Chapter XXII: Section 7: Extent of the Labours of the Apostles

We are told but little in Holy Scripture as to the particulars of the Apostles' work in founding the Church of God, except in the case of St. Paul, and we are not allowed to trace even his labours to their end. [Sidenote: Preaching of the Apostles in all known countries.] From other sources we learn that the twelve visited almost every known country of the world, so as to give to each separate race of men then existing an opportunity of refusing or accepting the offer of the salvation of which they were the ministers and stewards. We are also told that all, except St. John and perhaps St. Matthew, crowned their life of toil in the service of their Lord by a martyr's death. St. Peter and St. Paul both suffered at Rome in the First Persecution under Nero, and most likely on the same day, A.D. 67.

The following Table[28] will show the probable field of the labours of each Apostle, so far as the record of it has come down to us:--

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Supposed Fields of Apostolic Labour.

Name of Churches. By whom Founded.

Palestine and Syria All the Apostles.

Mesopotamia (Turkey in Asia) St. Peter and St. Jude.

Persia St. Bartholomew and St. Jude

India St. Bartholomew and St. Thomas.

Thrace (Turkey in Europe) St. Andrew. The flourishing
Church of Constantinople
afterwards sprang up on this
field of his labours.

Scythia (Russia) St. Andrew.

North Africa (Egypt and St. Simon Zelotes. St. Mark
Algeria) specially connected with
Alexandria.

Ethiopia (Central Africa). St. Matthew.

Arabia. St. Paul.

Asia Minor (Turkey in Asia) St. Paul and St. John.

Macedonia (Turkey in Europe) St. Paul

Greece St. Paul.

Italy St. Peter and St. Paul.

Spain St. Paul.

Gaul (France) and Britain St. Paul and St. Joseph of
Arimathea.

[1] Acts xiii. 2.

[2] The _first_ offers of salvation continued to be made to the Jews, even after the recognition by the Church of her mission to the Gentiles.

[3] Acts xiii. 48, 49, 52; xiv. 1.

[4] Acts xiv. 23.

[5] "presbyter," afterwards shortened into "Prester" and "Priest," is derived from the Greek word "Presbyteros," "an Elder."

[6] Acts xi. 30.

[7] Acts xx. 28.

[8] The word "Bishop" is derived from the Greek "Episcopos," and signifies an overseer.

[9] 1 Tim. v. 1, 19, 22. 2 Tim. i. 6. Titus i. 5; ii. 15.

[10] Acts xv. 24.

[11] Gal. ii. 3.

[12] Gal. ii. 9.

[13] St. James, as Bishop of the Diocese, taking precedence in this instance even of St. Peter.

[14] Compare Acts xv. 6. 12.

[15] This is the last mention of St. Peter in the Book of Acts.

[16] Gal. ii. 11-14.

[17] Acts xv. 36-41. The last mention of St. Barnabas in the Book of Acts.

[18] Compare Acts xvi. 3; and Gal. ii. 3, 4.

[19] Acts xvii. 7. Comp. Acts vi. 11.

[20] Comp. St. Mark xiv. 58; and St. Luke xxiii. 2.

[21] Both Philippi and Thessalonica eventually became the seats of flourishing Christian Churches, to whom St. Paul wrote Epistles.

[22] Acts xvii. 16-33.

[23] There are some reasons for thinking that men of cultivated minds and high social position were preferred for Bishops in the early as well as in later ages of the Church.

[24] Acts xix. 1-20.

[25] Acts xx. 17-35.

[26] Acts xix. 21.

[27] Acts xx. 23; xxi. 11.

[28] From Blunt's "Household Theology."

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