The Twelve Apostles (Part 13): Judas Iscariot

     Judas Iscariot was the son of a man called Simon (John 6:71; 12:4; 13:2, 26). Judas is always listed last among the twelve apostles (Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16), and his name is naturally omitted from the final listing in Acts 1:13. The Anglicized “Judas” is the Greek Ioudas from the Hebrew Y^ehûdâh (Judah), meaning “God is praised” (see Gen. 29:35).¹ There are at least nine persons recorded in the New Testament known by this name.² It was very popular among first-century AD Palestinian Jews presumably because of the lingering influence of Judas Maccabaeus, the leader of the second-century BC Maccabean revolution.³

     The significance of the attribution Iskariōth (Iscariot) is not certain. It could be based on the Hebrew Κ-Qrîyôth, meaning “man of Kerioth,” thus identifying where Judas or his family was from.⁴ Kerioth was a town in southern Judea (Josh. 15:25), about ten miles (16 km) south of Hebron. If the proposal is valid, then he was the only one of Christ’s original apostles who was not a native Galilean (cf. Acts 2:7). Another possibility is that the term is derived from the Latin sicarios (pl. sicarii) in reference to the radical band of Jewish assassins akin to the Zealots. The background of Judas would then be comparable to that of Simon the Zealot and perhaps also Thaddaeus Judas (a.k.a. Judas the Zealot).⁵ Other theories suggest a derivation of the name from various Hebrew or Aramaic root words, describing something about his character (‘liar’), his appearance (‘ruddy’), or his infamous deeds (‘deliverer’).⁶

     Judas served as the group’s treasurer (John 12:6; 13:29), responsible for the funds probably donated by those supportive of Jesus’ work (cf. Luke 8:3). Unfortunately Judas’ lack of integrity led him to embezzle money for his own selfish gain (John 12:6b). He was the textbook hypocrite. He preached repentance (Mark 6:12) while he himself was unrepentant (John 12:4-6). He administered baptism (John 4:2) but neglected the cleansing of his own soul (John 13:11). He healed the physically sick (Luke 9:7) as his own spiritual health declined (Matt. 26:14-16). He cast out demons (Mark 6:13) yet allowed Satan into his own heart (Luke 22:3).

     Judas was afforded privileges and opportunities available only to a select few. He was welcomed into the Lord’s immediate circle of companions. He received special training and instruction. He traveled with Jesus and ate with Jesus, and they worshiped and prayed together. Jesus was humble enough to wash Judas’ dirty feet (John 13:5) and gracious enough to call him “friend” (Matt. 26:50). At the final meal they ate together, in an environment of intimacy and trust (cf. Psa. 41:9), Judas was close enough to the Lord to share the same dipping bowl (Mark 14:17-20).

     When Judas slipped away from his brethren that fateful night (John 13:30), he missed out on all the promises and exhortations and prayers of John 13:31–17:26. He sold out his Master for the price of a lowly slave (Matt. 26:14-15; cf. Ex. 21:32). He was remorseful but not penitent, and after hanging himself, his bloated corpse eventually fell and burst open as a sickening and degrading testimonial of a wasted life (Matt. 27:3-5; Acts 1:18). His treasonous wages were then used to purchase a potter’s field called Akel Dama or “field of blood” for burying strangers (Matt. 27:5-10; Acts 1:18-19). Judas traded his immortal soul for a handful of coins he could not keep. He never saw the risen Christ, he did not receive the Holy Spirit, and he missed out on experiencing the kingdom of God come with power (Mark 9:1, 31; John 7:39). Worst of all, he forfeited his eternal home in heaven (John 14:3; 17:12).

     Evidently the Lord considers even a dishonest hypocrite deserving of a chance, and Judas was given more chances than most. The only reason Satan was able to enter Judas’ heart is because Judas made room for him (Luke 22:3; cf. Jas. 4:7-10). Consequently, Judas Iscariot will forever be remembered as “a devil” (John 6:70) and “the son of perdition” (John 17:12). In contrast, his eleven colleagues went on to give the remainder of their lives in faithful service to Christ, securing not only an abiding legacy but ultimately an everlasting inheritance.

     What are you doing with the precious opportunities the Lord has afforded you?

