Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

Jesus went up on the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to him. From among them, he chose twelve, and he named them apostles.

Jesus appointed these twelve to be with him. He would also send them out to preach, and he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal sickness and disease.

Their names began with Simon, whom Jesus also named Peter, and Andrew his brother. Then came James son of Zebedee and his brother John. Mark says Jesus gave James and John the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder.

The others were Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and an apostle called Lebbaeus, also called Thaddaeus, in Matthew. Mark calls him Thaddaeus, and Luke calls him Judas son of James. The last was Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.