Bartholomew
("son of Tolmai or Talmai"), an Old Testament name, Jos 14:14. One of Christ's 12 apostles (Mat 10:3; Mar 3:18; Luk 6:14; Act 1:13). His own name probably was Nathanael (Joh 1:45-51), just as Joses or Joseph is called Barnabas. The three synoptical Gospels never mention Nathanael, John never mentions Bartholomew; the two names belong probably to the same person. Brought by Philip to Jesus.
It is in undesigned accordance with this that Philip is coupled with Bartholomew in the first three lists, as Philip is coupled with Nathanael in John 1. The place given him also in the fishing after the resurrection of the Lord (Joh 21:2) implies his being one of the twelve. Thomas is put before him and after Matthew in Act 1:13 (See APOSTLE), perhaps because of his taking a more prominent position spiritually after his doubts were removed. Nathanael was of Cans in Galilee. India (i.e.
Arabia Felix, as many think) is assigned to him as his subsequent sphere of missionary labors (Eusebius, H. E. 5:10). His prominent characteristics: narrowness of prejudice in him ("Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?") immediately gave place to conviction, when the Savior revealed Himself. Like Jacob, he wrestled alone with God in prayer under the fig tree. But, unlike that cunning supplanter, he was "an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile"; compare Rev 14:5.
Adam and Eve vainly cloaked their shame under fig leaves. Nathanael bored his whole soul before God under the fig tree in simplicity and sincerity. Fearless candor made him avow his convictions as promptly as he reached them, "Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel." His reward was according to his faith: "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given." "Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou?
thou shalt see greater things than these: hereafter (from this time forth, Greek) ye (not merely thou alone, but all My disciples) shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man," the true ladder between earth and heaven, of which that in Jacob's dream was the type (Gen 28:12), and upon which angels delight to minister.
The "ascending" stands first, because the Lord was now below on earth, not above, as when Jacob saw Him; and from Him as their center they go up, and to Him they return: the communication between earth and heaven, closed by sin, is opened by Christ's making earth His home.
His miracles and His teaching and His divine manifestation, of which Bartholomew had just a taste, were a sample and installment of a continually progressing opening of heaven to earth and earth to heaven (Rev 4:1; Act 7:56; Heb 9:8; Heb 10:19-20) wherein angels minister to and for Him (Luk 2:9; Luk 2:13; Luk 22:43; Act 1:10); to be consummated when "the tabernacle of God shall be with men," and "the holy Jerusalem shall descend out of heaven from God" (Revelation 21; 1Co 13:12).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Bartholomew
Bartholomew bar-thol'-o-mu (Bartholomaios, i.e. "son of Tolmai or Tolmai"): One of the Twelve Apostles (Mt 10:3; Mr 3:18; Lu 6:14; Ac 1:13). There is no further reference to him in the New Testament. According to the "Genealogies of the Twelve Apostles" (Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, II, 50) "Bartholomew was of the house of Naphtali. Now his name was formerly John, but our Lord changed it because of John the son of Zebedee, His beloved." A "Gospel of Bartholomew" is mentioned by Hieronymus (Comm. Proem ad Matth.), and Gelasius gives the tradition that Bartholomew brought the Hebrew gospel of Matthew to India. In the "Preaching of Bartholomew in the Oasis" (compare Budge,II , 90) he is referred to as preaching probably in the oasis of Al Bahnasa, and according to the "Preaching of Andrew and Bartholomew" he labored among the Parthians (Budge,II , 183). The "Martyrdom of Bartholomew" states that he was placed in a sack and cast into the sea. ⇒See a list of verses on BARTHOLOMEW in the Bible. From the 9th century onward, Bartholomew has generally been identified with Nathanael, bu…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Bartholomew
One of the apostles, according to the lists of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts (1'^). Both by the early Church and in modern times Bartholomew has been gener- ally identified with Nathanael of the Fourth Gospel, although important authorities can be cited in opposition to this view. The strongest arguments in favour of the identification are — (1) that Bartholomew is never mentioned by St. John, nor Nathanael by the Synoptists ; (2) that in the lists of the Synoptists, Bartholomew is coupled with Philip, which tallies with St. John's statement that it was Philip that brought Nathanael to Jesus. It is easy to understand how St. John, witli his fondness for symbolism, should have preferred the name Nathanael ( = God has given it) to the mere patronymic Bartholomew ( = son of Tahnai). Sujiposing the identity established, we know nothing of Nathanael Bar-Talmai further than is recorded in Jn l'"" 21" (see Nathanael). The traditions as to his preaching the gospel in India and his martyrdom are entitled to no credit. J. A. Selbie. BARTIMJEUS (Bo/>7-i/iaios, i.e. the son of Timaius, a name va…
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Bartholomew
(son of Tolmai), one of the twelve apostles of Christ. (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13) It has been not improperly conjectured that he is identical with Nathanael. (John 1:45) ff. He is said to have preached the gospel in India, that is, probably, Arabia Felix, and according to some in Armenia.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia