The Apostles of Jesus – The Traditional Story
The Twelve Apostles (3)
James, the son of Alphaeus, is also called the “Less” or the “Younger”. He was Matthew Levi’s brother and the son of a Mary who could have been the wife of one Clopas, or Cleophas who may have been another or a second name for Alphaeus. He was a native of Capernaum on the Northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus preached very often and in many places. We do not know how Jesus met these two brothers but, probably, they heard him preaching and approached him. They could also have been Jesus’ cousins. The Jews must have hated Matthew, as a tax collector of Herod Antipas. After Jesus called James Matthew threw a big feast for his friends, most of them not very friendly with the Jews. Jesus was the guest of honor and afterwards the local Pharisees heavily criticized him for eating with the “tax collectors and sinners”, some words synonymous for corrupted people. We do not know if James was present. James and Matthew are thought to have been from the Gad Tribe, one of the ten Northern tribes taken captive in the eighth century BC by the Assyrians. Due to the second name of Matthew, Levi, it is more probable that they were from this tribe, the priestly tribe Levi. As Matthew had betrayed his priestly origin by becoming a tax collector for the Romans, it must be possible that James disagrees with his choice of a job. A story says that James was himself a Zealot (a revolutionary group that fought the Romans) but he left them because he disagreed on their violent methods. If he was an ascetic is still to be shown. Many early Christians were called James. We have already met James the Elder, or the Great, the son of Zebedee and the brother of John. He was the first Apostle to be killed, or better beheaded, by Herod Antipas. James the Less or the Younger was the brother of Matthew Levi and the son of Alphaeus and Mary but we do not know which Mary it was. We also have James the father of the Apostle named Judas or Thaddeaus, and known these days as Jude. He must not be mixed with Judas Iscariot. This James could be the brother of John. Jesus had also a brother called James who was one of his disciples but not one of the twelve Apostles. This large number of James confuses our story and it is difficult to say with certainty what each one did. Very often the Roman Catholics and the Armenian Orthodox assimilate James the Less with Jesus’ brother, James, but the Scriptures do not confirm this. It is only an attempt to prove that Mary remained a virgin forever and that Jesus’ brother, James, was in fact his cousin. Another legend says that James was only Jesus’ half brother by Joseph’s previous marriage. All this aims only to make Mary a demigod who, of course, could not have had sexual relations and even less, children. As we know James the Less’ mother was called Mary and it is difficult to believe that she could have been the Virgin Mary’s sister since two sisters are never called by the same name.In conclusion the four James mentioned before are four different persons. Jesus’ brother, James, did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah until the resurrection, and the special appearance made to him later on. Afterwards he believed and became a leader of the church, in fact the head of the Church of Jerusalem according to the “Acts”. This put him at a higher rank that even Peter and John. James the Less, the Apostle, and James, Jesus’ brother are then different people. Jesus’ brother was not an Apostle but their spokesman. James the Less’ mother was a faithful Christian. She went to the cross with Jesus’ mother. It is not known if it is his mother who brought James the Less to Jesus or James who led his mother to the new religion. If it is true that James the Less was a Zealot in his youth he changed his mind soon to follow Christ. Eusebius says that James the Less led the life of a Nazarene both before and after he became an Apostle. This means that he led a very frugal life, never eating meat, never shaved and rarely washed, but prayed most of his time. For these reasons he is also known as James the Just. However this description does not seem correct and fit better James, Jesus’ brother. On the other hand James the Less looked very much like Jesus and this explains why it had been necessary for Judas to point Jesus out to the Romans looking for him. If his mother Mary was a cousin of the Virgin Mary, then the resemblance could be explained.
