Ten of the remaining eleven Apostles and Paul we believe died violent deaths. John the author of the book of John, the three epistles of John and Revelations was exiled to the mines on a small prison island called Patmos and lived in a cave. John was boiled in oil and lived. Later he was released and died a peaceful death in today’s Turkey. One of the Apostles, Judas Iscariot, did not believe Jesus was the Son of God, committed suicide and ended up in hell.

As for the others the Bible records only the death of James found in Acts 12.2. He was put to death by the sword. We believe Peter was crucified upside down on an “X” shaped cross according to Jesus’ prophecy in John 21:18 & 19. Matthew suffered martyrdom and was killed by a sword in Ethiopia. Nathanael was beaten to death by whipping. The apostle Thomas was stabbed to death. James, not the brother of Jesus but John’s brother, was thrown from the upper part of the temple because he refused to deny his belief that Christ was who He said He was. Matthew was stoned to death. Andrew was crucified. Philip was martyred in Turkey. Bartholomew was skinned alive. Jude was martyred. The apostle Paul was beheaded by Nero. When we take what we believe are facts that those closest to Jesus were willing to die a martyr’s death it leads us to believe there was no doubt in their mind that Jesus was the Son of God. Would these apostles be willing to die for a lie? Would you? Following is more evidence:

Acts Chapter 1 Thru 5

After Christ’s death, He gave them convincing proof that He was alive. “He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” While eating with them, He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit and He will baptize you with power. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Only the apostles were given a special relationship with the Holy Spirit and were given special gifts. Only books written by the apostles or written on their behalf were included in the New Testament.

“Before their very eyes, He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.” As they were looking up, two men dressed in white stood beside them and told them Jesus would return the same way they have seen Him go into heaven.

After receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles performed many miracles among the people. People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed. Crowds gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and insane and all of them were healed.

Thousands upon thousands repented and were baptized. Many of them were Gentiles. This caused diversity among the Jewish Christians who believed they had to continue following all of the laws. Acts 15:29 requested four things of the Gentile Christian: “abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals and sexual immorality.”

Does the violent death of those close to Jesus reassure your faith that He was who He said He was? Do you have the faith to die a Martyrs death? Christ asked Christians to do only two things: love God with all of your strength, heart and soul and to love others as you love yourself. At the Day of Judgment you will be asked these two questions and these two questions only. How you answer, by the way you lived while alive, will determine your eternal destiny.

For those skeptics the difference between a Muslim suicide bomber and the apostles is that the apostles were killed by others. The Muslim suicide bombers took their own lives. The apostles acted out of love. The suicide bomber acted out of hate. The Muslim suicide bomber kills himself on what others tell him. The apostles were willing to be martyred based upon what they witnessed. What they witnessed was the resurrection and they knew it was true.