The saints

Saint Bartholomew

Apostle · Feast day August 24 · First century · Galilee, Armenia · Also known as Nathanael

Saint Bartholomew is widely believed to be the Nathanael whom Philip brought to Jesus, the man in whom Jesus said there was no guile. By tradition he carried the gospel as far as Armenia, where he was martyred.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!John 1:47 (KJV)

An Israelite without guile

Bartholomew is named in the lists of the twelve, and most scholars identify him with Nathanael in John's Gospel, since Bartholomew, meaning son of Tolmai, is a family name. When Philip brought him, Jesus saw him coming and said, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Astonished, Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, and Jesus said he had seen him under the fig tree before Philip called. At once Nathanael confessed, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.

A man of sincerity

The one thing Jesus says of him is that he is without guile, sincere, honest, without deceit. It is a rare and beautiful thing to have said of anyone, and it marks Bartholomew as a man whose faith, once given, was whole and true.

Mission and martyrdom

By strong tradition Bartholomew carried the gospel to Armenia, and also to India and Mesopotamia by various accounts. He is honored as a founder of the Armenian church and was martyred for his faith, by tradition flayed alive, which is why in art he is often shown holding his own skin. Armenia counts him among its apostles to this day.

Why Bartholomew still matters

Bartholomew shows the beauty of a sincere heart. He began with honest doubt, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth, and ended with whole-hearted faith. Jesus delights in the guileless, in those who come without pretense, and meets their sincerity with himself.

A note for all traditions: the saints are honored across the church as examples of faith and, in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, as friends who pray with us, never worshiped, for worship belongs to God alone. What Scripture records and what later tradition holds are distinguished above. In every tradition there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, and every believer, not only the saints, is called to follow him.

Related: Saint Philip · Saints for August 24 · Saint of the day