The Apostle Bartholomew represents the faculty of imagination. Imagination has its center of action directly between the eyes. This is the point of expression for a set of tissues that extend back into the brain and connects with the imaging or picture-making function near the root of the optic nerves. Through this faculty you can project an image of things on the outside, or ideas that are within.
You can project the image of beauty by thinking goodness and perfection for yourself and everybody. Bartholomew is connected directly with the soul and has great power in the pictures of the mind. Jesus saw/imagined himself under a fig tree, a long way off, before it was visible to the natural eye. So imagine well, because under the law of thought action acting on substance, the imagination sooner or later will manifest physically.
Who was Bartholomew the Apostle? Bartholomew was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus. In the entire New Testament, his name only appears in the four lists of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2–4, Mark 3:16–19, Luke 6:14–16, Acts 1:1–13). Aside from his name, we know very little about him.
Known as “the apostles” or “ones who were sent,” Bartholomew and the other disciples witnessed Jesus’ ministry for about three years. This makes Bartholomew one of the most important and authoritative leaders of the early church.
Bartholomew is never mentioned in the Gospel of John, but a man named Nathaniel (who doesn’t appear in the other gospels) appears to be an apostle (John 21:1–2). Some traditions have assumed Bartholomew and Nathaniel to be the same person.
As an apostle, Bartholomew personally witnessed most of Jesus’ miracles and heard most of his teachings. He lived with Jesus for about three years. When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles, Bartholomew (possibly paired with Philip) was given the power to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons” (Matthew 10:8). He is traditionally associated with Philip.
His father’s name was probably Talmai. The name “Bartholomew” most likely comes from Aramaic (bar-Talmai), meaning “son of Talmai.”
It was the name of a couple of different Old Testament figures—one of the Nephilim (Numbers 13:22) and also of the king of Geshur (2 Samuel 3:22). There’s no one named Talmai in the New Testament. It has been suggested that Bartholomew and Nathaniel were the same person: Nathaniel Bartholomew.
Saint Luke likely wrote the gospel Luke and the Book of Acts. He listed Bartholomew and Philip together in one of his books, but not in the other.
Nathaniel also appears to be an apostle. Jesus doesn’t explicitly call him to “come, follow me,” but in their first encounter, he does tell Nathaniel, “Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51). John also includes him among the apostles.
Nathaniel was very skeptical of Jesus because he came from Nazareth, famously saying, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46). But after Jesus demonstrates his divinity, Nathaniel proclaims, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel” (John 1:49).
01/07/24