Stephen: His death was occasioned by the faithful manner in which he preached the Gospel to the betrayers and murderers of Christ. To such a degree of madness were they excited, that they cast him out of the city and stoned him to death.
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James, the half-brother of Jesus: The account given us by an eminent early writer, Clemens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James was led to the place of martyrdom, his accuser was brought to repent of his conduct by the apostle's extraordinary courage and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon, professing himself a Christian, and resolving that James should not receive the crown of martyrdom alone. Hence they were both beheaded at the same time. These events took place A.D. 44.
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Matthew: Slain with a halberd in the city of Nadabah while preaching the risen Christ in A.D. 60
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Matthias: Of whom less is known than of most of the other disciples, was elected to fill the vacant place of Judas. He was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded.
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Andrew: Was the brother of Peter. He preached the gospel to many Asiatic nations; but on his arrival at Edessa he was taken and crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground. Hence the derivation of the term, St. Andrew's Cross.
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Mark: He was converted to Christianity by Peter, who dictated what he saw in his Gospel in the Greek language. Mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria, at the great solemnity of Serapis their idol, ending his life under their merciless hands.
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Peter: Peter was condemned to death in Rome; crucified, upside down because he said he unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner Jesus was.
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Jude: The author of the New Testament book of the same name was the he brother of James. He was crucified at Edessa, A.D. 72.
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Bartholomew: Having translated the Gospel of Matthew into the language of India, he propagated it in that country. He was at length cruelly beaten and then crucified by the impatient idolaters.
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Thomas: After at first doubting the resurrection until seeing Jesus with his own eyes, he then preached the Gospel in Parthia and India, where exciting the rage of the pagan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear.
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Luke: Was the author of the Gospel which goes under his name. He travelled with Paul through various countries, and was been hanged on an olive tree, by the pagan priests of Greece.
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John: The author of the Gospel that bears his name also founded the churches of Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira. From Ephesus he was ordered to be sent to Rome, where it is confirmed he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped by miracle, without injury. Domitian afterwards banished him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Nerva, the successor of Domitian, recalled him. He was the only apostle who escaped a violent death.
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In all, there were over 500 people who saw, spoke with and touched Jesus after His crucifixion. They all suffered ridicule, torture and death for their claim. Since then because of their accounts many hundreds of millions throughout history would rather die than deny Christ.
