Matthew 10:2

Apostles (ἀποστόλων) Compare disciples, Matthew 10:1. Apostles is the official term, used here for the first time. They were merely learners (disciples, μαθηταὶ) until Christ gave them authority. From ἀποστέλλω, to send away. An apostle is one sent forth. Compare John 13:16 and Rev., one that is sent. Cremer ("Biblico-Theological Lexicon") suggests that it was the rare occurrence of the word in profane Greek that made it all the more appropriate as the distinctive appellation of the twelve. Compare Luke 6:13; Acts 1:2. Also, John 17:18, I have sent. The word is once used of Christ (Hebrews 3:1), and in a very general sense to denote an:), one sent (2 Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25).

2 . apostles ] the only passage in this Gospel where the word occurs. The Greek word lit. = “sent forth,” “envoys.” This sense, though scarcely recognised by classical authors, was not new. It seems to have been a “title borne by those who were despatched from the mother city by the rulers of the race on any foreign mission, especially such as were charged with collecting the tribute paid to the temple service.” (Lightfoot, Gal. p. 90). The title of “apostles” was given in a special sense to the Twelve, but was not confined to them. Matthias was added to the number of the twelve, Paul was “called to be an apostle,” James the Lord’s brother, and Barnabas, are designated by the same title. It had even a wider signification: cp. among other passages Romans 16:7 . The name is applied to Jesus Christ, Hebrews 3:1 , “The Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.” He came to do the will of Him that sent Him. There are four lists of the Apostles recorded, one by each of the Synoptic Evangelists, one in the Acts of the Apostles. No two of these lists perfectly coincide. This will be seen from the tabular view below. Matthew 10:3 . Mark 3:16 . Luke 6:14 . Act 1:13 . 1. Simon Peter. Simon Peter. Simon Peter. Peter. 2. Andrew. James the son of Zebedee. Andrew. James. 3. James the son of Zebedee. John the brother of James. James. John. 4. John his brother. Andrew. John. Andrew. 5. Philip. Philip. Philip. Philip. 6. Bartholomew. Bartholomew. Bartholomew. Thomas. 7. Thomas.

Matthew. Matthew. Bartholomew. 8. Matthew the Publican. Thomas. Thomas. Matthew. 9. James the son of Alphæus. James son of Alphæus. James the son of Alphæus. James son of Alphæus. 10. Lebbæus sur-named Thaddæus. Thaddæus. Simon Zelotes. Simon Zelotes. 11. Simon the Cananite. Simon the Cananite. Judas (son) of James. Judas (son) of James. 12. Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot. It will be observed from a comparison of these lists that the twelve names fall into three divisions, each containing four names which remain in their respective divisions in all the lists. Within these divisions however, the order varies. But Simon Peter is placed first, and Judas Iscariot last, in all. Again, Philip invariably heads the second, and James the son of Alphæus the third division. Andrew, a Greek name; see John 12:21-22 , where the Greeks in the temple address themselves to Philip, “Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.” An incident that points to some Greek connection besides the mere name.

Matthew 10:2-4 . The first, Simon — The first who was called to a constant attendance on Christ: although Andrew had seen him before Simon, John 1:41 . James the son of Zebedee — The fisherman, and John his brother — The beloved disciple; who were also called at the same time with the two former, as they were fishing at the sea of Galilee, Mark 1:19 . The word Ιακωβος , which we translate James, is the same name with that of the patriarch; but immemorial custom has appropriated, in our language, the name James to the two apostles, and Jacob to the patriarch. Lebbeus, who was also called Judas, or Jude, the brother of James. Simon the Canaanite — So called, it seems, because he was a native of Cana. And Judas, named Iscariot, from Iscarioth, the place of his birth, a town of the tribe of Ephraim, near the city of Samaria.

Matthew 10:2 . τῶν δὲ δώδ . ἀποστόλων : etc., the evangelist finds here a convenient place for giving the names of the Twelve, called here for the first and last time ἀπόστολοι , with reference at once to the immediate minor mission (from ἀποστέλ . λειν , vide Matthew 10:5 ) and to the later great one. One half of them are for us mere names, and of one or two even the names are doubtful, utterly obscure, yet, doubtless, in their time and sphere faithful witnesses. They are arranged in pairs, as if following the hint of Mark that they were sent out by two and two , each pair connected with a καὶ (so in Luke, not in Mark).— πρῶτος : at the head of the list stands Peter, first not only numerically (Meyer) but in importance, a sure matter of fact, though priestly pretensions based on it are to be disregarded. He is first in all the lists.— ὁ λεγ . Πέτρος : a fact already stated ( Matthew 4:18 ), here repeated probably because the evangelist had his eye on Mark’s list ( Matthew 3:16 ) or possibly to distinguish this Simon from another in the list (No. 11).

(2) A comparison of the four lists of the Apostles ( Matthew 10:2-4 , Mark 3:16-19 , Luke 6:13-16 , Acts 1:13 ) brings out some interesting facts. (1.) The name of Peter is always first, that of Judas always last. In the former case we recognise acknowledged preeminence. The position of the latter may have been the consequence of the infamy which attached to the name of the traitor; but it is possible (and this may have been one of the elements that entered into his guilt) that his place had always been one of inferiority. (2.) All the lists divide themselves into three groups of four, the persons in each group being always the same (assuming that the three names, Judas the brother (?) of James, Thaddæus, and Lebbæus, belong to the same person), though the order in each group varies. (3.) The first group includes the two sons of Jona and the two sons of Zebedee, whose twofold call is related in Matthew 4:18-21, John 1:40. In two lists (Mark and Acts) the name of Andrew stands last; in two (Matt. and Luke) that of John. In none of them are the names of Peter and John coupled together, as might have been expected from their close companionship (John 20:2; Acts 3:1). The four obviously occupied the innermost place in the company of the Twelve, and were chosen out of the chosen. The three, Peter, James, and John, were the only witnesses of the healing of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37), of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), and of the Agony in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37).

Something seems to have excluded Andrew, though he had been the first called of all (John 1:40), from this intimate companionship; but we find him joined with the other three as called to listen to the great prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3). All the four appear to have come from Bethsaida, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. (4.) The name of Philip is always first in the second group, and he, too, came from Bethsaida. Next, in the three Gospel lists, comes that of Bartholomew. The name, like Barjona and Bartimæus, was obviously a patronymic, and it was at least probable that he had some other name. The absence of any mention of Bartholomew in St. John’s Gospel, or of Nathanael (John 1:45) in the other three, has led most modern commentators to the conclusion that they were two names for the same person; and the juxtaposition of the two names in their lists agrees with the fact that it was Philip who brought him to know Jesus as the Christ (John 1:45). On this assumption, Bartholomew was of Cana, the scene of our Lord’s first miracle (John 21:2). The name of Matthew stands before that of Thomas in Mark and Luke, after it in the Gospel which beare his own name. On the change of name from Levi, and his description as the son of Alphæus, see Notes on Matthew 9:9.