Breaking the Fourth Wall

 

            In film-making, there is a concept called breaking the fourth wall in which one or several characters acknowledge the existence of the viewing audience and address the viewers as if they are participants in the ongoing events.

            The first, second, and third walls are like a box around a stage set: the back wall and the two side walls. The fourth wall is the wall visible to the characters in the play but totally transparent to the people watching the events as they occur. Traditionally, the actors and narrators are assumed to be unaware that they are being watched by the audience.

            Breaking the fourth wall occurs when a character in the play or film glances at the audience or camera, makes movements like a wink or a knowing smile which betray a knowledge of the existence of the audience, or actually speaks directly to the viewers. Occasionally, the narrative itself becomes self-aware. Examples of this phenomenon occur in the films, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the Marvel Deadpool films, and The Neverending Story, which can be seen to exhibit as many as seven levels of fourth wall breaking.  

            What does this have to do with this Christian blog? Well, this is in reference to the Bible itself. The Bible is holy, but as an object it is just a book, ink on sheets of paper, or, in our current modern days, the arrangement of millions of pixels on your cellphone screen.

            There are widely varying levels of reverence for the physical book itself, with some actually bordering on idolatry, but the physical book is just that, a book.

            Two ways of understanding the Bible are as a tool or as a weapon. Both understandings can be biblically supported.

            So, back to the subject of this post. Sitting on a shelf or lying on a desk the Bible is just a book. The thing which only Christians can understand is that once it is picked up and opened, the Bible is itself indwelled by the Holy Spirit, the same person who inhabits each of us. Just as we can use the Bible, so can he. It is one of the many ways he can speak directly to us.

            The Holy Spirit is aware as we read the biblical text and he guides us to new insights, the meat of the gospel, new levels of understanding which we as believers can gradually comprehend as we mature. How do we know this? The Bible tells us so.

            One of the activities of the Holy Spirit is the Reminding Ministry. He will guide you in the Bible to the answers or understandings which you need to further mature as a Christian.

            Isaiah 11:2; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:1-4, 6:19-20; Hebrews 5:12-13; John 14:17,26, 16:13; Romans 8:9; Colossians 1:27; 1 John 4:15.

Christian Respect for Political Leaders

 

 

Singer Carrie Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful” at the inauguration ceremony for the new United States President, Donald J. Trump, on 20 January 2025. Once this was announced, the singer began to receive vitriolic and hateful comments from persons opposed to Mr. Trump. Ms. Underwood seems to have taken the approach that it is an honor to be asked to perform at the ceremony, regardless of who the new leader is.

When Jesus said “Render unto Caesar,” he was warning against elevating the temporal government over the Kingdom of God. He was not telling us to remove ourselves from any involvement with the government.

Once, during the presidency of Barack Obama, a coworker of mine was bitterly complaining about the president. I was also not particularly fond of the president, but I told the coworker that it was the responsibility of every American, especially those who are Christian, to be willing to jump in front of a bullet to protect our leader. He responded, “Not me! I would be hitting the floor!”

It is our duty and honor as Christians to be civically involved, even if we do not personally approve of our current political leaders. Paul, who would ultimately be executed by the Roman government, would agree.

Mark 12:17; Romans 13:1-7; Hebrews 13:1-17; 1 Peter 2:13-17

The Bible is a Weapon

 

The idea of the Bible as a weapon is played out in the science fiction film, The Book of Eli (2010).  The villain of the film is willing to resort to violence and murder to possess the book. He believes that, if he owns the book, he can have its power by using its words however he wishes. . Denzel Washington, the star of the film, says it is "a story about faith." Eli's mission is to protect the book and deliver it to a site out west. The film is seen by many as a caricature of real Christianity  I will let you watch the film and decide for yourself.

Some people call the Bible the Word of God, but John tells us that Jesus is the Word. The biblical understanding of the Bible as a weapon is more subtle. It is a sword, but it is not meant to kill. 

The Bible sometimes describes itself in military terms but it should never be weaponized against other people, backing them into corners, deriding them, manipulating them, forcing them to make decisions, abusing them, or attempting to silence them. We should never use it to "win." That spirit in a Christian is abusive and unhealthy, it is the sin of self.

See how Jesus reacted to the Rich Young Ruler.  He loved him and spoke the truth that the man needed to hear, even though that truth caused pain.

Mark 10:21; Ephesians 6:17; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Hebrews 4:12; James 4:11.

Lead Me Not Into Temptation

I saw this printed on a hand towel. I do not know the source of this riff on The Twenty-Third Psalm.

