Andrew the Apostle
Andrew was one of Jesus’s twelve apostles and the brother of Simon Peter. Christian tradition identifies him as the first disciple called by Jesus.
Simon Peter: A leading apostle of Jesus, traditionally identified as the brother of Andrew. The Gospels name him as Andrew’s brother and describe Andrew bringing him to Jesus.
Gospel of John: A canonical Christian Gospel presenting the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It calls Andrew the first disciple to follow Jesus and recounts his earlier link to John the Baptist.
Saint Andrew: The Christian saint identified with Andrew the Apostle and venerated in several traditions. The apostle’s later cult developed into a major form of devotion across Christian communities.
First-called: A title traditionally given to Andrew because John’s Gospel depicts him as Jesus’s first disciple. The title reflects John’s sequence, while the Synoptic Gospels narrate Andrew’s call differently.
Jesus: A Jewish teacher and religious leader of the first century, central to Christianity. Andrew appears in the Gospel accounts as one of Jesus’s twelve apostles.
Synoptic Gospels: The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which share substantial narrative and wording. Their accounts place Andrew’s call beside Peter’s, unlike John’s earlier disciple narrative.
Patron saint: A saint regarded as a heavenly advocate for a place, group, or activity. Andrew is traditionally the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, and Russia.
Twelve Apostles: The group of twelve disciples appointed by Jesus in the New Testament. Andrew’s identity as an apostle belongs to this group, not only to the first-call tradition.
Philip the Apostle: One of Jesus’s twelve apostles, named alongside Andrew in the Gospels. In John’s Gospel, Philip and Andrew bring a group of Greeks to Jesus.
Calling of the Apostles: The Gospel narratives in which Jesus summons disciples to follow him. Andrew’s call is one of the episodes through which the Gospels present the formation of Jesus’s circle.