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ The Hebrew Y^ehûdâh (Judah) is the name of the fourth son of Jacob and Leah (Gen. 29:35) and the designation of the tribe and land of Judah (Josh. 15:20) and the southern part of the divided kingdom (1 Kings 12:23). Variants of the term were applied to the Jews (Ezra 4:12) and to the Roman province of Judea (Matt. 2:1, 22). See also Hebrew.

     ² Beyond the patriarch Judah, the name was also worn by two other ancestors of Jesus (Luke 3:26, 30, 33), a brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55), Judas Iscariot (Matt. 10:4), Judas not Iscariot (John 14:22), Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37), Judas of Damascus (Acts 9:11), and Judas Barsabas (Acts 15:22). This assumes that Judas son of James (Luke 6:16) and Judas not Iscariot (John 14:22) are the same person and that the Lord’s brother Judas is the author of the NT epistle of Jude.

     ³ See The NT Epistle of Judas, Ancient Terrorists, and Barabbas.

     ⁴ Some manuscripts of John 6:71 have interpreted Iskariōtou as apo Karuōtou (“from Kerioth”) in relation to Judas’ father Simon. See B. M. Metzger, Textual Commentary (2nd ed.) 21, 184, 204, 205; cf. 201.

     ⁵ See The 12 Apostles (Part 12): Simon Zelotes, and The 12 Apostles (Part 11): Thaddaeus Judas.

     ⁶ See BAGD 380-81; B. M. Metzger, Textual Commentary (2nd ed.) 21; L. Besserman, “Judas Iscariot,” DBTEL (1992): 418-20; “Judas Iscariot,” Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Iscariot>.

Related Posts: The 12 Apostles (Part 1)

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The Twelve Apostles (Part 12): Simon Zelotes

     Simōn is the Greek form of the Hebrew Sumeōn (Simeon), the name of the second-born son of Jacob and Leah, meaning “he has heard” (an implicit allusion to answered prayer; cf. Gen. 29:33).¹ One of the two apostles who wore this name, to distinguish him from Simon Peter, is labeled “zealot" (Greek zēlōtēs) by Luke (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Matthew (10:4) and Mark (3:18) employ the more obscure Aramaic qualifier Kananaios (from Kananitēs), which is rendered in many English versions as "Cananite." This could indicate that Simon was from Cana of Galilee,² but the term is more likely derived from the Hebrew qana, meaning “zealous” or "zealot."

     Why this particular moniker is appended to Simon’s name is uncertain. Perhaps it was indicative of his great enthusiasm and intensity.³ The tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church is that Jesus’ first miracle in Cana (John 2:1-11) was at Simon’s wedding, after which Simon’s burning zeal as a follower of Christ became most evident. But it is hard to imagine that he was significantly more zealous than every one of his colleagues, especially the other apostle Simon.⁴ Moreover, there were numerous occasions when this description just would not have been applicable.⁵

     Alternatively, he may have been a member of the infamous Zealot faction – the freedom fighters engaged in the Jewish resistance against the Romans. The fact that fellow-apostle Matthew maintained a less-than-flattering title from his former life (Matt. 10:3) lends credence to this idea. Jesus drew his immediate followers from the region of Galilee, which was the birthplace of the Zealot movement (cf. Acts 2:7; 5:37; Josephus, Ant. 18.1.1, 6).⁶

     According to the mid-second century Gospel of the Ebionites, Simon Zelotes was called by the Lord at the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee) around the same time as James, John, Simon [Peter], Andrew, Thaddaeus, Judas Iscariot, and Matthew. Seeing that the Zealots were vehemently opposed to the Romans and their collaborators, including those who gathered government taxes, it would have been interesting to see how Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector reacted toward one another when first brought together. The only thing we know for sure is that under Jesus’ influence and tutelage, they were unified co-workers, laboring side by side in the Master’s service.

     Simon sincerely believed in Jesus (John 2:11) and acknowledged him as God’s Son (Matt. 14:33). Simon left his dubious past behind to be a loyal disciple (Luke 10:28), exchanging his sword of hostility for the sword of the Spirit (cf. Eph. 6:17). He faithfully proclaimed the gospel of God’s kingdom (Luke 9:1-6) and baptized penitent believers (John 4:2). Following Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, Simon continued faithfully proclaiming the gospel of God’s kingdom and baptizing penitent believers (Acts 2:14-41; 4:29; 6:4, 7; etc.).

