Matthew 10:2-4

The 12 special disciples now received the title "apostles." This noun, apostolos in Greek, comes from the verb apostello meaning "to send." This was not a technical term until Jesus made it such. It continued to refer generally to people sent out with the Christian message such as Barnabas (Acts 14:4; Acts 14:14; Romans 16:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28-29; 2 Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25). It referred to any messenger (John 13:16) and even to Jesus (Hebrews 3:1). Paul became an apostle who received his commission directly from the Lord, as the 12 special disciples had. This is the only place Matthew used the word "apostle." He probably used it here because Jesus proceeded to prepare to send these 12 men on a special mission to the Israelites (Matthew 10:5-42).

Lists of the 12 Apostles occur in Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; and Acts 1:13 as well as here. Comparing the four lists we note that there appear to have been three groups of four disciples each. Peter, Philip, and James the son of Alphaeus seem to have been the leaders of these groups.

Peter’s name occurs first here as in all the other lists, probably because he was the "first among equals." Matthew may also have listed him first because he became the leading apostle to the Jews. [Note: Toussaint, Behold the . . ., p. 138.] James’ name occurs before his brother John’s probably because James was older. Matthew described himself humbly as "the tax-gatherer."

Thaddaeus and Judas the son or brother of James seem to be two names for the same man, and Simon the Cananaean seems to have been the same person as Simon the Zealot. The Zealots constituted a political party in Israel, centered in Galilee, that sought to throw off the Roman yoke. [Note: See Edersheim, 1:237.] However, "Zealot" did not become a technical term for a member of this revolutionary group until the time of the Jewish War (A.D. 68-70). So "Zealot" here probably refers to Simon’s reputation for religious zeal. [Note: France, The Gospel . . ., p. 378.] "Cananaean" is the Aramaic form of "Zealot" and does not refer to the land of Canaan.

"Iscariot" may mean "of Kerioth," the name of two Palestinian villages, or "the dyer," his possible occupation. It may be a transliteration of the Latin sicarius, a Zealot-like movement. [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 239, listed six possible meanings.] Some scholars believe it means "false one" and comes from the Aramaic seqar meaning "falsehood." [Note: Earle E. Ellis, The Gospel of Luke, p. 110; Marshall, p. 240.] The names "Andrew" and "Philip" are Greek and probably reflect the more Hellenistic flavor of their hometown, Bethsaida, on the east side of the Jordan River (John 1:44).

These men became Jesus’ main agents in carrying out His mission, though Judas, of course, proved to be a hypocritical disciple. Probably Matthew described the Twelve in pairs because they went out in pairs (Mark 6:7). [Note: Tasker, p. 106.]