Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough and interesting article about the 12 apostles. I am grateful to provide a very small support to you each month, and hope others will consider doing the same. Your efforts are worthy of a subscription.
I always thought that 'Paul' was one of the Apostles and wondered why there was no mention made of him in this very interesting piece. This prompted me to go off on a search to discover why 'you had left him out' . . . turns out Paul did not even know Christ personally & therefore was not one of the original Apostles. Wow & WOW !! , I learnt something new . . . in fact I learn new things every time I read Culture Critic. Thank you for the great article, indeed thank you for all of your great articles. Keep up the great work that you do. Cheers form here
This article makes me think of a podcast called The History of the Early Church by Terry Young. Episode 6, I believe, talks about the diaspora of the apostles. It's a good listen.
"At first glance, the apostles led incredibly privileged lives."
Um... not really. Those who went to a parochial school learned that all but one died horrible deaths and faced insurmountable challenges. Not really sure that privileged is quite the right word.
That being said... thanks for posting this, really enjoyed the read and the maps!
They were privileged in the sense that "they got to witness God himself resurrect from the dead, and were personally entrusted with carrying his message to the world after his ascension into heaven." As it says in the very next sentence which I quoted here.
"Like" is almost impossible to key in.....such horrific and sobering reading. I cannot even begin to hope that one day I might be in the presence of these amazing faithful servants of Jesus.....these men didn't only "believe" - they knew what and whom they believed. If only we can prove as worthy when the time comes- as it surely will to one extent or another. I feel so humbled and grateful.
Yeah reading this is scary because we're not worthy of being in the presence of these men. How can we share heaven with them without paying such a price? I guess that's why purgatory exists. You either suffer in this life like them or in the next one.
How can mere humans endure this much pain for a Dead God? How can one look at these stories and still deny firvently, the truth of Christ, how can one read all this, learn of all these deaths in their gruesome detail and still say they died for nothing? How can mere human will and self - discipline achieve such feats of matyredom?………it can't, it is by their strength in the spirit, their cultivation of an unwavering faith; Christianity as discipline and means of transcendence of the physical into something higher……more sublime……the kingdom of God within?……true communion with God?……even I am yet to know…
This was masterfully told — a sobering reminder of how high the cost of conviction can be.
What really struck me reading this was how geographically expansive their missions were. From Armenia to Ethiopia to India to the edges of the Roman world — these weren’t just spiritual journeys, they were bold geopolitical acts. The apostles weren’t preserving tradition — they were disrupting power structures, often violently guarded by local elites. And their deaths reflect that: flaying, crucifixion, spears, saws… tools of both punishment and spectacle.
The deeper layer here, though, is psychological. These men weren’t chasing glory. Most were obscure, poor, or politically expendable. So their unwavering testimony — even under torture — forces an uncomfortable question: what did they see that gave them that level of courage? A myth doesn’t usually get you crucified upside down or flayed alive.
Their suffering was the message. And maybe that's why Christianity spread — not because it promised comfort, but because it produced people who could endure anything without losing their fire.
Would love to see a future piece on the psychology of martyrdom — and how that same fire shows up (or doesn't) in modern belief systems.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough and interesting article about the 12 apostles. I am grateful to provide a very small support to you each month, and hope others will consider doing the same. Your efforts are worthy of a subscription.
Very kind, thank you 🙏
I found this to be very interesting I didn't realise just how far they spread the Gospel.
I always thought that 'Paul' was one of the Apostles and wondered why there was no mention made of him in this very interesting piece. This prompted me to go off on a search to discover why 'you had left him out' . . . turns out Paul did not even know Christ personally & therefore was not one of the original Apostles. Wow & WOW !! , I learnt something new . . . in fact I learn new things every time I read Culture Critic. Thank you for the great article, indeed thank you for all of your great articles. Keep up the great work that you do. Cheers form here
This article makes me think of a podcast called The History of the Early Church by Terry Young. Episode 6, I believe, talks about the diaspora of the apostles. It's a good listen.
Thanks Daniel, looking into this...
Loved this! Thank you!
very informative. thank you.
"At first glance, the apostles led incredibly privileged lives."
Um... not really. Those who went to a parochial school learned that all but one died horrible deaths and faced insurmountable challenges. Not really sure that privileged is quite the right word.
That being said... thanks for posting this, really enjoyed the read and the maps!
They were privileged in the sense that "they got to witness God himself resurrect from the dead, and were personally entrusted with carrying his message to the world after his ascension into heaven." As it says in the very next sentence which I quoted here.
"Like" is almost impossible to key in.....such horrific and sobering reading. I cannot even begin to hope that one day I might be in the presence of these amazing faithful servants of Jesus.....these men didn't only "believe" - they knew what and whom they believed. If only we can prove as worthy when the time comes- as it surely will to one extent or another. I feel so humbled and grateful.
Yeah reading this is scary because we're not worthy of being in the presence of these men. How can we share heaven with them without paying such a price? I guess that's why purgatory exists. You either suffer in this life like them or in the next one.
How can mere humans endure this much pain for a Dead God? How can one look at these stories and still deny firvently, the truth of Christ, how can one read all this, learn of all these deaths in their gruesome detail and still say they died for nothing? How can mere human will and self - discipline achieve such feats of matyredom?………it can't, it is by their strength in the spirit, their cultivation of an unwavering faith; Christianity as discipline and means of transcendence of the physical into something higher……more sublime……the kingdom of God within?……true communion with God?……even I am yet to know…
This was masterfully told — a sobering reminder of how high the cost of conviction can be.
What really struck me reading this was how geographically expansive their missions were. From Armenia to Ethiopia to India to the edges of the Roman world — these weren’t just spiritual journeys, they were bold geopolitical acts. The apostles weren’t preserving tradition — they were disrupting power structures, often violently guarded by local elites. And their deaths reflect that: flaying, crucifixion, spears, saws… tools of both punishment and spectacle.
The deeper layer here, though, is psychological. These men weren’t chasing glory. Most were obscure, poor, or politically expendable. So their unwavering testimony — even under torture — forces an uncomfortable question: what did they see that gave them that level of courage? A myth doesn’t usually get you crucified upside down or flayed alive.
Their suffering was the message. And maybe that's why Christianity spread — not because it promised comfort, but because it produced people who could endure anything without losing their fire.
Would love to see a future piece on the psychology of martyrdom — and how that same fire shows up (or doesn't) in modern belief systems.
Great article. But, historically speaking, none of the gospels were written by the Apostles, nor even while they were still alive.
GTFOH, with your scam crap.
The apostles’ sacrifices were enduring testaments to the depth of their conviction and the faith they helped ignite
Thank you… great stuff again. So many things I didn’t know…
Muito obrigado pelo trabalho.
I always find this the most convincing argument to use on atheists.
Something and his deciples