St Bartholomew (1st century) apostle and martyr
Bartholomew
is identified with Nathanael, from Cana in Galilee. He is said to have
preached the gospel in India or Armenia. An extraordinary tradition for
the Middle Ages led to his being regarded as the patron saint of
tanners.
In New Testaments lists
In the lists of the
apostles in the New Testament, Bartholomew is always placed between
Philip and Matthew (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:14) though in Acts Thomas
comes in before him (Acts 1:13).
A surname
Bartholomew appears to be a family or surname, formulated with reference to the father's name. It means "the son of Tolmay".
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee
Traditionally,
Bartholomew is identified with Nathanael: a name that means "God has
given". Nathanael was from Cana (Jn 21:2) and therefore may have
witnessed the great "sign" made by Jesus in that place when the water
was changed into wine (Jn 2:1-11).
"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (Jn 1:43-51)
Nathanael
is prominent in John's Gospel. In Jn 1:45 Philip meets him and tells
him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the
prophets, Jesus the son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael replied,
"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" "Come and see," replied
Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, he said, "There
is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile."
An encounter leading to faith
Many insights are
suggested from reflection on this little scripture passage. Firstly,
Nathanael's forthrightness and scepticism about a man from Nazareth!.
Secondly, his being told to "Come and see", an invitation to a personal
encounter leading to faith.
"In whose spirit is no guile"
And then Jesus's
interesting quotation from the penitential Ps 31(32):2. The full
quotation of that verse would be: "O happy the man to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no guile". The reference seems to
startle Nathanael: is there a suggestion that his meeting with Jesus is a
conversion experience, that his sin is no longer held against him? Is
he startled that Jesus knows so much about him, his inner thoughts: "How
do you know me?" he asks. Jesus promises Nathanael that like Jacob in
his dream, he will have an even greater revelation of the mystery of
God: "You will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the
angels of God ascending and descending".
An apostle in India or Armenia?
The historian
Eusebius in the fourth century reports that Bartholomew went to India.
Another tradition locates him on apostolic activity in Armenia.
Skin flayed before martyrdom?
In
the Middle Ages there was a tradition that Bartholomew was flayed -
that is, his skin was removed from his body before he was martyred. In
the bottom corner of Michelangelo's Last Judgment painting on the wall
of the Sistine Chapel St Bartholomew is depicted holding the knife of
his martyrdom and his flayed skin. Also in Milan Cathedral (see image)
there is an extraordinary statue by Marco d'Agrate of St. Bartholomew
draped with his own skin (1562). He is the patron saint of tanners!