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how many of the 12 apostles are left

All twelve of Jesus’ original apostles have long since died; none are alive today, so technically zero of the Twelve are “left” in the sense of living on earth.

Who the 12 Apostles Were

The Twelve Apostles were Jesus’ closest followers, personally chosen during his ministry in Galilee and Judea around AD 29–33. Their names are:

  • Peter
  • Andrew
  • James (son of Zebedee)
  • John
  • Philip
  • Bartholomew (also called Nathanael)
  • Thomas
  • Matthew
  • James (son of Alphaeus)
  • Jude (also called Thaddaeus or Judas son of James)
  • Simon the Zealot
  • Judas Iscariot

After Judas betrayed Jesus and killed himself, Matthias was chosen to take his place, restoring the number to twelve.

How Long Ago They Died

Most of the apostles died in the 1st century AD, within a few decades of Jesus’ crucifixion (around AD 30–33).

  • Judas Iscariot died by suicide shortly after the betrayal, before the resurrection.
  • James (son of Zebedee) was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa in Jerusalem around AD 44, becoming the first apostle martyred [Acts 12:1–2].
  • The rest mostly died as martyrs over the next several decades, scattered across the Roman Empire while preaching the Gospel.
  • John is traditionally believed to have lived the longest, surviving into old age and dying of natural causes in Ephesus (modern Turkey) sometime after AD 98, possibly during the reign of Emperor Trajan.

So by the early 2nd century, all twelve had already passed away.

Why People Ask “How Many Are Left?”

The confusion sometimes comes from modern Christian groups that use the title “apostle” for living leaders:

  • In the Latter-day Saint (Mormon) churches , there are twelve living apostles today who serve as top church leaders.
  • In some Pentecostal or Charismatic churches , people may be called “apostles” in a broader sense (missionaries, founders, or special envoys), but this is not the same as the original Twelve.
  • In Catholic and Orthodox tradition , the Twelve are seen as a unique, foundational group whose authority continues through bishops (the “apostolic succession”), but the original men themselves are all long gone.

So if the question is about the historical Twelve sent by Jesus, the answer is: they are all with God in heaven; none remain alive on earth today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.