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The calling of Jesus’ disciples was very important in the lives of twelve ordinary men who lived closely with the great Savior of the world for about three years. The special invitation to these men came in a personal and meaningful way. The accounts of the disciples’ calling are recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Peter and Andrew, his brother, were called while they were still fishermen. Andrew had been one of John the Baptist’s disciples, and from the moment he heard the testimony about Jesus, he began to follow Him. He also introduced his brother, Peter (Simon), to Christ. In addition to them, Jesus also called other fishermen: James and John. They worked in the fishing business with their father, Zebedee. But when they were called, they left their nets to follow Jesus.
Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector. Although he was not well regarded by society, Jesus also called him to follow Him. Matthew was sitting in the tax booth when Jesus passed by and called him. Then, leaving everything, Matthew began to follow the Lord.
One day, Jesus went to the region of Galilee and found another young man from Bethsaida, the same city as Andrew and Peter. His name was Philip. Jesus called him, and he immediately responded to the call. Philip found his friend Nathanael (Bartholomew) and also invited him to meet Jesus. Nathanael showed some resistance, but he soon became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. They accepted the invitation and joined the group of the first disciples.
Jesus called His disciples to follow Him and take part in His mission of preaching the Gospel and announcing the coming of the Kingdom of God. In Christ, the old covenant was fulfilled, and the new covenant was established with all who believe in Jesus, the Son of God.
The Bible does not recount how the calling of the other five disciples took place: Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Judas Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. Although no specific details are given about their calling, we know that Jesus chose them with a clear purpose.
The Calling of Each One and Its Details
The Calling of Four Fishermen: Peter, Andrew, James, and John
First, Jesus called four fishermen: the brothers Peter and Andrew, and also the sons of Zebedee, James and John. He called them, saying: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him.
A short time later, as Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, He saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee, in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them too, and right away they left the boat and their father and followed Him.
The evangelist John adds another detail: before Jesus called him, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. He heard the testimony that John gave about Jesus and also introduced his brother Peter to Christ. On that occasion, Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter.
In the Gospel of Luke, we see another interesting episode related to the calling of the disciples. In the story known as the miraculous catch of fish, Peter, James, and John were in a boat and witnessed a great miracle of Jesus. Then they believed in Him, left everything behind, and followed Him.
Catch more on the story of Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
Jesus Calls a Public Official: Matthew
Matthew, also called Levi, was a tax collector, also known as a “publican.” Publicans (public officials), like Matthew, were considered sinners and corrupt at that time, despised by the Jews as traitors of Israel.
This was not only because they worked for the Roman Empire, collecting the required taxes, but also because they exploited and extorted the people, keeping part of the money for themselves. Even so, Jesus showed no prejudice toward Matthew. He found him sitting at the tax booth and said, “Follow Me… for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew got up, left everything behind, and followed Him.
Collect additional information on Matthew.
Jesus Seeks More Followers: Philip and Nathanael
Jesus went to Galilee and, finding Philip, called him, saying: “Follow Me.” Philip, being from Bethsaida, found Nathanael (Bartholomew) and told him that he had found the Messiah. When Nathanael went to Jesus, he spoke with Him and became convinced that Jesus was the Son of God, and so he also became His disciple.
Gather more information about Philip and Nathanael
The Calling of Thomas, James (Son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot
For five of the twelve disciples, we have no specific details about how Jesus called them. They are: Thomas, known for doubting the resurrection of Jesus; James, son of Alphaeus, who must not be confused with James the son of Zebedee and brother of John.
Also, Judas Thaddeus; Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and was the treasurer of the group; and finally Simon the Zealot, or the Canaanite, who before following Jesus was part of the political-military party of the Zealots, a Jewish nationalist group that rebelled against Rome. The Bible does not describe the details of the calling of these disciples.
You can learn more about the lives of Thomas, James the Lesser, Judas Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.
Bible Texts about Jesus’ Call to His Disciples
The callings of seven of the disciples Peter, Andrew, John, James, Matthew, Philip, and Nathanael (Bartholomew), are found in passages from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The other five disciples, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, appear in the general accounts when the group of the twelve disciples was chosen by Jesus.
Here are some of the biblical texts:
Peter and Andrew
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”At once they left their nets and followed him.
- Matthew 4:18-20
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
- Mark 1:16-18
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
- John 1:35-42
James and John
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
- Matthew 4:21-22
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
- Luke 5:1-11
Matthew (Levi)
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
- Matthew 9:9
Philip and Nathanael (Bartholomew)
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believebecause I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you,you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
- John 1:43-51
Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Judas Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelvethat they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
- Mark 3:13-19
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
- John 15:16
See also: The 12 Apostles of Jesus: Who They Were and What Happened to Them