#10 ~Apostle Simon, the Zealot ~~ 2-8-14
And the Apostle Judas, Thaddeus, Lebbaeus --same person ~ son of James.
Today we'll continue with our study of the apostles, and today we'll talk a few minutes about the apostle Simon, called "the Zealot", and as time permits the Apostle Jude as well.
~ One reason Simon is called "the Zealot" is to distinguish him from the Apostle Simon Peter.
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"Simon" means, "God hears" -- the name of nine men in the New Testament:
1. Simon Peter.
2. Simon the zealot.
3. One of Jesus' brothers (Matt. 13:55).
4. A former leper - (Matt. 26:6--13.
5. A man of Cyrene who was forced to carry Jesus' cross (Matt. 27:32.
6. A Pharisee in whose house Jesus ate (Luke 7:36--50)
7. The father of Judas Iscariot (John 13:2).
8. A sorcerer known as Simon Magus (Acts 8:9--24).
9. A tanner of Joppa and friend of the apostle Peter (Acts 9:43;
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~ Luke the writer of the gospel of Luke and Acts refers to Simon Zelotes in;
>Luke 6:15-16 - Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, (full of zeal) 16And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
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>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.
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~In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, Simon the Zealot is called Simon the Canaanite.
>Matt. 10: 4 - Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
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>Mk. 3:18-19 - and Simon the Canaanite, 19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him:
~ "Simon the Canaanite"-- is not a reference to the land of Canaan or the village of Cana. -- It comes from a Hebrew word that means "to be zealous."
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~ Simon was given this nick name, "Zealot" because earlier he had been a member of a Jewish political party known as the Zealots. --- It may also suggest that he had a fiery, zealous temperament.
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~ There's nothing recorded in the N.T. about any things Simon said, or the deeds he may have done, he was sent out as the other disciples were to be Jesus witness's, He sent them out by two's.
~ But we are told that he was at one time a member of an opposing party called ZELOTS, they were against the Roman government that was then ruling the Jews. -- And so knowing this, we have a good understanding of Simon's character.
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~ A "Zealot" was a member of a Jewish sect that opposed the Roman domination of the land of Israel during the first century.
* It is said that Simon was sawn in half.
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~ LISTEN, I want to say something about the land of Israel, -- Listen; in 135 a.d. Roman Emperor Hadrian placed on the country of Israel the name "Palestine."--- People have used this name for so long that it has become common usage. -- This would be as incorrect as calling the Russia of today the "Soviet Union" or referring to Berlin as "East Germany."
~ Roman Emperor Hadrian wanted to do away with the memory of Israel, and Israel's enemies are still trying today.
~ Listen, the so called "Palestinian people" of today that's causing so much trouble in Israel are not really a nation of people at all. -- The O.T. mentions the "Philistines" and the Canaanites" that were occupants there at one time, but never the "Palestinians". Today the "Philistines and the Canaanites" are extinct.
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* Back to the "ZEALOTES".
~ When the Jews rebelled against the Romans in a.d. 66 and tried to gain their independence, the "Zealots" were in the forefront of the revolt.
~ The Zealots were devoted to the Jewish law and religion, but unlike most Pharisees, they thought it was treason against God to pay tribute to the Roman emperor since God alone was Israel's king. --- They were willing to fight to the death for Jewish independence.
~ Without doubt, Simon the zealot, was at one time against Matthew, who was a tax collector for Rome, this was of coarse before Matthew or Simon were followers of Christ.
~ Barabas was also among the Zealots. -- He was arrested for insurrection and fighting against the Roman government, to me, it seems that Barabas felt that he was fighting a just cause; he was willing to die for that cause, he, like Simon was opposed to the Roman rule over Gods people.
~ All down through the years we have understood Barabas to be a criminal, and we do read in the gospels that he was a robber, so in Rome's view Barabas was a criminal, but let us not forget his objectives, he was for Israel's freedom from Roman rule, the same as Simon. -- If the Zealots had been opposed to Roman rule in Rome then the Zealots would be wrong, but Rome was ruling the Jews in their own land.
~ And if we'll think about it, every war that's ever been fought was for the cause of freedom. -- If our nation never opposed other nations that were out to harm us or take our land, we'd have no freedom. -- People have mixed ideas about the Zealots.
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~ The Zealots believed only God Himself had the right to rule over the Jews, and therefore they believed they were doing God's work by assassinating Roman soldiers, political leaders, and anyone else who opposed them.
~ The Zealots were hoping for a Messiah who would lead them in overthrowing the Romans and restore the kingdom to Israel with its glory like Solomon's days.
