From the
New Testament (NT) texts, we learn that Jesus of Nazareth chose 12 men to
follow Him (Matt. 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16, and Acts 1:13 minus Judas
Iscariot) as “apostles”.[1] These men are then described as witnesses to
God having raised Jesus from the dead (Acts. 3:15). What do we know about them and what would
they have meant by saying that God raised Jesus from the dead?
Second-temple Jews:
The
Second-temple period extends from the sixth-century BC to the first-century AD,
when the second Jewish temple was built in Jerusalem after the return from the
Babylonian captivity, until its destruction in AD 70.[2] Therefore, we refer to Judaism during this
time as Second-temple Judaism. That is
not to say that there was only one type of Judaism during this time. During the NT period, there were two major
sects: the Pharisees and the Sadducees, both of which are involved in NT
events.[3] There was also the Zealots and the Essenes, but
neither play a significant role in the NT.[4]
According
to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Jews liked the Pharisees over the Sadducees,
but then again Josephus was a Pharisee (Antiquities, Book 18, Ch 1. 16) . The main difference between the two related
to our topic is that the Pharisees believed in a resurrection of the dead,
whereas the Sadducees did not.
Therefore, it is difficult to determine with complete accuracy what the
peasant Jew in Galilee would have believed about the resurrection. However, one thing that is perfectly clear,
there is no evidence from second-temple Judaism in the belief of a dying
messiah, let alone a dying and rising again messiah. So it must be asked, where would
second-temple peasant Jews have come up with such an idea?
What do we know about the 12? pt.1
Two were
the sons of Zebedee, James and his brother John, the latter of which is
identified as the disciple that Jesus loved (Jn. 13:23) and had been a disciple
of John the Baptist (Jn. 1:35). Their mother was Salome, who may have been the
sister of Mary, Jesus’ mother (cf. Mt. 27:56, Jn. 19:25). They were fisherman from Galilee, and
business partners with Simon Peter (Lk. 5:10).
Two final details are that they own multiple boats (Lk. 5:11) and
employed servants (Mk. 1:20) and therefore, may not have been poor. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were the
sons of Jonas (John) and were from Bethsaida.
Peter was married (Mk. 1:30) and lived in Capernaum. Andrew had also been a disciple of John the
Baptist (Jn. 1:40). Philip was also from
Bethsaida (Jn1:44) and traveled from Galilee to hear John the Baptist (Jn. 1:43),
likely with Andrew. Perhaps because of
his Greek name, it was him that the Greeks came to hope to get to talk to Jesus
during the Passover (Jn. 12:20-33); ergo, it’s reasonable to think that he was
fluent in Greek. Philip went and found Nathanael/Bartholomew (Jn. 1:45), who may have been a fisherman
from Cana in Galilee (Jn. 21:2).[5] He also had gone to Bethany where John the
Baptist was preaching (Jn. 1:28) and it seems was well versed in the Old
Testament (Jn. 1:46).
Thomas who is also
called Didymus (Jn. 11:16) and was best known for being a doubter in the
resurrection (Jn. 20:25). He was the one
that told the others they should go with Jesus to Bethany for the raising of
Lazarus, saying that if Jesus were to die there, they should die with Him (Jn.
11:16). Also, on the eve of the Passover,
he was the one who questioned Jesus about them knowing the way (Jn. 14:5). Next, Matthew, who is identified as Levi (cf.
Mt. 10:3, Mk. 2:14 and Lk. 5:27) and called the son of Alphaeus (Mk.2:14) which
raises the question if he is the brother of James the son of Alphaeus, of which
there is no clear text calling them brothers as there is with Peter and Andrew
or with James and John. Levi does not
seem to have been a follower of John the Baptist and was working in Capernaum
as a tax collector, when he was called by Jesus (Lk. 5:27). He must have had some education and been acquainted
with Greek because of this position. James
son of Alphaeus, is sometimes referred to as James the less, beyond this little
is known. Judas, the son or brother of
James, not Iscariot (Jn. 14:22) and sometimes identified as Thaddeus.[6] He does not play a significant role in the
gospels and only speaks once (Jn. 14:22).
Simon the Canaanite (Mt. 10:4, Mk 3:18) or Zelotes/Zealot (Lk. 6:15), these
designations should be understood that at some point, Simon was associated with
the movement of Judas of Galilee who opposed increased taxation during the
census of Quirinius. Simon was most likely
from Galilee. Simon does not play a
significant role in the Gospels and as noted above, it is possible that he is
to be identified with Nathanael, not Bartholomew.
Lastly, Judas Iscariot, who is identified as
the son of Simon (Jn. 13:2). It is possible
that he is the only non-Galilean, Iscariot meaning, man of Kerioth, which was
somewhere south of Judea. John’s Gospel
gives us the most details regarding Judas.
Sufficient for the purpose here is to identify him as one of the 12. As to the spreading of the gospel after the
resurrection, Judas plays no part seeing how he was already dead from suicide
by hanging (Mt. 27:5) and that afterward, wither the rope or branch broke, he
fell to the ground in a gruesome manor (Acts 1:18).
Next week, we’ll continue to explore how the message of
Jesus went out into the Greco-Roman world and changed it forever.
Written by Pastor Ozzy
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[1]
Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew (Nathanael Jn), Thomas,
Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Judas (Thaddaeus Mt
& Mk) the son or brother of James, Simon the zealot and Judas Iscariot.
[2]
Despite the fact that there were two temples during this period, Ezra’s temple
and Herod’s temple.
[3]
Josephus mentions three groups, we know there were more, but they are not
relevant to this discussion.
[4]
Some people have speculated that John the Baptist and Jesus were associated
with the Essenes; however, there are no explicated NT references and there is
no data from the DSS to support this notion.
[5]
The Nathanael-Bartholomew connection is not for certain, others have identified
Nathanael as Simon the son of Cleopas.
[6]
There are seven people mentioned in the New Testament with the name. We only need to be concerned with three of
them. First (1) Judas Iscariot. Second, the apostle identified as (2) Thaddaeus
and called Judas of James in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 and finally a (3) brother
of Jesus mentioned in Mt. 13:55 and Mk. 6:3.
There is no clear reason from the New Testament to identify 2 and 3 as
the same person. 3 is commonly believed to
be the author of Jude in the New Testament, he is identified as the brother of
James, the author of the book that bears his name.
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