How many apostles are named in the source material?

• A. 10
• B. 11
• C. 12
• D. 13

Answer: (C)

The number named is twelve. In the gospel accounts, a specific group called the Twelve Apostles is identified by twelve distinct individuals: Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas Iscariot, and Thaddaeus (also called Judas son of James). These names appear in the key lists that mark the core group of the Twelve (for example, in Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and echoed in Acts 1). After Judas’s betrayal, Matthias is chosen to replace him, which can cause later counts to differ, but the original named group in the source material is twelve.