Meeting the Apostle James Son of Alphaeus

The New Testament abounds with central and not-so-central figures who share first names. Among the apostles alone, there were two Simons, two Judes/Judases, and two Jameses. It doesn’t help that some also have additional names, nicknames, or surnames. To make matters more confusing, some of them were also brothers. It’s easy to confuse people, especially the more one studies. Who is who, and why does it matter?

In this column we will examine the life of James son of Alphaeus, sometimes known as “James the Lesser.” This distinguishes him from James son of Zebedee, who we discussed in an earlier installment. Like the Apostle Philip, we don’t know much about his life. Regardless, he’s included among the twelve, which means he was an apostle in his own right.

Who was James son of Alphaeus?

We don’t know when James was born, but he was likely born in Galilee. We know he was the son of Alphaeus, which according to tradition, would have made him brother of the Apostle Matthew. He’s identified as “James the Less” or “James the Lesser” because he was younger than “James the Greater,” who was James son of Zebedee. He’s also always identified with his mother.

Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. (Matthew 27:56, NIV)

Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. (Mark 15:40, NIV)

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. (Mark 16:1, NIV)

There’s no known reason why he’s associated with his mother, although it’s possible she was also a disciple and around often. Some scholars suspect he might be a brother of Jesus, but there’s no clear evidence of this. Otherwise, we don’t know much about him.

James’ walk with Jesus

Other than the few instances where James is mentioned along with his mother, we have no stories of specific incidents between James and Jesus. He is only mentioned along with the other twelve:

• Sending out the twelve: Along with the others, James was sent out to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons (Matthew 10:1-8, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16).
• The Last Supper: Along with the other twelve, James was present at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12).

James after the resurrection

There’s one other mention of the Apostle James son of Alphaeus in the New Testament, found in Acts 1:12-14, speaking of the election of Matthias to replace Judas:

Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (NIV)

Later accounts

Of all the twelve apostles studied to date, the Apostle James son of Alphaeus has the least post-New Testament history. In contrast with some of the others, there isn’t much to speak, at all. There are three prevailing histories of his death, none of which agree, nor provide additional history. According to the first, he was crucified in Egypt while ministering there. in 62 AD. The second has him stoned in Jerusalem after the Sanhedrin arrested him on charges of breaking the law. The third has him single for his whole life and dying of natural causes at the age of ninety-six.

Unlike other apostles, there are no apocryphal accounts of James son of Alphaeus, neither in content nor attribution.

Summary

The Apostle James son of Alphaeus might seem like the “unknown apostle.” He’s best known for his mother, Mary, rather than much of what was done for the Lord. Still, his inclusion tells us much about him. He wouldn’t have been included if his ministry had no relevance. If anything, he shows us it’s all right to be quiet and known for associations with other Christians. It’s not all about showing up and showing out all the time, but about remaining faithful to our faith and call throughout our lives.

Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. (Matthew 10:1-4, NIV)