Simon was also called the Canaite, or Zealot in the New Testament. He was born in Ca’na of Galilee. According to Origen and to the “Gospel of the Ebionite” of the second century, Simon became a disciple with Andrew and Peter, the sons of Zebedee, Thaddaeus and Judas Iscariot, at the Sea of Tiberias. Simon, according to the Armenian tradition, went to Armenia and preached there as well as Thaddaeus, Bartholomew, Andrew and Matthias. He is thought to have preached in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Cyrene, Africa, Carthage, Mauritania and Lybia. Some even say that he went to Britain from Spain, first in 44 CE, to preach and perform miracles. One can also assume that he visited Glastonbury with Joseph of Arimathea. This was the consequence of the Claudian edict of 44 CE that expelled the Christian leaders from Rome. During his second and last visit to Britain around 60 CE he suffered martyrdom by crucifixion in the Eastern part of the country, probably near Caistor, Lincolnshire. According to that source he was buried there on 10 May, 61 CE. Still others said that he went to Persia with Jude and that both of them were assassinated there in an unknown town called Suanir. Simon was a Zealot, that is a member of the extreme and violent Jewish nationalist party that tried to throw the hated Romans out of Judea by revolution and guerrilla warfare. This party was responsible for the revolt of 68-70 CE that brought down the walls of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. Their last stand was in 71 CE that led to the suicide of hundred of Jews after a long siege in Masada, a fortress overlooking the Dead Sea built by Herod the Great. Simon left the Zealots because he thought that the super idealism of Jesus was better that the nationalist fanatism of the Zealots. Simon, however, always thought that Jesus, the Messiah, would restore the Kingdom of Israel and triumph over the Romans. This notion could have been implanted in him when he saw Jesus changing water into wine at Cana of Galilee. He could have thought then, that the spiritualpower, able to perform these divine miracles, would win over the sword, and then resolve the future of Israel in the way he wanted. Simon gave up this concept when Jesus, after the Resurrection, announced that the Apostles were not to know the time of the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel. Simon participated in the Pentecostal day of evangelism in which the task of international evangelization began. The bodies of Simon and Jude were first buried together in Persia. Most of their bones are now in Peter church in Rome as well as in the church of Saturninus in Tolosa, Spain, and Sernin, Toulouse, France. According to one source a Persian Bishop to the head of a convent in Trier who gave it to the Norbet Monastery Church in Cologne, Germany gave one arm of Simon. This church was completely destroyed during the Second World War.
Jude Thaddeus and is also variously called Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus , Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. He is sometimes identified with Jude, brother of Jesus, but is clearly distinguished from Judas Iscariot, another disciple and later the betrayer of Jesus. The Armenian Apostolic Church honors Thaddeus along with Saint Bartholomew as its patron saints. In the Roman Catholic Church he is the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes. He is also often shown in icons with a flame around his head. This represents his presence at Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles. Occasionally he is represented holding an axe or halberd, as he was brought to death by one of these weapons. In some instances he may be shown with a scroll or a book (the Epistle of Jude) or holding a carpenter’s rule. “Jude of James” is only mentioned twice in the New Testament: in the lists of apostles in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13. The name by which Luke calls the Apostle, “Jude of James” is ambiguous as to the relationship of Jude to this James. Though such a construction commonly connotates a relationship of father and son, it has been traditionally interpreted as “Jude, brother of James” (See King James Version), though Protestants (for instance, the New International Version translation) usually identify him as “Jude son of James”. The Gospel of John also once mentions a disciple called “Judas not Iscariot” (John 14:22). This is generally accepted to be the same person as the apostle Jude, though some scholars see the identification as uncertain. In the comparable apostle-lists of Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18, Jude is omitted, but there is a Thaddeus (or in some manuscripts of Matthew 10:3, “Lebbaeus who was surnamed Thaddaeus”) listed in his place. This has led many Christians since early times to harmonize the lists by positing a “Jude Thaddeus”, known by either name.