"Lead me not into temptation ... oh, who am I kidding ... follow me, I know a shortcut."

We all know many shortcuts. Every human is tempted numerous times each day.  Even Jesus was tempted. The Bible records one major temptation episode that Satan launched against Jesus but surely there were many more.  Two are very obvious.

Jesus surely was tempted to heal his good friend Lazarus before the man died but he intentionally delayed his arrival. Lazarus' sister was angry and disappointed with their friend, but Jesus had a reason for his delay. Read the story at John 11: 1-44. "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

Jesus clearly dreaded what was to come for him on the cross and he was probably tempted to do exactly the thing which he said he could do (Matthew 26:53). He did not do it because it would have meant that Satan had won. "But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?"

Jesus is the only person who has ever live a life totally free of sin. Here is the hard part. He was tempted just like we are. Hebrews 4:15

Negative Grammatical Constructions

William Shakespeare is almost universally recognized as the greatest writer of the  English language in history.  He is known to have used double and triple negative constructions for emphasis.

A double negative has two negative words in one sentence.  The effect of two negatives is that the second negative negates the first, rendering the meaning as a positive statement.

In a triple negative construction, the third negative returns the meaning of the sentence to a negative form.  Think of “No, not never!”

The Puritan preacher Thomas Lye (d. 1684, England) pointed out such a construction occurring in Hebrews 13:5.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5

Lye said that this construction could be translated as "I will not, not leave thee; neither will I not, not forsake thee."  Effectively, this is a quintuple negative.

ἀφιλάργυρος ὁ τρόπος, ἀρκούμενοι τοῖς παροῦσιν. αὐτὸς γὰρ εἴρηκεν, οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ οὐδ' οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω,  οὐ is translated in English as "no," or "not"  God will never leave or abandon us.

The Resignation of Benedict XVI

On 11 February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI made an unexpected announcement.  He is resigning his office, becoming the first Pope in 600 years to do so,.  Basically he cited his failing health and his incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”   Many people were scandalized, assuming that the Pope should die in office.

The tradition was very strong.  So strong, in fact, that it is reported that when a bishop suggested that Pope Paul VI should consider retiring, he shouted angrily, “I cannot retire.  I am Peter!”

Benedict’s predecessor and personal friend, John Paul II, remained in office even when it became apparent to everyone that he was dying and that even to move was painful.  John Paul II believed that he was demonstrating that we have dignity and worth no matter what our age or physical condition.  He was also demonstrating that suffering for Christ is holy.  He spoke of bearing infirmities with honor and taking part in the suffering of Christ.            

Understanding all this I still have no problem with Benedict resigning.  He is making different points than his friend: a pastor is held accountable by God for how he leads his flock (Hebrews 13:17); it is not wrong for a servant of the Lord to take a needed rest (Genesis 2:2); ultimately, each person, even the Pope, is judged only by God.

Obviously, as a Protestant, I do not believe that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ on Earth.  I do believe that most of the popes have been pious, even holy, men.  Something which Benedict did not say, but which I think may have informed his decision, is this: by resigning he removed the focus from himself and his health and returned it to Jesus. 

What I Believe

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6543677145883318479#editor/target=post;postID=3277589869921366139

Since Wednesday, I have been responding to “What They Think of Us: God Blames Us for His Mistakes.”  I disagree completely with Gene Roddenberry’s criticism.  Here is what I believe to be a scriptural rebuttal.

1.     God did not make a mistake.  He intentionally made us as we are. (Genesis 1:1-31)

2.     He made us in His image. (1:27)

3.     He made us as we are because we must be free to choose.  God does not purpose to have the mindless obedience of robots or machines.

4.     God knew that the vast majority would reject Him.  He has declared that the few are worth the costs: a. the billions lost (Romans 1:20), and b. the life of Christ. (Luke 15:10)

5.     Those who chose God are invested with the Mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

6.     He is perfecting us into creatures, not Divine, but like Himself.  Our ultimate destiny is one of sinless perfection, able to judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3), and able to exist in the presence of the perfectly Holy God.  We are being perfected (sanctified) into holiness. (Hebrews 7:25)

Sitting Alone Together

The other day in the cafeteria of the hospital where I work, I saw a round table at which several employees were sitting together, but they were not together.  Every one of them was busily texting on their smart phones.

