There are certain difficulties with the question of identifying the personality of the Apostle Thaddeus. The fact is that on the pages of the New Testament he is mentioned under several different names, which is consistent with the customs of that time. Moreover, if the researchers have no doubts about the fact that they call him Judas of Jacob and Leve, then there are disagreements about several other names that may correspond to him, for example, Barsabas (Acts of the Apostles 15:22). Let's dwell on this in more detail.
List of apostles
First of all, let's turn to the canonical list of the names of the 12 apostles of Christ, who became His closest disciples. They are called in the following order:
- Andrey, usually mentioned with the addition of the title of the First-Called.
- Peter is his brother.
- John is an evangelist, the youngest of the apostles, a beloved disciple of Christ, who deserved the title of Theologian.
- Jacob Zebedee, brother of the Apostle John the Theologian.
- Philip, who is only known to be from Bethsaida.
- Bartholomew is the same apostle whom Jesus called "a true Israelite in whomno guile.”
- Matthew is an evangelist, a former publican who collected taxes.
- Thomas, nicknamed the Unbeliever for his doubts about the resurrection of Jesus.
- Jacob Alfeev ─ brother of the Apostle Thaddeus.
- Judas Thaddeus is the apostle we are talking about in our article. It should be noted that in the canonical list he is mentioned under two names at once.
- Simon the Zealot, also called Simon the Zealot in the New Testament.
- Judas Iscariot ─ a traitor who, after his apostasy and subsequent suicide, was replaced by an apostle named Matthew (not to be confused with Matthew!).
Disciple of Christ
In the list of names of the 12 apostles of Christ, Thaddeus is traditionally mentioned tenth in a row with the addition of another component of the name ─ Judas. This is important to take into account, for example, for a correct understanding of the episode described in the Gospel of John, when during the Last Supper one of the apostles, named Judas, but with the proviso that it was not Iscariot, asks Jesus a question regarding His upcoming resurrection. Turning to the list of names of the apostles, it is not difficult to guess that in this case we are talking about the apostle Thaddeus.
In the New Testament, information about this disciple of Jesus Christ, who was included in the number of 12 apostles, is very limited. It is only known that he was the son of Alpheus and Cleopas. Somewhat more detailed information can be obtained from the Holy Tradition, which says that after the Ascension of the Savior, the Apostle Thaddeus (aka Judas) first preached the word of God in Judea, Idumea, Samaria andGalilee, and after that he went to the Arabian Peninsula, visited Mesopotamia and Syria, after which he arrived in Edessa.
Author of the Epistle
One of his most significant deeds is connected with this city, located in the southeast of modern Turkey. In Edessa (according to other sources, in Persia), the apostle wrote his famous Epistle, included in the New Testament. In it, he briefly, but at the same time unusually succinctly and convincingly, outlined a number of truths that are an integral part of Christian teaching. In particular, he expounded the dogma of the Holy Trinity, the coming Last Judgment, the incarnation of our Savior Jesus Christ, as well as the angels of God and the spirits of darkness.
This work of his is not only dogmatic, but also of great educational significance, since in it the holy apostle calls for the observance of carnal purity and chastity, the conscientious fulfillment of one's daily labors and diligence in prayer. In addition, he warns members of religious communities against the possible influence of various heretical false teachings, which were very widespread at that time. Putting faith in Christ above all else, the Apostle Jude (Thaddeus) points out that without good deeds and real manifestations of love for others, she is dead.
Crown of Martyrdom
The disciple of Christ completed his earthly journey in 80 or 82 in Armenia, where, according to the Holy Scriptures, he was martyred by the pagans. His holy relics were then interred in what is today the northwestern part of Iran. Subsequently, the monastery of St. Thaddeus was established there, which now attracts millions of pilgrims from all over the world.
It is located in a mountainous area, at a distance of 20 km from the city of Maku. The main temple of the monastery - its photo is presented in the article - according to legend, was erected in 68 AD. e., that is, during the life of the apostle. It is known that in 1319 it was seriously damaged during an earthquake, and then it was rebuilt.
