The Twelve Apostles – Part 5
Andrew
Andrew is one of the apostles we know very little about. The brother of Simon Peter, and a fisherman by trade, he was originally a disciple of John the Baptist, and heard John declare, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36)! As a result we read further of him, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus” (John 1:40-42). I take him to be more of a personal, behind-the-scenes worker than his brother Peter, who took a more prominent place. This is indicated when we read: “There were certain Greeks…that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus” (John 12:20-22). Tradition says that he later labored in Scythia, Greece, and Asia Minor, and that he was martyred at Patras in Achaia, on a cross the shape of an X.
