What were the jobs of the Twelve Disciples?

Answer 1

We only know the "occupations" of five or six of the Apostles (the 12 Disciples). Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John (the sons of Zebedee) where all fishermen; Matthew was a tax collector. Simon was known as "the Zealot"; this was likely his "occupation." The Bible is silent on the occupations of the rest of the Apostles -- the other James, Judas, Phillip, Thomas, Batholomew (also known as Nathan), and Thaddeus (some scholars believe that Thaddeus was also known as Jude).

The 12 disciples didn't have "jobs" in that sense. A job is when you're paid for your work, while the 12 disciples' work with Jesus was voluntary. They, each in turn, were all called by Jesus himself to follow him. They were asked, not forced. Therefore they had a choice between whether to ditch their lives and follow Jesus or keep their lives as they were. Even though some disciples had more to say with Jesus (e.g., Peter), they all had the same rank ... in a weird sort of way.

You could call their tasks, what Jesus asked them to do, jobs. You could say that it was the ''job'' of 1 of Jesus' trusted disciples to betray him on the night of the last supper. You could say it was Simon/Peter's ''job'' to be Jesus' rock, on which he would build his church.

Simon bar-Jonah, who was also called Peter, was one of the first disciples Jesus called to follow Him (Matt. 4:18). Simon had a younger brother Andrew. There was another disciple named Simon, but he was referred to as the zealot (Matt. 10:4).

Simon-Peter was a part of Jesus' inner circle of disciples and was often close to Jesus throughout His ministry. Although Simon-Peter tended to rush into things (trying to disperse children, was somewhat contemptuous of non-Jews), he was also the first to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and witnesses Jesus' transfiguration on the mountain (Matt. 17:1-4).

Although Simon-Peter fell asleep when Jesus was praying in Gethsemane, he tried to take on the army when they came to arrest Jesus. Simon-Peter however, later denied Jesus, fearing that he also would be arrested. Simon-Peter was one of the first of the male disciples to visit the empty tomb after Jesus was resurrected.

Ultimately, Simon-Peter became the leader of the Christian movement in Jerusalem. The best reading for this are the books of Matthew and Acts.

The jobs of the disciples were very different, if you're talking about their jobs before they dropped everything and followed Jesus. Some were doctors, some were fishermen. After Jesus asked them to leave everything they had (Their families, their possessions, their jobs, their source of money) and follow Him, they were just beginning a long journey. Their "jobs" were to follow Jesus and be faithful Christians and Followers of Him.