Andrew
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter and a fisherman from Bethsaida, was among the first disciples called by Jesus while working by the Sea of Galilee after initially following John the Baptist. He immediately recognized Jesus as the Messiah and brought his brother Peter to meet him, an act that led to Peter's own calling as an apostle. Andrew is further noted in the Gospels for bringing a boy with five loaves and two fish to Jesus at the feeding of the five thousand and for introducing Greek seekers to Christ. His consistent pattern of introducing others underscores the scriptural emphasis on personal witness in the spread of the Gospel and his foundational role among the twelve apostles.
Biography
- Died
- c. AD 60, Patras, Greece (tradition: crucified)
- Occupation
- Fisherman, Apostle
- Father
- Jonah (John)
- Era
- New Testament
- Nationality
- Jewish, Galilean
Family
Did You Know?
Andrew was originally a disciple of John the Baptist and is explicitly named in John 1:40 as one of two followers who left John to follow Jesus after hearing him called the Lamb of God.
In the Gospel of John alone, Andrew appears in three distinct scenes of bringing others to Jesus, including his brother Peter, the boy with loaves and fishes at the feeding of the five thousand, and Greek seekers at Passover, a pattern absent from the Synoptics.
Andrew and Peter were fishing partners with James and John on the Sea of Galilee, a commercial arrangement implied by Luke 5:10 and Mark 1:16-20 that placed them in a small Galilean fishing cooperative rather than as independent laborers.
Early Christian sources such as the Muratorian Fragment and Eusebius record that Andrew ministered in Scythia north of the Black Sea, a region far beyond the New Testament's Palestinian focus and consistent with the diaspora mission implied by Acts 1:8.
Unlike the more prominent Peter, Andrew receives no recorded post-resurrection appearance or leadership role in Acts, yet second-century traditions preserved by Origen note his crucifixion on an X-shaped cross in Patras, Greece, reflecting a distinct apostolic martyrdom tradition.
Key Passages
Andrew Follows Jesus
John 1:35-42
This passage shows how an encounter with Jesus moves us to follow Him and eagerly share that discovery with others, beginning at home.
35gain the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
Andrew Brings the Boy with Loaves
John 6:8-9
This passage shows how Andrew's simple faith in bringing what little he found allowed Jesus to meet a vast need with abundance.
8ne of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peterโs brother, saith unto him,
Called by Jesus
Matthew 4:18-20
This passage shows how Jesus calls ordinary people in daily life to follow Him and join His transforming mission.
18nd Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.