How Well Do You Know the 12 Disciples?

By: Heather Cahill
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How Well Do You Know the 12 Disciples?
Image: youtube

About This Quiz

Can you name the 12 followers of Jesus Christ?

The 12 disciples followed Jesus and learned from him so they could later teach others. They have gone down in history as martyrs who believed in the Lord. Today, they are studied and looked up to as true believers that set an example for the rest of us. 

Do you know which disciple was the first to follow Jesus? Can you identify which two disciples were brothers? How about the disciple who betrayed Jesus for a sum of money? There are many things that are unknown about the 12 disciples, but you'll need to know some of the facts that we learned from the Bible!

Do you know which two disciples were followers of John the Baptist before leaving to follow Jesus? What about how the disciples lived? Maybe you even know a bit about the symbols that are used to represent each one? The disciples had hard lives and died as a result of their beliefs. One thing that they all had in common was their faith in Jesus.

The disciples who followed Jesus were leaders in the world of Christianity. If you think you know the 12 disciples and their lives, what are you waiting for? Take this quiz to see if you truly know them!

Which disciple walked on water for a brief time?
Bartholomew
Judas
Peter
Thomas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Peter walked on water to meet who he believed was Jesus, but he was unsure. Jesus helped Peter to believe again by saving his life before he sank.

Which disciple found the boy who gave the five loaves and two fish used by Jesus to feed 5,000 men?
Philip
Matthew
John
Andrew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew was the disciple who found this boy. In this story, the 5,000 people who were mentioned to be fed were all men. There were women and their children present as well, but they are not included in this number.

This disciple was known for being a tax collector.
Judas
Thaddeus
James the Elder
Matthew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Matthew was known to be a tax collector. In one story in the Bible, Jesus was criticized for accepting an invitation for dinner with him because of Matthew's job.

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Whose name always comes first in lists of the disciples?
Peter
Bartholomew
John
James the Younger
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Peter's name always comes first in the list of disciples. He was very close with Jesus and he experienced things alongside his teacher that many of the other disciples did not.

What is the meaning of Peter's name?
Rock
Believer
Giver
Son
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Peter's name means 'rock.' This name comes from the Greek word 'petros.' Jesus gave Peter his name in Matthew 16 of the Bible.

Which occupation did most of the disciples hold?
Fishermen
Tax collectors
Bakers
Traders
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most of the disciples were fishermen. The only disciples who weren't fishermen were Matthew, Simon and possibly Bartholomew and Thomas. The last two are thought to have been fishermen, however.

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Which disciple betrayed Jesus?
Judas
Andrew
Peter
Thomas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Judas betrayed Jesus. Judas was going to allow Jesus to be murdered by the priests and in return would receive 30 pieces of silver. Judas later killed himself.

Who introduced Bartholomew to Jesus?
Philip
Bartholomew
James the Younger
Judas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Philip introduced Bartholomew to Jesus. This happened shortly after he had first found Jesus himself. Bartholomew then became a follower of Jesus as well.

Which of the following is not a disciple?
Phillip
Thomas
Lee
Andrew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lee is not the name of a disciple. The disciples are: Andrew, Thomas, Phillip, Judas, Jude, Peter, Bartholomew, John, James, James the Younger, Matthew and Simon.

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Which disciples found Jesus' empty tomb after he was ressurected?
Simon and Thomas
Matthias and Judas
John and Peter
Jude and Bartholomew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John and Peter found Jesus' empty tomb after he was resurrected. They were told by Mary that the tomb was empty and wanted to see it for themselves.

What was Andrew crucified on?
An X-shaped Cross
A plus-shaped cross
A T-shaped cross
He wasn't crucified.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew was crucified on a cross in the shape of an 'X.' He requested this as he didn't feel that he was worthy of dying the way his teacher did. He held Jesus in very high regard.

Who was James the Younger's brother?
Jude
Peter
Judas
Bartholomew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James the Younger's brother was Jude who is also known as Thaddeus. While in Egypt, James died by crucifixion, much like many of his fellow disciples.

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What is the symbol of John?
A sword
A cross
A chalice
A fish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A chalice is John's symbol. The explanation behind the symbol is that John was very close to being killed after someone poisoned his chalice. He avoided death and later died naturally.

Which two disciples' deaths were the only two mentioned in the bible?
Judas and James
Simon and Philip
Thomas and Nathanael
James the Elder and Matthias
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Judas and James' deaths were the only deaths out of all of the disciples to be mentioned in the bible. The other disciples (excluding John) were said to have died as martyrs, although there is not as much proof.

What is Simon the Zealot's symbol?
A cross
A chalice
A bag of money
A fish and a Bible
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The symbol of Simon the Zealot was a fish and a Bible. This is because Simon was a fisherman as well as a loyal and dedicated follower of Jesus.

