#5~THE APOSTLE JAMES, THE SON OF ALPHAEUS, who is also CLEOPHAS~ 1-4-14
~ This apostle, some times referred too as "James the less" -- He was probably called this either because he was short in stature, or perhaps because he was younger, also to distinguish him from the other apostle James, the brother of the apostle John.
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"JAMES" was a common name in the time of Jesus, there are 4 men named "JAMES" in the N.T.
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1~ James, the son of Zebedee brother of John, both were apostles.
2 ~ James, a son of Mary, half brother of Jesus, was not a member of the apostolic band, and not a believer in Jesus until after His resurrection.
>John 7: 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
~This James, the half brother of Jesus was not an apostle, but later he considered it his calling to oversee the church in Jerusalem.
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>Matthew 13:55 Is not this [Jesus] the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
~ James, the half brother of Jesus became a believer after His resurrection; he is the writer of the epistle of JAMES.
~ Judas, the half brother of Jesus became a believer after His resurrection; he is the writer of the epistle of JUDE.
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>James 1:1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
>Jude --verse 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
~ I want to point out that neither James nor Jude mentions that Jesus is their brother, they were not interested in bringing attention to themselves, they both simple called them selves SERVANTS of the Lord Jesus.
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3rd. ~ James, the father of "Judas an apostle" not Judas Iscariot, and not the half brother of Jesus also named Judas. -- Remember, the half brothers of Jesus did not believe on Him until after His resurrection.
~Lets be aware, that Jesus chose His 12 apostles close to the beginning of His 3½ year ministry, Jesus half brothers did not believe on Him at that time, so this rules out James the half brother of Jesus as one of His apostles.
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* LISTEN - the names of the 12 apostles sometimes vary because Bartholomew and Nathaniel are the same person,-- Matthew is also named Levi, and Lebbaeus was sometimes called Judas (not Iscariot) and also referred too as Thaddaeus.
* So the apostle JUDAS, LEBBAEUS, and THADDAEUS, are the same person, depending on which of the gospels your reading. -- John's Gospel does not contain a listing of the 12 apostles as the others.
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~ LISTEN to Luke's account of the apostles, here we find two apostles named JUDAS.
>Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16And Judas the brother of James, [LEBBAEUS, - THADDAEUS] and Judas Iscariot,
~ So we find two apostles named JUDAS.
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4th. ~ James, the son of [Alphaeus or son of Cleopas], he is the James we're talking about today.
~Tradition has it that he had been a tax-gatherer, that he possible was a brother of Matthew, also a tax collector; Matthew is also described as a son of Alphaeus.
>Mark 2:14 And as HE passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus --
* Levi and Matthew are one and the same.
~ It's possible that there were two men named "Alphaeus"
~ But if James and Matthew were brothers, then this family was highly honored in having two sons who became apostles. -- The brothers "James and John" sons of Zebudee also were apostles. -- Also Peter and Andrew were brothers.
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~ There is nothing at all in the N.T. about the apostle "James the less" -- neither his life nor his ministry. -- We know his name; we know his father name was
"Alphaeus", who is also called "Cleophas".
~ Listen, we also know "James the less" mothers name was MARY.--how do we know that?
>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;
~~Listen, SALOME was Mary the mother of Jesus sister, SALOME was Zebudees wife, and they were the parents of James and John, the apostles.
>John 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, [MARY] and his mother's sister, [Salome] -- Mary the wife of Cleophas, [Alphaeus-father of James the less, & his brother Joses- Mk.15:40] and Mary Magdalene.
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~Let me say that "MAGDALENE" was not Mary's last name; she was from "MAGDALA" a town thought to have been on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
* LISTEN; there are six "MARY'S" in the N.T.
