Andrew of the Twelve Disciples: Bio, Death, Legacy

Though they were brothers, Andrew and Simon Peter were nothing alike. The Bible tells us little about Andrew, mentioning him only twelve times in the gospels and Acts. Of these references, four are from the lists of the twelve disciples that appear in the synoptic gospels and Acts. That leaves only eight times that the New Testament mentions Andrew. It is not much to work with, but enough to construct a basic profile of Andrew and his personality.

The synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke omit the first encounters between Andrew and Jesus. They mention the calling of Andrew and Peter but do not provide the same detail on that encounter that John does either. We must follow John for the first encounter between Andrew and Jesus and his calling sometime afterward.

Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. On occasion, when Jesus went by while Andrew was with his mentor, John pointed to his cousin and identified him as the promised Messiah by saying: “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Andrew and another disciple of John started following Jesus to see where he lived. When Jesus noticed them, he asked them what they were looking for, and they indicated that they wanted to know where Jesus resided. Jesus invited them to walk with him to his residence, and they spent the day together.

Andrew then went to his brother, Simon, and told him he had found the Messiah. On taking Simon to Jesus, Andrew’s brother received the nickname Peter, which means “rock.” An unspecified amount of time later, Jesus found Andrew and Simon Peter fishing together and used their boat as a platform to preach from. Jesus then performed a miracle by telling Peter to cast his nets again, and they were filled to their limit in stark contrast to the experience Peter and Andrew had had all evening. Matthew and Mark do not provide as much detail on this episode as Luke. Jesus then called them to follow him, and both complied immediately.

Andrew and Peter came from a close-knit family. They resided in the same house, though they were already in their 30s at that time. Andrew is a Greek name, and the Bible does not provide a Hebrew or Aramaic alternative, which may indicate the family’s openness to other cultures. Andrew was a common name in the Hellenistic world.

Because the gospels and Acts mention Andrew much less than Peter, it seems that he had a more timid demeanor and did not have the leadership traits his brother had. However, he was a spiritual person seeking more insight into matters of faith. He first followed John the Baptist, who led a simple life and who many considered a fringe figure in society. Andrew following such a person shows his humility and willingness to learn from anyone who could teach him more about spiritual things. It shows his desire for what is meaningful rather than for social status.

Once John pointed out the “lamb of God,” Andrew sought to know more about what that meant and discovered who the Messiah was. Later, Mark 13 notes that Andrew accompanied three other disciples to inquire about events Jesus prophesied that would mark the Apocalypse. He was eager, as always, to learn more from his mentor.

Andrew’s desire for spiritual things did not override his sense of duty. He did not abandon his responsibility to his family to pursue his personal spiritual journey. He returned to fishing with his brother until they were both called to follow Jesus. At that point, he fulfilled his calling, which was more important than practicing the family trade.

What stands out about Andrew is his tendency to bring people to Jesus. After meeting Christ, he called his brother Peter and brought them together (John 6:8-9). He also took the boy with the loaves and fish to Jesus when they had to feed the crowd (John 12:20-22). There were likely several other instances where Andrew was the agent of introduction to Jesus, which may be why Philip approached Andrew when some Greeks wished to meet Jesus. Andrew took Philip along to facilitate the meeting. Continuously taking people to Jesus shows that Andrew cared about people’s well-being and that he had a passion for evangelism.

Though Andrew and his brother Peter shared a passion for evangelism and a willingness to follow Jesus, they were very different in temperament. While Peter was impulsive and quick to react, Andrew was more reserved and responsible in approaching situations. He likely considered the repercussions of his actions much more than his sibling.

John 1:35-42

“The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, ‘What are you seeking?’ And they said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and you will see.’ So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas’ (Peter).”  

Arguably the most significant encounter between Jesus and Andrew was when Andrew realized that Jesus was the antitype of the Old Testament sanctuary system’s lamb, sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins. This epiphany convinced Andrew that Jesus was indeed the prophesied Messiah. We are not privy to the conversation between the two. Andrew was sure enough of Jesus’s identity that he informed Peter that he and another disciple of John had found the Messiah.

Though Andrew does not play nearly as significant a role in the Bible narrative as Peter does, it was thanks to Andrew that Peter met the Messiah in the first place. The two brothers could not be more different, yet they were both selected as disciples of Jesus.

Mark 13:3-4

“And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?’”

Matthew 24, which relates the same event, does not specify who the disciples who asked Jesus this question were. Mark 13 includes Andrew. The other three disciples, on Jesus’s request, accompany him on many occasions when the remaining nine disciples are left behind. In this instance, there was no calling aside. The disciples approached Jesus. Andrew, who seems to have been ever eager to learn more, was among the three that were very different to him in temperament.

Legacy and Tradition

Andrew is mentioned only once in the Book of Acts. He was among the apostles who gathered in the room where they were staying to dedicate themselves to prayer and chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot. No further detail of his missionary work appears in the Bible.

Tradition, however, has him ministering far and wide. According to Origen, Andrew preached across Scythia and around the Black Sea in modern-day Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Romania, and Thrace. Ukraine, Russia, and Romania consider him their patron saint. Tradition also claims that Andrew established a Patriarchate in Byzantium (later Constantinople and known as Istanbul today). According to Basil of Seleucia, Andrew also ministered in Achaea where he died a martyr’s death.

Several places that Andrew never visited still regard him as their patron – places as far afield as Spain, Portugal, and Barbados. St Andrews in Scotland claims a significant connection with the apostle. Some relics of Andrew are believed to have been brought to Scotland from Constantinople by divine guidance.

The Gospel of Andrew and the Acts of Andrew were known to church fathers but did not make it into the canon of the Bible due to their dubious content. The Acts of Andrew tells of his mission trips and miracles and describes his execution.

The Bible does not detail how Andrew died. The Church Fathers did, however, record the tradition of how his life ended. Andrew died by crucifixion. According to some Church Fathers, he died on an X-shaped cross, not believing himself worthy of dying on a cross like the one that the Romans nailed Jesus to.

Others, however, contradict that view and claim his executors tied Andrew to a Latin cross, shaped like the one used to crucify Jesus. Nevertheless, the X-shaped cross became known as the St Andrew’s Cross, and later iconography depicted him crucified on one, unlike earlier images.