     After Simon’s departure from Jerusalem, traditions about him vary. He reportedly preached in Egypt before partnering with Thaddaeus Judas (identified in several Old Latin manuscripts as “Judas Zelotes [the zealot]”).⁷ They are believed to have labored together in Persia, Armenia, and Beirut (Lebanon) of Syria and were both killed with an axe in the year 65 in Beirut.⁸ It has also been alleged that Simon journeyed to the Middle East and Africa and then died by crucifixion in Jerusalem or Samaria. Other traditions claim that he was sawn in half in Suanir, Persia, or perhaps martyred in Caucasian Iberia (Weriosphora) or Britain (Caistor). Another version is that he died peacefully in Edessa.

     If Simon had in fact been involved in the fierce Zealot movement, he went from a life of bitterness and bloodshed to a very different way of destroying his enemies …. winning them over as brothers. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). Consider further what happens when a first-century Jewish insurgent is joined to a collaborator with Rome. One would naturally expect hatred, resentment, hostility and strife (cf. Mark 15:7), but when the Lord Jesus Christ is involved, extraordinary things can happen.

     “But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! …. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:15, 24).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ See The 12 Apostles (Part 2): Simon Peter, and Jesus Called Him "Peter" Only Twice.

     ² This is how Jerome (347-420) interpreted the designation, although Kanaios would have been the more appropriate term had this been the case. The renderings “Canaanite” (KJV) and “Cananean” (RV) are also used. Some have attempted to identify the apostle Simon as Jesus’ brother Simon (cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). But this is most improbable, seeing that the Lord’s brothers did not believe in him as the Christ even after the twelve had been appointed (John 6:67; 7:5). Others have equated him with Nathanael (John 1:45) or with the son of Cleopas/Alphaeus and the brother of James son of Alpheus (Mark 3:18).

     ³ Cf. Acts 21:20; 22:3; 1 Cor. 14:12; Gal. 1:14; Tit. 2:14.

     ⁴ See The 12 Apostles (Part 2): Simon Peter, Jesus Called Him "Peter" Only Twice, The Tough Love of Jesus, and Christ's Inner Circle.

     ⁵ E.g. Matt. 14:26; 16:8; 17:19-20; Mark 4:40, 41; 6:50; 9:32; 10:32; 16:11-14; Luke 8:25; 9:45; 24:11, 37, 38; John 6:19; 20:19.

     ⁶ See The 12 Apostles (Part 1), and Ancient Terrorists.

     ⁷ See The 12 Apostles (Part 11): Thaddaaeus Judas. 

     ⁸ This is a very late tradition, attributed to Jacobus de Voragine’s medieval Legenda aurea or Legenda sanctorum (the Golden Legend, ca. 1260).

Related Posts: Ancient Terrorists, The 12 Apostles (Part 1)

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The Twelve Apostles (Part 11): Thaddaeus Judas

     The name Thaddaeus (Greek Thaddaios from Aramaic Taddai) means “courageous heart.” A number of manuscripts of Matt. 10:3 include the name Lebbaeus for the apostle,¹ who is also known as Judas [son] of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13) and Judas not Iscariot (John 14:22). In later tradition the abbreviated “Jude the apostle” is used. Having multiple names (Thaddaeus Lebbaeus Judas) would not have been unusual at this time (cf. Acts 1:23). In a number of Old Latin manuscripts of Matt. 10:3 he is called “Judas Zelotes [the zealot],” suggesting either his zealousness or perhaps his former membership in the Zealot movement.

     In the upper room following the last supper, [Thaddaeus] Judas asked Jesus, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” (John 14:22 NKJV). In response, Jesus says: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me” (vv. 23-24).

