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The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved–The Life of the Apostle John (Part 1)

Like his brother James, John was a son of Zebedee and a first-cousin of Jesus Christ.1  It is perhaps because of a close family relationship that John identifies himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”2 in his account of the gospel.

John as a Disciple

There is no clear, definitive evidence showing when John first began to follow the Lord.  But it is very possible that we see it in John 1:

The next day after, John [the immerser] stood, and two of his disciples; and looking on Jesus as He walked, he says, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”  And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and says to them, “What are you seeking?”  They say to Him, “Rabbi,” (which is to say, being interpreted, “Master”) “where are you staying?”  He says to them, “Come and see.”  They came and saw where He was staying, and stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.  One of the two which heard John [the immerser] and followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.3

Apparently out of humility, the apostle John never once mentions himself by name in his gospel account.  With one exception, he always refers to himself in this book as a “disciple.”4  So it should come as no surprise if this nameless disciple, who was among the very first to follow Jesus, was in fact the apostle John.5

Assuming this to be the case, it is possible that John then went and found his brother James and brought him to Jesus as well.6  Then, John would have been present with his cousin Jesus and his aunt Mary at the marriage in Cana,7 and would have traveled with his cousins to Capernaum afterwards,8  then to Jerusalem where Jesus cast out the money-changers,9 and into Judea where John would have helped in baptizing people.10  Upon returning to Galilee, John apparently went back to his fishing business along with his brother James and their friends Peter and Andrew.

It was back in Capernaum some time later that John and his brother saw Jesus in the synagogue, teaching with authority and casting out a demon.  Afterwards, he accompanied Jesus to Andrew and Peter’s house, where Peter’s mother-in-law was sick.  After Jesus healed her, John almost certainly engaged in religious discussion with Jesus (as would Peter, Andrew, and James as well).  Some time later, John was with James, working on their fishing nets, when Jesus began to teach by the Lake of Gennesaret.11  Jesus got in Simon’s ship and after teaching, told Peter to let down his net; the net became so full of fish that Peter called for John and James to come help bring in the catch.  It is after this that Jesus called both John and James to follow Him, which they did, leaving their father Zebedee with the hired servants in the ship.12

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 This fact would also mean that he was the first cousin of James (the Lord’s brother) and Jude.  See the previous chapter for how this relationship is taught in the Scriptures.

2 This statement is found in John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 20.

3 John 1:35-40.

4 The only time where John uses a different descriptive term to identify himself is found in John 21:2, where he refers to himself and his brother by the term “the sons of Zebedee.”  And even in there, he refers to himself as one of the “disciples” (see the previous verse).

5 Hovey says: “But who was the unnamed companion of Andrew? Probably the Evangelist himself. For: (1) the narrative in this place is very particular and graphic, making it probable that the writer was an eye-witness. (2) The writer of such a narrative would have been sure to mention the name of the other disciple, unless there had been some reason for withholding it. (3) The writer of this Gospel never refers to himself by name, and the same feeling which led him to withhold his name elsewhere accounts for his withholding it here.” (Alvah Hovey, Commentary on John, p. 78).  It is the details, even down to the exact time (the tenth hour, aka 4pm) that makes this even more likely.  Such is also the suggestion of Barclay, Albert Barnes, B.W. Johnson, Clarke, Coke, Dummelow, Dake, Gill, Rhoderick Ice, Lange, McGarvey, Robertson, and Vincent (among others).

6 Some have argued that John 1:41, which says that Andrew first went to find his brother Simon, indicates that the other disciple (likely John) also went to find his brother.

7 John 2:1-2.

8 John 2:11-12.

9 John 2:13-23.

10 John 3:22, compare with 4:1-2.

11 This is another name for the Sea of Galilee, which John himself calls the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1).  See James Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels, “Galilee, Sea of.”

 

The Replacement Apostle (Part 1)

Though Matthias is only mentioned once in the biblical record, we actually know more about him that some people think.

Matthias the Early Disciple

In order for Matthias to be nominated as an apostle, he had to have been one who “went in and out” with the apostles and Jesus, dating back to the baptism of John.1  This means that Matthias was well-known among the apostles as being one who had proven faithful in following the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.  Matthias would have seen Jesus perform miracles, and most likely was among those who traveled with Jesus to Jerusalem and saw Jesus overturn the tables of the money-changers.2  Since he had to have been one of the earliest disciples in order to be nominated to be an apostle, it also means he was probably one of the ones in Judea with Jesus, baptizing people.3

Matthias the Witness of the Resurrected Christ

We are not told exactly when and how Matthias saw Jesus after His resurrection, but we do know that it happened, because it was a requirement for someone to be nominated to become an apostle.  Certainly, it was one of the following occasions:

Christ died on behalf of our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He has been raised up on the third day, according to the Scriptures.  And that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the twelve; thereafter He appeared to over five hundred brethren at once, out of whom most remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep; thereafter He appeared to James, thereafter to all the apostles.4

Matthias the Chosen

Prior to Pentecost, there were around 120 disciples meeting together in Jerusalem, and Matthias was one of them.  He watched as Peter stood up and announced that the Scriptures foretold that Judas Iscariot was to be replaced:

Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, “Men and brethren, it was necessary for this Scripture to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of David, spoke before concerning Judas, who was the guide for the ones who took Jesus.  For he was numbered with us, and had obtained a part of this ministry. 
 For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein,’ and ‘His overseership let another man take.’  Therefore, from these men who have accompanied us all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, until that same day that He was taken up from us, must one have been to be a witness with us of His resurrection.5

We don’t know what Matthias was thinking at this point, but it probably included the idea, I’ve been with them during that time. 

Among the 120 disciples that were there, only two men were put forward—Joseph Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias himself.6  The apostles did not choose between the two of them, but instead, they went to God in prayer, asking Him to show which one had been chosen.

They prayed, and said, “You, Lord, who knows the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, to go to his own place.”7

After the prayer, they8 cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias.9  As a result, he was chosen to become the new twelfth apostle.  This selection shows that he was a faithful disciple, and that the Lord trusted him.

The results of this selection were that Matthias was baptized with the Holy Spirit not long afterwards, along with the rest of the apostles.  He stood up and preached the wonderful works of God in another language, along with the rest of the apostles.  He performed miracles and wonders, like the rest of the apostles.  He helped oversee the distribution of funds for the needy saints in Jerusalem, along with the rest of the apostles.  In short, even though he was the newest apostle, he was still an apostle, with every bit as much authority as the other eleven had.  It wasn’t as though he was some newcomer to the scene, for he was one of the earliest disciples of the Lord, and had been in the apostles’ company for years.