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~ These zealous Jews declared that Rome had not only destroyed the independence of Israel, but had made it difficult for them to observe many of the ceremonials prescribed by the Law of Moses. --- From their headquarters in Galilee, they stirred up sedition and rebellion and at every opportunity seized to inflame the people against their Roman conquerors.
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~ Decades after Jesus' death, Zealots engineered a revolt against Rome. -- The uprising was brutally stamped out and ended with Jerusalem's destruction in 70 AD. --- Survivors fled to Masada, a fortress built by Herod near the Dead Sea.
~ There at Masada, 900 Zealots held out until the year a.d. 73. -- The Romans was preparing to attack its walls, but since it was late in the day, the Romans delayed the final attack until dawn. --- That night the survivors met and voted for suicide, rather than for capture.
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~ "The Zealots" and Simon's connection with them, is the only thing the Bible tells us about him.
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~ The historian Josephus described four basic parties among the Jews of that time.
1. The Pharisees; were dogmatic about the Law; they were the religious fundamentalists of their time.
2. The Sadducees; were religious liberals; they denied the supernatural. They were mostly rich, aristocratic, and powerful. They were in charge of the temple.
3. The Essenes; [ESS seenz] were noted for their strict discipline and their isolation from others who did not go along with their way of life.
Although the Bible never mentions the Essenes, they are described by several ancient historians. -- The Essenes [ESS seenz] are an important part of the background to the New Testament, showing the beliefs and practices of one Jewish religious group at the time of John the Baptist and Jesus.
4. The fourth group, the Zealots; was more politically minded than any other group other than the Herodians. -- Herodians took part with Herod.
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~ Simon the zealot was ready to die for Israel's deliverance, but Simon came to experience a more glorious deliverance when he was drawn to the Lord Jesus.
Through Gods grace, the zealous patriotism of Simon became refined to a deep and lasting zeal for Christ and His kingdom. -- But how he came to meet Christ we are not told, for all that is recorded of Simon is his name.
~ According to the gospel historians there are many things we can safely assume about Simon.
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~ The Lord Jesus knew all about Simon, He knew his zeal for Israel, Jesus saw in Simon a man that would be just as zealous in His ministry, Simon would become one of His 12 apostles.
~ It makes us think of "Saul of Tarsus" who became the great Apostle Paul, what zeal he had, both before he was saved and after.
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~ Jesus saw Simon as a man of fierce loyalties, amazing passion, courage, and zeal. --- Simon had believed the truth and received Christ as his Lord. -- The fiery enthusiasm he once had against Rome was now directed in his devotion to Christ.
~He took his share in the mission-work of the twelve.
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~ In Matthew and Mark's list of the Twelve, they list Simon just before Judas Iscariot. -- When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two in Mark 6:7, it is likely that Simon and Judas Iscariot were a team. --- They probably both originally
followed Christ for similar political reasons. ---- When Jesus didn't overthrow Rome, but instead talked of dying, some might have expected Simon to be the betrayer. -- But somewhere along the way, Simon became a genuine believer and was transformed. Judas Iscariot never really believed.
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~THE APOSTLE JUDAS: not Iscariot, also called, Lebbaeus and Thaddeus.
~This apostle had three names; when the apostle John mentions him, he refers to him as "Judas (not Iscariot)".
>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?
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~Judas the son of James [not brother of James] actually had three names;
The name Thaddeus appears in the list of Apostles given in Matthew 10:3, between James, son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot.
In Mark 3:18, the name Thaddeus appears, again, in the same placement.
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In Acts 1:13, however, a man named Judas, son of James, is listed below Simon. And in Luke 6:16, Judas (son of James), is listed again among the 12 Apostles, between Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.
The different names never appear in the same book, because they refer to the same person.
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~ This apostle "Judas, Thaddaeus, Lebbaeus" is said to be [the son of James]
We're told nothing about this "JAMES"
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~ "Lebbaeus and Thaddeus" were essentially nicknames.
"Thaddeus" means "breast child"-- "Lebbaeus", is similar, it is from a Hebrew word that refers to the heart--literally, "heart child."-- Both names suggest he had a tender, childlike heart.
~ Taking the three names together, they suggest the thought that he was one of the youngest of the twelve, and was looked upon by the others with an affection which showed itself in the two nicknames added to Judas.
(We believe John was probably the youngest)
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~It is said that [Judas, Thaddeus, or Lebbaeus] was beaten to death with clubs.
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~ The name Judas in and of itself is a fine name. It means "Jehovah leads."
~But what Judas Iscariot did has forever put a blemish on the name.
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* Some facts about the Apostle Judas, not Iscariot. --- There were 2 apostles named Judas.
