Apostle
Andrew
The Apostle Who Brought Others to Jesus · New Testament · c. 1st century AD
The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew — José de Ribera
Summary
Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, was among the first disciples called and is remembered throughout the Gospels for consistently bringing others to Jesus, from his own brother to a boy with loaves and fishes to Greek visitors seeking the Lord.
- Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist before he ever met Jesus, and he followed Jesus the day John pointed Him out as the Lamb of God.
- John 1:35-42 is the story he is known for. He finds his brother Simon first and brings him to Jesus, and Jesus renames him on the spot.
- John's Gospel repeats the same pattern three times: Andrew brings his brother, a boy with loaves, and two Greek visitors, always to Jesus and never to himself.
- Every list of the Twelve places Andrew in the first group of four, alongside Peter, James, and John, though Scripture never puts him inside their private inner circle except once, on the Mount of Olives.
- Scripture's own record of Andrew ends at Acts 1:13. A later tradition holds he was crucified on an X-shaped cross at Patras.
On this page
Start here
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.
John 1:40-41→- 4 key events in order
- 13 verses name Andrew, across 5 books
In Scripture
- Verses
- 13
- Books
- 5
Andrew
- Role
- The Apostle Who Brought Others to Jesus
- Era
- New Testament
- Dates
- c. 1st century AD
- Tribe
- Galilee (Bethsaida, Israel)
- Father
- Jonah
- Mother
- Unknown
- Spouse
- Unknown
The life in order
in the order the canon tells it
- Andrew follows Jesus on John the Baptist's wordJohn 1:37And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
- Andrew brings his brother SimonJohn 1:41He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).
- Jesus finds Andrew and Peter casting a netMatthew 4:18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Andrew leaves his nets for goodMatthew 4:20And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
- Andrew is named in the roster of the TwelveMark 3:18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,
- Andrew speaks up before the five thousand are fedJohn 6:8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,
- He brings forward the boy with the loavesJohn 6:9“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”
- Andrew joins the inner three for a private questionMark 13:3While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,
- Greek visitors bring their request to PhilipJohn 12:21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
- Andrew carries the request to JesusJohn 12:22Philip relayed this appeal to Andrew, and both of them went and told Jesus.
- Andrew is named in the upper roomActs 1:13When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
Why Andrew matters
Andrew was a fisherman from Bethsaida and Simon Peter's brother, and before he ever met Jesus he was a disciple of John the Baptist. John 1:35-37 records the moment: John the Baptist points to Jesus walking by and says, "Look, the Lamb of God," and Andrew, hearing it, follows Jesus that same day. The very next thing he does is find his brother. "He first found his brother Simon and told him, 'We have found the Messiah'" (John 1:41). He does not go to the crowds or the Pharisees with the news. He goes home, to the one person closest to him, and brings him to meet Jesus. Jesus looks at Simon and renames him Cephas, Peter, on the spot, and the most famous apostle in the New Testament owes his first meeting with Christ to his brother's errand. John's Gospel does not let this be a single moment. It happens again at the feeding of the five thousand, where Andrew is the one who notices a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish and brings him forward, even while admitting he does not see how it will help (John 6:8-9). It happens a third time when Greek visitors to the feast ask to see Jesus; they go to Philip, Philip is unsure what to do, and it is Andrew who takes the request the rest of the way to Jesus (John 12:20-22). Three times, three different kinds of people, one pattern: Andrew finds someone and brings them. Scripture never puts Andrew inside the small circle of Peter, James, and John that alone sees the Transfiguration or keeps watch in Gethsemane. But Mark 13:3 places him with those three for one private question on the Mount of Olives, and every list of the Twelve names him in the first rank of four (Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:16-18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). He is never the center of a scene, and the text never explains why he keeps doing what he does. It simply keeps showing him doing it. Acts 1:13 is the last verse Scripture gives him, naming him among the eleven waiting in the upper room. A later church tradition holds that he was crucified on an X-shaped cross at Patras in Achaia, a tradition the historical record does not allow Scripture itself to confirm.
Biography
Andrew was originally a disciple of John the Baptist, and when John pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, Andrew followed Jesus and spent the day with Him. His immediate response was to find his brother Simon and declare, 'We have found the Messiah,' bringing Peter to Jesus before Peter's own dramatic call to apostleship. Andrew's pattern of introducing others to Christ would define his role among the twelve. Andrew appears again at the feeding of the five thousand, the one who noticed a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish and brought him to Jesus, even while questioning what such meager provisions could accomplish among so many. Jesus used the boy's small offering, presented through Andrew, to feed the multitude. When Greek visitors to Jerusalem sought an audience with Jesus, they approached Philip, who in turn brought the request to Andrew, and together they brought the Greeks to Jesus, extending Christ's reach beyond Israel even before the crucifixion. Andrew was also among the inner circle who asked Jesus privately about the signs of the end of the age on the Mount of Olives. Though less prominent than his brother Peter in the Gospel narratives, Andrew's consistent role as a connector, bringing individuals to Jesus rather than seeking prominence himself, established a model of quiet, faithful evangelism. Tradition holds that Andrew was martyred by crucifixion in Achaia.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.