Matthias died in faith, and when this life is over, we can hope to meet him as well.

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 This has caused some unnecessary confusion, because none of the apostles followed Jesus until at least 40 days after His baptism.  The reference, then, is to someone who was a disciple of Jesus dating back to the time when John was still alive and baptizing people—obviously, the earlier the better.

2 John chapter 2.

3 As recorded in John 3:22, 4:1-2.

4 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, Modern Literal Version.  Some believe the phrase “all the apostles” is a reference to the seventy men that Jesus “apostled” (sent) in Luke 10.

5 Acts 1:15-17, 22.  Verses 18-19 are an insertion by Luke, explaining what happened to Judas after the betrayal, something that the author didn’t include in his gospel account.

6 Since Peter laid out the requirements for the replacement, it appears as though these two men were the only ones who were qualified.  It’s not that the others among the 120 weren’t faithful disciples of the Lord, but that they weren’t able to be a witness of the entire ministry of Jesus Christ on earth, as Matthias and Joseph were.  This is strong evidence that the man called “Nathanael” by John (see chapter on Bartholomew) was already one of the apostles, for he fit these qualifications.

7 Acts 1:24-25.  The KJV needlessly confuses some of this passage.  The word “whether” is used, when the Greek is literally “which one.”  It uses the phrase “that he may take,” when the Greek is literally “to take,” and makes perfect sense just like that (as rendered in the translation we have chosen to use above).

8 The text isn’t clear as to the identity of the “they” under consideration.  It may be that Joseph and Matthias both cast their lots, and it landed on Matthias.  It could be the apostles themselves who did this.  The second seems more likely, as Joseph and Matthias were not the “they” who were praying in the verses previous to this (see how they are referenced as “these two” and not “us two”).

9 The casting of lots is not, as some would have us believe, a form of gambling.  Gambling involves risk, whether it is placing a coin in a slot or wagering large amounts of money on a football game—there is always the risk that you will lose something.  In casting lots, there was no such risk of loss.  It is equivalent to flipping a coin or drawing straws to determine who is chosen for a specific job.  In fact, the book of Proverbs (16:33) says that “the lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof [that is, the determining of who is chosen] is of God.”

The Life and Death of Judas Iscariot (Part 4)

Judas’ Death

Matthew tells us that Judas “hanged himself,”1 while Luke records that he “falling headlong, he burst asunder in the middle, and all of his bowels gushed out.”2  How can these two descriptions be reconciled?

First, remember that Luke is writing some thirty years later, and describes what happened to Judas’ body.  Even if, as some believe, this is a quotation from Peter just 40-50 days after the event, it would still be a description of what happened, looking back at the event.  So, it is quite possible that Judas went out and hanged himself from a tree, and over the next few days (or even weeks) the branch broke from the strain, and Judas’ bloated body exploded in the middle as it hit the ground.

Second, it is possible that by “hanging,” we shouldn’t imagine a noose.  Some have suggested that Judas took a long wooden post, sharpened on one end, and dove on it, impaling himself, causing his bowels to gush out as his body fell forward to the ground.3

Regardless of exactly how it took place, the death of Judas was a well-known event to the Jews in Jerusalem, for the place where it happened received the name “field of blood.”4

Why Did Judas Do It?

As stated earlier, some have taught that Judas was specially chosen to do a great work for the Lord in fulfilling prophecy, and that instead of being seen as a wicked traitor, he should be viewed as a hero.5

Others, trying to give Judas the best possible motives, argue that the traitor was actually only trying to force Jesus’ hand, to make Him show Himself as the Messiah so that the Kingdom of Heaven could be inaugurated.6

Others, not willing to give Judas any good will, say that he was only interested in the money.  The problem with that is that thirty pieces of silver wasn’t really all that much money, especially if Judas had already been skimming money out of Jesus’ treasury bag.  That doesn’t mean this isn’t the proper understanding, but it does present a difficulty to accepting it.

It seems that the best way of understanding what Judas did is that he came to Jesus with Jewish expectations of the Messiah.  He expected a powerful earthly kingdom that was going to throw off the shackles of Rome and return Israel to its former glory.  He saw the miracles of Jesus as divine confirmation that he was right in his assumptions.  And when Judas himself was endowed with miraculous gifts during the “limited commission,” he must have felt excitement over the imminent arrival of that kingdom which he was preaching.  But Jesus started doing things that made Judas unsure.  He saw a group of Jews who were ready to crown Jesus as the king, but when Jesus saw what was happening, He left and went to a mountain alone.7  He wasn’t ready to abandon Jesus, but it was after that event that the Lord said to the twelve, “one of you is a devil.”8

Then, as Jesus’ ministry went on, He kept saying things about dying, and being murdered.  Judas, with his preconceived ideas about the Messiah, must certainly have been questioning whether or not Jesus was really the One.  No doubt he had heard the opposition that the Pharisees and chief priests had presented against Jesus, and perhaps it continued to encourage his doubts.  Then, leaning more and more towards the conclusion that Jesus wasn’t really the Messiah, Judas saw no problem with stealing money from Him.  And when Jesus said that He was being anointed for His burial, that cinched it for Judas, who went to the chief priests and elders and offered to betray Jesus to them.

Even in the middle of all that mental struggle and doubt, Judas apparently didn’t realize just how much the Jewish leaders hated Jesus.  When he realized that Jesus was going to be put to death, Judas freaked out and tried to hurriedly undo it all.  He did have a conscience after all.  Judas apparently thought that they would simply arrest Jesus and throw Him in prison.

Ultimately, Judas’ biggest problem was that he allowed his own preconceived notions to overrule the evidence.  Jesus did miracles—Judas did miracles—which should have confirmed for him that everything Jesus said and did was exactly what God wanted.  It’s easier sometimes to believe what you’ve always believed than it is to accept what the Bible actually says.

Judas’ name has gone down in history as the ultimate traitor.  His name is not on the foundation of the holy city.  He is known as “the son of perdition” who “by transgression, fell, so that he might go to his own place.”  Such a sad state of affairs when one who had so much potential falls to the lowest depths.

Perhaps the saddest part of the entire history of Judas is that, had he not killed himself, he might have been able to see the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Had he waited, and heard about the empty tomb, he might have come back to Jesus, begging forgiveness.  And Jesus would have forgiven him, and welcomed him back.

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 Matthew 27:5.

