Naravist

Person in the New Testament

Jude Thaddaeus

Jude Thaddaeus: the apostle the lists name in three different ways

Portrait of Jude Thaddaeus. An AI-generated artistic interpretation, not a historical likeness.

Portrait: an AI-generated artistic interpretation, not evidence of how Jude Thaddaeus looked.

Who Jude Thaddaeus is

This apostle is named differently in each list. Matthew writes Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus. Mark writes simply Thaddeus, in the same position, between James the son of Alpheus and Simon the Canaanite. Luke has Judas the brother of James in that slot, immediately before Judas Iscariot, whom Luke calls the traitor. Acts also has Judas the brother of James, and there he closes the list of those in the upper room. He speaks once in these passages. In John, after Jesus says he will manifest himself to the one who keeps his commandments, Judas asks how it is that he will manifest himself to them and not to the world, and the narrator adds the words not Iscariot to keep the two men apart. Jesus answers by speaking of keeping his words and of the Father's love.

Cited passages: Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:16, Acts 1:13, John 14:21, John 14:22, John 14:23

Historical setting

The naming differences are on the surface of the text and are not explained by it. Matthew gives two names in one clause, Lebbeus and the surname Thaddeus. Mark gives only Thaddeus. Luke and Acts give Judas the brother of James in the same position in the list. No verse says that Thaddeus and Judas the brother of James are the same man; what the lists share is the slot, between James the son of Alpheus and Simon, and the total of twelve. The James he is tied to is not identified further in those verses. In John the qualifier not Iscariot distinguishes the speaker from Judas Iscariot, and that verse does not repeat the brother of James description. Nothing in these passages gives him a home, a trade, or any other action.

Cited passages: Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:16, Acts 1:13, John 14:22, Matthew 10:4

How the story is told

In the lists he is a name that keeps changing while its neighbours stay put, which makes the slot more stable than the label. Luke's arrangement sets the two men called Judas side by side, and the second is given the tag which also was the traitor, so the pairing itself does the distinguishing. John's scene works the same way with one inserted phrase. The narrator interrupts the sentence to write not Iscariot before the question is finished, so the reader is told who is not speaking before hearing what is said. His single line is a question about why the manifestation is limited, and the answer he receives does not address the limit directly but describes who is loved and where the Father comes.

Cited passages: Luke 6:16, Mark 3:19, John 14:22, John 14:23, Matthew 10:3

Story moments

  1. Lebbeus surnamed Thaddeus (Matthew 10:3). Matthew's list gives him two names in a single clause.
  2. Thaddeus in Mark (Mark 3:18). Mark names him only as Thaddeus, in the same position in the list.
  3. Judas the brother of James (Luke 6:16). Luke names him in that slot, directly before Judas Iscariot.
  4. The one question (John 14:22). Judas, not Iscariot, asks why Jesus will manifest himself to them and not to the world.
  5. The answer given (John 14:23). Jesus answers by speaking of keeping his words and of the Father's coming.
  6. In the upper room (Acts 1:13). Acts closes its list with Judas the brother of James.

Key passages

Matthew 10:3

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

Luke 6:16

And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

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?

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.

King James Version. 5 indexed passages in total.

For reflection

His one recorded sentence asks why the manifestation is for them and not for the world. What does the reader notice about the answer he is given?

Books Jude Thaddaeus appears in

Related people

Names and references are adapted from STEPBible TIPNR. A person listed with a verse is named or indexed there; it does not mean they wrote or spoke it.