Jesus’ original twelve apostles and their work are evident throughout the New Testament (NT). There are different names associated with His apostles. My main purpose here is to identify who they were.
An apostle is one sent out, an envoy or an ambassador. Jesus commissioned His disciples (followers or devotees) as apostles and authorized them to act as His representatives. Mt.10:1 “He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and sickness.”
They were eyewitnesses of His resurrection (Lk.24:33-43, Jn.20:26-28). He instructed them to go out to the world, preach the gospel, teach the nations, and baptize believers (Mt.28:19, Mk.16:15-16). Jesus told them in Ac.1:8, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. His apostles and prophets are the foundation of God’s church, with Christ Himself the Chief Cornerstone (Ep.2:19-20).
The twelve apostles are listed in Mt.10:2-4, Mk.3:14-19, Lk.6:13-16. After Jesus’ ascension, eleven of them are seen in the upper room of Ac.1:13. All twelve were Jews.
Mt.10:2-4 “The names of the twelve are these: Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James (the son) of Zebedée, and John his brother; Philip and Bar-tholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James (the son) of Alpháeus, and Thaddáeus [Lebbáeus]; Simon the Cananéan [zealot], and Judas Iscariót who betrayed Him.” (Mk.3:14-19 shows the same twelve names.)
In the above, Matthew included surnames or nicknames and names of relatives to further identify and distinguish apostles from one another. I’ll refer to Simon the Cananean/zealot as Simon, and to Simon Peter as Peter. Jn.1:42 “Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of Joannes, you shall be called Cephás (which is translated Peter).” The English name Peter is from the Greek pétros (Strongs g4074, Greek), which means stone. Cephas (g2786) is the Aramaic equivalent for stone. Paul referred to Simon Peter as Cephas (1Co.1:12, 15:5, Ga.2:9, e.g.).
The name James in English comes from the Hebrew name Jacob. I’ll use the name James, not Jacob.
The Aramaic “Bar-tholomew” means “son of Tholmai”. In Aramaic, ‘bar’ means ‘son’. And the Greek name for his father ‘Tholmai’ is Ptolemy. What was the name of this apostle who was the son of Tholmai/Ptolemy? Most think Tholmai’s son is the Nathanaél of Jn.1:45-49 & 21:2. John never mentions a Bar-tholomew. Whereas in Matthew, Mark and Luke we don’t see the name Nathanael. He is the Bar-tholomew of Mt.10:3, Mk.3:18, Lk.6:14, Ac.1:13. Tholmai’s son the apostle was Nathanael.
All twelve were from Galilee, except probably Judas Iscariot. Keriót was a town in Judea (Jsh.15:25). Judas Iscariot was the traitor who betrayed Jesus (Lk.22:3-6, 47-48), and then hung himself (Mt.27:1-5).
The first six disciples called by Jesus were: the brothers Andrew & Peter, the brothers James & John, Philip, Nathanael/Bar-tholomew (Mat.4:18-22, Jn.1:37-51). Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptizer (Jn.1:40). Andrew and Philip are Greek names…Andréas and Phílippos. Andrew and Philip were Hellenists, Greek-speaking Jews from “Galilee of the gentiles”, Mt.4:15. (The first Jewish Christian martyr was the Hellenist Stephen in Jerusalem, Ac.6:1-5.) Jn.12:20-22 “Certain Greeks said to Philip, ‘Sir, we would like to see Jesus.’ Philip told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.” They could speak Greek.
James & John, the sons of Zebedee, were called the “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus (Mk.3:17). James & John were the sons of Salóme. Identifying her at the crucifixion: Mt.27:56 the mother of the sons of Zebedee; Mk.15:40 (and 16:1) Salome; Jn.19:25 Jesus’ mother’s sister. Regarding Salome’s identity, see Meyer NT Commentary, Cambridge Bible Note, Ellicott Commentary, Expositor’s Greek Testament, Pulpit Commentary, for Jn.19:25. Salome was the sister of Jesus’ mother Mary. (Biological sisters wouldn’t both be named “Mary”.) Salome was Jesus’ aunt, making Zebedee His uncle. Zebedee’s sons, James & John, were Jesus’ first cousins. Salome, being Jesus’ aunt, was bold to request that her two sons receive preferential treatment in the Kingdom (Mt.20:20-24). Jesus was closest to James & John, and Peter (ref Mt.17:1-9 Transfiguration, Mt.26:37, Mk.5:37).