2 Acts 1:18.

3 This possibility was presented to the author several years ago during a discussion of the topic.

4 Acts 1:19.

5 This is the view presented in the so-called Gospel of Judas, a Gnostic document from the second century.

6 Lockyer, in All the Apostles of the Bible, presents this possibility, attributing it to de Quincey.

7 John 6:14-15.

8 John 6:70-71.

The Life and Death of Judas Iscariot (Part 3)

Judas the Betrayer

Jesus had told the apostles on more than one occasion that He was going to be murdered, but “they understood none of these things; and the saying was hid from them, nor did they understand the things which were spoken [by Jesus].”1  After arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus boldly condemned the scribes and Pharisees, pronounced judgment on the Jewish nation, and foretold the destruction of the temple.2  As a result, the Jewish leaders gathered together and plotted how to secretly capture Jesus and kill Him.  Meanwhile, Jesus told His disciples that He would be betrayed in two days’ time.3

As a Jew, Judas had certain expectations of the Messiah—one of them being that He was going to reign as a King over Israel and overthrow the oppressive Roman oversight.  But while Jesus claimed to be the Christ, and was indeed a worker of miracles, He seemed to be rather willing to die—something that would make it hard (at least in the eyes of Judas) for Him to reign as a king.  Matthew’s account seems to give the final straw in 26:6-16:

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him there, having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head while He sat eating.  But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, “Why is this being wasted?  For this ointment might have been sold for a lot, and given to the poor.”

When Jesus heard, He said to them, “Why are you troubling the woman?  For she has done a good work on me.  For you always have the poor with you; but you don’t always have Me.  For in that she’s poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.  Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel will be preached in the whole world, will also be this, which this woman has done, told as a memorial of her.”

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, “What will you give me, and I’ll deliver Him to you?”  And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him.  And from that time, he sought opportunity to betray Him.

John records a very similar event (possibly the same one)4 which singles out Judas as the main complainer about the “waste” of ointment that could have been used to aid the poor.  But he wasn’t concerned about the poor at all; he was interested in lining his own pockets.  It is possible that as talk about Jesus’ impending death increased, Judas started setting aside money for himself out of the bag, possibly with the rationalization, “Well, Jesus sure isn’t going to need it if He’s dead.”  Regardless, he was already falling into Satan’s temptations before he made the conscious decision to go to the Jewish leaders with an offer of betrayal.

Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor?”  This he said, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and took what was put in it.5

In the Old Testament, thirty pieces of silver was the amount a man had to pay if his ox accidentally killed another man’s slave.6  This amount was prophesied by God through His prophet in Zechariah 11:10-13.

I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.  And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited on me knew it was the word of Jehovah.  And I said to them, “If you think good, give me my price, and if not, forbear.”  So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.  And Jehovah said to me, “Cast it to the potter: a goodly price that I was valued by them.  And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of Jehovah.

While Judas was fulfilling prophecy, he still had a choice in the matter.  No one was forcing him to betray Jesus.  So, while some wish to make excuses for him, as though he was fulfilling an important service for Jesus Christ,7 we must remember that the Bible calls what he did “transgression,” that is, sin.8

But even after Judas made this decision, he kept up the ruse of being a faithful disciple (though Jesus wasn’t fooled).9 He was with Jesus and the rest of the twelve in the upper room for the Passover10 when Jesus stood up and prepared a basin of water to wash their feet.  Judas sat like nothing was wrong as Jesus came to him and washed his feet.  Then Jesus stood up, put his outer garment back on, and sat down at the table and began to foretell that He wasn’t just going to die, but He was going to be betrayed by someone in that room.

Truly, truly I say to you, the servant is not greater than his lord, neither is the apostle greater than the one who sent him.  If you know these things, you are happy if you do them.  I do not speak of you all.  I know whom I have chosen: but that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.”  Now, I tell you [this] before it comes, so that when it comes to pass, you might believe that I AM.  


When Jesus had said this, He was very troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, “Truly, truly I say to you, that one of you will betray me.”11

The act that Judas was putting on had convinced the other apostles, for they all said, “Is it me?”12 They didn’t say, “Is it Judas?”  Even after Jesus gave a specific answer to them, “It is he to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it,” and then handed it to Judas, the disciples didn’t realize that Jesus was identifying him.  Even when Jesus said to Judas, “That which you are doing, do quickly,” and Judas got up and left, the apostles assumed that Jesus had sent him on a special mission to buy something for their feast or to give money to the poor.13

So Judas went out into the night, descended the stairs, and ran to meet up with the chief priests and Pharisees.

It has been argued by some that Judas wasn’t intending to betray his Lord, but that he was trying to force Jesus to act and reveal Himself as the Messiah.14  While this sounds plausible on the surface, it is very hard to accept, since Judas accepted money for his part, and since Judas was already a thief.  It is also difficult to accept when one considers that the biblical writers said that “Satan entered into him.”15  Did Satan really want Jesus to display His power and prove to the Jewish leaders that He was the mighty Messiah?  The entire Passion scene is a last-ditch, all-out attack on Jesus in an effort to get Him to sin, just once.16  So it wouldn’t make sense for Judas’ motivation to be a noble one, trying to get Jesus to reveal Himself as the Messiah.  The fact that Jesus refers to Judas as “the son of perdition”17 between the time he left the supper and the time he returned with soldiers shows that Judas had given himself completely over to willful sin.18

Still dark, Judas returned with a band (approximately 600 men)19 of soldiers and officers from the chief priests, carrying lanterns and torches and weapons.20  The soldiers, not knowing who Jesus was, had to rely on Judas to identify Him.  He walked up to Jesus, and we see no trace of fear, no trace of concern, no struggle within Judas over what he was doing.  As he drew near, the Lord said, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?”21  But Judas just said said, “Hail [or Greetings!], Rabbi,” and kissed Him.22

Jesus’ reply was unexpected.  He said, “Friend, why have you come?”23 But Judas stepped back with the soldiers, showing his true loyalty did not lie with the Lord.24 Jesus addressed the soldiers, with whom Judas was standing, and said, “Who are you seeking?”  When the soldiers said “Jesus of Nazareth,” the Lord replied, “I am.”  Then they all (Judas included) fell backwards to the ground.25 Peter, realizing what was happening, drew his sword, and Judas almost certainly heard the disciples utter the words, “Lord, shall we attack with the sword?”26  He probably saw Peter swing the sword, removing the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest.27

As the day dawned, the Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus to death, and bound Him and sent Him to Pilate to begin the proceedings for crucifixion.  When Judas saw what was going to happen—that an innocent man was going to be put to death because of him—he felt remorse, and tried to undo what he had done.

He brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned, in that I have betrayed innocent blood.”  They said to him, “What is that to us?  You will see to it.”28

And he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple, and left, and went and hanged himself.29

1 Luke 18:33-34.

2 See Matthew 23-24.

3 Matthew 26:1-5.

4 There is debate as to whether this is the same event or a different one.  Matthew and Mark seem to date this at two days before the Passover (see Matthew 26:2, 6-13; Mark 14:1-9), while the event recorded by John takes place “six days before the Passover” (John 12:1-8).  The similarities are incredible, and it is almost unthinkable that any of the disciples would make the same exact (word for word) condemnation of a woman in front of Jesus just four days apart, even down to the “this could have been sold for 300 pence and given to the poor” (compare Mark 14:5 with John 12:5).

5 John 12:4-6.

6 Exodus 21:32.  This was true whether it was a male or a female slave.

7 See The Gospel of Judas.

8 Acts 1:25.

9 Jesus had already foretold the betrayal in John 6:70-71.

10 Matthew 26:20-25.

11 John 13:16-19, 21.

12 Mark 14:19.

13 John 13:26-30.

14 Lockyer, All the Apostles of the Bible, page 104 mentions this argument and attributes it to Thomas de Quincey, but gives no specific reference.

15 John 12:27.

16 The beatings He endured, the betrayal, the abandonment, the miscarriages of justice, the rejection by the people, even down to His being offered alcohol, could all be viewed as attacks by Satan in an effort to get Him to sin.

17 John 17:12.

18 Hebrews 10:26-31.

19 The word “band” means “approximately 600 men” according to Thayer, though it can also be used for groups of 500 or 1,000.

20 John 18:3.

21 Luke 22:47-48.  There is some difficulty in where to place the statements of Jesus, since each one is recorded in a different gospel account.  Some might place this statement after Judas kissed Jesus.

22 Matthew 26:49.  Vincent’s Word Studies, quoting Meyer, says that the word translated “kissed” means “embraced and kissed,” and is emphatic, thus making this scene even more despicable.

23 Matthew 26:50.

24 John 18:5 shows that Judas was back with the soldiers.

25 John 18:4-6.

26 Luke 22:49.

27 John 18:10.

28 Basically, they are saying to Judas, “that’s your problem, you’ll have to deal with it, not us.”

29 Matthew 27:3-5.

The Life and Death of Judas Iscariot (Part 2)

Judas the Faithful Apostle

Judas, some time after being selected to be an apostle, was called (with the rest of the twelve) by Jesus.  They were all probably surprised at what Jesus did: He gave them miraculous power like He had.  They had power over evil spirits (demons) and power to heal every kind of sickness and disease.  Then Judas listened as Jesus gave him instructions.

Don’t go into the road of the Gentiles; and don’t enter into a city of the Samaritans.  But instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  You have received this freely, give it freely.  Don’t you get gold, or silver, or brass in your belt-bag; nor a bag for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor staffs; because the workman is worthy of his food.

And into whatever city or town you enter, ask who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.  And as you come into a house, greet it.  And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whoever won’t receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.  Truly I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore, you be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.1

Judas was given miraculous power, and told to go use it.  He was told to proclaim that the hope of Israel—God’s new kingdom—was close to being realized.  He was told not to tell the Samaritans or the Gentiles—at that point, this was something for the Jews only.  He was told that whoever rejected him and his message would be eternally condemned before God.

If Judas was a nationalistically-minded Jew,2 then these words of Jesus would have excited him greatly, because he was being given a place of power in bringing in the new kingdom—which to most Jews meant the overthrow of the Roman oppressors and the establishment of a new physical Israelite kingdom that would never be overthrown again.  Judas must have been incredibly excited by this prospect.

Simon the Zealot, a Jewish patriot who despised the Romans, was Judas’ preaching partner in the “limited commission.”3  You can imagine the discussions these two men had.  They went into different Jewish cities, and Judas proclaimed the gospel.  Judas had sick people and diseased people brought to him, and he healed them.  Judas saw some people who were possessed by demons, and he rescued them from their torment, casting the demons out.4

When their mission was finished, Judas and Simon (along with the other apostles) returned to Galilee where Jesus was, and told Him all the things that they had done.5  Then they accompanied Him to an uninhabited place around Bethsaida.  But the crowd heard about it, and Judas was no longer in a small group with Jesus, but was now surrounded by thousands of people, all wanting to get in close to the Lord.  Judas heard Jesus welcome them, preach the kingdom to them, and saw Him heal the ones who needed it.6  But as the day stretched onward, Judas came to Jesus and tried to convince Him to send the crowds away to find lodging and food.7  Instead, Jesus told Judas and the other eleven to divide the crowd up in groups of fifty and tell them to sit down.  Then He miraculously made five loaves and two fishes turn into enough food to feed five thousand man.8

Sometime after this event, Jesus was alone with the twelve, and He asked the twelve “Who do people say that I am?”  They all answered with different answers: Elijah, John the Baptist, one of the old prophets risen from the dead.9 But when they were asked “Who do you say that I am?” only Peter spoke up, and said “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”10  Nathanael (Bartholomew) had already made this declaration to Jesus before being chosen as an apostle,11 but here it was said in front of the whole group of apostles.  Some of them certainly had wondered whether Jesus was the Christ, but when Jesus told them to keep it quiet, the suspicions were confirmed.12

If Judas is like most Jews, this news would have been absolutely exhilarating.  The Messiah, the one that the Jews had been waiting on for hundreds of years, was standing right in front of him.  And the kingdom, which all the Jews longed for, was almost there!  But a bit of confusion and doubt must have entered Judas’ mind when the next thing Jesus said was:

The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be murdered, and be raised the third day.  If any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it; but whoever desires to lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.  For what is a man benefitted, if he gains the entire world, and loses himself or is cast away?  For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man will be ashamed of him, when He shall come in His own glory, and His Father’s and of holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here, who will not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God.13

When Jesus said to the disciples14 that some standing there wouldn’t taste death, the implication is that at least one of them would die before the kingdom came.  Judas almost certainly didn’t think it could be him.

Getting closer to the time of Jesus’ resurrection, Judas was with Jesus when Peter told the Lord, “Behold, we’ve forsaken everything and followed you.  Therefore, wheat will we receive?”  The Lord’s response was incredible to the ears of the twelve:

Truly, I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man will sit in the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And every one that has forsaken houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake will receive a hundred-fold, and will inherit eternal life.15

Judas heard a promise of power and authority.  He was a man who struggled with covetousness and selfishness (as seen in the fact that he stole from the money bag), and so the promise of this place of prominence must have really appealed to him.  So, it’s no surprise when he got very upset with James and John when their mother requested the two best places in Jesus’ kingdom for them.16

But then came the final trip of Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem


-Bradley S. Cobb

1 Matthew 10:5-16.

2 This author believes that this is part of Judas’ character.  Reasons for that will be given later in this chapter.

3 Compare Mark’s statement that the apostles were sent out “two by two” (Mark 6:7) with Matthew’s list of the apostles during this time, dividing them up into groups of two (Matthew 10:1-4).

