NT Characters: Matthew…Thaddaeus…Martyrdom

<p>For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ <a href="https://www.douglasjacoby.com/mattmp3/">website</a>.</p><p><i>This lesson covers the final 5 apostles -- previous podcasts covered the first 7 plus Paul. Note: While we covered Judas Iscariot, we did not discuss Matthias (Acts 1:13,26), who was Judas' replacement. Click </i><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10066a.htm" target="_blank"><i>here</i></a><i> for more on this somewhat obscure addition to the apostolic band.</i></p><p> </p><p><strong>1. Matthew (Levi)</strong></p><p>Matthew is mentioned in Matthew 9:9 and 10:3, and comes from Capernaum. His other name is Levi, son of Alpheus (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). Matthew collected taxes for Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. He may have been despised as a collaborator, but his willingness to follow Christ shows his heart was good. As a tax collector he would have been literate in both Aramaic and Greek, in addition to being good with numbers. We actually know more about Zacchaeus (Luke 19), another tax collector in the first century.</p><p><strong>2. Bartholomew (Nathanael)</strong></p><p>In the synoptic gospels, Philip and Bartholomew are mentioned together; in John, it's Philip and Nathanael. Thus we can equate Bartholomew with Nathanael. We encounter this direct and honest man in John 1:43-51, 21:2. Despite his initial skepticism, he quickly came to faith once he began to interact with Jesus<strong>.</strong></p><p><strong>3. Simon the Zealot</strong></p><p>Some ancient church fathers thought he was Simon the Canaanite (Hebrew <i>qana'</i> = be zealous). We find him in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13, though little is known about him. If "zealot" was not a description of his personality or Christian commitment, then perhaps he was part of the first-century extreme political faction, the Zealots.</p><p><strong>4. James the Younger (James son of Alphaeus)</strong></p><p>This apostle was son of the other Mary, wife of Clopas (Cleopas). There is little information on this man</p><p><strong>5. Thaddaeus (