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Quick Summary
Judas Thaddeus was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. The New Testament calls him by different names: "Judas son of James" in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13, "Thaddaeus" in Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18, and "Judas (not Iscariot)" in John 14:22. These names all refer to the same man, and the extra names helped distinguish him from Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus. His only recorded words come at the Last Supper, when he asks Jesus why he will reveal himself to the disciples and not to the world. Christian tradition knows him as Saint Jude, says he preached in Edessa, Armenia, and Persia, and honors him as the patron saint of hopeless causes. Most scholars do not think he wrote the Letter of Jude.
Who Was Judas Thaddeus?
Judas Thaddeus was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, chosen after Jesus spent a night in prayer on a mountain (Luke 6:12-16). Judas, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah, was one of the most common names among first-century Jews. It honored Judah, the son of Jacob, and Judas Maccabeus, the hero who freed Jerusalem from the Greeks. Among the Twelve, two men carried the name, and the Gospel writers took care to keep them apart.
He is one of the least-known apostles. He appears in all four lists of the Twelve and speaks once, in John 14. Everything else about his life comes from tradition.
Judas Son of James, Thaddeus, and Lebbaeus: One Apostle, Several Names
Compare the four lists of the apostles and one name seems to change. Where Luke and Acts have "Judas son of James," Matthew and Mark have "Thaddaeus." Since the other eleven names line up, nearly all interpreters agree these are the same person, yet how confusing!
| Passage | Name used |
|---|---|
| Matthew 10:3 | Thaddaeus (some manuscripts: Lebbaeus) |
| Mark 3:18 | Thaddaeus |
| Luke 6:16 | Judas son of James (KJV: "Judas the brother of James") |
| John 14:22 | Judas (not Iscariot) |
| Acts 1:13 | Judas son of James |
Judas son of James. Luke's Greek reads literally "Judas of James." Normally that means "son of James," which is how the NRSV and most modern translations render it. The King James Version reads "Judas the brother of James," probably to connect him with the Letter of Jude, whose author calls himself "brother of James." The father, James, is otherwise unknown. He is probably neither of the apostles named James.
Thaddaeus. This was likely a nickname. Its origin is uncertain. Some connect it to an Aramaic word meaning "breast" or "chest," suggesting something like "big-hearted" or "beloved." Others think it is a shortened form of a Greek name such as Theodotus, "gift of God."
Lebbaeus. Some manuscripts of Matthew 10:3 read "Lebbaeus," and the KJV combines the two: "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus." Lebbaeus likely comes from the Hebrew word leb, "heart." Both nicknames may point to the same quality: this was the apostle known for his heart.
Judas, not Iscariot. John's Gospel makes the distinction explicit, calling him "Judas (not Iscariot)" (John 14:22). After the betrayal, Christians had good reason to make sure no one confused the two. See JUDAS ISCARIOT for the other Judas.
Judas Thaddeus in the Bible: His Only Words
Thaddeus speaks once in the Gospels, at the Last Supper. Jesus has just told the disciples, "They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them" (John 14:21).
Judas asks, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?" (John 14:22).
It is an honest question. Like many in his day, Judas may have expected the Messiah to appear in public power and glory, a revelation the whole world could see. Why would Jesus show himself only to a small circle of followers?
Jesus answers, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them" (John 14:23).
Jesus answers with a description of a relationship. God reveals himself to those who love him, and he comes to live with them. The word for "home" (monē) is the same word Jesus used a few verses earlier: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places" (John 14:2). The promise of a home with God reaches into the present: God makes his home in the people who love him now. For background on this Gospel, see who wrote the Gospel of John.
His name appears one last time in Acts 1:13, among the eleven apostles praying in the upper room after the ascension. He was there with the church that received the Spirit at Pentecost.
Did Judas Thaddeus Write the Book of Jude?
This is one of the most common questions about him, and the answer is probably no. Let’s look into that.
The Letter of Jude begins, "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James" (Jude 1). "Jude" is simply the English form of "Judas." Some traditions, especially in the Western church, identified this author with the apostle Judas Thaddeus.
Most scholars think the author was a different Jude: Jude the brother of Jesus. Mark 6:3 lists Jesus' brothers as "James and Joses and Judas and Simon." James the brother of Jesus became the leader of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15; Galatians 1:19; see who wrote James), and a writer who called himself "brother of James" would naturally be pointing to that famous James. The letter also seems to speak of the apostles as a group separate from the author: "remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 17).
For more on this question, see who wrote Jude and when Jude was written.
What Happened to Judas Thaddeus?
The New Testament says nothing about his ministry after Pentecost. Several traditions developed in the early church.