In Mt.10:2-4, the first seven apostles were probably fishermen: the brothers Peter & Andrew, the brothers James & John, Philip, Bar-tholomew/Nathanael, Thomas. Jn.21:2 “There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Dídymus, and Nathanael of Caná in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples.” The other two were probably Peter’s brother Andrew and their close associate Philip. Jn.1:44 “Philip was from Bethsaidá, the town of Andrew and Peter.” Gill Exposition Jn.21:2 “Two other of his disciples; are thought to be Andrew and Philip; which is very likely, since they were both of Bethsaida.” Bethsaida was a fishing village near the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
In Jn.2:1-12, the groom of the wedding at Cana in Galilee is thought to have been either Nathanael or Simon the Cananean/zealot. The Greek term is zelotés (g2208). Jacobus de Voragine The Golden Legend “Zelotes is the equivalent of Cana, because cana means zeal.” St. Athanasius Orthodox Church literature: “According to tradition, Simon the Zealot was born in Cana of Galilee, just like Nathanael (Jn.21:2), and was the bridegroom at the wedding feast at Cana. Mary’s prominence at his wedding suggests that they may have been distantly related.” The New Theological Movement “St. Simon, ‘the Canaanite’ not from Canaan and ‘the Zealot’ who was no Zealot [1st century Jewish Nationalist political party]. Indeed, the name ‘Canaanite’ is closely related to the Hebrew word for ‘zealous.” The so-called ‘commandment of Mary’ spoken in Jn.2:3-5 indicates that Jesus’ mother Mary and the groom could have been related.
It is assumed the apostle Thomas was from Galilee. The Aramaic name Taumá/Thomas means “twin”. Its counterpart in Greek is Didymus, meaning “twin”. Jn.11:16 RSV “Thomas, called the Twin [Didymus g1324], said to his fellow disciples….” The identity of Thomas’ twin is uncertain.
Eusebius (265–340 AD), church historian and bishop of Caesárea, “After the ascension of Jesus, Judas, who is also called Thomas, sent to him Thaddaeus, an apostle”. Eusebius said that Thomas was a man named Judas, who was called Thomas/Didymus/twin. The non-canonical Gospel of Thomas (of 200 AD?) begins with, “These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke, and which Didymus Judas Thomas wrote down”. If Eusebius and Syriac tradition are correct, this apostle’s name was Judas, and his surname or nickname was Thomas/Didymus (twin). see “Jesus Wasn’t Thomas’ Twin”.
Matthew was a tax collector in Capernaúm (cf. Mt.4:13, 9:1, 9), located on the NW shore of the Sea of Galilee. He was the “Levi, sitting in the tax office”. cf. Mk.2:14 & Mt.9:9, Lk.5:27-29. Since he was called Levi, it is thought Matthew was a Levite. Descendants of Aaron among the Levites were priests. So Matthew may have even been of priestly lineage. He was (the son) of Alphaeus. Tax collectors or customs agents were wealthy. Customs and road tolls were collected at his customs post. Tax collectors were often dishonest and disliked by the populace (e.g. Mt.21:31, Lk.19:1-8). In his position, Matthew would have spoken both Aramaic and Greek. The book of Matthew often quotes from the Old Greek version (became the Septúagint/LXX) of the Old Testament.
From Mt.10:2-4, there are two more apostles to identify. They are James (the son) of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus/Lebbaeus. It is uncertain whether or not Mathew/Levi and this James were sons of the same Alphaeus. To distinguish this James from the James & John who were sons of Zebedee, this James is often identified as James (the son) of Alphaeus (in Mt.10:3, Mk.3:18, Lk.6:15, Ac.1:13). At the cross, Mark also refers to this James as “James the Less” in Mk.15:40. “There were also women looking on from a distance among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Josés, and Salome.” In Mk.16:1, the same three women brought spices to Jesus’ tomb. Matthew refers to the mother of James (the son) of Alphaeus, James the Less, as the “other Mary” in Mt.27:61 & 28:1. (No gospel writer shows Jesus’ mother Mary at His tomb.) James of Alphaeus is James the Less.