No one was talking to anyone else.  This seems to be a hallmark of our modern culture.  We are all talking but no one is listening.  This is happening even within the Church.

http://www.basicsofchristianity.com/growth/new-believer-basics-fellowship.htm

http://www.victorious.org/felwship.htm

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Romans 12:5

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” Ephesians 2:19

When We Stumble

When Christians stumble, when we fall short, and we all do, even the Apostle Paul, God is right there, waiting to comfort us and set us on the right path again.  He knows what we have done, but He expects us to tell Him.  Once we do, He tells us to not do it again and then He “remembers it not” as if it never happened.  “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34, also Hebrews 10:17)

Christians are covered by the Blood of Christ.  When God sees His people, He sees the Blood.  “… when I see the blood I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13)

The Blood of Christ must be there and it is only there when we accept it as the gift that it is.

To Flow By Alongside

παραρυῶμεν

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Hebrews 2:1

The New American Standard Bible translates it as “so that we do not drift away from it.”

The American Standard version: “lest haply we drift away from them .”

Young’s Literal Translation comes the closest: “lest we may glide aside”

Some see the verb as passive, unmoving as we are “drifted by,” with the idea of one floating in the water as a boat passes by.  The idea is that the lapsed believer does not move along with the group, but instead, stays behind.

παρα (3844) beside, by the side of, alongside of,

ρέω (verb, 4482) to flow

παραρρέω (verb, 3901) gradually drift away, to flow by alongside

http://biblesuite.com/greek/pararuo_men_3901.htm

Book Comment: Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die

Pastor John Piper, in Fifty  Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die (2006), uses Biblical citations to show that “to die for our sins” is only one of the many reasons Jesus chose to die.  This is a point which Piper points out repeatedly; Jesus chose to die and God the Father was pleased.  The death of Jesus should not be blamed on a particular group of people;  Yes, the Jews killed Jesus,  and the Romans killed Jesus, but so did you and I.  Ultimately, God killed Jesus, and it was God’s idea.

The death of Jesus was planned from the instant of the Creation.  It did not surprise God or interfere with His Plan.  It was His Plan.  It should not surprise us that God  had multiple purposes with His plan.

Piper finds fifty reasons from scripture for the voluntary death of Jesus.  There are probably more.  Using the chapter titles from John  Piper’s book, here are a few which may surprise you:

To Abolish Circumcision and All Rituals as the Basis of Salvation:  Galatians 5:11,  6:12

To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning: Ephesians 5:25

To Destroy the Hostility Between Races: Ephesians 2: 14-16

So That He Would be Crowned With Glory and Honor: Hebrews 2:9,  Philippians 2: 7-9, Revelation 5:12

To Show That the Worst Evil Is Meant By God for Good: Acts 4:27-28

 

As smart as we pride ourselves on being, we are very limited in our intelligence.  Look at the doctrine of the Trinity, which is clearly taught in Scripture and which we clearly struggle to understand.  God thinks on a cosmic level not bounded by space or time.  Read the series of questions He put forth in the book of Job.  “My ways are not your ways.”  Isaiah 55:8

God Chooses Unlikely People to Accomplish His Purposes

Rahab , a Gentile prostitute in the city of Jericho (Ariha, West Bank), became an honored convert to the Jewish faith and was praised by the writer of Hebrews for her faith.  When the king of Jericho sent his soldiers to catch Israelite spies sent by Joshua, Rahab hid the spies in her house.  For her help, Rahab was promised protection for herself and her family when the Israelites overran the city.

Rahab later became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth.  Through Ruth, Rahab became the great-grandmother of King David.  She is one of only four women mentioned in the genealogies of Jesus.

Joshua 2:1-20, 6:17

Ruth 4:18-21

Matthew 1:5

Hebrews 11:31

James 2:25

Wearing a Cross As Jewelry

“It would have been unthinkable in Jesus’ day to wear a cross as a piece of jewelry.  It would have been like wearing a miniature electric chair or lynching rope.” John Piper

The cross was used for only one purpose: execution.

Jesus called for us to take up our own cross and follow Him.   What is being executed?  Our self-centeredness, our insistence that we are in control, our self-justification that we are not “that bad.”

When we choose to follow Jesus and take up the cross, it can mean much more.  The world did not like Jesus and it will not like us, regardless of what it may say.  We may, in some countries, be guaranteed freedom of religious choice.  That will not prevent us from being considered odd or peculiar when we insist on choices other than those of the larger culture.  Social disapproval can be quite uncomfortable. (Hebrews 13:12-13)

AND, there is always the possibility, even in the most “enlightened” cultures, that we may be forced into a situation where we must choose between betraying the Lord or facing death.  At such a time, we are called to be witnesses.  Witness, μάρτυρας in Greek, from which we derive our English word “martyr.”

