International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Andrew belonged to Bethsaida of Galilee (compare Joh_1:44). He was the brother of Simon Peter and his father's name was John (compare Joh_1:42; Joh_21:15, Joh_21:16, Joh_21:17). He occupies a more prominent place in the Gospel of Jn than in the synoptical writings, and this is explicable at least in part from the fact that Andrew was Greek both in language and sympathies (compare infra), and that his subsequent labors were intimately connected with the people for whom Jn was immediately writing. There are three stages in the call of Andrew to the apostleship. The first is described in Joh_1:35-40. Andrew had spent his earlier years as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, but on learning of the fame of John the Baptist, he departed along with a band of his countrymen to Bethabara (the Revised Version (British and American) “Bethany”) beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing (Joh_1:28). Possibly Jesus was of their number, or had preceded them in their pilgrimage. There Andrew learned for the first time of the greatness of the “Lamb of God” and “followed him” (Joh_1:40). He was the means at this time of bringing his brother Simon Peter also to Christ (Joh_1:41). Andrew was probably a companion of Jesus on his return journey to Galilee, and was thus present at the marriage in Cana of Galilee (Joh_2:2), in Capernaum (Joh_2:12), at the Passover in Jerusalem (Joh_2:13), at the baptizing in Judea (Joh_3:22), where he himself may have taken part (compare Joh_4:2), and in Samaria (Joh_4:5).

On his return to Galilee, Andrew resumed for a time his old vocation as fisherman, till he received his second call. This happened after John the Baptist was cast into prison (compare Mar_1:14; Mat_4:12) and is described in Mar_1:16-18; Mat_4:18, Mat_4:19. The two accounts are practically identical, and tell how Andrew and his brother were now called on definitely to forsake their mundane occupations and become fishers of men (Mar_1:17). The corresponding narrative of Luke varies in part; it does not mention Andrew by name, and gives the additional detail of the miraculous draught of fishes. By some it has been regarded as an amalgamation of Mark's account with Joh_21:1-8 (see JAMES, SON OF ZEBEDEE). After a period of companionship with Jesus, during which, in the house of Simon and Andrew, Simon's wife's mother was healed of a fever (Mar_1:29-31; compare Mat_8:14, Mat_8:15; Luk_4:38, Luk_4:39); the call of Andrew was finally consecrated by his election as one of the Twelve Apostles (Mat_10:2; Mar_3:18; Luk_6:14; Act_1:13).

The name of Andrew's mother was traditionally Joanna, and according to the “Genealogies of the Twelve Apostles” (Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, II, 49) he belonged to the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of his father. A fragment of a Coptic gospel of the 4th or 5th century tells how not only Thomas (Joh_20:27), but also Andrew was compelled, by touching the feet of the risen Saviour, to believe in the bodily resurrection (Hennecke, Neutestamentlichen Apokryphen, etc., 38, 39). Various places were assigned as the scene of his subsequent missionary labors. The Syriac Teaching of the Apostles (ed Cureton, 34) mentions Bithynia, Eusebius gives Scythia (Historia Ecclesiastica, III, i, 1), and others Greece (Lipsius, Apokryphen Apostelgeschichten, I, 63). The Muratorian Fragment relates that John wrote his gospel in consequence of a revelation given to Andrew, and this would point to Ephesus (compare Hennecke id, 459). The Contendings of the Twelve Apostles (for historicity, authorship, etc., of this work, compare Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, Intro; Hennecke, Handbuch zu den neutestamentlichen Apokryphen, 351-58; RE, 664-66) contains several parts dealing with Andrew: (1) “The Preaching of Andrew and Philemon among the Kurds” (Budge, II 163ff) narrates the appearance of the risen Christ to His disciples, the sending of Andrew to Lydia and his conversion of the people there. (2) The “Preaching of Matthias in the City of the Cannibals” (Budge, II, 267ff; REH, 666) tells of how Matthias, on being imprisoned and blinded by the Cannibals, was released by Andrew, who had been brought to his assistance in a ship by Christ, but the two were afterward again imprisoned. Matthias then caused the city to be inundated, the disciples were set free, and the people converted. (3) “The Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew” (Budge, II, 183ff) gives an account of their mission among the Parthians. (4) According to the “Martyrdom of Andrew” (Budge, II, 215) he was stoned and crucified in Scythia.

There is something significant in Andrew's being the first called of the apostles. The choice was an important one, for upon the lead given by Andrew depended the action of the others. Christ perceived that the soul's unrest, the straining after higher things and a deeper knowledge of God, which had induced Andrew to make the pilgrimage to Bethany, gave promise of a rich spiritual growth, which no doubt influenced Him in His decision. His wisdom and insight were justified of the after event. Along with a keenness of perception regarding spiritual truths was coupled in Andrew a strong sense of personal conviction which enabled him not only to accept Jesus as the Messiah, but to win Peter also as a disciple of Christ. The incident of the Feeding of the Five Thousand displayed Andrew in a fresh aspect: there the practical part which he played formed a striking contrast to the feeble-mindedness of Philip. Both these traits - his missionary spirit, and his decision of character which made others appeal to him when in difficulties - were evinced at the time when the Greeks sought to interview Jesus. Andrew was not one of the greatest of the apostles, yet he is typical of those men of broad sympathies and sound common sense, without whom the success of any great movement cannot be assured.

Taken from: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia by James Orr, M.A., D.D., General Editor