Saint Bartholomew
Apostle Bartholomew
Bartholomew Nathanael, Talmai’s son, lived in Cana of Galilee. Three parallel knives are his apostolic symbol. According to legend, he was a missionary in Armenia, and to some scholars, Bartholomew the disciple was the only one of the Twelve to have royal blood or noble birth. Saint Batholomew given name translates as “Son of Tolmai or Talmai” (2 Samuel 3:3).
Talmai was the king of Geshur, and his daughter, Maacah, was David’s wife and the mother of Absolom. Every list of the disciples includes Bartholomew’s name (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13).
This, however, was not his first name; it was his middle name. His given name was most likely Nathanael, and Jesus referred to him as “an Israelite indeed, without guile” (John 1:47).
The New Testament tells us very little about him. According to tradition, he was a great scholar of the law and the prophets, as well as a great searcher of the Scriptures.
He grew into a man completely devoted to the Carpenter of Nazareth and one of the Church’s most daring missionaries. He is said to have preached alongside Philip in Phrygia, Hierapolis, and Armenia.
He is regarded as the founder and martyr of the Armenian Church. However, tradition says that he preached in India, and his death seems to have taken place there. He died as a martyr for his Lord. He was flayed alive with knives.
Life with Jesus
When Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, the first words he said to him were,
“Behold an Israelite indeed, without guile!”
Nathanael was perplexed, wondering how Jesus could recognize him.
Jesus told Nathanael that He had known him all along and that he would see much greater things than he had seen up to that point. Nathanael’s declaration that Jesus is the Son of God is the first recorded instance of someone accepting Jesus as the Son of God.
St. Bartholomew was astounded when Jesus asked,
“How do you know me?”
“Before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus replied. St. Bartholomew interpreted Jesus’ revelation as a summons to follow Him.
Except for those who were present, no one would have known St. Bartholomew was near this fig tree at this point. Nonetheless, Jesus was aware of this, and, significantly, Jesus stated, “Before Philip called you.” At the very least, St. Bartholomew’s reaction suggests this “Rabbi, you are God’s Son! You are Israel’s King!” (Matthew 1:47; Matthew 1:49)
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46)
That remark elicited Christ’s response when he first met Bartholomew:
“Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47).
Bartholomew became a follower of Jesus after Christ revealed to him the circumstances surrounding Philip’s call (“under the fig tree,” John 1:48).
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man,”
Christ told Bartholomew.
Reflection
Bartholomew or Nathanael? We are once again confronted with the fact that we know very little about the majority of the apostles.
The unknown ones, on the other hand, were foundation stones, the 12 pillars of the new Israel, whose 12 tribes now encompass the entire earth.
Their personalities were secondary without diminishing their great office of carrying tradition from first-hand experience, speaking in the name of Jesus, and putting the Word Made Flesh into human words for the world’s enlightenment.
Their holiness was not an inward reflection of their position before God. It was a gift that they felt compelled to share with others.
The Good News was that all are called to the holiness of being Christ’s members, by the gracious gift of God. The simple fact is that humanity is meaningless unless God is its total concern. Then humanity, made holy with God’s holiness, becomes the most precious creation of God.
Feast Days
Eastern Christianity commemorates him on June 11, while the Catholic Church commemorates Bartholomew on August 24.
Key Takeaway
There isn’t a lot of information available about Bartholomew. He was one of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples, one of the twelve, and a devout follower of Christ. The Catholic Church represents him with three parallel knives because of his belief method of death as a martyr flayed alive.
The name Bartholomew means “son of Talmai” (this is sometimes spelled, Tolman). His father was the King of Geshur, making Bartholomew a member of the royal family. He was regarded as a scholar who specialized in the law and the prophets. He was born in Cana of Galilee, the site of Jesus’ first recorded miracle, which launched His earthly ministry.
Bartholomew and the other disciples, known as the apostles or those who were sent, witnessed Jesus’ ministry for about three years. Following Jesus’ death, they launched the movement that became known as Christianity.
This makes Bartholomew one of the most important and authoritative leaders of the early church, and he most likely contributed to the spread of the gospel to specific regions during the first century, but he is never explicitly mentioned or singled out in any of the epistles.
Characteristics
Characteristics of Apostle Bartholomew shared an in-depth fact that everything that we can learn about Nathanael is taken from only seven verses of the Scripture.
Still, these seven verses give us great insight into his character.
According to the characteristics of the 12 apostles, what is known about this apostle is generally positive and has provoked at least some family members to say that I should have been called Nathanael instead of Nathan because, like that apostle, I am an Israelite in whom there is no guile.
