resolving confusion

Several weeks ago while reading my Bible late at night, I felt led to address a study that I knew caused you some difficulty. I do not remember if it was in that Muslim apologetics book, The Choice, or something my son-in-law had mentioned. But apparently it was a stumbler that the list of the twelve apostles were not the same in all Biblical sources.

I had heard the issue discussed over the years, with several suggestions. One suggested that some men may have come and gone. Another standard reason offered was that many in the Scriptures go by multiple names. Matthew is called by that name in addition to Levi. Jesus gave the name Peter to Simon. Barnabas is another example, a nickname. So perhaps, they suggested, the discrepancy was based on our not knowing everyone's nickname. They lived in a multi-lingual society, so Hebrew, Greek (Aramaic), and Latin may have all been used. The gospels are written in Aramaic, after all.)

Curious, I noted the places where the lists are found, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16, and Acts 1:13. The list is the same for Luke and Acts, as Luke wrote both. Then Matthew and Mark hold identical versions, so that tends to lend accuracy by verifying each other. Because Luke said he had gone to great lengths in order to search out the truth and provide complete assurance of accuracy, one has to give credence to his versions too. What to do?

The idea for the study stemmed from my reading in Acts, so I started with the premise that Matthew was a replacement, as it documents. However, the tax collector is noted to have been with them from the beginning. (That was a requirement for being considered for the position of replacement disciple.) The other sources mention Matthew as well, in their lists of the disciples. The question then arises, how can he be a replacement when he is listed as one of the originals?

The answer I came to was that the gospels do not discuss the process, just the results. (And sometimes they switch from past to present-Jesus did.... The list of disciples is....) They tell of how Jesus called Matthew from being a tax collector. They mention that he was a disciple that was sent out, along with the others.

They confirm that he had the experience needed to be respected and listened to. Now this is essential as he is among the scribes who have been working to record the amazing things that have occured. One would not want to leave him discredited. They were not changing the record. They all knew Matthew had been with them, fully trained by Jesus. They were merely affirming him, so as not to add to the confusion. (Editing what is included is important. Sometimes less is more.)

So Matthew and Mark, list one person not on all the lists-Thaddeus. Luke lists another in both books-Judas the son of James. I do not believe the others would have fought over it: make sure you list my name, make sure I get all the credit. Not after having Jesus lecture them over the issue of who was most important. Not after He has washed their feet to teach them humility, not to mention died for their sins. It just was not important, really. All were listed totally, though.

So the list of apostles is as follows:
Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Judas the son of James, Simon the Zealot, Judas Iscariot, then Matthew. Thus we have thirteen and no more, which is as it should be. (We have neither added nor lost any disciples listed in Scripture.) And we cannot fault the writers as sloppy. The Bible says holy men of old were led of the Spirit to write what they did. And the Spirit included everyone.

Another note, sometimes the Spirit leads to do things we do not always understand, or even agree with at times. But if we are obedient, sometimes we get to see later why it was right that we did it. Other times, we just take it on faith. But this is another subject and I digress.


What about Paul? One might ask.
And yet we have the Apostle Paul, whom the risen Jesus selected and trained. However, this apostle made no claims to having been with Jesus from the beginning of his earthly ministry. He submitted his teachings before the others for their verification, that these concepts were in line with what the witnesses knew had been taught. With their approval, then he went forth in much power and authority. But that was a special appointment, the story of which is included within the book of Acts. Luke, the Greek doctor so committed to accuracy, became Paul's companion in many of the missionary travels. And Peter verified the writings of Paul, calling them Scriptures. These all form a whole, and thus there is no discrepancy.