Edessa and King Abgar. The church historian Eusebius preserves a story that King Abgar of Edessa, in what is now southeastern Turkey, wrote to Jesus asking to be healed. After the resurrection, a missionary named Thaddaeus was sent to Edessa, healed the king, and established the church there. Eusebius calls this Thaddaeus one of the Seventy rather than one of the Twelve, but later tradition often merged the two.
Armenia. The Armenian Apostolic Church traces its founding to the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew (traditionally identified with Nathanael). The Monastery of Saint Thaddeus in northwestern Iran, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is traditionally built over his grave.
Persia, with Simon the Zealot. The best-known Western tradition says Jude preached in Persia with Simon the Zealotand that both were martyred there. That is why the two apostles share a feast day in the Western church, October 28. Relics associated with both men are kept in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.
How Did Judas Thaddeus Die?
As with most of the apostles, the accounts of his death come from later tradition and disagree with one another. Western tradition says he was martyred in Persia, killed with a club or an axe, which is why Christian art often shows him holding one. Armenian tradition places his martyrdom in Armenia. Some accounts say he died peacefully in Edessa or Beirut. No early source settles the question.
Why Is Saint Jude the Patron Saint of Lost Causes?
In Catholic devotion, Saint Jude is the patron saint of hopeless cases and desperate situations. The tradition probably grew because his name sounded so much like Judas Iscariot that Christians rarely prayed to him. Over time, he came to be seen as the apostle people turned to when every other hope was gone.
The devotion became especially popular in the twentieth century. The best-known example is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, founded by the entertainer Danny Thomas, who had promised as a struggling young man to build a shrine to Saint Jude if his life found direction.
In art, Jude is often shown with a flame above his head, recalling Pentecost, and with a medallion bearing the face of Christ, recalling the Abgar legend.
Judas Thaddeus at a Glance
Also called: Judas son of James; Thaddaeus; Lebbaeus; Jude; Judas (not Iscariot)
Role: One of the twelve apostles
Bible references: Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:16; John 14:22; Acts 1:13
Recorded words: One question at the Last Supper (John 14:22)
Feast day: October 28 (Western, with Simon); June 19 (Eastern Orthodox)
Symbols in art: Club or axe; flame over his head; medallion of Christ
Patronage: Hopeless causes and desperate situations
What Judas Thaddeus Teaches Us
As a pastor, I have always appreciated that the one thing Scripture records Thaddeus saying is a question. He wondered why Jesus would work in a small, hidden way when he could show his power in public. Many of us have asked the same thing. Why doesn't God make himself obvious? Why does faith so often feel personal and small?
Jesus' answer is still the answer. God reveals himself through love, and he makes his home with those who keep his word. That kind of revelation comes without fanfare, at a kitchen table, in a hospital room, in a congregation gathered on an ordinary Sunday.
I also think it is fitting that the apostle who shared a name with the betrayer became the patron of hopeless causes. His story says that God, and not a name, decides a life. The world may confuse you with someone else or overlook you altogether. God knows who you are. For more on the hope Scripture offers in desperate situations, see these Bible verses about hope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Judas Thaddeus? Judas Thaddeus was one of the twelve apostles. Luke and Acts call him "Judas son of James," and Matthew and Mark call him "Thaddaeus." Christian tradition knows him as Saint Jude.
Is Judas Thaddeus the same as Judas son of James? Yes. The lists of the apostles in Matthew and Mark have Thaddaeus where Luke and Acts have Judas son of James. Nearly all interpreters agree they are the same person.
Is Judas Thaddeus the same as Judas Iscariot? No. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. Judas Thaddeus was a different apostle, and John's Gospel calls him "Judas (not Iscariot)" to make the distinction clear.
What did Judas Thaddeus say in the Bible? His only recorded words are in John 14:22: "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?"
Did Judas Thaddeus write the Book of Jude? Probably not. Most scholars believe the Letter of Jude was written by Jude the brother of Jesus and of James (Mark 6:3), though some traditions identify the author with the apostle.
What does Thaddeus mean? Its meaning is uncertain. It may come from an Aramaic word suggesting "big-hearted" or "beloved," or it may be a short form of a Greek name meaning "gift of God."
How did Judas Thaddeus die? The Bible does not say. Western tradition holds that he was martyred in Persia with Simon the Zealot, killed with a club or axe. Armenian tradition says he was martyred in Armenia.
Why is Saint Jude the patron of lost causes? His name was so close to Judas Iscariot's that few people prayed to him, so he became the saint people turned to in desperate situations.
What is the feast day of Saint Jude? October 28 in the Western church, shared with Simon the Zealot. The Eastern Orthodox Church remembers him on June 19.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Works Consulted
Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John XIII-XXI (Anchor Bible)
Richard Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter (Word Biblical Commentary)
Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I-IX (Anchor Bible)
Sean McDowell, The Fate of the Apostles