1. Mary, mother of Jesus.
2. Mary the wife of Cleopas = one and the same Alphaeus].
3. Mary Magdalene - of Magdala.
4. Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
5. Mary the mother of John Mark- sister of Barnabas- Col.4:10
6. Mary a Christian who treated Paul with kindness -- Rom.16:6
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* Back too the apostle James the less:
~Although we know nothing about James "the less" Jesus saw in James a man worthy to be one of His 12 apostles, Jesus saw in James a great preacher, James would represent Jesus faithfully, he would spread the gospel of Jesus far and wide. -- Jesus knew James would be faithful. - Jesus knew all about James.
>John 2:25--- for he knew what was in man.
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~ Perhaps Jesus counted James as an apostle, and as a representative of a long line of disciples, of whom no record would be kept, and of whom the world would not be worthy, and whose names would not be remembered beyond their quiet, faithful, un-known ministry in His church. -- Some of the greatest forces in nature are silent and unseen.
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~ I suppose what stands out about James, the son of Alphaeus, is the fact that he was content to remain in the background, he sought no great recognition, if
disciple-ship was what the Lord willed for him, then he was happy to have it that way. --- What ever James may have done while on this earth are gone, no one will really ever know all the good things he may have done for Jesus, only the Lord Himself knows the deeds James did. --
~ All that Jesus expected James as an apostle to do was to live at his best, which we're sure that he did.
~ Much of the world's most needed and most blessed work is done by those that the world knows nothing about.
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~ The apostle Peter is seen in the book of Acts doing many great things in the early church, Peter wrote 2 epistles that the world can read, and should read.
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~ The apostle Paul wrote 14 books of the N.T., we are taught by Paul Church doctrine, how man became a sinner, Paul tells of what Jesus accomplished in dying for our sins, and how we can be saved.
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~The apostle John wrote 5 books of the N.T., God gave John the great book of the Revelation, by John writing Revelation we understand what's on the way, and we need to be ready to leave this world.
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~ But the apostle James "the less" left only his name, but Jesus would have us remember that we must be faithful in that which is least.
~For all we know, James may have a greater reward awaiting him than any of the apostles; no one can judge are say.
~Faithful, patient, humble service may go unrecorded and unnoticed of men, but Jesus knows all about it.
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~ Think about the missionaries sent too foreign lands, many are in harms way all the time, we don't know what their confronted with, some even loose their lives, their there trying to help people come to the saving knowledge of Christ, the church people here at home, sent these precious people, but most of us will never know the danger that many of them are exposed to. -- These dear people deserve our up-most respect and prayers -- But guess what, Jesus knows all about it, they'll be rewarded one day, and so will the obscure apostle James "the less". -- There's nothing little about James to the Lord Jesus.
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~ Most of us have heard gospel songs about sitting down with Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, and talking to them, and that is truly going to be wonderful, but just think of it, we'll also get to talk to all the apostles, the apostle James "the less" we'll find out first hand what James did, and I'm sure he did much.
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~Although we know nothing of the labors of the apostle James "the less" -- his name will live for-ever engraved on one of the twelve pillars of the Eternal City, seeing he was one of "the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev. 21:14).
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~ I think of a man called ANTIPAS in Rev.2: that Jesus calls His faithful Martyr; no where else in the bible do we find any thing about brother ANTIPAS, if his name was not recorded in Rev.2: we'd not even know he ever excited, but Jesus knows all about him, Jesus is the One that mentions him.
~ James is not mentioned separately in Scripture, except in the lists of the apostle's names, we know nothing about the apostle James- "the less"
~Jesus the Judge will honor James because of his faithfulness, not for how famous he became, and dear heart, that will also be our case as well.
* Tradition has it, that James the Less, come too his death by being thrown from the pinnacle of the temple, but when he was found still to be alive; he was then beaten to death with clubs.
~ All the apostles accept John died a martyr's death; {for the cause of Christ] John was imprisoned on the island of Patmos for a time where he wrote the Book of Revelation, he was later freed and went to Turkey, perhaps on a mission to establish churches there.
~John is said to have died a normal death, we'll talk about John later Lord willing.
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~I'm looking forward to meeting the apostle James "the less" and I'm sure you are as well.
