Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
~ Matthew 28:19 ~
Leonardo da Vinci’s mural of the Last Supper –
Santa Maria delle Grazie convent in Milan
“In the Footsteps of the Apostles,” featured in the March issue of National Geographic,* presents a surprisingly respectful look at the spread of early Christianity. Quite objective for the most part, the article recounts the historical beginnings of the faith ~
The Bible says Jesus named a dozen of his most devoted disciples Apostles, or messengers, choosing a number that paid homage to the 12 tribes of Israel. The 12 Jews preached their new faith across thousands of miles in the first century A.D., changing history.
Who were those very first evangelists?
…the twelve Apostles, sent out after Christ’s Crucifixion to spread the newborn faith (were:) Peter, Thomas, Andrew, James the Greater, James the Lesser, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thaddaeus, Simon—and Matthias, who replaced the former disciple and
allegedtraitor, Judas Iscariot.
In the apostolic tradition of laying hands on the sick, the Reverend Debendra
Singh prays for Christian refugees in Odisha, India. Some 60 families fled
to these abandoned buildings after a 2008 attack on their village.
“Now,” he says, “they have nothing except the Lord.”
Focusing primarily on “Doubting” Thomas (who traveled to India), Mark the Evangelist (Egypt) and Mary Magdalene (France) – and the seeds of faith that they planted – the authors take the reader on a journey from what is now Israel to Asia, North Africa and Europe.
Isn’t it amazing to realize that the faith was spread largely though the efforts of just a handful of disciples? And more amazing still to consider that from such humble beginnings Christianity is now found in almost every corner of the world…
They were unlikely leaders. As the Bible tells it, most knew more about mending nets than winning converts when Jesus said he would make them “fishers of men.” Yet 2,000 years later, all over the world, the Apostles are still drawing people in.
It’s really refreshing to find an unbiased look at early evangelism in a secular publication. The article is perhaps food for thought for those skeptics who may want to ponder the resilience and universal appeal of the Christian faith.
The Way of St. James ~ the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of
Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where tradition
has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.
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*The motto on Nat Geo’s website is: “Inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888.” Wonder if the magazine’s editors realize that God has been inspiring His people to “care about the planet” since the beginning of time…?
