Bartholomew Βαρθολομαῖος
One of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.
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 Study available
- Matthew 10:3
"Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus;"
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Mark 1 verse Study available
- Mark 3:18
"Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;"
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Luke 1 verse Study available
- Luke 6:14
"Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;"
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Acts 1 verse Study available
- Acts 1:13
"When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Βαρθολομαῖος | G0918 |
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