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Which disciple was not Galilean?
Andrew
Thomas
Judas
James
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Judas was not a Galilean, but instead he was a Judean. Galilean was used for people from northern Israel and Judean was used for people from Judea.

What other name did Jude go by?
Nathanael
James
Thaddeus
Bartholomew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jude also went by the name Thaddeus. He was known to be the man with three names, as he also went by the name Lebbeus. Although Jude is similar to Judas, they were two separate disciples.

What other name did Matthew use?
Thaddeus
Peter
Levi
Andrew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Matthew also used the name Levi. Matthew died in Ethiopia by stabbing, which was done by order of King Hertacus. His symbol is three money bags.

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What was Matthew/Levi?
A tax collector
A fisherman
A king
A woodworker
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Matthew was a tax collector. This is represented in his symbol with the money bags. Matthew followed Jesus, although he knew that his past was filled with sin.

Can you finish the sentence?: Many of the disciples were killed because they were___________.
Believers in Jesus
Bad people
Traitors
Criminals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many of the disciples were killed because they were believers in Jesus. Martyrs are people who have lost their lives solely because of their religion or what they believed in.

Which disciple helped to establish the cross as a symbol of faith?
Judas
Andrew
Bartholomew
Philip
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Philip helped establish the cross as a symbol of faith. Today, the cross is a major symbol of Christianity because Jesus lost his life during his crucifixion on the cross.

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Which two disciples were brothers?
Andrew and Peter
John and Judas
Thomas and Nathanael
None of them were brothers.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew and Peter were brothers. Andrew was the one who introduced Peter to Jesus, although Peter became much closer to Jesus. John and James were also brothers.

Who beheaded James the Elder?
Herod
Jesus
Simon
Andrew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

King Herod beheaded James the Elder in AD 44. James was the first of the disciples to die, and he was killed with a sword. His brother was John.

What did the disciples do?
They read the Bible to others.
They helped to resurrect Jesus.
They followed Jesus.
They didn't do anything.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The disciples followed Jesus and Christianity. Jesus taught them the ways and beliefs of Christians and guided them. They became disciples by putting their trust and faith into him.

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The first gospel includes the name of which disciple?
Matthew
James the Younger
Judas
Bartholomew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first gospel was called, 'The Gospel of Matthew,' after Matthew the disciple. It is thought that Matthew was also the author of the gospel.

Judas was replaced by who?
James the Younger
Thomas
Simon
Matthias
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There were two candidates for Judas' replacement. His true replacement was Matthias. Matthias' symbol includes a Bible and the weapon that he was killed with.

Who was first a disciple of John the Baptist?
Nathanael
Thomas
Andrew
Matthias
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist before joining Jesus. He left John the Baptist in order to follow Jesus instead. John was also a disciple of John the Baptist.

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How did Judas die?
He was crucified.
He died naturally.
He committed suicide.
He was beheaded.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Judas died after betraying Jesus and committing suicide. He felt so bad about betraying Jesus that he even tried to give the reward he received back to the priests.

Which disciple didn't believe in resurrection?
Thomas
Nathanael
Peter
Judas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Thomas didn't believe in resurrection. Although he was a follower of Jesus and Christianity, he was also unsure and a skeptic. These qualities earned him the nickname, "Doubting Thomas."

Which disciple isn't in the Bible?
Simon
Peter
James the Younger
John
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Simon doesn't appear in the bible. Simon took on many different names such as Simon the Cananaen or Simon the Canaanite.

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Which disciple introduced many of the others to Jesus?
Judas
Matthew
Andrew
Thomas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew introduced many of the others to Jesus. The first person he introduced was Simon/Peter who was his brother, and he then became a disciple himself.

Which disciple is thought to have a relation with the royal family?
Thomas
Simon
Bartholomew
Peter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bartholomew is thought to have a relation to the royal family. Although this is not known for sure, it is hinted at through descriptions of Bartholomew.

After their deaths, what did the disciples become?
Nothing
Gods
Traitors
Saints
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After their deaths, the disciples became saints. Typically, a follower of Jesus and Christianity will only become an actual saint after they have passed away.

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Which disciple handled Jesus' money?
Judas
Thomas
Matthias
Simon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Judas handled Jesus' money. Many often wonder why Jesus would put his money in the hands of someone who would later betray him for money.

How did the disciples survive on their journeys?
They relied on the people they were teaching.
They killed anyone in their way.
They moved to different places quickly.
They foraged.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The disciples survived by teaching and on the hope that someone kind enough would open their doors to give them a place to sleep and eat. Teachers were held in very high regard at this time.

The Gospel of John says that Jesus asked who to 'follow him?'
Philip
Thomas
Simon
James the Younger
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Gospel of John says that Jesus asked Philip to follow him. Philip recruited Nathanael shortly after, and he, too, became a follower of Jesus.

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