4 This is proven by the powers that Jesus gave them (Matthew 10:1) and the command He gave them (10:8); along with the express statement “they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13).

5 Luke 9:10.  It is perhaps significant that the apostles reported all the things they had done, as though it was about them.  Certainly they were excited, and wanted to share their new miraculous experiences with Jesus, but their focus, it seems, was more on their actions than on the response of the people to the message.

6 Luke 9:11.  If, as was conjectured in the previous footnote, Judas thought things would be more about him, this would have been a blow to his ego, as everyone wanted to see Jesus, not the twelve apostles.

7 Luke 9:12.  Judas wasn’t the only one, but he was one of the “twelve” who said it.

8 Luke 9:13-17.

9 Luke 9:18-19.  Compare also Matthew 16:13-14.

10 Matthew 16:15-16.

11 See chapter on Bartholomew for specific details surrounding this event.

12 See Luke 9:20-21.

13 Luke 9:22-27.

14 While Luke says that Jesus said this to “all” (Luke 9:23), it means all the disciples (see Matthew 16:24-28).

15 Matthew 19:27-29.

16 Matthew 20:20-24, but especially verse 24.

The Life and Death of Judas Iscariot (Part 1)

The twelve men chosen by Jesus to be His apostles all had the potential to do great work for the Lord, to make an incredible impact for good, for God, and to go down in history among the most influential men the world has ever seen.  Most of them worked hard for the Lord to fulfill this potential; one, however, lost his way and instead of being remembered for good, his name has gone down in history as the greatest traitor to ever live.

Judas Iscariot

The origin of the name “Iscariot” is uncertain, though most agree that it is a reference to the hometown of Judas and his family.  Most likely it means “man of Kerioth,”1 a small town in the south of Judea.2  This town was mentioned in Joshua 15:25 as part of Judah’s inheritance.  Amos and Jeremiah3 both mention another city called “Kerioth,” which archaeologists believe was another name for their capital city.4

Some, however, give the name “Iscariot” a different meaning.  Some say it means “a man of murder” or “a hireling.”5  The most interesting (though not likely) suggestion is that it means “man of the Sicarii.”6  The Sicarii was a band of assassins, seemingly a sub-group of the Jewish Zealots, whose goal was to remove Roman officials from power by murdering them.  The originator of this group was a man named Judas of Galilee, who Gamaliel mentions in Acts 5:37.7

The name “Iscariot,” however, is not given just to Judas, but also to his father, Simon.  John 6:71 and John 13:26, literally from the Greek, says “Judas, of Simon Iscariot.”8  So whatever it means for Judas, it also means for his father.  It is because of this that their hometown is probably what is under consideration.

Judas the Disciple

Judas was a religious man.  He had to be in order to follow Jesus.  It’s most likely that he was either one of the multitude that went out to hear John the Baptizer preach, or one of the ones baptized by Jesus’ disciples in Judea.9  We aren’t told by the biblical writers when it was that Judas decided to start following Jesus, but they do tell us in no uncertain terms that Judas was a disciple of Jesus.

When it was day, [Jesus] called His disciples; and from them, He chose twelve, whom he also named “apostles.”10

One of those disciples who Jesus made an apostle was Judas Iscariot.11  Some have suggested that Judas was never really a disciple of Jesus, but just pretended to be; but God’s inspired writers say otherwise.  Luke literally says “Judas Iscariot, who also became the traitor,”12 showing that he wasn’t a traitor when he was chosen.  At the beginning, Judas was a faithful follower of Jesus.13

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 Smith’s Bible Dictionary, “Iscariot.”  See also Thayer’s definition.

2 James Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible, “Judas Iscariot.”  See also Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels, “Judas Iscariot” for manuscript evidence that supports this belief.

3 Amos 2:2; Jeremiah 48:24.

4 See James Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels, “Judas Iscariot,” for more information.

5 Hitchcock’s New and Complete Analysis of the Holy Bible, “Iscariot.”

6 This word is used in Acts 21:38, and is defined by Thayer as “an assassin.  One who carries a short sword under his clothing, that he may kill secretly and treacherously any one he wishes to.”  Strong says “a dagger man or assassin; a freebooter (Jewish fanatic outlawed by the Romans).  See McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, “Sicarii” (in Vol. 9, page 726).

7 Judas of Galilee’s “revolt had a theocratic character, the watchword of which was ‘We have no lord nor master but God,’ and he boldly denounced the payment of tribute to Caesar, and all acknowledgement of foreign authority, as treason against the principles of the Mosaic constitution, and signifying nothing short of downright slavery.  His fiery eloquence and the popularity of his doctrines drew vast numbers to his standard, by many of whom he was regarded as the Messiah.” (McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. 9, page 726.

8 The ASV translates John 6:71 and 13:26 as “Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,” though similar language used in 13:2 they translate as “Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son.”  Manuscript evidence is divided in these passages, though the general consensus is that Judas’ father is called “Simon Iscariot” at least once.

9 It is generally agreed by scholars that Judas was from Judea, thus a call from Galilee isn’t likely.  See Mark 1:5 and John 3:22, 4:1-2.

10 Luke 6:13.

11 Luke 6:16.

12 Luke 6:16.  It is a form of the word “ginomai,” which means “to become.”  Therefore, Judas was not a traitor from the beginning, but later became a traitor.  You cannot become what you already are.

13 The gospel writers do not try to build suspense and make mysteries out of who was going to betray Jesus.  They point out at the first mention of Judas’ name that he is the one who would eventually betray Jesus.  See Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16; and John 6:71.

What Happened to the Other Judas?

