Bartholomew is one of the Twelve listed in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts. His name means "son of Tolomai," and he may have had another name as well. An ancient tradition of the Eastern churches maintains that Bartholomew is the same disciple as Nathaniel mentioned in John 1:45-51. If so, his complete Aramaic name would be Nathaniel bar Tolomai. This disciple begins with a skeptical attitude about Jesus but soon makes a strong confession of faith.
Bartholomew does not receive much attention in Scripture, but he is presumably included in comments about the Twelve. He probably came to understand Christ's redeeming work slowly and was transformed by the Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. He became a faithful disciple and witness to Jesus, and he probably suffered martyrdom like most of the other apostles. In the 4th century, the church historian Eusebius recorded (Bk. 5, section 10) an early tradition that Bartholomew went to the east ("India"), preached, and left a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. Later traditions spoke of Bartholomew's preaching and martyrdom in Armenia.
Whatever the exact details of Bartholomew's later life and death, we can view him as an apostle who heeded Christ's call to follow Him in all situations. This apostle continued with Christ despite trials and was one who was offered a throne in Christ's kingdom (Luke 22: 28-30). Let us give thanks to God for the humble faith and ministry of Bartholomew and other workers for the kingdom!
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