50 free The Twelve Disciples trivia questions with answers — trivia quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Four fishermen, a tax collector, a twin, a zealot, a man called 'son of Tolmai' and a treasurer who sold his master for thirty pieces of silver: the Twelve Disciples are the most famous group in the New Testament, and also one of the most confusing, with two Jameses, two Simons, two Judases and a Nathanael who may or may not be Bartholomew. The Gospels tell how they were called, sent out in pairs and commissioned; tradition adds how each of them died. These 50 questions cover the Twelve from calling to martyrdom: the meaning of 'apostle', Andrew the first-called and his X-shaped cross, Cephas the rock, Peter's three denials and head-down crucifixion, the sons of Zebedee, James the Great's sword and shrine at Compostela, John's eagle, Philip always fifth, Bartholomew's flayed skin, Matthew the tax collector of Capernaum, Thomas the twin in Kerala, James the Less, Jude of lost causes, Simon the Zealot's saw, Judas of Kerioth, the money bag, the Field of Blood, the kiss in Gethsemane, Matthias chosen by lot, the seventy, Paul the apostle to the Gentiles and the Cenacle. Easy questions stick to the thirty pieces of silver and fishers of men; the hardest ask about Patras, Joseph Barsabbas and Eusebius. Every answer is cited to a page we checked, with a short explanation so you learn something even when you miss. Play it solo or print it for Sunday school or a Bible study night.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The word 'apostle' comes from a Greek term originally meaning what?
Messenger
Apóstolos combines 'from' and 'I send'; it carries a stronger sense of 'delegate' than plain messenger.
Q 02How many of the Twelve did Jesus send out in the Great Commission after the resurrection?
Eleven
Judas Iscariot had died by then; Matthias was later chosen by lot to restore the number.
Q 03According to Mark 6, how did Jesus first send the Twelve out to the towns of Galilee?
In pairs
They were told to take only a staff, wear sandals and not carry bread, bag or money.
Q 04What were the Twelve told to do if a town rejected them?
Shake the dust off their feet
Some scholars read the gesture as a contemptuous threat; they were also told to take no bread, bag or money.
Q 05Which disciple does the Eastern Orthodox Church honour as Protokletos, 'the first called'?
Andrew
In John's Gospel he was a follower of John the Baptist who heard him call Jesus the Lamb of God and then fetched his brother.
Q 06Whose disciple was the first-called apostle before he followed Jesus?
John the Baptist's
He and another unnamed follower, traditionally John, spent a day with Jesus after the Baptist pointed him out.
Q 07Which two brothers are identified in Matthew and Mark as the sons of Zebedee?
James and John
They were mending nets when called; Luke adds that they worked as a team with Simon and Andrew.
Q 08The tax collector called Matthew in his own Gospel is called what in Mark and Luke?
Levi
Tax collectors were seen as villains, prompting the Pharisees to ask why Jesus ate with such people.
Q 09In which town was the tax collector sitting at the 'receipt of custom' when Jesus called him?
Capernaum
He invited Jesus to a meal with his friends; Jesus replied that it is the sick, not the healthy, who need a doctor.
Q 10What does the Aramaic name Cephas, which Jesus gave Simon, mean?
Rock or stone
The Greek equivalent is Petros; the name 'Simon Peter' appears 19 times in the New Testament.
Q 11In which Galilean town was the fisherman Simon Peter born?
Bethsaida
It was also the home town of his brother Andrew and of Philip.
Q 12Under which emperor was Peter crucified in Rome, according to Christian tradition?
Nero
The apocryphal Acts of Peter say he was crucified head down at his own request.
Q 13According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, how was Peter crucified?
Head down
Origen wrote that he asked to suffer that way; Catholic tradition treats him as the first bishop of Rome.
How many times did Peter deny knowing Jesus after the arrest?
Q 21Why is the son of Zebedee styled 'the Greater'?
He was older or taller
It distinguishes him from James the Less, the son of Alphaeus, not a ranking of importance.
Q 22Which three apostles formed an inner circle present at the Transfiguration?
Peter, James and John
They were also the only apostles allowed in for the raising of Jairus's daughter.
Q 23Which apostle is generally listed as the youngest and traditionally the only one not martyred?
John
Church tradition identifies him with the Beloved Disciple and John of Patmos; modern scholars are divided.
Three
All four Gospels record Jesus predicting it at the Last Supper: before the rooster crowed, Peter would disown him.
Q 15What sound reminded Peter of Jesus's prediction after his third denial?
A rooster crowing
Mark's version has Jesus say the rooster would crow twice.
Q 16Jesus promised Peter 'the keys of' what?
The kingdom of heaven
The passage in Matthew underlies the Catholic claim to a special position for Peter and his successors.
Q 17On what shape of cross is the first-called apostle said to have been crucified?
X-shaped
The crux decussata became the saltire of Scotland's flag; early texts actually describe a Latin cross.
Q 18In which Greek city is the first-called apostle said to have been martyred in AD 60?
Patras
A cathedral there still claims his relics, as do churches in Amalfi, Edinburgh and Warsaw.
Q 19Which apostle was the first to be martyred, executed 'by the sword' by Herod?
James the Great
The Acts of the Apostles records the execution, usually dated to about AD 44 under Herod Agrippa.
Q 20Which Galician city claims the remains of the apostle who is Spain's patron saint?
Compostela
He is Spain's patron saint, and the Camino pilgrimage routes converge on his shrine in Galicia.
Q 24Which bird is the traditional symbol of the apostle John in art?
An eagle
It is said to stand for the soaring quality of the writings attributed to him, including the Fourth Gospel.
Q 25In every New Testament list of the apostles, which one always appears fifth?
Philip
He came from Bethsaida and was the one who brought Nathanael to Jesus.
Q 26Most scholars identify the apostle Bartholomew with which figure from John's Gospel?
Nathanael
His name means 'son of Tolmai' in Aramaic; Philip introduced Nathanael to Jesus.
Q 27Bartholomew is most often shown in art holding what gruesome attribute?
His own flayed skin
Tradition says he was skinned alive; the image became standard in the 16th century.
Q 28After preaching in India, where do popular traditions say Bartholomew went next?
Armenia
Eusebius says he left a copy of a Gospel behind in India; the Armenian Church counts him as a patron saint.
Q 29What does the name Thomas, like his Greek nickname Didymus, mean?
The twin
He earned 'doubting' by refusing to believe the resurrection until he saw the wounds, then confessed 'My Lord and my God'.
Q 30In which modern Indian state is Thomas traditionally said to have landed in AD 52?
Kerala
Tradition has him arriving at Muziris and martyred at Mylapore in AD 72; July 3 is Indian Christians' Day.