However, individual parts of the building, in particular the altar ledge and adjacent walls, date back to at least the 10th century. The most ancient parts of the temple are made of black stone, so the people gave it the name "Kara Kelis", which means "Black Church".
Apostle of the Armenian Church
It is curious to note that, despite the large confluence of pilgrims, only one divine service is held in the temple a year, namely on the feast of the holy apostle, which is celebrated on July 1 according to local custom. On this day, the prayer to the Apostle Thaddeus sounds in Armenian. The fact is that the monastery belongs to this local church, and among Iranian Armenians its veneration is the most widespread.
In the monastery there is the earliest icon of the Apostle Thaddeus, with which many lists were subsequently made, which were distributed throughout the Orthodox world. A photo of one of them is presented in the article. In addition, individual fragments of the relics of the apostle, transferred to the Vatican, are also stored in St. Peter's Basilica. In Western European art, an indispensable attribute of the images of the Apostle Thaddeus ishalberd, which can be seen in the reproduction given in the article.
Jesus Brother
All of the above is the most common option for identifying the Apostle Thaddeus, and meanwhile, some researchers identify him with another gospel character ─ Judas, called the brother of Jesus Christ, since he was the son of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage. And this version is also of interest. Before presenting it, we note that this gospel character is also mentioned under the name of Jacob, which should not confuse anyone, since it corresponds to the custom of using several names, which was mentioned above.
This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when not only in Western Europe, but also in Russia, it was customary to identify the Apostle Judas (Thaddeus) with the brother of Jesus Christ, who is mentioned in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Mark. In this regard, he is credited with the authorship of the Epistle of Jude, which is part of the texts of the New Testament.
Descendant of the kings of Israel
If we dwell on this version, then the Apostle Thaddeus should be recognized as the son from the first marriage of the righteous Joseph the Betrothed, who was only formally the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this case, the holy apostle is a direct descendant of the Israeli kings David and Solomon.
According to the Holy Scriptures, the Apostle Jude (Thaddeus) had three brothers ─ Simeon, Judas and Josiah, as well as two sisters, whose names are not indicated. Since they were all children of the righteous Joseph, the betrothed of the Virgin Mary, it became a traditioncall them Kinsmen of the Lord, emphasizing that, despite the lack of a blood connection with him, they nevertheless belong to the same family.
Inheritance of Righteous Joseph
Mentioning the brothers of Jesus Christ, who, according to this version, included the Apostle Thaddeus, Evangelist John says that at first they did not believe in His Divine essence and did not attach importance to the words of His sermons. The sisters treated him the same way.
Moreover, as St. Theophylact of Bulgaria points out in the life of the Apostle Thaddeus, after his return from Egypt, righteous Joseph wished to divide the land that belonged to him between his sons. He assigned an equal share with everyone to Jesus, despite the fact that he was born by the Blessed Virgin Mary not from him, but in a supernatural way, at the instigation of the Holy Spirit.
Getting Faith
The brothers opposed his decision, and only Judas (Thaddeus), supporting his father, agreed to joint ownership with Jesus of the plot of land allocated to him. This was the reason for calling him the Brother of the Lord. Since, as mentioned above, he is often referred to by the name of Jacob, the expression ─ Jacob, the brother of the Lord, also came into use. Keep in mind that this is the same person.
At a later stage of the Savior's earthly ministry, Judas (Thaddeus) believed that Jesus was exactly the Messiah that the entire Jewish people had been waiting for for many centuries. Turning with all his heart to his Master, he wasincluded among the 12 apostles. Nevertheless, remembering his former unbelief, and rightly considering it a grave sin, the apostle considered himself unworthy to bear the title of God's brother. This was reflected in his conciliar message, where he calls himself only the brother of James.
Two calendar dates
According to the tradition established in the Russian Orthodox Church, the memory of the Holy Apostle Thaddeus is usually celebrated twice a year. The first time this happens on July 2, when the brother of the Lord, the Apostle Judas Jacoblev, is honored according to the Church calendar. It can be seen from the above text that he is identified with the Apostle Thaddeus, who is praised as one of the closest disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. He is honored again on July 13 on a feast called the Council of the 12 Apostles, since he is one of them.
