Judas, son of James, also known as Thaddeus or Lebbaeus, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He is often confused with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, but he was a faithful disciple who preached the Gospel after Christ’s resurrection.
Biblical Mentions
Judas, son of James, is mentioned in several places in the New Testament:
Luke 6:16 – "Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor."
Acts 1:13 – After Jesus' ascension, he is listed among the apostles who gathered in the upper room.
John 14:22 – He asks Jesus a key question:
"Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"
This suggests he was concerned about how Jesus would reveal His identity after His resurrection.
Identity and Names
He is also called:
Thaddeus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18)
Lebbaeus (in some manuscripts of Matthew 10:3)
The names "Thaddeus" and "Lebbaeus" likely indicate affectionate or personal nicknames, meaning "courageous heart" or "dear one."
Ministry and Later Life
The Bible does not give many details about Judas Thaddeus' ministry after Pentecost, but early Christian tradition suggests he became a missionary, traveling and preaching the Gospel. Some traditions say he worked with Simon the Zealot in spreading Christianity.
Possible missionary locations:
Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)
Persia (modern Iran)
Syria
Armenia
Some sources suggest that he wrote the Epistle of Jude, though this is uncertain. The Epistle is attributed to Jude, the brother of Jesus, rather than Judas Thaddeus.
Martyrdom
Christian tradition holds that Judas Thaddeus was martyred for his faith. The most common accounts say he was either:
Beaten to death with a club, or
Killed by arrows after being crucified.