Traditions about Thaddaeus (aka “Judas, not Iscariot”)

The apocryphal Genealogies of the Apostles says that Thaddaeus was of the house of Joseph (thus of Ephraim or Manasseh),1 while a 13th century collection of biblical legends, called The Book of the Bee, says he was from the tribe of Judah.2

There was once a work entitled The Gospel of Thaddaeus, but no surviving copies exist.  A third or fourth century work, called the Constitutions of the Apostles, which falsely claims to be a joint-effort of the twelve, has Thaddaeus teaching that a widow who recently lost her mate is not to be taken in by the church until she had proven that she was going to stay godly.  The same writing claims that Thaddaeus said exorcists were not ordained (given that role by the church), but anyone who could prove they were truly an exorcist was to be ordained as a bishop, presbyter, or deacon.3

The Acts of Thaddaeus says that the apostle was born in Edessa, northwest of Asia Minor, and that he returned there after the ascension of Jesus to teach the king, Abgar, and the other inhabitants of the city, about the Lord.  He had a very successful mission trip, and the king helped to destroy the idol temples in the area.  Afterwards, it is said that he went south into Syria and preached there for five years before dying a natural death.4

Other traditions, however, include Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Persia among Thaddaeus’ mission fields.  One early church historian says that Thaddaeus was martyred in Syria.5

Assadour Antreassian, in his book Jerusalem and the Armenians, states:

[A]ll Christian Churches accept the tradition that Christianity was preached in Armenia by the Apostles Thaddaeus and Bartholomew in the first half of the first century
 Armenia was among the first to respond to the call of Christ so early.  Thus, the above mentioned Apostles became the first illuminators of Armenia.  The generally accepted chronology gives a period of eight years to the mission of St. Thaddaeus (35-43 AD) and sixteen years to that to St. Bartholomew (44-60 AD), both of whom suffered martyrdom in Armenia (Thaddaeus at Ardaze in 50 AD and Bartholomew at [Derbend] in 68 AD).6

Roman Catholic tradition says that in Persia, Thaddaeus was “martyred with a javelin or with arrows or by being tied to a cross.”7  Some claim that traditions have him murdered and buried in Egypt or Beirut.8 The most specific record of his death says that he was killed with arrows on Mt. Ararat.9

1 See Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, Vol. 2, page 50.

2 See International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Thaddaeus.”

3 Apostolic Constitutions, Book 8, chapters 25-26.  The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, page 493.  Since the Bible describes bishops and presbyters (elders) as the same people, this later work cannot be considered authoritative at all.

4 The Acts of the Holy Apostle Thaddaeus, One of the Twelve.  See The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, pages 558-559.  The legend regarding King Abgar (or Abgarus) is fascinating.  Abgar wrote to Jesus after hearing about the miracles He had done, inviting Him to come to Edessa to escape the horrible Jews.  Jesus sent word back that after He ascended, He would send Thaddaeus to Edessa to preach.  There are some documents which have a variation on this legend, making Thomas the missionary instead of Thaddaeus, or which have Thomas sending Thaddaeus.  Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, Book 1, chapter 13) claims to have seen the original documents and translated them himself, including a response from Jesus.

5 See McBirnie, The Search for the Twelve Apostles, page 198.  The church historian is Nicephorus Callistus.

6 Assadour Antreassian, Jerusalem and the Armenians, page 20, as quoted in McBirnie, The Search for the Twelve Apostles, page 199.  McBirnie goes on to relate that other traditions date Thaddaeus’ missionary work in Armenia from 43-66.

7 Mary Sharp, Traveler’s Guide to Saints in Europe, as quoted by McBirnie, The Search for the Twelve Apostles, page 202.

8 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Thaddaeus.”  McBirnie, however, investigated these supposed traditions and discovered that the various religious groups in those areas had never heard of those traditions.  See his The Search for the Twelve Apostles, pages 202-203.

9 McBirnie, The Search for the Twelve Apostles, page 204.

The Other Apostle Named “Judas”

Thaddaeus

This apostle is known by three different names; in fact, Jerome later called him “trinomius” (“three names”),1 but we are told very little else about him.  His name, according to Matthew, was “Lebbaeus,”2 the meaning of which is not certain,3 though some say it means “courageous”4 or “man of heart,”5 while others say it means “beloved child.”6  This same inspired writer says that his surname was “Thaddaeus,” which is also of unknown origin, but some dictionaries have said it means the same: “man of heart” or “courageous.”7

But, taking the list as Luke gives it, we find that this disciple had another name: Judas.

The Other “Judas”

In the place where Matthew and Mark place “Thaddaeus,” Luke puts “Judas of James.”  Almost all translations insert either “the son of” or “the brother of” in this description.8 So, which one is it supposed to be?

Some translations read “Judas, the brother of James” because the author of Jude (also named “Judas”) calls himself “the brother of James.”  As such, the translators assumed that they must be the same person, laboring under the idea that only the apostles were inspired.9  If this were the case, then Thaddaeus was the brother of James and Matthew, and was also a son of Alphaeus.10  There are those who, because they insist that James the son of Alphaeus must also be the “brother of Jesus,” believe that Thaddaeus is also Jesus’ brother, Judas, mentioned in Matthew 13:55.11

Most translations, however, read “Judas, the son of James.”  This is because it is the same Greek structure as “James, the son of Zebedee,” and “James, the son of Alphaeus.”12  This presents no theological problems, no contradictions with the biblical text.  It does, however, show that the author of Jude was not one of the apostles.

Why the Different Names?

It has been suggested by at least one writer that Matthew and Mark were trying to make certain there was no confusion between the faithful Judas and the wicked Judas Iscariot,13 while Luke, being the historian, gave his actual name.14  John used the name “Judas,” but followed it immediately with “not Iscariot.”15  Another said that Thaddaeus was chosen to be an apostle, but that he died during Jesus’ ministry and was replaced by Judas, the son of James.16 Obviously, that can’t be the case, for Luke and Mark record the same event—the choosing of the apostles—and one lists “Thaddaeus” while the other lists “Judas, the son of James.”17

The first of these two suggestions seems most likely.18

The Recorded Words of Thaddaeus

The only specific action of Thaddaeus, apart from the other apostles, is recorded in John 14:22.  The Lord’s Supper has concluded, Jesus has announced His departure, but told the apostles that He would not leave them comfortless.  He tells the apostles that He will manifest Himself to them, even though the world will not see Him.  This is when Thaddaeus (a.k.a., Judas, the son of James) speaks:

He, Judas (not the Iscariot), speaks to Him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, but not to the world?”

Literally, he asked Jesus, “what has happened that you are about to manifest yourself to us, and not the world?”19 Thaddaeus didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, but the Lord had reference to the sending of the Holy Spirit.20  This is something that would not be given to the world, but only to those who kept Jesus’ commandments.

1 See J.G. Tasker’s article on “Judas” in James Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels.

2 Matthew 10:3.  There is a debate as to the validity of this reading, as a very small minority of manuscripts are missing the name “Lebbaeus.”  For more information about these variants, see Nestle’s article in James Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels, “Lebbaeus.”

3 See Nestle’s article in Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels, “Lebbaeus.”  Also, McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. 5, page 315, gives several possibilities that have been argued for the meaning.

4 Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Lebbaeus.”

5 Smith’s Bible Dictionary, “Lebbaeus.”

6 Vincent’s Word Studies, note on Mark 3:18.

7 See Thayer’s dictionary, “Lebbaeus” (G2280).  However, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (“Thaddaeus”) says that the name means “Breast,” and Nestle (Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels, “Lebbaeus”) records the theory that a scribe made a slight alteration (the extra “b,” apparently) so as to not give the apostle an “undignified” name that meant “mamma” (as in “mammogram”).

