In the previous article, I spoke about the disciples of the Lord Christ:
Philip the Apostle, who was martyred in Turkey; Bartholomew/Nathanael the Apostle, who was martyred in Armenia; and Thomas the Apostle,
who was martyred in India.
Matthew the Apostle
He is one of the twelve disciples, born in Cana of Galilee. “Matthew” is a Hebrew name derived from the word “Mattathias,” which means “gift of God.” He also bore another name, “Levi, son of Alphaeus,” but he is not the brother of the disciple “James, son of Alphaeus.”
Matthew worked as a tax collector (a publican) in Capernaum, where he collected taxes from the people on behalf of the Romans. Some mention that Matthew the Apostle was fluent in at least three languages: Aramaic, his mother tongue; Greek, the language of the educated, as he worked in the prestigious field of tax collection; and Latin, because he was an agent for the Romans.
The Lord Christ called him to follow Him: “As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him” (Matthew 9:9). Matthew also prepared a great feast and invited the Lord Christ and the disciples, as well as the tax collectors, to listen to Him: “Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him” (Mark 2:15).
Saint Matthew was known in his life for his extreme asceticism, and it was said of him that he was a vegetarian.
Matthew the Apostle preached in Judea, the lands of Arabia, Yemen, and the southern Arabian Peninsula, then in Ethiopia, where he spent nearly 23 years. Matthew the Apostle wrote the Gospel in the Hebrew language, addressed to the Jews, and it was later translated into Greek. He was martyred in Ethiopia on the 12th of Babah (October 22).
James, son of Alphaeus, the Apostle
He is James, son of Alphaeus, or James, son of Clopas; the name “Clopas” is the Greek translation of the name “Alphaeus.” He was the son of the Lord Christ’s maternal aunt (a cousin), and was therefore known as “James, the brother of the Lord” due to this close kinship. He was also nicknamed “James the Less” to distinguish him from the disciple “James, son of Zebedee,” who was older than him. He was also called “James the Just” because of the holiness of his life, his righteousness, and his severe asceticism. Paul the Apostle mentioned him in his epistle to the Galatians: “Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.”Galatians 1:18-24
Saint James the Apostle was the first bishop of Jerusalem and the first president of an ecumenical council in the history of the Church, which was held in Jerusalem in 50 AD. He wrote the “Epistle of James” in the New Testament and is mentioned as one of those considered to be pillars. Many came to believe through his hands, which angered the chiefs of the Jews, the scribes, and the Pharisees. They took him to the pinnacle of the Temple to testify against the Lord Christ, but he refused. So, they threw him down, and he was martyred on the 18th of Abib (July 25).
Lebbaeus/Thaddeus the Apostle
“Lebbaeus” is a Hebrew name meaning “courageous” or “beloved,” and he is also nicknamed “Thaddeus.” Another name mentioned for him is “Jude, the brother of James the Less,” and the name Jude means “praised”; thus, he would also be a cousin of the Lord Christ. Saint John the Evangelist mentions him by the name “Jude, not Iscariot.” He wrote the “Epistle of Jude” in the New Testament.
He preached in Iraq, the lands of Arabia, Persia (Iran), and Armenia, and is considered their first Patriarch. He also healed Abgar, the king of Edessa in Urfa. He was martyred in Persia on the 2nd of Abib (July 9).
Simon the Canaanite, the Apostle
He is Simon the Canaanite, or Simon the Zealot. The word “Canaanite” is a Hebrew word meaning “Zealot.” He belonged to the “Zealot party,” a party of revolutionaries who strictly adhered to the rites of Moses the Prophet. It is said that Simon the Zealot was the bridegroom whose wedding the Lord Christ attended in Cana of Galilee, where He performed His first miracle. Simon was deeply moved and followed the Lord Christ.
Some scholars have mentioned that Saint Simon the Canaanite passed through Egypt during his ministry and preached in Mauritania, Carthage (Tunisia), Libya, Spain, and the British Isles. He then went with Saint Lebbaeus to Persia, where he was martyred on the 15th of Bashans (May 23).
To be continued…
And the stories of “Beautiful Egypt” never end!