Many modern Biblical scholars reject this theory, holding that Jude and Thaddeus did not represent the same person. Scholars have proposed alternate theories to explain the discrepancy: an unrecorded replacement of one for the other during the ministry of Jesus to apostasy or death; the possibility that “twelve” was a symbolic number and an estimation; or simply that the names were not recorded perfectly by the early church. However many conservative Christian writers argue that, because the name “Judas” was so tarnished by Judas Iscariot, it was natural for Mark and Matthew to refer to him by his alternate name. Thaddeus the apostle is generally seen as a different person from Thaddeus of Edessa, one of the Seventy Disciples. In some Latin manuscripts of Matthew 10:3, he is called Judas the Zealot. Opinion is divided on whether Jude the apostle is the same as Jude, brother of Jesus, who is mentioned in Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55-57, and is the traditional author of the Epistle of Jude. Generally Catholics believe the two Judes are the same person, while Protestants do not.
Identifying the apostle Jude with the writer of the epistle is problematic, not least because in verse 17 there is a reference to “the apostles” implying the writer does not include himself.Tradition holds that Saint Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya. He is also said to have visited Beirut and Edessa, though the emissary of latter mission is also identified as Thaddeus of Edessa, one of the Seventy. Jude is reported as suffering martyrdom together with Simon the Zealot in Persia. The 14th century writer Nicephorus Callistus makes Jude the bridegroom at the wedding at Ca’na. The legend reports that Jude was born into a Jewish family in Paneas, a town in Galilee later rebuilt by the Romans and renamed Caesarea Philippi.
In all probability he spoke both Greek and Aramaic, like almost all of his contemporaries in that area, and was a farmer by trade. According to the legend, Jude was a son of Clopas and his wife Mary, a cousin of the Virgin Mary. Tradition has it that Jude’s father, Clopas, was murdered because of his forthright and outspoken devotion to the risen Christ. After Mary’s death, miracles were attributed to her intercession. According to the Armenian tradition, Saint Jude suffered martyrdom about CE 65 in Beirut, Lebanon together with the apostle Simon the Zealot, with whom he is usually connected. Their acts and martyrdom were recorded in an Acts of Simon and Jude that was among the collection of passions and legends traditionally associated with the legendary Abdias, bishop of Babylon, and said to have been translated into Latin by his disciple Tropaeus Africanus, according to the Golden Legend account of the saints. Saints Simon and Jude are venerated together in the Roman Catholic Church on October 28. Sometime after his death, Saint Jude’s body was brought from Beirut, Lebanon to Rome and placed in a crypt in Peter’s Basilica which is visited by many devotees. According to popular tradition, the remains of Jude were preserved in an Armenian monastery on an island in the northern part of Issyk-Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan at least until mid-15th century. Later legend either denounce remains as being preserved there or moved to yet more desolate stronghold in the Pamir mountains. Recent discovery of the ruins of what could be that monastery may put an end to the dispute. Jude Thaddeus is invoked in desperate situations because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them. Therefore, he is the patron saint of desperate cases. (The epithet is also commonly rendered as “patron saint of lost causes”.) However, there is another reckoning to this epithet. Many Christians have unfortunately reckoned him as Judas Iscariot and thus avoided veneration. Therefore he was also called the “Forgotten Saint“. Because veneration was avoided, only people in the most desperate circumstances would call upon him.
Matthias - This disciple remains a mystery. He was not one of the original twelve but he was chosen later to replace Judas Iscariot. His election is not documented and the absence of comment in the Scriptures on his eventual Ministry does not help to clear the matter. Many scholars think that Paul should have been chosen. However Paul’s conversion took place a long time after Matthias’ election and his Ministry started even later. Moreover Paul could not have been chosen as an apostle as he did not meet Jesus. Peter stated the rule clearly when Matthias was elected (”Acts” 1:26). Later the Apostle John said that the New Jerusalem had “twelve foundations and in them the names of the Apostles” (Rev.21:14). This tends to confirm the importance of Matthias. It has been said that the twelfth Apostle was James, Jesus’ brother, but this is not believable as James was converted only after the Resurrection and he could not have been a witness of Jesus’ teaching. Clement of Alexandria identified Matthias with Zaccheus but this too is difficult to believe, as Zaccheus did not meet the conditions required being an Apostles. Eusebius, on the other hand, said that Matthias was one of the Seventy early followers sent out by Jesus (Luke 10:1) and this is possible. He also accompanied the Apostles on many occasions. He probably was a disciple of John the Baptist. In these roles Matthias could have shown his qualities and come to the attention of the remaining eleven Apostles who elected him after Judas’ betrayal and the ascension of Jesus. He was present in Jerusalem on the day of the Pentecost. As a Jew he started his Ministry preaching to the Jews living in foreign lands. Matthias is one of the five Apostles -Thaddaeus, Bartholomew, Simon, Andrew and Matthias- credited by the Armenian to have evangelized Armenia. A source says that Matthias was imprisoned, and blinded, by the Ethiopian cannibals and rescued by Andrew. At that time there must have been two Ethiopia, the nation we know to day in Africa, and another where Matthias was blinded that was a province of Mesopotamia or Armenia. According to the “Martyrdom of Matthias” he was sent to Damascus and died at Phaleaon, a city of Judea. Another source still says that he preached in Jerusalem and was buried there after being stoned to death by the Jews. But there are other legends about his death:
- Matthias suffered martyrdom by the Jews either by lance or by the axe.