Nathanael was from a small town called Cana of Galilee therefore Nathaniel was a bit of a country boy but did not think for a moment that country boys are uneducated or uninformed.
Nathaniel was a thinker.
Let’s consider three characteristics of Apostle Bartholomew:
One of the first characteristics of Nathaniel or Bartholomew was what appeared to be a prejudice in him, as when he says,
Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?
This is not to condemn or judge, but merely to try to give you a picture of what he was like in the natural realm as well as the spiritual realm.
A Man with Double Titles
The synoptic gospels speak of an apostle named Bartholomew but never Nathaniel. On the other hand, the Gospel of John speaks of Nathaniel but never Bartholomew. In the synoptic gospels, Bartholomew always follows Philip’s name. In the gospel of John, it was Philip that led Nathaniel to Christ.
He is also linked with Thomas, John, James, and Peter after the resurrection when the apostles decided to go fishing, just as stated in the Characteristics of the 12 Apostles.
Since the other gospels do not mention Nathanael and the Gospel of John does not mention Bartholomew, they must be the same man.
And apparently, his full name appears to have been Nathanael Bartholomew. It is not uncommon to find people with more than one name. Matthew is also called Levi. Saul is also Paul. And Peter had three names – Simon, Peter, and Cephas.
Nathanael, the name that John called him, means a gift from God. If nothing else, it shows that his parents were mindful that their baby boy was a blessing from the Lord.
A Man with Deep Thoughts
Another characteristic of Apostle Bartholomew was a critical thinker. He was a ponderer. He meditated upon things before he committed himself to something. And that is why Nathanael makes a powerful statement concerning Christ: John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
There were quite several Jews who were anticipating the Messiah’s arrival. Those who studied the Bible knew that the time of the Messiah’s arrival was near.
This passage shows Nathanael to be a thoughtful and reflective sort of person.
The statements of Jesus Christ about being an Israelite relate to his descent from Jacob, who was certainly a man full of guile and deceit during his early life.
That said, it would appear as if Nathanael was under the fig tree (a common representation of a philosophical sort of person) thinking about the dream of Jacob where angels went up and down the stairway to heaven, showing the relationship between heaven and earth and the possibility of communication between the two realms.
Lessons
There are a few lessons that one can learn from Bartholomew (Nathanael). These lessons include lessons about his personality as it appears in Scripture and what type of believer is likely to be a lot like this apostle. In learning about Bartholomew (Nathanael), we help learn that the qualities Jesus Christ praised in him are also praiseworthy in other believers and are useful for the body of Christ as a whole.
Summary Characteristics
Let us, therefore, conclude with an honest admission that one would like to know a lot more about the characteristics of apostle Bartholomew than either the biblical or the historical record provides.
However, what the Bible does supply is at least a striking piece of evidence of how this particular disciple (and others like him) fits in with other disciples as a sounding board and a sincere and faithful companion, full of reflection as well as sincerity.
Resources Characteristics
https://us15.campaignarchive.com/?u=c154da2d2cc06f2b64216a0d5&id=b2b255c4cb
https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/apostles.cfm
https://www.google.com/amp/s/edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011/03/06/bartholmew-called-nathanael-an-israelite-in-whom-there-is-no-guile/amp/
Facts
St Bartholomew Facts show us that although the Bible didn’t brief us much on St Bartholomew, it is believed that Apostle Bartholomew was also known as Nathanael and came from Cana in Galilee. (John 21:2). He expressed some local prejudice about Nazareth. (John 1:46)
Jesus recognized how sincerely his love for God was from the beginning when He said,
“Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47).
Nathanael may have preached in India and translated the Book of Matthew into their language. He was beaten, crucified, and beheaded. It is one of St Bartholomew’s facts that he died as a martyr while serving the people of Albinopolis, Armenia.
Most Bible scholars believe Nathanael and Bartholomew were the same.
The name Bartholomew is a family designation, meaning “son of Tolmai,” which implies that he had another name. Nathanael means “gift of God” or “giver of God.”
Is Bartholomew the Same Person as Nathanael?
Bartholomew’s name most likely comes from the Aramaic name, Bar-Talmai, meaning “son of Talmai.” If that’s the case and this is a patronymic name (meaning a name that derives from a person’s father), it stands to reason that Bartholomew would’ve been known by another name.
In this case, most would argue that this other name is Nathanael since Nathanael appears to be an apostle in the Gospel of John, is closely associated with Philip (Philip calls him to meet Jesus, after all), and Bartholomew doesn’t appear in John.
