BibleWay
⌕

← People

Person

Bartholomew

Apostle living at the time of the New Testament

Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus.

🗺 Places mentioned alongside Bartholomew on the map →

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.

Connections

Part of: John the Baptist's Circle · The Twelve Apostles

Nathanael and Bartholomew

FriendsDebated

The Synoptic lists pair Philip with Bartholomew, and John pairs Philip with Nathanael. Many infer Nathanael is Bartholomew ("son of Talmai"), but no text says so.

NathanaelDisciple of Jesus, from Cana in Galilee.BartholomewAn apostlePhilipAn apostle
Where the text shows it: John 1:45-49 — Philip finds NathanaelMatthew 10:3 — Philip and Bartholomew pairedJohn 21:2 — Nathanael of Cana in Galilee
Ways people read this (2)
  • Nathanael is Bartholomew (widely proposed, based on the pairing).
  • Nathanael is a separate disciple not in the Twelve lists.

Sources: Scripture

Jesus chooses the Twelve

RoleStated in the text

Jesus selected twelve from his wider group of disciples and named them apostles. The four lists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts) agree on twelve names with one variation in the tenth to twelfth positions (Thaddaeus or Judas of James).

JesusSon of JosephPeterAn apostleAndrewAn apostleJamesAn apostleJohnAn apostlePhilipAn apostleBartholomewAn apostleMatthewAn apostleThomasAn apostleJamesAn apostleJudasAn apostleSimonAn apostleJudasAn apostle
Where the text shows it: Mark 3:13-19 — Jesus appoints twelve and the list follows.Luke 6:12-16 — Chosen after a night of prayer and named apostles.Matthew 10:2-4 — The list as sent out on mission.Acts 1:13 — The list after the ascension, without Judas Iscariot.

Sources: Matthew 10:2-4 · Mark 3:13-19 · Luke 6:12-16 · Acts 1:13

Nathanael is usually identified with Bartholomew

RoleWidely accepted

John never lists Bartholomew and the Synoptics never mention Nathanael. The identification rests on Philip being paired with Bartholomew in the lists and Nathanael being Philip's acquaintance.

NathanaelDisciple of Jesus, from Cana in Galilee.BartholomewAn apostle
Where the text shows it: Matthew 10:3 — Philip and Bartholomew paired.John 1:45 — Philip and Nathanael paired.John 21:2 — Nathanael named among the disciples.
Ways people read this (2)
  • Bartholomew (Bar-Talmai) may be a patronymic with a personal name such as Nathanael.
  • The identification is an inference; no text states it.

Sources: Matthew 10:3 · John 1:45

Pairings in the apostle lists

RoleDebated

Matthew's list arranges the Twelve in six apparent pairs, and Mark says Jesus sent them out two by two. Some see these as mission pairs; the texts do not say the list order gives partners.

PeterAn apostleAndrewAn apostleJamesAn apostleJohnAn apostlePhilipAn apostleBartholomewAn apostleThomasAn apostleMatthewAn apostleJamesAn apostleJudasAn apostleSimonAn apostleJudasAn apostle
Where the text shows it: Matthew 10:2-4 — Pairs joined by "and": Simon and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James and Thaddaeus, Simon and Judas.Mark 6:7 — Sent out two by two.
Ways people read this (3)
  • For: mission pairs, with the brothers together.
  • Against: Luke and Mark use different orders; the pairing is not stated.
  • Relevant to family claims: it places Matthew with Thomas, not with James.

Sources: Matthew 10:2-4 · Mark 6:7

Is the Twelve one extended family network?

FriendsHypothesis

One proposal is that most of the Twelve were kin, neighbours or business contacts around the Sea of Galilee. The Gospels attest two brother pairs, a partnership, a shared home town for three and an invitation between two; the wider network is a pattern suggested by those links, not a stated fact.

PeterAn apostleAndrewAn apostleJamesAn apostleJohnAn apostleMatthewAn apostleJamesAn apostleJudasAn apostleSimonAn apostleThomasAn apostlePhilipAn apostleBartholomewAn apostle
Where the text shows it: Luke 5:10 — Partners.John 1:44 — Shared town.John 1:45 — Philip and Nathanael.Mark 2:14 — Levi son of Alphaeus.
Ways people read this (3)
  • Attested: two sets of brothers, partners, a shared home town, one invitation.
  • Inferred: kinship among Alphaeus's sons, Thomas, Simon, Judas.
  • The Galilean setting makes local links likely but not proven for each apostle.

Sources: Luke 5:10 · John 1:44

More background: search Wikipedia ↗

Bible dictionary

Bartholomew Easton Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Son of Tolmai, one of the twelve apostles (Matt. 10:3; Acts 1:13); generally supposed to have been the same as Nathanael. In the synoptic gospels Philip and Bartholomew are always mentioned together, while Nathanael is never mentioned; in the fourth gospel, on the other hand, Philip and Nathanael are similarly mentioned together, but nothing is said of Bartholomew. He was one of the disciples to whom our Lord appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (John 21:2). He was also a witness of the Ascension (Acts 1:4, 12, 13). He was an “Israelite indeed” (John 1:47).

Read the full entry →

Bartholomew Smith Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1863)

(son of Tolmai), one of the twelve apostles of Christ. (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13) It has been not improperly conjectured that he is identical with Nathanael. (John 1:45) ff. He is said to have preached the gospel in India, that is, probably, Arabia Felix, and according to some in Armenia.

Read the full entry →

Bartholomew Hitchcock Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary (1869)

a son that suspends the waters

Read the full entry →

Bartholomew Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)

BARTHOL'OMEW (son of Tolmai) is supposed to be the same person who is elsewhere called Nathanael. This conjecture rests in part upon the fact that Philip and Nathanael are associated together by John, and in the parallel passages of the other evangelists Philip and Bartholomew are associated; and further, that Bartholomew is not mentioned in John's list of the twelve, nor is Nathanael in the list of the other evangelists. It is therefore in every way likely that he bore two names, as so many others did. We know nothing of his history save the fact of his conversion, John 1:45-51, and his presence on the Lake of Tiberias when the risen Lord appeared to him and other disciples. John 21:2.

Read the full entry →

Bartholomew Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible

BARTHOL'OMEW (son of Tolmai) is supposed to be the same person who is elsewhere called Nathanael. This conjecture rests in part upon the fact that Philip and Nathanael are associated together by John, and in the parallel passages of the other evangelists Philip and Bartholomew are associated; and further, that Bartholomew is not mentioned in John's list of the twelve, nor is Nathanael in the list of the other evangelists. It is therefore in every way likely that he bore two names, as so many others did. We know nothing of his history save the fact of his conversion, John 1:45-51, and his presence on the Lake of Tiberias when the risen Lord appeared to him and other disciples. John 21:2.

Read the full entry →

Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.

Where Bartholomew appears

4 verses in 4 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G0918

Matthew1
Mark1
Luke1
Acts1

Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.