- Roman Catholic tradition indicates that he preached and suffered martyrdom in Judea.
- He was martyred in Colchis.
He was martyred in Sebastopol in 64 (or in 51) CE and buried there.
His body is said to have been buried in Jerusalem and, later on, taken to Rome by Queen Helena, except for some bones that went to Trier in Germany.
Other Apostles
John Mark (Mark the Evangelist) – The scholars have always thought that Mark wrote his Gospel on the base of recollections of the Apostle Peter and given to him before Peter’s death. That would date it around 68 CE and Jesus died in 33 CE. This would mean that Mark’s Gospel, the first Gospel, would have been written 35 years after the death of Christ. The details would have had to be transmitted by words of mouth or by lost records (such as the famous “Q” document which existence is known, but was never found over a long period of time with all the possible consequences on the accuracy of the text. However if Mark’s Gospel was written in 50 CE as the Dead Sea scrolls show, then the conclusions are different.Mark’s Gospel would then have been written at the most 17 years after Jesus’ death, and even probably before. In these conditions there were still enough living witnesses to verify the accuracy of the story, adding quite a lot to its credibility. John Mark was an important person among the early Christians. He had a Roman name (Mark or Marcus) and a Jewish name (John or Jonah). It is thought that his father was Roman and his mother Jewish. His home was in Jerusalem (”Acts” 12:12) and he is assumed to come from a rich family. The family moved to Jerusalem from Cyrenaica, a Roman colony in North Africa, probably after his father death. The name of his father is not known but his mother was called Mary. He also had a cousin called Barnabas (Col.4:10) who was also rich (”Acts” 4:36). He is first mentioned in the “Acts” in 44 CE. At that time he was already a believer and his mother too. He probably was led to Christ by Simon Peter who called him “his spiritual Son” (I Peter 5:13). After a long experience in the Jerusalem church, he was chosen to accompany Paul and Barnabas to Antioch and then to Cyprus, the home of Barnabas. They decided to go to Turkey but Mark soon decided to come back to Antioch. A tradition says that he was afraid of the dangers of this journey. It is also possible that he did not quite agree with Paul’s doctrine of salvation by grace, through faith alone. This would mean that Mark was still a devout Jew at that time and, as such, could not accept the doctrine of faith for salvation. Later on even Barnabas had the same doubts as Mark on this doctrine. Paul refused to take Mark on a second missionary tour in Turkey two years later; Barnabas and Mark decided to go to Cyprus instead. Barnabas died in Cyprus around 58 CE (I Cor.9:5). Eleven years later the difference of opinion between Paul and Mark was settled in Rome, and Mark was one of the few Jewish Christians who stood firmly behind Paul. It is believed that he wrote his Gospel at the request of Peter while he was in Rome. It is possible that Mark visited Colossae. He also went to Babylon with Peter before returning to Turkey. After the death of Peter and Paul in Rome in 64 CE there was a strong tradition that John Mark went back to Alexandria, a Greco-Roman city in Egypt with a large Jewish population, where he had been before. Eusebius wrote that Anianus, a convert of Mark, followed him as bishop of Alexandria confirming in this way that Mark spent a few years in that city. It is not clear when he came in that city but it must be between 48 and 61 CE. He was martyred and buried there in 68 CE. Mark was probably younger that the apostles but this did not prevent him to be very useful during the apostolic age. He traveled to many lands to preach, and he was very successful at converting people to Christianism. In addition the fact that he wrote the first Gospel (by date) makes him somebody special for all the Christians.
