There are 24 “apostles” listed in the New Testament:
1. Simon Peter (Matthew 10:2, Luke 6:14)
2. Andrew, Peter’s brother (Matthew 10:2, Luke 6:14)
3. James, son of Zebedee (Matthew 10;2, Luke 6:14)
4. John, James’ brother (Matthew 10:2, Luke 6:14)
5. Philip (Matthew 10:3, Luke 6:14)
6. Bartholomew, Philip’s brother (also known as Nathanael) (Matthew 10:3, Luke 6:14)
7. James, son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3, Luke 6:15)
8. Thaddaeus, James’ brother (also called Judas and Lebbaeus) (Matthew 10:3, Luke 6:16)
9. Matthew, son of Alphaeus, perhaps brother of James and Judas (Mark 2:14; Luke 6:15)
10. Thomas (Matthew 10:3, Luke 6:15)
11. Simon the Zealot (also called Simon the Canaanite) (Mathew 10:4, Luke 6:15)
12. Judas Iscariot (Matthew 10:4, Luke 6:16)
13. Matthias (Acts 1:26)
14. Barnabas (Acts 13:1,2; Acts 14:4,14)
15. Andronicus (Romans 16:7)
16. Junia (Romans 16:7)
17. Apollos (1 Corinthians chapters 3-4, specifically 4:6-9)
18. James, the Lord’s brother (Galatians 1:19)
19. Silas (also known as Silvanus) (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:6)
20. Timothy (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:6)
21. Titus (2 Corinthians 8:23)
22. Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25)
23. Paul (Galatians 1:1; Galatians 2:8)
24. Jesus Christ (Hebrews 3:1)
It is thought that Junia (#16) might have been female based on the name. However, only a select few – all men – were referred to as the “twelve apostles of the Lamb” in Revelation 21:4.
Only men are to be leaders in the church. This is based on the following two scriptures. 1 Timothy 3:1,2, “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop (overseer), he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…able to teach.” 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NET), “But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” Beyond recording this arrangement, the scriptures do not explain why God determined that men should be the overseers.
The twelve apostles were positioned as the highest male leaders. 1 Corinthians 12:28, “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers…” Therefore, a basic ranking for the church’s organization, while on earth, is – God, Jesus, the twelve apostles of the Lamb, men, women.
The ranks in heaven position the twelve apostles right after Jesus as well. Revelation 21:4 (NASB), “And the wall of the city (the New Jerusalem) had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
We know there will be different positions of glory within the resurrected church because the Apostle Paul stated, “There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in fact, one star differs from another star in splendor. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory…sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body,” 1 Corinthians 15:40-44 (CSB).
In heaven, God will always be the Supreme Being and Jesus will be next in authority. “When everything is subject to Christ, then the son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all,” 1 Corinthians 15:28. After that, the order will be the twelve Apostles, then the church class. Within the resurrected church there will also be different positions of glory, but whether someone was a man or a woman when in the flesh will not be significant.
Additional Resource:
PDF Booklet: “The Twelve Apostles of the Lamb”