Na the high priest de represent the Israelites for front of God. For the time of Jesus and im apostles, na the high priest be the head of the Sanhedrin. The chief priests still de join the high priest to lead Jew people. Some of them na people wey don be high priests before like Annas, and other men wey come from families wey them de choose high priests from. E be like say na only four or five of this kind family dey. Emil Schürer wey de write history talk say: them de give any priest wey come from one of this family more respect pass other priests.

Bible show say any high priest go hold that position till e die. (Num. 35:25) But for the time of the first Christians, na governors for Rome and kings for Rome government de choose who go be high priest. And them fit even remove the high priest any time wey them want. But e be like say this rulers wey no de serve God de select only people wey come from Aaron family.

PETER—FROM FISHERMAN TO APOSTLE WEY NO DE TIRE TO PREACH

Peter get five names for Bible. For Hebrew language, im name na Symeon wey be Simon for Greek language. Another Greek name na Peter wey be Cephas for Aramaic language. Them still join two of im names de call-am Simon Peter.—Matt. 10:2; John 1:42; Acts 15:14.

Peter get wife. Im mother-in-law and Andrew im brother de live with-am for im house. (Mark 1:29-31) Peter na fisherman wey come from Bethsaida, for the north side of the Sea of Galilee. (John 1:44) E later go live for Capernaum. (Luke 4:31, 38) Na Peter boat Jesus sitdown when e teach plenty people wey gather near the sea of Galilee. After, Jesus tell Peter to throw im net for the sea and as e do-am, miracle happen—e catch plenty fish. Fear come catch Peter well-well, but Jesus tell-am say: “Make you no fear again, from today go, you go de catch people alive.” (Luke 5:1-11) Peter and Andrew im brother de catch fish together with James and John. When Jesus call them, four of them abandon their fish business and follow Jesus. (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-18) About one year after, Peter dey among the 12 disciples wey Jesus choose to become im “apostles.” The word apostles mean “people wey them send.”—Mark 3:13-16.

Jesus choose Peter, James and John to dey with-am for special times. Them dey with Jesus when e change and im face and cloth start to shine, when e resurrect Jairus daughter, and when e de feel pain for the garden of Gethsemane. (Matt. 17:1, 2; 26:36-46; Mark 5:22-24, 35-42; Luke 22:39-46) The three of them with Andrew ask Jesus wetin go be the sign say e don dey around.—Mark 13:1-4.

Peter de always talk im mind, e get plenty energy, e no be dull person, and sometimes e no de think before e do things. E be like say many times e de first talk before the other apostles. For the book of Matthew go reach John, wetin only Peter talk plenty pass everything wey the other 11 apostles talk. Peter de ask questions when others keep quiet. (Matt. 15:15; 18:21; 19:27-29; Luke 12:41; John 13:36-38) Na im no want make Jesus wash im leg, but when Jesus correct-am, e say make Jesus still wash im hand and head join!—John 13:5-10.

Because Peter love Jesus, e try to make Jesus change im mind so that Jesus no go suffer and die. Jesus correct Peter because the way e de think no correct. (Matt. 16:21-23) For Jesus last night for earth, Peter talk say even if all the other apostles leave Jesus, e no go ever leave-am. When Jesus enemies arrest Jesus, Peter show strong heart as e try to protect Jesus with sword and e still go inside the high priest compound where them carry Jesus go. But that same night, Peter deny im Master three times, and e cry well-well when e come know wetin e do.—Matt. 26:31-35, 51, 52, 69-75.

After Jesus die and resurrect, the apostles go Galilee. As them dey there, Peter tell the other apostles say e de go catch fish. Some of them follow-am go. Jesus appear to them near the water. As Peter recognize Jesus, e no even think-am before e jump enter the water and swim go meet Jesus. Jesus cook fish for im apostles that morning. As them de chop-am, Jesus ask Peter if e love-am pass the fish wey them catch. Jesus de encourage Peter to follow-am full-time instead make e de pursue another work full-time, like the fisherman work.—John 21:1-22.

For about 62 C.E. go reach 64 C.E., Peter preach for Babylon and plenty Jew people live there that time. Today the area wey be Babylon dey for Iraq. (1 Pet. 5:13) Na for Babylon Peter write the Bible book of 1 Peter and e fit still be say, na there e stay write 2 Peter. Jesus “give Peter power” to be “apostle for people wey don circumcise.” (Gal. 2:8, 9) Peter get pity for people and e use all im power do this work.

JOHN—THE DISCIPLE WEY JESUS LOVE

Apostle John and apostle James na brothers. Their papa na Zebedee. The name of John mama fit be Salome. Salome fit be the sister of Mary wey be Jesus mama. (Matt. 10:2; 27:55, 56; Mark 15:40; Luke 5:9, 10) So John fit be Jesus cousin. E be like say John come from rich family. Zebedee hire people to work for-am because im fish business big. (Mark 1:20) Salome follow Jesus, and e help Jesus when e dey Galilee. E later bring things wey get better scent so that them go use-am rub Jesus body to prepare-am for burial. (Mark 16:1; John 19:40) E fit be say John get im own house.—John 19:26, 27.

E fit be say na John be the disciple of John the Baptizer wey dey with Andrew when John the Baptizer look Jesus and talk say: “See, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35, 36, 40) After this one, John wey be Zebedee pikin follow Jesus go Cana and e see when Jesus do im first miracle. (John 2:1-11) The clear way John really describe the things wey Jesus do for Jerusalem, Samaria, and Galilee show say e fit dey there when this things happen. The way John ready to leave im fishing net, boat, and family business, and follow Jesus show say e get faith like James, Peter, and Andrew.—Matt. 4:18-22.

John name no plenty reach Peter own for the book of Matthew go reach John. But like Peter, John na person wey de quick take action. Na this one make Jesus give John and im brother name—Boanerges, wey mean “Sons of Thunder.” (Mark 3:17) E get time wey John want dey important pass the other apostles. So, im and im brother send their mama to ask Jesus to give them important position for im Kingdom. Even though say this thing show say them de think only about theirself, e still show say them get faith say God Kingdom dey real. Wetin this two brothers do make Jesus teach all the apostles why them need to de carry body down.—Matt. 20:20-28.

John show say e be person wey de quick take action when e try to stop one man wey no be Jesus disciple but wey de use Jesus name remove demon. E get one time wey John ready to call fire from heaven to destroy the people wey dey one village for Samaria because the people no gree welcome Jesus and im disciples. Jesus give John strong correction for this things wey e do. As time de go, John learn to de show mercy more and to dey balance for the way e de do things. (Luke 9:49-56) Even though say John make mistakes, John na “the disciple wey Jesus love.” When Jesus de die, e tell John to take care of Mary im mama.—John 19:26, 27; 21:7, 20, 24.

John live long pass the other apostles, just as Jesus talk before. (John 21:20-22) John serve Jehovah well for about 70 years. Small time before John die, when Emperor Domitian de rule for Rome, them arrest John go island of Patmos wey far from im country because e “de talk about God and de tell people the truth about Jesus.” For there, around 96 C.E., John see many vision wey e write for the book of Revelation. (Rev. 1:1, 2, 9) Jew people believe say after them free John, e go Ephesus. Na for there e write the Bible book of John and the letters wey we know as first, second, and third John and say e die for Ephesus for about 100 C.E.