8 Compare the King James’ Version with most modern translations in Acts 1:13.

9 N.T. Caton, in his Commentary on the Minor Epistles, took the position that only the apostles were inspired, and that Luke and Mark received their information from apostles (primarily Paul and Peter, respectively).

10 See chapters on Matthew and James, the son of Alphaeus, for more discussion on their relationship.

11 Most Catholics seem to take this position, though the New American Bible (which is a Catholic production) translates Acts 1:13 as “Judas, son of James,” which opposes their traditional view.

12 See Matthew 10:2-4 in Greek.  Young’s Literal Translation says “James of Zebedee” and “James of Alphaeus.”

13 Nestle, “Lebbaeus” in James Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels.

14 I could find no sources that stated this part of the theory, but it seems to be the best explanation as to why Luke would differ from the other two lists.

15 John 14:22

16 See International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Judas of James.”

17 Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16.

18 In addition to this name confusion, there are also several manuscripts of Latin and Syrian origin that read “Judas Zealot” or “Judas Thomas” in place of “Thaddaeus” in Matthew and Mark’s accounts.  These most likely stem from traditions about the apostles that were assumed to be true, and thus placed in the text itself.  See James Hasting’s Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels, “Lebbaeus.”

19 Modern Literal Version.  See also Vincent’s Word Studies at this passage.

20 John 14:17.

The Anti-Government Apostle

Beyond his name and epitaphs, we know nothing about Simon except that he was an apostle.  But, there is something to be said for the epitaphs themselves.

Simon the Canaanite

Most writers seem to think that the descriptive name “Canaanite” or “Cananaean”1 is a political term instead of a geographical term.2  It seems more likely that it is both.  Canaan was the name of the Promised Land (Exodus 6:4; Leviticus 25:38; Acts 13:19), which was given to the Jews by God as their inheritance.  But by the time of Jesus, the Jews were ruled over by the Romans.  So, while the Jews still lived in Canaan, they certainly didn’t feel like it was theirs alone.  But there were Jewish patriots, nationalists, who wanted to re-take control over their Promised Land—Canaan.  They were called “Canaanites,” or, as Luke describes them, “Zealots.”  They were very “conspicuous for their fierce advocacy of the Mosaic ritual.”3

The CananĂŠans or Zealots were a sect founded by Judas of Gamala, who headed the opposition to the census of Quirinius (AD 6 or 7). They bitterly resented the domination of Rome, and would fain have hastened by the sword the fulfilment of the Messianic hope. During the great rebellion and the siege of Jerusalem, which ended in its destruction (AD 70), their fanaticism made them terrible opponents, not only to the Romans, but to other factions amongst their own countrymen.4

Josephus, however, describes the Zealots who brought the wrath of Rome upon the Jews as a collection of criminals who overthrew the high priest, murdered prominent men, and falsely accused them of consorting with Rome.  This group of people took upon themselves the name “Zealots,” as though they were zealous of the Law, but were really just zealous of murder and mayhem.5  This being the case, the connection between the Zealots of Jesus’ day and the Zealots of 40 years later may be one of name only.

Other Facts about Simon

Simon was a disciple of Jesus Christ who, one morning, was called to meet the Lord on a mountain.  That day, Jesus selected twelve men for a special task—and Simon was one of those men chosen.6  He was given miraculous abilities to heal the sick and to cast out demons, which he used when he was sent out on the so-called “limited commission.”7  On that apostolic mission, Jesus sent them out “two by two,” or in pairs.8 When Matthew records this event, he doesn’t say “two by two,” but he does group the apostles into pairs when he lists them:

  • “Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother”
  • “James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother”
  • “Philip and Bartholomew”
  • “Thomas and Matthew the publican”
  • “James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddeaus”
  • “Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.”9

It seems, therefore, that when Simon was sent out on the limited commission, his preaching partner was none other than Judas Iscariot himself!10

Simon witnessed many miracles of Jesus, but it still wasn’t enough to keep him from abandoning Jesus when Judas showed up with soldiers to arrest Him.11  He ran away, and after learning that Jesus was dead, he was sad, but also scared that the Jews might come after him as well.  So, when he met with the other apostles that Sunday, the doors were shut tight.  The joy, surprise, and excitement must have been incredible when Jesus—very much alive—appeared in the middle of the room.  Soon after that event, Simon was one of the ones who tracked down Thomas to share the news of the resurrection.12

Simon spent a large portion of the next month in the company of the resurrected Lord, trying to soak in everything that Jesus had to say to them.  When He ascended into heaven, Simon was one of the ones staring up into the clouds.  Just a few days later, Simon was in a room with the rest of the apostles when it sounded like a tornado blew through, and he began to speak the wonderful works of God in another language.13

After baptizing people on Pentecost, Simon also helped distribute money to the needy saints who were in Jerusalem,14 and also helped in ordaining “the seven” who would take a more hands-on role in caring for the Grecian widows.15  He remained in Jerusalem after the persecution by Saul of Tarsus began, and is again seen in Jerusalem some years later in regards to the circumcision controversy among Gentile converts.16

However, Simon didn’t stay in Jerusalem the rest of his life.  He had received a commission from Jesus Christ to “go into all the world” and to “teach all nations.”17  He would have obeyed his Lord’s command and went about working as a missionary.  He died as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, whose name is on the foundation of the holy city, New Jerusalem.18  That much, we can know for certain.

Traditions about Simon the Zealot

The apocryphal work, The Genealogies of the Twelve Apostles, identifies Simon as Nathanael, and claims he is from the tribe of Benjamin.19  Catholic Church tradition says that he is one of the “brethren of the Lord” mentioned in Mark 6:3, and that his father is Cleopas/Alphaeus.20

According to one writing, his work was among the Samaritans,21 after which he returned to Jerusalem to lead the church there following the death of James, the brother of the Lord,22 though this appears to be an instance of confusing people with the same name.23  A different tradition says he preached in “Egypt, Cyrene, and Mauritania.”24

One tradition says that he was taken by the Jews in Jerusalem and crucified, but that they also scourged him (i.e., beat him with skin-tearing whips) the whole time he was on the cross until he died.25

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:13.  “Canaanite” (KJV), “Cananaean” (ASV).

2 See the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Simon the Cananaean.”

3 McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. 9, page 754.

4 James Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, “Cananaean.”

5 Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book 4, Chapter 3, Paragraphs 9-13.  The Zealots defiled the sanctuary in the temple and had no regard for human life or the Law of Moses.

