In the Gospel of Matthew, the 12 apostles are listed in this order: Simon (whom Jesus later renamed “Peter”), Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot. In the other gospels, the names are written in different order.
In the Gospel of Mark, Peter, James (son of Zebedee), John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot are listed in this order. Luke’s list of the apostles is mostly the same as Matthew’s, but there are a few differences. The order is Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon, Judas (Thaddeus), and Judas Iscariot.
Even though each list is in a different order, Simon Peter is always at the top. In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus gave Peter a special role in leading his church. However, different Christian groups disagree about what this role is and how big it is.
The Gospel of Matthew says that Judas Iscariot, who is always at the end of lists, betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and then hanged himself. Because of this, the Book of Acts says that Judas Iscariot’s place was taken by Matthias.
