Ep. 25: The Disciples

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MATTHEW 10:2-4, MARK 3:13-19, LUKE 6:12-19

The call of Matthew accompanied the call of the other disciples (who were also designated Apostles), starting with Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew (or Bar Telamyon generally supposed the same as Nathanael). Thomas, who is called Didymus (which means ‘twin’), is closely connected with Matthew. James is expressly named as the son of Alphaeus or Clopas. This we know to have been also the name of Matthew’s father. James, Judas, and Simon seem to have been brothers. Judas is designated as Lebbaeus, from the Hebrew lebh, a heart, and is also named Thaddaeus, a term derived from Thodah, from ‘praise.’ In that case both Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus would point to the heartiness and the thanksgiving of the Apostle and hence to his character. Luke simply designates him as Judas of James, which means that he was the brother (less probably, the son) of James. Thus his real name would have been Judas Lebbaeus, and his surname Thaddaeus.

Closely connected with these two we have in all the Gospels, Simon, surnamed Zelotes or Cananaean (not Canaanite), both terms indicating his original connection with the Galilean Zealot party, the ‘Zealots for the Law.’ he seems to be the son of Clopas, and brother of James, and of Judas Lebbaeus. These three were, in a sense, cousins of Jesus, since, according to Hegesippus, Clopas was the brother of Joseph, while the sons of Zebedee were real cousins, their mother Salome being a sister of Mary. Lastly, we have Judas Iscariot, or Ish Kerioth, ‘a man of Kerioth,’ a town in Judah. Thus the betrayer alone would be of Judean origin, the others all of Galilean; and this may throw not a little light on his later actions.

It is clear that the Apostolic groupings in the Gospels are ranged into three groups and we may remark how closely connected they were. And yet, as we remember the history of their calling, we remind ourselves that Jesus’ decision came after a night of solitary prayer on the mountainside. Then, at early dawn. He ‘called his disciples, and chose twelve of them, whom also he named Apostles,’ ‘that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sickness and to cast out devils.’

This is an extract from the book, Jesus : Life and Times, available for £10 here (Finalist for Academic Book of the year at 2023 CRT awards)