Barnabas born Joseph, was an early Christian convert, one of the earliest disciples in Jerusalem. Like almost all Christians at the time, Barnabas was Jewish, specifically a Levite. Termed an apostle, he and Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts against the demands of stricter church leaders. They gained many converts in Antioch (c 43-44) and traveled together making more converts (c 45-47), and participated in the Council of Jerusalem (c 50). Barnabas and Paul successfully evangelized among the “God-fearing” gentiles who attended synagogues in various Hellenized cities of Anatolia. Barnabas’ story appears in Acts of the Apostles, and Paul mentions him in some of his epistles. Tertullian named him as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, but this and other attributions are conjecture. Clement of Alexandria ascribed an early Christian epistle to Barnabas (Epistle of Barnabas), but that is highly improbable. He is traditionally identified as the founder of the Cypriot Church, martyred at Salamis (61CE ). The feast day of St Barnabas is celebrated on June 1. He is known to have been a good preacher and he traveled in many countries to teach the Gospel to the local people. In “Acts” 9:27 we are told that he introduced the newly converted Saul to the Apostles as a friend. Barnabas was sent to Antioch because the Jerusalem church had learned that people there were preaching to the Gentiles. He also went to Tarsus to look for Saul who was already known for his ability to preach to the Gentiles (”Acts” 26:17). Saul and Barnabas went back first to Antioch and then to Jerusalem. Then they returned again to Antioch where they were ordained by the church for missionary work. From that time they had the title and dignity of the Apostles. Their first missionary journey was to Cyprus and Asia Minor. They went back again to Antioch and there was some disagreement between Barnabas and Paul because Barnabas wanted to take his sister’ son, John Mark, with them on another missionary journey (”Acts” 15:36). Their disagreement was so strong that they both went their own way. Barnabas went to Cyprus with John Mark, and from that time he is not mentioned anymore in the Scriptures. A first tradition says that he went to Milan and became the first bishop of this town. It is more probable that the Jews in Cyprus killed him after he went back there and that his disciple Mark buried his body in an empty sepulchre outside Salamis. The tomb was forgotten until 477 CE when the then bishop of Constania (Salamis), Anthemios, was told the exact location in a dream. He opened the tomb and found the remains of the saint with a copy of Mark’s Gospel in Barnabas handwriting on his chest. Anthemios built a church near by in honor of the saint and the remains were kept there as well as his own body after his death. This discovery helped to secure the independence of the Cyprus church from the church of Antioch. Both tombs are now empty and the destination of the holy remains is unknown. According to the Roman Catholic tradition the remains of Barnabas have been scattered. His head is said to be in the church of Sernin in Toulouse, France after having been moved from Cyprus to Milan. The tradition maintains that the Church of Cyprus was founded.