     Little else would be known of Thaddaeus Judas beyond these few scripture references and vague traditions were it not for the fact that he is implicitly included in biblical accounts where the apostles are referenced collectively.² He was among those who asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). He readily acknowledged his belief that Jesus “came forth from God” (John 16:30), and he confessed Jesus as “the Son of God” (Matt. 14:33). Having been given power over diseases and unclean spirits, he preached the gospel of God’s kingdom and repentance, casting out demons and anointing the sick with oil to accompany the supernatural healings (Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6).

     Thaddaeus Judas, along with his comrades, struggled with human frailties such as fear,³ confusion,⁴ lack of faith,⁵ sorrow,⁶ emotional agitation,⁷ selfish ambition,⁸ prejudice and intolerance,⁹ as well as doubt and unbelief.¹⁰ His dirty feet were washed by Jesus (John 13:5, 12), and he sang with Jesus (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26). After momentarily forsaking the Lord (Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50), he penitently returned to faithfulness (John 20:20; Acts 1:2-3).

     Thaddaeus Judas was an eyewitness of the risen Christ and of Christ’s ascension into heaven (Luke 24:36-51; Acts 1:1-11). He was involved in the gathering of disciples where Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot as an apostle (Acts 1:13-26). He received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and went on to proclaim the gospel with accompanying signs (Mark 16:20; Acts 2:1-14, 42-43; 4:33; 5:12-16, 42; 6:4). He faced persistent opposition and persecution (Acts 5:17-26, 33, 40, 41; 8:1, 14; 9:1; 12:1; 1 Cor. 4:9-13) and participated in the prayerful request, “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word” (Acts 4:29). When ordered to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, he joined his companions in the bold affirmation, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

     About seven years after the Jerusalem conference, where Paul had last visited with the apostles, Paul returned to Jerusalem (Acts 15:6; 21:17). This time, however, he met with only the elders and the Lord’s brother James rather than the apostles (21:18). This would indicate that Thaddaeus Judas and his apostolic colleagues had moved away from the area to carry out their ministries elsewhere, accompanied by their Christian wives (1 Cor. 9:5). According to tradition Thaddaeus Judas (with Bartholomew) took the gospel to Armenia and was later killed with an axe, along with Simon the Zealot, in Beirut of Syria in the year 65 (cf. Acts of Simon and Jude).

     This lesser known apostle truly lived up to his name, exhibiting a “courageous heart.” Thanks to his documented inquiry of Jesus, we are reminded that humble obedience to the divine word demonstrates our love for Christ and secures God’s presence in our lives (John 14:22-24). Thaddaeus Judas was not perfect, but he has provided a worthy example of steadfast commitment to the Lord and loyal service in God’s kingdom.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ The name Lebbaios (“Lebbaeus”) is omitted from the standard text (UBS/N-A) of Matt. 10:3 (cf. B. M. Metzger, Textual Commentary [2nd ed.] 21), while included in the Byzantine Text (cf. M. A. Robinson and W. G. Pierpont, NT in Original Greek [2005] 19). For further discussion, see esp. Hastings’ Dictionary of the NT, <http://www.studylight.org/dic/hdn/view.cgi?n=1506>. It has been suggested that the designation might be in reference to his place of origin (cf. J. Lightfoot, Hor. Hebraic 325).

     ² See Matthias: the Forgotten Apostle, and The 12 Apostles (Part 10): James of Alphaeus.

     ³ Matt. 14:26; Mark 4:40, 41; 6:50; Mark 9:32; 10:32; Luke 8:25; 9:45; 24:37; John 6:19; 20:19.

     ⁴ Matt. 16:7-11; 19:10, 25; 21:20; Mark 4:41; 6:52; 8:16-21; 9:32; 10:26; Luke 8:25; 9:45; 18:26, 34; John 4:27, 33; 11:12-13; 12:16; 13:22.

     ⁵ Matt. 16:8; 17:19-20; Mark 4:40; Luke 8:25.

     ⁶ Matt. 17:23; 26:22; Mark 14:19; 16:10.

     ⁷ Matt. 20:24; 26:8; Mark 10:41.

     ⁸ Matt. 18:1; Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46; 22:24.

     ⁹ Matt. 15:23; 19:13; Mark 9:38; 10:13; Luke 9:49.

     ¹⁰ Mark 16:11-14; Luke 24:11, 38.

Related Posts: The 12 Apostles (Part 1)

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