On 24 August 2025, Christianity celebrates the feast of Saint Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles. His figure remains somewhat elusive in the Gospels, yet his name and legacy echo through centuries of Christian memory as a symbol of sincerity, faith, and sacrifice.

Who was Bartholomew

Bartholomew appears in the Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles as one of the chosen Twelve. In the Gospel of John, the name does not appear directly, but tradition identifies him with Nathanael, the man whom Jesus greeted as one “in whom there is no deceit.” This brief description has carried deep weight in Christian thought, marking him as a disciple of transparency and unshakable honesty, a man who met the divine with an open heart.

His mission and martyrdom

After the resurrection, tradition tells us that Bartholomew traveled widely to bring the Christian message to distant lands, including Armenia, Mesopotamia, and possibly even India. His end was as dramatic as his life was obscure: he was martyred by being flayed alive, then killed. This violent death turned him into one of the most striking symbols of endurance in faith, embodying the extreme price of discipleship. For the Armenian Church, he holds particular importance as one of the apostles who first brought Christianity to their land.

Symbolic representations

Because of the manner of his death, Bartholomew has been depicted throughout Christian art with a knife, or even holding his own skin, as seen in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel fresco. These unsettling images are not simply gruesome reminders of martyrdom but profound meditations on the stripping away of appearances and the vulnerability of the human condition. In a psychological sense, they symbolize the painful process of transformation, where the superficial layers of the self are removed to reveal a deeper truth.

His legacy

Bartholomew’s feast day is celebrated on 24 August in many traditions, including today. For centuries he has been invoked as the patron saint of leather workers, tanners, and butchers, professions linked with skin and hide, as well as protector against nervous and neurological suffering. Yet beyond these associations, his meaning today feels especially relevant: he represents integrity at a time when sincerity and truth are increasingly tested. His story reminds us that faith, conviction, and inner authenticity can carry a person through unimaginable trials.