Luke - The legends tell us that Luke was one of the Seventy disciples sent preaching by Jesus; they also say that he was one of the Greeks who asked Philip to be introduced to Jesus; he could also have been a companion of Cleopas. However there are no confirmation of these legends. Luke was born of Greek origin in the city of Antioch. It seems more probable that Luke was not a participant to the Ministry of Jesus. Luke is described by Paul as “uncircumcised” which meant that he was a Gentile (Col.4:14). He may or may not have been a Jewish proselyte. His first appearance with Paul at Troas (”Acts” 16:10-12) is compatible with this idea. He was a man of culture as the quality of his writings shows. He was in fact part of the cultivated Hellenic circles. His home is uncertain although there are some indications that he was from Antioch or, at least, that he had some family there. According to other sources Luke lived in Alexandria and in Achaia and he died in this last town or in Bithynia. We know for certain that he lived many years in Philippi, remaining after Paul and Silas has left (”Acts” 16:40). He was still there when Paul came back on his third tour to Jerusalem (”Acts” 20:3-5). He first met Paul in Galatia, or at Troas, before he went to Macedonia but his home, if any, was Philippi. However his later years were spent with Paul away from Philippi (going to Jerusalem and to Rome and staying there). Paul called him his “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14) because he took care of his health and prolonged his life by curing him of many serious illnesses. He was a medical missionary and practised medicine in Rome and also, probably, in Malta (”Acts” 28:9f). He was Paul’s only companion when Paul went to prison for the second time in Rome. Luke was also a painter and he illustrated his Gospel. According to a tradition that goes back to Irenaeus, Luke is the author of the third Gospel and he could also have written the “Acts”. His Gospel has been described as the most beautiful book ever written. These two books constitute the earliest history of the Christian Church. He wrote his Gospel in Greece. According to one tradition Luke was not married and died peacefully in Boeotia (or Bithynia) at the age of 84. Another says that he was crucified with Andrew at Patras or at Elaea in Peloponnesus. In 356-357 Constantius II had his remains removed from Thebes in Boeotia to Constantinople and placed in the Church of the Apostles that was built soon after. Later his head was taken to Rome and buried in Peter Basilica.
Lazarus (Lazaros in Greek, or Eleazar in Hebrew) means “God has helped”. This name was very common among the Jews and two different persons with that name are mentioned in the New Testament. The home of Lazarus was in Bethany (John 11:1). He was the brother of Martha and Mary Magdalene (John 11:1,2; Luke 10:38-41) and all three were well loved by Jesus (John 11:5) who visited them very often (Luke 10:38-41; John 11). They must have been a rich family if we consider the number of their friends and the money they spent to anoint Jesus. In the absence of Jesus, Lazarus became sick, died, and was buried. Four days later Jesus brought him back to life (John 11:3.14.17.43.44). As a result many Jews believed in Jesus but some others informed the Pharisees and a Council was assembled to organize the Lord’s death (John 11:45-53). Later, six days before Passover, at a gathering in Bethany givento thank the Lord, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet (John 12:1-3). Many people came to see Jesus but also the raised Lazarus. They believed in Jesus and followed Him to assist to his entry in Jerusalem (John 12:9.11.17.18). In Cyprus there is an ancient tradition that Lazarus moved there from Jerusalem in 60 or 63 CE (but probably much earlier). He settled in Citium (or Kittium) where he was the bishop for thirty years. Lazarus died in Citium and his tomb still exists today. However his body was removed to Constantinople in 800 CE and later on to Marseilles, France, from where it has disappeared. There is also a tradition that says that Lazarus went to Marseilles to preach. There Lazarus had to hide in a grotto under the fourth century lower church of Victor where he lived, preached, and finally died of a natural death in 44 or 45 CE. He could also have been the bishop of Marseilles for seven years. Mary and Martha were with him on all his journeys. Mary lived near Marseilles on a high mountain and Martha founded a convent for women and was buried at Tarascon. There are still many monuments, liturgies, relics and traditions to his memory in Marseilles, Lyons, Aix, Maxim, La Sainte Baume, etc. that witness his importance to the region. The two traditions of Marseilles and Cyprus are, of course, incompatible between them. Historians are in favor of the Cyprus tradition but they are no real proof one way or the other.
Seventy Disciples The Seventy Disciples or Seventy-two Disciples were early followers of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10:1-24. According to Luke, the only gospel in which they appear, Jesus appointed them and sent them out in pairs to spread his message. In Western Christianity it is usual to refer to them as Disciples while in Eastern Christianity they are usually referred to as Apostles. Using the original Greek words, both titles are descriptive as an apostle is one sent on a mission whereas a disciple is a student, but the two traditions differ on the scope of the word apostle.