It Is All About Me

There will be untold millions, possibly billions of saints with the Lord throughout eternity (Hebrews 12:1 says that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses), but Luke 15:10 tells us that “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner” that repents. I believe that means that Jesus died for each one of us individually and would have willingly done so even if we were the only one.

Read the following verses aloud.  I have made one change to several of the verses.

“For I have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

“ … the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for ME.” Matthew 20:28

“ … the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for ME.” Mark 10:45

“I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that if I believe in him I will not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

Put On the Full Armor of God

“Soldiers don’t arm themselves partially leaving the rest of their bodies unprotected.  For if they received their death wounds in the unprotected area, what would be the point of their partial armor? … The gospel implies that those who try to build a tower, but spend all their time on the foundation and never finish, are ridiculous.”  Gregory of Nyssa (330 – ca. 395) in On Virginity, 17.

Gregory was talking about those who never develop in their Christian understanding past that of infants, babies, the ones which Paul said were still drinking milk when they should already have been eating meat (1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:12).

The reference to the soldiers calls to mind the instructions of Paul that we should put on the full armor of God in our battle, and whether or not we realize it, we are in a battle.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.   For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.   Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.   Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,   nd with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.   In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.   Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.   And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”  Ephesians 6:10-18

“He shall say: “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them.  For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:3-4

God has given us powerful spiritual armor and weapons for our fight.  Our real enemy is a person, Satan.  It is not popular to say this.  Satan has been able to convince the world that he does not really exist.  We don’t regularly see exorcisms and demonic activity (thank goodness) because Satan, the deceiver, knows that it is much more effective to work “under the radar.”  When we think of Satanic rituals, Rosemary’s Baby, little red devils with horns and spiked tails, and all the other popular images, we think of the devil as silly, funny, or entirely superstitious and fictional.  This is one of his strongest weapons.

“Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.”  Psalms 33:20

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”  Hebrews 4:12

“O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.”  Psalms 140:7

“He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.”  Isaiah 59:17

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”  Ephesians 3:14

Satan wins by deceit, lies, and half-truths, not by courage.  He is a master manipulater and wins his arguments.  Do not waste your time arguing with him.  Never yield in any degree.  Instead, look him in the eye, and, with the name of Jesus on your lips, walk toward him.  He runs from the name of Jesus.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  James 4:7

Extra-Biblical Evidences of Biblical Persons and/or Events: The Merneptah Stele

The Merneptah Stele is also known as the Israel Stele or the Victory Stele of Merneptah.  A stele (plural: stelae) is an ancient stone or wooden slab put into place for a funeral or as a commerative, usually for the declaration of the deceased's glorious accomplishments.  They were sometimes placed at borders to denote national ownership of a territory.

The Merneptah Stele, dated to about 1205 BC/BCE, declares the glories of the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah, who ruled from 1213 to 1203 BC/BCE.  The stele lists all the nations conquered by Merneptah, including "Isrir" or "ysri r."  Many believe that this stone, now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, is the earliest known extrabiblical mention of Israel, though an earlier mention, dating to 1400BC/BCE may have been found in 2012 on a random piece of a statue pedestal which for years lay uncataloged and unexamined in the hundreds of fragments held by the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, Germany.

The Merneptah Stele says "Israel is wasted, bare of seed." (Actually, it literally says, "Israel waste (negative) seed/grain his/its.")

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Literacy in the Biblical Era

There are estimates that the level of literacy among the citizenry during the New Testament period was about ten percent.  Even though most people were illiterate, they were not stupid.  There was a long tradition of oral learning and memorization, producing many competent intellectuals and scholars of the Law.  Presumably, many scribes memorized large portions of the Torah and, at least some could read and write.

Raised in the royal Egyptian household, Moses (ca. 1200 BC/BCE)would have been literate, having received a royal education.

Ezra (5^th century BC/BCE) and his helpers taught the Torah to the Jewish population (Ezra 7:25)  The Torah was taught: Deuteronomy 31:12-13, 2 Chronicles 17:7-9, Nehemiah 8:7-8.

In the Pharisaic tradition, men, including Jesus, a carpenter, would stand and read the scriptures in the synagogue.   John 7:15.  “Never studied” meant that he had no formal training. (Other references to Jesus’ literacy: Luke 4:16-30, John 8:6..)

