Lesson 11 - Thaddaeus - Mark 3 18

HIS NAMES

1.      It was not uncommon in the NT days for Jews to have two names

                                                              i.      Usually one was Greek

                                                            ii.      The other was Hebrew

2.      We have seen in our study of the Apostles.

                                                              i.      There was Matthew Levi, Thomas Didymus, John and James Boanerges, and perhaps Nathanael Bartholomew.

                                                            ii.      Peter had three names, Simon Peter Cephas.

1.      So did Thaddaeus

3.      Matthew’s list of the apostles refers to him as “Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus”

Matthew 10:3   Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

4.      Mark’s list calls him only “Thaddaeus”

Mark 3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,    

5.      Both of Luke’s writings designate this apostle as “Judas the brother of James” 

Luke 6:16    And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

Acts 1:13    And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

                                                              i.      Judas, not the betrayer

1.      Bible goes to great length to separate the two

John 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  

2.      One Judas was false, one was true

3.      The traitor was called by the name of his birthplace

4.      Iscariot became a brand of shame

5.      More on this when we study about him

                                                            ii.      Judas = Hebrew  ‘Jehovah leads’, or ‘Jehovah will be confessed’

                                                          iii.      There can be no doubt Luke’s “Judas the brother of James” is identical to Lebbaeus Thaddaeus in Matthew and Mark.

1.      Lebbaeus = Hebrew  ‘heart’ i.e. the warmth and earnestness of character

a.       Also has a connotation of courageous one

2.      Thaddaeus = Hebrew   ‘devotedness’

                                                          iv.      This apostle’s name was Lebbaeus Thaddaeus Judas.

6.      Jude and Judas are identical in the Greek.

7.      Because of this, the Apostle Judas has been given credit by many for being the author of the book of Jude.

                                                              i.      And, he did call himself “the brother of James” (James 1:1).

1.      There are at least four men who were named James in the scriptures

a.       James, the son of Zebedee, brother of the apostle John

b.      James, the son of Mary, half brother of Jesus

c.       James, the son of Alphaeus, a/k/a James the Less

d.      James, the unknown father of Thaddaeus a/k/a Judas

                                                            ii.      While many believe dif­ferently about this, Lebbaeus Thaddaeus Judas wrote the book of Jude,

HIS FAMILY

                 1. Luke called this apostle “the brother of James” (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13).

i.                    That James is usually taken to be James the Less, who was studied in last week

                 2. Matthew and Mark list him next to James, the son of Alphaeus,

i.                    So he was likely the James who was Jude’s brother.

ii.                  That could also make him a brother to Matthew.

                 3. Jude’s mother would be the same as James’.

i.                    Her name was Mary,

ii.                  She witnessed the crucifixion (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40).

iii.                She followed Jesus from Galilee (Luke 23:55).

iv.                She went to Jesus’ tomb early on the day He arose from the grave (Mark 16:1).

v.                  She helped carry the news of Christ’s resurrection to the apostles (Luke 24:10).

vi.                She may or may not have been a sister to Mary, the mother of Jesus (John 19:25).

vii.              If they were sisters, Jude the apostle was a cousin to Jesus.

                 4. Thaddaeus’ father was Alphaeus Clophas, if James the less was                             his  brother

                 5. He had a brother named Joses 

Matthew 27:56    Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Mark 15:40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;    

6. One thing to think about is the possibility Jude was the son of James.

i.                    The words “the brother” are in italics in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13.

ii.                  Moreover, the literal reading is “Judas of James,”

iii.                which could very well mean he was the son of James the Less or

iv.                one of the others by the name of James.

HIS QUESTION

                     1. There is only one personal reference in the New Testament to the

                         activities of the Apostle Jude.

i.                    Besides listing his name the only reference to him involves a question he asked the Lord.

John 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 

ii.                  The Lord had said,

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

iii.                Like a child asking their mother,  “how much do you love me?”

a.       Unlimited answer

b.      That is what Jesus is answering here

c.       Jesus goes beyond the question to the heart of the matter

d.      Knowing the heart of Thaddaeus, one of love and obedience

                                                                                                                 i.      That love will be manifested

                      2. Clearly the Lord stated He would manifest Himself primarily to saved people,

i.                    Because they have fellowship with Him.

ii.                  They are the ones who have the assurance of His presence, guidance, and blessings.

                 3. Thaddaeus apparently did not understand how the Lord would be able to do that.

                      4. Maybe this apostle was eager to learn from the Lord.

i.                    Also, this was probably the last question asked by the apostles before the crucifixion.

                       5. Jesus replied the root of discipleship is love for the Master.

i.                    He answered the apostle’s question by declaring God would manifest Himself to believers by indwelling them.

ii.                  We find this fulfillment in the work of the Holy Spirit.

iii.                He indwells only believers

Romans 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.    

                   6. As John presented Judas’ question one notices his ex­planation “not Iscariot.”

i.                    He did not want him confused with the betrayer of Christ.

ii.                  Each of the 4 apostolic lists guard his name from being confused with Judas Iscariot.

HIS MINISTRY

                   1. By preserving the name of the godly Judas shows God will always

                       distinguish between good and evil.

                   2. Even when good works are done by an obscure apostle without

                       mention in the Scriptures,

                                     i. Those  works are known of God.

                   3. He blesses and will reward every work done by those who have His Spirit dwelling in them.

                   4. Like the other apostles, Thaddaeus can be traced in a general way

                       through the mention of all the apostles.

i.                    For instance, he was one of the twelve of which Jesus said one would betray Him.

Mark 14:20 And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish

ii.                  Lebbaeus was one of the remaining eleven apostles after Judas Iscariot committed suicide.

Luke 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them

iii.                His listing with the eleven just prior to Pentecost declares he was faithful at that time

Acts 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.    

                     5. Although he is possibly the least known of all the apostles, he suffered persecution alongside  those who are well known.

i.                    Thaddaeus was imprisoned along with the other apostles.

Acts 5:18  And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison

                     6. Although this apostle is not specifically named many times as Peter, James, and John were,

i.                    He will receive much the same in the way of rewards as they will,

ii.                  Because he was a faithful servant of God.

iii.                The Apostle Jude’s name will be in the foundations of the wall of the new Jerusalem as well as the other apostles.

Rev. 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb

HIS TRADITIONS  

                  1. Legend often associates the latter ministry of Jude to the city of Edessa in Armenia.

i.                    It says he spent from eight to twenty-three years there.

                  2. Other places associated with his ministry are Syria. Arabia,

                      Mesopotamia, and Persia.

                  3. However, there is no certainty about where he preached outside of

                      Palestine.

                  4. Likewise, where he died and how he died is by no means certain.

i.                    Some traditions say he enjoyed a successful ministry in Persia,

ii.                  after which he suffered a violent death for reproving some of the superstitions there.

iii.                At any rate, a tomb in Persia is not available.

iv.                There is one in Armenia.

a.       It is a sacred shrine to the Apostle Jude.

v.                  Still another tradition states he suffered martyrdom in Syria