Bartholomew was one of the disciples of Jesus. Along with the other 11, he had the privilege to walk alongside the Son of God during his ministry. Though his presence and willingness to share the gospel are so important, there are not a lot of details in the New Testament about who he was. Let’s explore some of the things we do know about Bartholomew’s life and death.
Bartholomew was one of the twelve main disciples that followed Jesus while he was on Earth. Bartholomew is only mentioned in four lists of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16), and Acts 1:1-13). There is little additional information provided about Bartholomew in the New Testament so readers of the Bible don’t know much about him. He was a significant leader in the early church. He worked hard to help spread the gospel during the first century but he is not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament books.
Four Facts about Bartholomew
1. Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles.
There are only four passages in the Bible that list out the names of all the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16, Acts 1:1-13). Bartholomew is listed in each of these passages of Scripture. Bartholomew would have been present as a witness to Jesus’ ministry as recorded in each of the Gospels. The writers of the Gospels referred to the disciples as a group rather than listing them out by name. Their presence is implied from the time Jesus selects them to be his followers.
2. Bartholomew’s father’s name was likely Talmai.
The name Bartholomew probably came from the Aramaic (Bar-Talmai) which can be translated as “son of Talmai.” Names derived from the name of a person’s father were very common in ancient Israel. These are called Patronymic names.
3. Bartholomew and Philip are traditionally associated with one another.
In three of the four lists of the apostles, we see that Bartholomew is listed right after Philip. This suggests a close connection between the two men. Some traditions also describe the two men working together in their ministries. In the apocryphal text Acts of Philip, these two men are both crucified upside down. In the text, Philip’s preaching convinces those around to free them. Strangely, Philip asks to remain bound on the cross but Bartholomew is freed. This connection could mean nothing but many scholars believe they worked together to spread the gospel.
4. Bartholomew was likely a missionary.
Jesus sent out the apostles to different specific regions in groups of two (Mark 6:7-13). Jesus charges them to “go and make disciples of all nations” before he ascends to Heaven (Matthew 28:19). There is no specific record in the Bible that tells us to which nations they all went. There are some traditional understandings about where Bartholomew may have traveled to. Eusebius of Caesarea recorded that he preached to India. He was a man with access to many historical resources but also did make mistakes in his writings. The Acts of Philip state that Bartholomew preached in places such as Armenia, Ethiopia, Lycaonia, Mesopotamia, and Parthia.