But others argue that Bartholomew is a standalone name and that the Greek text normally represents patronymic names differently:
“The name ‘Bartholomew’ may stand by itself in the apostolic lists as a proper name. It is not necessarily patronymic. The patronymic is normally expressed in the lists by the Greek genitive, not by the Aramaic bar.” —Professor Michael Wilkins, Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
That’s not to say Bartholomew was not also known as Nathanael, just that this isn’t necessarily why he would’ve been known by two names. Many modern scholars prefer to take a neutral stance on Nathanael and Bartholomew, suggesting that it’s possible, but not verifiable.
If Bartholomew is Nathanael though, John gives us two additional passages to learn about Bartholomew the disciple. When Philip first tells Nathanael about Jesus, he’s skeptical:
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46)
But after seeing Jesus demonstrate his divinity, he says:
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel” (John 1:49)
Toward the end of John’s gospel, Nathanael comes up again. This time, he’s merely listed among seven disciples who went fishing (John 21:1; John 21:2; John 21:3).
We know several of these disciples are fishermen—Peter, James, and John, plus Andrew if he’s one of the unnamed disciples in the passage—so either Nathanael was a fisherman, too or he’s just taking the opportunity to learn a new trade since at this point it seemed like the whole disciple thing didn’t work out.
Was Nathanael the Apostle Bartholomew?
Most Bible scholars believe Nathanael and Bartholomew were the same. The name Bartholomew is a family designation, meaning “son of Tolmai,” which as part of the St Bartholomew Facts implies that he had another name. Nathanael means “gift of God” or “giver of God.”
In the synoptic Gospels, the name Bartholomew always follows Philip in lists of the Twelve. In the Gospel of John, Bartholomew is not mentioned at all; Nathanael is listed instead, after Philip. Likewise, Nathanael’s presence with other disciples at the Sea of Galilee after Jesus’ resurrection suggests that he was one of the original Twelve (John 21:2) and a witness to the resurrection.
Conclusion Facts
St Bartholomew Facts writes Bartholomew (Nathanael Bartholomew): Bartholomew (also referred to as Saint Bartholomew by the Catholic church) was a friend of Phillip and was brought to see the greatness of Christ by Phillip. It is part of the St Bartholomew Facts that both Bartholomew and Phillip are often seen together and as a result, they are generally lumped together when spoken of in any detail.
Bartholomew is known for being an honest man who was convinced by Jesus’ greatness upon his meeting with Him and learning that Jesus saw him even before he came to Him.
Much as with Phillip, Bartholomew is not referred to in detail in The Bible and so not too much is known about him. While his death is not talked of in The Bible it is believed that Bartholomew too received the death of a martyr as a result of his firm belief in Christianity and his intent on spreading the word of Christ.
Resources Facts
https://ourlordstyle.com/blogs/christian-writings/classic-christian-symbols-and-their-meanings-the-twelve-apostles
https://www.google.com/amp/s/peoplepill.com/amp/people/bartholomew-the-apostle
https://overviewbible.com/12-apostles/#bartholomew
https://www.learnreligions.com/nathanael-the-true-israelite-701068
Summary
Saint Bartholomew was chosen as one of the twelve apostles by our blessed Lord Himself. Several learned interpreters of Holy Scripture believe that this apostle was the same as Nathaniel, a native of Cana in Galilee, a doctor of Jewish law, and one of Christ’s seventy-two disciples, to whom he was led by St. Philip, and whose innocence and simplicity of heart deserved the highest eulogy from Our Redeemer’s divine mouth.
He is mentioned among the disciples who gathered in prayer after Christ’s ascension, and he, like the others, received the Holy Spirit. Being eminently qualified by the divine grace to discharge the functions of an apostle, he carried the Gospel through the most barbarous countries of the East, penetrating the remoter Indies. He then returned to the northwest part of Asia, where he met St. Philip in Hierapolis, Phrygia.
As a result, he traveled to Lycaonia, where he instructed the people in the Christian faith; however, we don’t even know the names of many of the countries where he preached. However, the name Bartholomew is a family name that means “Son of Tholmai” (Bar-Thomas, or Bartholomaios in Greek). As a result, Bartholomew is commonly identified with Nathaniel, who is mentioned in Saint John’s gospel but not in the synoptic gospels.
Resources Saint Bartholomew
https://overviewbible.com/bartholomew-the-apostle/
https://www.learnreligions.com/saint-bartholomew-apostle-541675
https://www.google.com/amp/s/onlyonehope.com/facts-about-bartholomew-the-apostle-nathanael/%3famp
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-bartholomew
https://www.deepertruthcatholics.com/single-post/2016/08/25/The-Catholic-Defender-The-Apostle-St-Bartholomew