  

The sign on Jesus’s cross assumed that the people who saw the crucifixion would be able to read it.   It was written in three languages to make sure that everyone could read it. (Mark 15:26, Matthew 27:37, Luke 23:37, John 19:20)

The Jewish historian, Josephus (37 - ?100 AD/CE), spoke about Jewish literacy, “… we pride ourselves on the education of our children … (the Law) orders that (children) shall be taught to read …” (Against Apion 1:12.60 and 2.25.204)

On the question of female literacy in the biblical period, remember that this was a completely male-dominated society.  This is one reason that women were so drawn to the teachings of Jesus: He insisted on treating them as persons.  The early Christians continued this: Paul said there is no Jew nor Greek, no male nor female, no slave nor free.

One estimate has it that “for every five or six men who could read and write, there was one woman who was fully literate.” (David M. Scholer, “Writing and Literature: Greco-Roman”,” in Dictionary of New Testament Background, page 1283. Quoted in  JETS 50/4 (December 2007) 747–59, WOMEN’S EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SPEECH IN ANTIQUITY, by craig keener*

http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/50/50-4/JETS_50-4_747-759_Keener.pdf

When I was at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Greek scholar and professor, Pastor Frank Stagg, was speaking on the subject of women’s education in biblical times.  While acknowledging that most women of the time were intentionally kept illiterate, Dr. Stagg was sure that many wealthy women were privately educated.  He even discussed the possibility that the reason that the author of the book of Hebrews is not named is that the book was written by a woman.

 

Other interesting links.

“On Ancient Literacy Levels”

http://www.tektonics.org/tsr/tilliteracy.html

Jewish scripture and the literacy of Jesus, Craig A. Evans

http://www.craigaevans.com/evans.pdf

Josephus

http://elfinspell.com/Shotwell11.htm

 Women in Judaism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Judaism

Were there any female writers in the Bible?

http://www.preachitteachit.org/articles-blogs/ask-roger/post/archive/2010/september/article/were-there-any-women-bible-writers/

What Eventually Happened to the Apostles Named in the Bible?

What eventually happened to the Apostles named in the Bible?

According to Christian tradition:

1.    Peter (aka: Simon bar Jonah, Simon bar Jochanan, Cephas, and Simon Peter), a fisherman from Bethsaida in Galillee, was crucified upside-down in Rome c. AD 64-67.2.    James, son of Zebedee was beheaded in AD 44 in Judea.

                       John, son of Zebedee, no biblical record of death, he is believed to have died of natural causes due to old age.  The only one of the original Twelve not to be martyred.  He apparently died ca 100 at Ephesus (Efes, Turkey) and is buried at Selcuk.

Andrew, Peter's brother and also originally a fisherman, was crucified upside-
down on a diagonal or X-shaped cross in Patras.

Philip, from Bethsaida in Galilee, was crucified in AD 54 -80, probably in Hierapolis
Bartholomew (aka: Bartholomew, son of Tolmai/Talemai; Nathaniel) was skinned 
alive and then beheaded; possibly in Derbend (a city in Dagestan in Russia) or 
in Albanopolis (near Zgerdhesh), Armenia.

Matthew (possibly also known as Levi), the tax collector, was killed by an axe in AD 
60 near Hierapolis in Ethiopia.

Thomas (aka: Judas Thomas Didymus, Didymos) was killed by a spear in 
Mylapore, Madras, India in AD 72.  Didimus (Greek) and t’oma (Aramaic) both 
mean “twin.”

James, son of Alphaeus (aka: James the Less, James the Just) was , beaten to death 
with a club after being crucified.

Jude was crucified.  Possibly the same man as Thaddeus (aka: Lebbaeus) 
Armenian tradition says he was martyred in Beirut ca. 65.

Simon the Zealot (possibly also known as Simeon of Jerusalem or Simon 
the Cananean) was crucified in AD 74.

Judas Iscariot (Judas the son of Simon), according to Matthew, hanged himself 
after betraying Jesus. In Acts, he is described as falling in a field and bursting open.

Matthias, the replacement for Judas Iscariot picked by the surviving  
eleven original Apostles, was stoned and beheaded, possibly ca, 80,
at Colchis (in modern Georgia.)

Barnabas (Acts 14:14), a Cypriot, was martyred in 61 at Salamis, Cyprus.

Andronicus (Romans 16:7), was probably the husband of Junia.

Junia (Romans 16:7) is the only woman named in the Bible as an apostle.  The 
name is clearly female, the male form of the name would be Junius.

Silas (1Thessalonians 1:1 and 2:6) was Paul’s travelling companion.

Timothy (1Thessalonians 1:1 and 2:6) was close enough to Paul to be called his “son.”

Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:9) is thought by some to have been the author of Hebrews.

Paul (aka: Saul of Tarsus) was, according to Christian tradition, he was beheaded ca. 67, in Rome. 
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I edited this post because the formatting didn't look right. JFM