Bartholomew Βαρθολομαῖος
One of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.
Who is Bartholomew in the Bible?
Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus Christ, appearing in the lists of apostles found in Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:14, and Acts 1:13. Beyond these mentions, the New Testament provides no specific details about his background, personal life, or individual ministry activities. He is recorded as being present with the other apostles in the upper room after Jesus' ascension, waiting and praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13). Some scholars suggest that Bartholomew may be the same person as Nathanael mentioned in John's Gospel, though this identification is not definitively confirmed in Scripture. As one of the twelve apostles, Bartholomew's significance lies in his being part of Jesus' inner circle of disciples who would carry forward His teachings to the world.
Biography
Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles selected by Jesus Christ to be part of His inner circle (Mat.10.3; Mrk.3.18; Luk.6.14). He is always mentioned in the lists of the apostles, indicating his importance within the group. However, beyond his inclusion in these lists, no specific details about his background, life, or ministry are provided in the New Testament. Bartholomew is also named in Act.1.13 as one of the apostles gathered in the upper room after Jesus' ascension, praying and waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Some scholars suggest that Bartholomew may be the same person as Nathanael, who is mentioned in John's Gospel (Jhn.1.45-51; 21.2), but this identification is not conclusively established in the biblical text. Tradition holds that Bartholomew preached the gospel in various regions, including India and Armenia, and suffered martyrdom for his faith, but these accounts are not recorded in the New Testament.
In Scripture
4 biblical books ; 4 with study contentMatthew 1 verse
- Matthew 10:3
"Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;"
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Mark 1 verse
- Mark 3:18
"Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,"
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Luke 1 verse
- Luke 6:14
"Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;"
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Acts 1 verse
- Acts 1:13
"When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Βαρθολομαῖος | Bartholomaîos | son of Tolmai; Bar-tholomæus, a Christian apostle |
Bartholomew
">Lu 6:14; Ac 1:13). There is no further reference to him in the New Testament. According to the "Genealogies of the Twelve Apostles" (Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, II, 50) "Bartholomew was of the house of Naphtali. Now his name was formerly John, but our Lord changed it because of John the son of Zebedee, His beloved." A "Gospel of Bartholomew" is mentioned by Hieronymus (Comm. Proem ad Matth.), and Gelasius gives the tradition that Bartholomew brought the Hebrew gospel of Matthew to India. In the "Preaching of Bartholomew in the Oasis" (compare Budge, II, 90) he is referred to as preaching probably in the oasis of Al Bahnasa, and according to the "Preaching of Andrew and Bartholomew" he labored among the Parthians (Budge, II, 183). The "Martyrdom of Bartholomew" states that he was placed in a sack and cast into the sea.
From the 9th century onward, Bartholomew has generally been identified with Nathanael, but this view has not been conclusively established.
See NATHANAEL.
C. M. Kerr
See APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS; BARTHOLOMEW.
bar-ti-me'-us (Bartimaios): A hybrid