in Jesus' torture and death, and was clearly conscience-stricken about the consequences of his actions. Many theologians have held that Judas' principal sin was not that he betrayed Christ, but that he despaired of God's forgiveness.

Answer: Matthias

Matthias was one of two disciples considered as successors to Judas; the other was Joseph Barsabbas (also known as Justus). Both had been active followers of Christ during his lifetime. After praying for divine guidance, the apostles drew lots, and Matthias was chosen (Acts 1:21-26). Matthias does not figure prominently in the subsequent events of the New Testament, and what little information we have about his later life and ministry is based on unreliable tradition.

He is reputed to have preached in Judea, Cappadocia, and around the Caspian Sea, and to have suffered martyrdom at Colchis.

In religious art, he is often shown with a lance, the supposed implement of his martyrdom.

Answer: Peter, John, James the Lesser, and Jude.

The authorship of the epistles of James and Jude has been the cause of some controversy. Some have argued that the elegant Greek in which the epistle of James is written is not likely the work of a Galilean fisherman; also, St. Jude's epistle seems to refer to the apostles in the past tense (though this may be due to a misinterpretation of the phrasing). James' epistle was written in response to what he saw as a loss of fervor among the church in Jerusalem. He exhorts them to patience in their many trials (including the hostility and persecution which they had to endure, and reminds them to treat all men equally, whether rich or poor. A key passage in Chapter 2 (verses 20-26) specifies that faith without works is dead ("For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith also without works is dead."). This passage would seem to contradict the teaching of Paul that one is justified by faith, not by works of the law, and caused Martin Luther (whose teaching stressed justification by faith) to categorize James' letter as "...an epistle of straw...unworthy of the apostolic spirit." James has harsh words for the rich who defraud their laborers, warning them that the wages which they unjustly withhold "...cry out; and their cry has entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts." (James 5:1-6). The last phrase of the epistle coins a well-known phrase, when he states that anyone who brings a sinner back to the truth "...will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins."

The first epistle of Peter is addressed to the Jewish Christian diaspora in Asia Minor, and begins by giving thanks for the Resurrection of Christ, which he describes as "an incorruptible inheritance- undefiled and unfading, reserved for you in Heaven. This epistle contains the celebrated phrase "All flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass; the grass withered, and the flower has fallen, but the word of the Lord endures forever (verses 24-25). He encourages the persecuted community, and gives instruction in the proper behavior for citizens, slaves, wives, husbands, ministers, and the laity. He ends by extending greetings from both himself and the disciple Mark, whom he refers to (probably metaphorically) as "my son", and exhorts them to "Greet one another with a holy kiss." Peter's second epistle was written in the conviction that his end was at hand. He recalls Christ's Transfiguration (of which he was a witness), and recalls the prophecies of the Old Testament. He warns against false teachers, and exhorts his readers to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. The epistle ends with a doxology. Both epistles are believed to have been written at Rome; the first around 63-64 A.D, the second around 64-65 A.D.

The three epistles of John are notably shorter than those of the other three apostles; indeed the second and third epistles are the shortest books of the New Testament. In both of these, John explains that he expects to speak to the members of the church in person, and thus chooses to be brief. The first epistle is the best-known; the apostle refers to his readers as "children", and coins the phrase "children of God" (John I- 3:1-3). He seems to have believed (as many others did at the time) that the end times were imminent, and warns that the Antichrist is coming. He warns likewise against false prophets and false spirits (John I- 4:1-6). He ends with a discourse on the basis of love, and refers to Christ as "He who came in water and in blood", recalling that water and blood had flowed from Christ's side when he was pierced by the lance. John's second epistle is addressed somewhat puzzlingly to the Lady Elect; there is some dispute as to whether this is an individual (a female deacon perhaps?) or a title given to a particular church. The third epistle expresses praise for one Gaius, who appears to have been a well-respected member of the church, and chastises a bishop named Diotrephes, who had apparently abused his authority.


The epistle of Jude is the penultimate book of the New Testament, and is similar, in many respects, to the second epistle of Peter (particularly the passages against false teachers). It was written probably about 64 A.D., near the end of the Apostolic age, and possibly predates Peter's second epistle. The author of the epistle exhorts readers to persevere in the faith, and warns against false teachers and heresies. They are condemned not only for their teachings, but for their immoral actions, by which they "...defile the flesh". The faithful are encouraged to try to save as many of these as possible, but to "... be merciful with fear, hating even the garment which is soiled by the flesh." The epistle ends with a doxology.

Answer: James the Lesser, Jude, and Simon

In addition to these three, there was another brother named Joseph (they are listed in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3; there is also the mention of sisters). There is some controversy as to whether the term brothers (or "brethren") and sisters actually means cousins, or whether it should be taken literally. The Catholic church teaches that Mary remained a virgin for the remainder of her life after the birth of Christ, therefore she could not have had any other children. Catholic theologians argue that those described as brothers and sisters of Jesus are either cousins, or the children of Joseph from a previous marriage. In support of this theory, James is listed as the son of Alpheus, not the son of Joseph; also Jude, in his epistle, describes himself as the "brother of James", in which case they shared the same father. Non-Catholics argue that the term "brothers" (or "brethren") means just that, and that Alpheus may have been Mary's second husband, whom she married after the death of Joseph, and that Simon and Joseph could have been children that Mary subsequently bore to him. In support of that theory, it should be noted that in the Infancy Narrative at the beginning of Luke's gospel, Elizabeth is described as Mary's cousin (or kinswoman), not her sister; also John the Baptist, whom we know to have been Jesus' cousin, is always described as his cousin, not his brother.

Ironically, the gospels state that Jesus' brethren did not initially accept him as the Messiah, even when others did, and it is possible that the brother named Joseph (who, apparently, never became an apostle) never did. This may explain Jesus' reluctance to acknowledge his family in the incident related in the three Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) in which he is informed that his mother and brothers are seeking him he replies, indicating his disciples "He who does the will of my Father in Heaven is my brother, my sister, and my mother." According to John's gospel, his brothers encouraged him to leave Galilee for Judea for the Feast of Tabernacles so that the people of Judea could see the wonders he could perform and believe in him. Their request was in the nature of a challenge, since they themselves were dubious: "...no one does a thing in secret if he wishes to become publicly known. If thou dost these things, manifest thyself to the world." (John 7:1-6). Jesus, who is reluctant to go because the authorities in Judea were seeking to kill him, replied "My time has not yet come, but your time is always at hand...As for you, go up to the feast, but I do not go up to this feast, for my time is not yet fulfilled." He eventually did go, but privately; on the fourth day of the Feast (which lasted eight days), he began to preach in the Temple, an event which caused great controversy and precipitated the events of the Passion.