There was Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot son of Simon.
~ In John's gospel he always says "Judas- not Iscariot", when talking about Judas son of James.
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~ Judas, not Iscariot, was the apostle we talked about last time. --
~THE APOSTLE JUDAS: not Iscariot is also called, Lebbaeus and Thaddeus, he's the apostle with 3 names.
~ When we look at the list of the apostles names in the 3 gospels and acts account, we find that some of their names are not given the same, the reason is some had more than one name.
Matthew- Levi ~ Nathaniel -- Bartholomew ~ Peter- Simon~ & Judas not Iscariot is also, Lebbaeus & Thaddeus.
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~ In Mark 3:18 he is referred to as "THADDEUS".
~ In Matt. 10:3 he is referred to as both "Lebbaeus & Thaddeus" -- we read, Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.
~ In Luke 6:16 "And Judas the brother of James," - here he's called JUDAS.
~In Acts 1:13 he is called "Judas the brother of James"
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~ listen, here is what I want you to see and understand, and I hope I don't add to the confusion.
~ In both, Luke 6:16 --- and Acts 1:13, Judas is referred to as "the brother of James"
~ Notice, the words "the brother" are in italics. ~ Listen, because if you miss this you won't understand what I'm talking about.
~~ The italicized words in the King James Bible are words that were added by the translators to help the reader understand. --- This is usually necessary when translating from one language to another, because that language may not have the best word to fit the meaning in our language. --- So, to produce a more readable translation, the King James translators (1604- 1611) added certain words to the Bible text. -- However, to make sure that everyone understood that these words were not in the original manuscripts they set them in italics. -- These translators were honest enough to set the word or words in italics, letting the readers know that they added these words, hoping to help the readers understanding.
~In other words without the two words, "the brother", that are in italics, the text would read in Luke 6:16 "And Judas of James" -- some other versions say "the son of James".
~ You may think, well so what? -- In Luke 6:16 & Acts 1:13 it could become confusing when we read "And Judas the brother of James" because it might cause some to think that the apostle JUDAS here is the brother of James, the half brother of Jesus.
~ Always remember that none of Jesus half brothers believed on Him until after His resurrection, so "JUDAS," the half brother of Jesus could not be an Apostle because Jesus chose His 12 apostles in the beginning of His ministry.
>John 7: 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
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>Matthew 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
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~ The father of the half brothers of Jesus was Joseph, Mary was their Mother, these half brothers of Jesus had an earthly father, "JOSEPH" Mary's husband, Jesus Father was the HOLY SPIRIT. -- Lk.1:35.
~ I've said all that to point out that the text to do with the Apostle Judas, not Iscariot, we believe his Fathers name was JAMES.
~ So what does all of this mean? -- It means that "JAMES" the father of the Apostle JUDAS - not Iscariot, is a "JAMES" that we know nothing about.
~ Apostle Judas Iscariot's fathers name was SIMON. -- Not James.
>John 6: 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon:
~Jesus half brother Judas, his father was Joseph, not James.
* Listen as I read once again Luke's list of the apostles.
>Luke 6:13-16 And 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, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
~ listen, this "James" to do with "JUDAS-not Iscariot" most likely is his father, but the fact still remains, we know nothing about this man James, there's 4 James's in the N.T. and this James that's related to the apostle Judas- not Iscariot fits none.
1. James, a son of Zebedee, he and his brother John were both Apostles, if this James was the apostle Judas's brother, then Zebedee had 3 sons that were Apostles. -- No place are we told that Zebedee had 3 sons.
2. James, the son of Alphaeus, referred to as "the less" -- if this James was the
Apostle Judas's brother, then this Alphaeus had 2 sons that were apostles.
3. James, the half brother of Jesus, if this James was the Apostle Judas's brother, then he would also be the half brother of Jesus.-- but Jesus brothers didn't believe on Him until after His resurrection. -- John 7:6 -- Jesus chose His 12 early in His ministry.
4. James, the father of Judas- not Iscariot. -- But nothing is mentioned of him.
~ Remember this is not changing Gods word, because these two words are in italics, meaning, they were added, hopefully for our better understanding.
~~~~ADDED LATER~~~
JUDAS~~ One of the twelve apostles of Jesus. John is careful to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot (John 14:22). He is called "Judas the son of James" (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13).
In the list of the Twelve given in Mark, instead of "Judas . . . of James" a Thaddaeus is mentioned (Mark 3:18).
Matthew has Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus (Matt. 10:3). He was also called Judas the Zealot. Tradition says he preached in Assyria and Persia and died a martyr in Persia.