Thaddaeus/Lebbaeus is named in Mt.10:3 and Mk.3:18. However, Luke doesn’t include Thaddaeus among the apostles in Lk.6:13-16 or Ac.1:13. Instead, Luke includes Judas of James. In Lk.6:14-16, Luke lists “Simon Peter & Andrew, James & John, Philip, Bar-tholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot, Judas of James, Judas Iscariot. Luke lists the same names in Ac.1:13. “Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bar-tholomew, Matthew, James (the son) of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot, Judas of James.” (Missing is Judas Iscariot, who’d committed suicide.)
Comparing Mt.10:2-4, Mk.3:14-19, Lk.6:13-16, Ac.1:13…it appears that Thaddaeus/Lebbaeus (means ‘large-hearted’) and Judas of James are the same apostle. Judas/Thaddaeus was the brother (or son) of James of Alphaeus/James the Less. Pulpit Commentary Lk.6:16 “There is no doubt that Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus were surnames by which James’s Jude, or Judas, was known generally in the Church.” Matthew Poole Commentary Lk.6:13 “Judas the brother of James, by Luke; (this was the penman of the Epistle of Jude).”
In Jn.14:22, John referred to this Judas as “Judas (not Iscariot)”. Barnes Notes Jn.14:22 “This was the same as Lebbeus or Thaddeus. See Mat 10:3. He was the brother of James, and the author of the Epistle of Jude.” Pulpit Commentary Jn.14:22 “The Lebbaeus, or Thaddaeus, of Mk.3:18 and Mt.10:3; the Judas brother of James of Lk.6:16 and Ac.1:13.” (John refers to Thomas as Thomas.)
So there were three apostles named Judas. Thaddaeus the brother of James, Thomas, Iscariot. Ac.1:13 & Lk.6:14-16 show that Thomas and Judas/Thaddeus and Judas Iscariot were three different people. Traditionally, Thomas and Judas/Thaddeus and Judas Iscariot died in three different countries. All occurrences of the name “Judas” in the NT are Strongs g2455. All occurrences of “James” are g2385.
Jude 1:1 “Jude [Judas g2455], a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James.” Jude/Judas identifies himself as the brother of James. Gill Exposition Jude 1:1 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ….The author of this epistle is the same who is elsewhere called Judas, Lk.6:16, who was one of the twelve apostles of Christ, whose name was also Lebbaeus, and whose surname was Thaddaeus. Brother of James; not the son of Zebedee, but of Alphaeus, Mt.10:2.” JFB Commentary Jude 1:1 “Jude. He was also called Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus (Mt.10:3), probably to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot.”
Let’s look more closely at this James, the brother of Jude/Judas (not Iscariot). He can be traced by the order seen in Luke’s gospel & Acts. In Lk.5:10, Luke first mentions a James, and links him with John as the sons of Zebedee. In Lk.6:14-16, Luke again mentions James & John, and then a James of Alphaeus (and a Judas of James, distinguished from Judas Iscariot). So James of Alphaeus is a second James. In Lk.8:51, 9:28, 54 we see the brothers James & John again. In Lk.24:10, Luke mentions Mary (the mother) of James, but there’s no John here. So this Mary relates to the James who Luke identified as James of Alphaeus, not John’s brother James. Continuing with Luke’s book of Acts….
In Ac.1:13, Luke distinguishes James & John from James of Alphaeus. So far, Luke’s writings have identified only two apostles named James. Then in Ac.12:2, Herod had James the brother of John killed. Several verses later, in Ac.12:17, Peter said, “Go show these things to James and the brethren”. In v.17, Peter isn’t referring to James the brother of John…that James had died back in v.2. The only other James identified by Luke in his gospel and Acts is…James of Alphaeus. So Luke just calls him “James” from Ac.12:17 on. This James was very well-known. Ac.15:13 “After they held their peace, James answered.” James of Alphaeus remains. Ac.21:18 “Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.” James of Alphaeus. Luke identified only two named James, not three.