Andrew's immediate impulse to bring his brother to Jesus
The first to follow, the first to bring
John 1:35-42
- John the Baptist points to JesusJohn 1:36When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
- Andrew and another disciple followJohn 1:37And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
- They spend the day with JesusJohn 1:39“Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.
- Andrew is named as one of the twoJohn 1:40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.
- He finds his brother firstJohn 1:41He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).
- He brings Simon to Jesus, who renames himJohn 1:42Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).
Andrew is a disciple of John the Baptist before this scene begins (John 1:35), which is why he is already standing beside John when Jesus walks by.
Key events
- 1Followed Jesus from John the BaptistJohn 1:35-40→
Andrew left John's discipleship to follow Jesus
Read the verse here
John 1:35-40The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
- 2Brought Peter to JesusJohn 1:41-42→
Andrew found his brother and brought him to the Messiah
Read the verse here
John 1:41-42He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).
- 3Brought the boy with loaves and fishesJohn 6:8-9→
Andrew presented the boy's small provision to Jesus
Read the verse here
John 6:8-9One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,
- 4Brought the Greeks to JesusJohn 12:20-22→
Andrew and Philip brought Greek seekers to Jesus
Read the verse here
John 12:20-22Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.
More key verses
Text: Berean Standard Bible.
“One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,”
They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
What they got right, and what they got wrong
Strengths
Consistent eagerness to bring others to Christ, humble willingness to remain in his brother's shadow, faithful presence among the inner circle of disciples
Weaknesses
Scripture records little personal failure; he receives comparatively little individual attention in the Gospel narratives
Lessons
Bringing others to Jesus matters more than personal prominence. Small offerings, presented faithfully, can be used for great purposes. Faithful, unremarkable service has lasting kingdom value.
Spiritual significance
Andrew models a ministry of quiet introduction rather than public prominence, consistently bringing others, whether family, a child, or foreign seekers, into contact with Christ.
How Andrew points to Jesus
Andrew's pattern of bringing others to Jesus reflects the church's ongoing calling to introduce people to Christ rather than to itself, a model of evangelism without seeking personal recognition.
The voices
each quoted from the work named
His great sensitiveness is touchingly shown in his representation of this first contact with the Lord; the circumstances are present to him in the minutest details; he still remembers the very hour. But "he reports no particulars of those discourses of the Lord by which he was bound to Him for the whole of His life; he allows everything personal to retire" [OLSHAUSEN].
Andrew and Philip tell Jesus - How pleasing to God is this union, when the ministers of his Gospel agree and unite together to bring souls to Christ. But where self-love prevails, and the honor that comes from God is not sought, this union never exists. Bigotry often ruins every generous sentiment among the different denominations of the people of God.
Andrew in Scripture
Open a book to read its mentions here. Text: Berean Standard Bible. Names repeat in Scripture, so some of these verses may speak of another person called Andrew. The two marks are drawn from the chapters this page's own references stand in.
Old TestamentNew Testamentsegment width = share of mentions
New Testament5 books · 13 mentions
Matthew2 mentions
- Matthew 4:18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Matthew 10:2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Mark4 mentions
- Mark 1:16As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Mark 1:29As soon as Jesus and His companions had left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
- Mark 3:18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,
- Mark 13:3While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,
Luke1 mention
John5 mentions
- John 1:40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.
- John 1:42Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).
- John 1:44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
- John 6:8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,
- John 12:22Philip relayed this appeal to Andrew, and both of them went and told Jesus.
Common questions
Was Andrew called before his brother Peter?
In John's account, yes. Andrew follows Jesus first and brings Simon to Him the same day (John 1:40-42), before Simon has met Jesus at all. Matthew's account of the calling by the sea (Matthew 4:18-20) reads as a separate, later, permanent call after the two brothers had gone back to their nets. Both are in the text, and neither cancels the other.
Why does John's Gospel keep returning to the same thing about Andrew?
Three times John shows Andrew bringing someone to Jesus: his brother (John 1:41), a boy with loaves (John 6:8-9), and two Greek visitors (John 12:22). The pattern repeats three times in one Gospel, though the text never states why John chose to record it that way.
Where does Andrew rank among the Twelve?
Every apostle list places Andrew in the first group of four names, alongside Peter, James, and John (Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:16-18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). Scripture never shows him inside the private moments reserved for the inner three, such as the Transfiguration or Gethsemane, with one exception.
What is the one exception where Andrew joins the inner three?
On the Mount of Olives, Peter, James, John, and Andrew ask Jesus privately about the coming destruction of the temple (Mark 13:3). It is the only scene in Scripture that groups Andrew with the three closest to Jesus.
What happened to Andrew after the book of Acts?
Scripture is silent after Acts 1:13. A later church tradition holds that Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross at Patras in the Roman province of Achaia. This is church tradition, not a scriptural record, and is presented here as tradition rather than fact.
Where does church tradition say Andrew preached?
Scripture does not say. Origen, writing in the early third century, named Scythia, the region north of the Black Sea, as the field allotted to Andrew, and Eusebius preserves the statement in his Church History. This sits alongside the Patras martyrdom tradition as later church tradition, not a scriptural record.
Sources cited
- Eusebius, Church History, Book III, Chapter 1Preserves Origen's statement that Scythia was allotted to Andrew as his field of labor. Public domain translation.
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