Here is a glance at the fate of each of the 12 after the resurrection of Christ
1. John died of extreme old age in Ephesus (the only one not die in some way for his faith or in betrayal)
2. Judas Iscariot, after betraying his Lord, hanged himself.
3. Peter was crucified, head downward, during the persecution of Nero.
4. Andrew died on a cross at Patrae, in Achaia, a Grecian Island.
http://www.chrysostom.org/firstcalled/life.html
5. James, was thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple, and then beaten to death with a club.
6. Bartholomew was flayed alive then beheaded in Albanapolis, Armenia. Present day Turkey.
7. James, the elder son of Zebedee, was beheaded at Jerusalem.
8. Thomas, the doubter, was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel, in the east Indies.
9. Philip was hanged against a pillar at Heropolis (Abyssinia).
10. Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows.
11. Simon died on a cross in Persia (now Iran.)
12. Matthew had a unclear death..martyrdom or old age…
Have you ever witnessed a lie and decided to cover for someone? Would you have gone to death by your skin being peeled off your body then your head chopped off? ME EITHER! Lets suppose Jesus was a lie and hoax. What would his disciples have to gain from continuing the lie? This was not some Kingdom with power, money and lands. This was a church with none of that…a belief in someone who had come to die for them and do away with the law of the old testament. This belief had no friends! This is the second reason I believe Jesus is who he says he is. First hand witnesses to the miracles, death, and Resurrection which are all very important tenets of our faith died for this belief. Not just died but where crucified, beaten, flayed (skin peeled off) for this faith. They had no reason to go through with this unless they had seen it as truth. This was not some long term cult where years of brain washing can send someone to their death for 100 virgins in the sky. This was less then 3 years of first hand experience combined with the first hand eye witness of Jesus after his resurrection. I find it impossible to believe these ex-fishermen and tax collectors would live out a lie until they died these horrible deaths. IMPOSSIBLE.
Between the women at the Tomb and the fate of the Disciples I don’t see how anyone could claim this Belief to be a fabricated faith. Some type of fable that grew over the years with each and every passing telling. Any of us could sit down and find a more palatable, feel good story to get people to believe in something. This is a story of tragic deaths…and people going against local tradition to the point of scorn. This is not a fable. Its just does not fit the blueprint for a good fable.