This James of Alphaeus (James the Less) was related to…the apostle “Judas of James” (Lk.6:16, Ac.1:13, Jude 1:1), a brother Joses/Joseph (Mt.27:56, Mk.15:40, 47), his mother Mary of James/Mary of Clopás (Lk.24:10, Jn.19:25). She’s the “other Mary” (Mt.27:61, 28:1). Pulpit Commentary Mk.15:40 “The mother of our Lord had been there until the time when, having with St. John crept as near the cross of Jesus as she might venture, she was consigned by our Lord to St. John’s care, and taken away by him.” (Again, Jesus’ mother Mary wasn’t at His tomb.) This esteemed James was related to the Judas who wrote the epistle of Jude 1:1. “Jude, brother of James.” Ellicott Commentary Jude 1:1 “James the Just…first bishop of Jerusalem.”
Hippólytus (170–235 AD) On the Twelve Apostles of Christ “And James the son of Alphaeus, when preaching in Jerusalem was stoned to death by the Jews, and was buried there beside the temple.”
Papias of Hierópolis (70–160 AD) Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord, Fragment X “(1) Mary the mother of the Lord; (2) Mary the wife of Cleophas or Alphaeus, who was the mother of James the bishop and apostle, and of Simon and Thaddeus [Judas/Jude], and of one Joses; (3) ….Salome, wife of Zebedee, mother of John & James; (4) Mary Magdalene. These four are found in the Gospel.”
The sons of Zebedee/Salome, James & John, were Jesus’ cousins. Mark and Matthew made reference to other of Jesus’ relatives. Mk.6:3 “James and Joses and Judas and Simon.” Mt.13:55-56 James, Joseph, Simon, Judas. Joses/Joseph is also linked to James the Less in Mk.15:40, 47. And it’s more than coincidental that three of Jesus’ twelve apostles were: James (the Less, of Alphaeus), Judas (of James, called Thaddaeus), Simon (the Cananean/zealot)!
Jacobus de Voragine op. cit. “Simon the Cananean and Jude, also called Thaddeus, were brothers of James the Less and sons of Mary of Cleopas, who was married to Alpheus.” Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America “Some say that James was a nephew of Joseph, and the son of his brother Cleopas, who was also called Alphaeus and Mary his wife….But he was still called, according to the idiom of the scriptures, the Lord’s brother because of their kinship.” Eusebius Church History 3:11 “Hegésippus records that Clopas was a brother of Joseph.” Gill Exposition Lk.24:18 “Cleophas or Alphaeus, for it is the same name; he was one of the 70 disciples, and father of the Apostles James and Jude, and brother to Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Christ.” In that case, the “other Mary”, Mary of Alphaeus/Clopas, was sister-in-law to Jesus’ mother Mary.
It’s speculated that Alphaeus or Clopas was the deceased brother of Jesus’ (legal) father Joseph. That Joseph had levirate married Alphaeus’ widow, the “other Mary”, to provide legacy & support (De.25:5-6). If so, then James the Less, Judas, Simon, Joses…were Jesus’ cousins and step-brothers both.
Lastly, in Ac.1:21-26, two men were nominated to replace Judas Iscariot as an apostolic eyewitness of Jesus’ resurrection. Matthías was chosen by lot. The name of the other nominee was Joseph. Matthew Poole Commentary Ac.1:23 “Joseph, or Joses, the same name called.” Barnes Notes Ac.1:23 “Lightfoot supposes that he [Joseph] was the son of Alpheus and brother of James the Less.” Joses the relative?
After the replacement of Judas Iscariot in Ac.1:26, the twelve apostles were: Simon Peter & Andrew, James & John (sons of Zebedee), Philip, Bar-tholomew/Nathanael, Thomas/Didymus/(Judas), Matthew/Levi, James of Alphaeus called James the Less or just James, Thaddaeus/Lebbaeus/Judas of James, Simon the Cananean/zealot, Matthias. Their witness? It is true…the Lord Jesus lives (Re.1:18)!
Bible Topic Exposition 