6 Luke 6:12-16.

7 Matthew 10:1-4.  The phrase “limited commission” is used because Jesus sent them exclusively to the Jews (Matthew 10:5-6), whereas after the resurrection He sent them to “all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19), earning the latter the name “the Great Commission.”

8 Mark 6:7; compare Mark 6:7-13 with Matthew 10:1-42 for evidence that these are parallel.

9 Matthew 10:2-4.

10 This makes for some interesting study, since some believe “Iscariot” could be a reference to an assassin group whose name, Sicarii, translated, means “dagger bearers.”  They, like the Zealots, were very interested in overthrowing the Roman government, but instead of being bold about it, they discretely murdered high-ranking officials in crowds, and were gone before anyone realized what had happened.

11 Matthew 26:56

12 See John 20.

13 These events can be found in the first two chapters of Acts.

14 Acts 4:32-35.

15 Acts 6:1-6.  This group is referred to as “the seven” in Acts 21:8.

16 Acts 8:1; Acts 15.

17 Mark 16:15-16, Matthew 28:18-20.

18 Revelation 21:14.

19 See Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, Vol. 2, page 50.

20 See the previous chapter on James, the son of Alphaeus, for a fuller description of this issue and for the evidence showing it is false.  Suffice it to say, Jesus had already chosen His twelve apostles prior to John’s saying that His “brethren” still didn’t believe in Him (John 6:67-7:5).  Therefore, Simon the apostle cannot be the same as Simon the brother of the Lord.

21 See “The Preaching of Simon, the Son of Cleopas,” in Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, Vol. 2, pages 70-74.  This tradition, while ancient, contains some obvious Catholic influence, including the ordination of “priests” and a “bishop” over the church in a certain city.

22 See “The Martyrdom of Simon, the Son of Clopas,” in Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, Vol. 2, page 75.  This, like the other tradition, is highly suspect because it is also said that he commanded “churches to be built” and named one of them after the virgin Mary.  Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, Book 3, chapter 11, and Book 4, chapter 22) quotes Hegesippus in saying that a man named Simon (the son of Cleopas) succeeded James in Jerusalem, though these are certainly not the same men (Eusebius himself makes a distinction between the apostles and the brethren of the Lord in Book 3, chapter 11, of the same work.  The Simon described by Hegesippus was the leader of the Ebionites, a Jewish sect which completely rejected the apostle Paul and only used Matthew’s gospel—they also rejected the possibility that Gentiles could be right with the Lord.  Certainly no one could believe that this group was led by one of the apostles.

23 See the previous footnote for more information, as well as McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia under “Simon (10)” and the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Ebionism.”

24 McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. 9, page 754.

25 Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, Vol.2, page 77.  The problem with this is that this same writing also claims that Simon lived to be 120 years old, and that he died under the rule of Trajan—at which time Jerusalem had already been destroyed and the Jews were forbidden to enter that area any longer.  McClintock and Strong reference “an annotation preserved in an original copy of the Apostolical Constitutions (viii, 27), [where Simon is said] to have been crucified in Judaea in the reign of Domitian.”

That Other Guy Named “Jacob” (part 2)

False Ideas about James, the Son of Alphaeus

Because of the insistence that Mary remained a virgin her entire life, the Catholic Church goes through some crazy hermeneutical gymnastics that include this James.  Their argument goes like this:

  1. Mary remained a virgin her entire life, with Jesus being her only child.
  2. Therefore, the “brothers” of Jesus (James, Joses, Simon, and Judas) weren’t really His “brothers,” but cousins.
  3. The woman named “Mary” who was the mother of James and Joses1 was not the mother of Jesus, but the sister of the Virgin Mary. 2
  4. The mother of James and Joses is the wife of Cleopas.
  5. Therefore, Cleopas (who is to be identified with Alphaeus) was the Virgin Mary’s brother-in-law, and the father of four of the apostles: James the less, Judas [the brother] of James, Simon the zealot, and Matthew.3

This whole line of argumentation starts with a false premise, and continues to make false claims and assumptions to try to back it up.  This whole idea is proven false by the following:

  1. Matthew 1:25 says that Joseph didn’t “know” (have sexual relations with) Mary until after Jesus was born. This means that after Jesus was born, they did.  Thus, she was not a perpetual virgin.
  2. The “brethren” of the Lord are mentioned repeatedly as being with Mary, the mother of Jesus.4 So, instead of these adult males being with their own mother (who was still alive), they went everywhere with their aunt?!?  Such an idea is ridiculous.
  3. Those who knew Jesus said that He was the “son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and Judah, and Simon” and that his sisters also lived there.5
  4. No rational parent would name two daughters with the same name—Mary did not have a sister named Mary.
  5. There were four women mentioned in John 19:25, not three: Mary, her sister (Salome), Mary the mother of Cleopas’ children, and Mary Magdalene.
  6. After Jesus selected the twelve apostles, his “brethren” still did not believe in Him.6 Therefore, neither James, nor Judas, nor Joses, nor Simon (all named as “brethren” of the Lord) could have been among the apostles.7  Nor could Matthew have been a brother of the Lord, for he was one of the twelve that had already been chosen.

In short, James, the son of Alphaeus, was not the brother of the Lord, nor were any others among the twelve.

Traditions About James, the Son of Alphaeus

The Genealogies of the Twelve Apostles claims that James was of the tribe of Gad.8

One tradition says that James was preaching in Jerusalem, which angered the Jews greatly, and they drug him before Claudius,9 making accusations against him, and Claudius commanded him to be stoned to death.10

Most of the traditions surrounding James come from the Catholic Church, which wrongfully identifies him as James, the brother of the Lord.11

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40.

2 This is based on a misreading of John 19:25, which lists four women.  The Catholic Church claims there is only three: Mary, her sister (also named Mary), and Mary Magdalene.

3 Bishop Lightfoot argues this, though it goes against the evidence given in John 7:5, and the fact that Matthew is never mentioned in the listing of Jesus’ “brothers.”

4 Matthew 12:46-50; 13:55.

5 Mark 6:3.

6 John 6:70-71 shows that Jesus had already selected the twelve apostles; and just five verses later, John informs us that His brethren still didn’t believe in Him.  Thus, James the son of Alphaeus cannot be one of the “brethren” of the Lord.

7 See also John 7:3, where the brethren of Jesus distinguish between themselves and the disciples of Jesus; showing that they did not consider themselves to be among that group.

8 See Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, vol. 2, page 50.

9 Whether this is supposed to be the Roman Emperor, or some local ruler (like Herod), isn’t stated in the text from which this legend comes.

10 See “the Martyrdom of Saint James,” in Budge, Contendings of the Apostles, Vol. 2, pages 264-266.

11 See the chapter on that James for more information regarding the traditions surrounding him.