I only really knew that Judas hung himself after betraying Jesus. Actually, it is amazing that we know so little about the men who changed the world forever by preaching the Gospel. I got to wondering about this..... and found so many conflicting stories and accounts that I didn't know how to determine what is true without deep dives and education into historical information. So, I am just writing and sharing a few things. 

We do Know: These men each lost their lives in a brutal way - sharing the Good News. But only two deaths - killings -  are actually recoded in the Bible. James (the first martyr) and Judas (the betrayer and the only suicide). This information is drawn from multiple sources, with the bulk of information and the icons from The Overview Bible.

Peter was crucified on his cross upside down.

A second-century apocryphal text called Acts of Peter was the first account claiming Peter was crucified upside down, which was allegedly because he didn’t consider himself worthy of dying the same death as Jesus.

At the end of the Gospel of John, Jesus predicts Peter’s death when he tells him, “when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). In case you missed that, John remarks, “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God” (John 21:19).

It is said that Andrew died on an X-shaped Cross.

Andrew's account is not in the Bible, but comes from an apocryphal book called Acts of Andrew, which also includes numerous supernatural accounts of Andrew’s miracles—including a claim that he preached for three days straight as he hung on the cross—and it didn’t emerge until decades, maybe even centuries after his death. He was crucified after being whipped

We aren't sure how Phillip died. 

One record says he died of natural causes. Another says he was beheaded. Or stoned to death. Or crucified upside down. Another says he was hung upside down with his ankles impaled. All accounts agree, his death was gruesome. 

The Acts of Philip provides the earliest, most detailed account of his martyrdom, but again, it’s hard to say how much we can trust it. Philip supposedly converted a proconsul’s wife, which angered the proconsul enough to have him and Bartholomew crucified upside down. While hanging there, Philip preached, and the crowd was moved to release them. He told them to free Bartholomew, but not to take him down.

We aren't sure how Nathaniel (Bartholomew) died. 

The most popular and prolific tradition is that he was flayed and then beheaded. There are other claims - another tradition claims he was beaten unconscious and drowned in the ocean.

James Son of Zebedee was executed with a sword.

James was the first of Apostles to be martyred. And he is one of only two that are recorded in the Bible. I find that so extraordinary that there is not more clear, affirmed information on these deaths. But James was executed by sword as recorded in the Book of Acts:

“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.” (Acts 12:1–2)

John is the only Apostle thought to have died peacefully in old age.

Tertullian, a Christian writer from the late second and early third century, wrote that before the Romans banished John, they brought him into a coliseum and dunked him in a vat of boiling oil. He miraculously was delivered unharmed and the entire coliseum converted to Christianity.

Thomas (doubting Thomas) was stabbed to death by a spear.

Matthew has multiple traditional stories about his martyrdom.

Early records of Matthew’s death claim he was martyred, but there is disagreement about how and where it happened. The early church fathers said he was burned, stoned, stabbed, or beheaded. 

James has multiple traditional stories about his martyrdom.

Tradition tells us that James the Just was pushed from the pinnacle of a temple he was preaching at, and then beaten with a fuller’s club and stoned to death. In art, James, son of Alphaeus is typically portrayed with a fuller’s club, reflecting the church’s assumption that he was the same person as James the Just.

Thaddeus (Jude) has two different death stories: Arrows/hacked and crucified.

Traditional stories say that Thaddeus was killed with arrows when he would not deny the Gospel in his mission all the way in Persia. Other stories say he was crucified.

Simon the Zealot has multiple stories about his martyrdom.

There are numerous accounts of Simon's death, like many of the apostles, it’s hard to conclude exactly which tradition (if any) can be trusted. From Crucifixion. to brutal sawing of his body (eew) to dying still of old age after it all.

Judas Escariot committed suicide by hanging.

Judas is the second recorded death in the Bible.  But unlike James, Judas wasn’t a martyr. He committed suicide right after he betrayed Jesus. Two accounts:

“So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.” —Matthew 27:5

“(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)” —Acts 1:18–19

Mattias has many stories of his death.

Matthias is the most obscure apostle, so it's no surprise that there is so little about what he did or how he died. He was the Apostle voted in to replace Judas the Betrayer.

Some traditions claim he was stoned at the end of his ministry. Another that he was stoned by Jews in Jerusalem and then beheaded. Hippolytus of Rome records that he died in Jerusalem of old age.

Paul was beheaded.

His death isn’t recorded in the Bible, but it’s one of the more well-documented martyrdoms in the early church. Numerous early church fathers wrote that he was beheaded by emperor Nero, which would mean it had to be sometime before 68 AD.

HOW will we.... honor our LORD when we are (truly) persecuted. Not just dropped by your church as you realize you need a new one.... or blocked on social media. No, what if we here in the USA face real, scary, life-threatening persecution? Have you drawn the line? Do you know where you are? Who you are? What you would do?

I have. I pray every day that my courage and my faith and my solid core of Jesus my Rock holds no matter if big or small persecution: I pray for the Power and the Love of the Holy Spirit to fill me, always, especially at any point I may waiver. Right up to the point where I am snatched up by Jesus - on His timetable.

PRAISE GOD.