An Ordinary Christian Named James

What Do We Know About James, the Son of Alphaeus?

In short, we know almost nothing. James was a very common name during this time of N.T. history, and there are even several prominent men named James in the N.T.

• The other James, who is part of Jesus’ inner circle with Peter and John, his brother

• James, the half-brother of Jesus, who seemed to be the lead pastor of the church in Jerusalem, who spoke to the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, and who also wrote the Epistle of James in the N.T.

James, the son of Alphaeus is NEITHER of those men. Depending on your translation and which disciple list you consult (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), you will see this disciple called James the little or James the less. The word “less” comes from the Greek word mikros, which is where we get our English prefix “micro”, which means “small in stature”. This description has led some to wonder if God sovereignly gave him that name knowing James would be a short man. That same Greek word – mikros – is used for Zacchaueus.

Matthew was his brother. We don’t know if James was a tax collector like his brother, but it’s probably safe to assume he wasn’t, since no Gospel writer ever mentioned it.

Alphaeus can be translated “Clopas”; that name should “ring a bell.” Clopas is the husband of a woman named Mary in Mark 15:40, who as an eyewitness to the resurrected Jesus. She is also mentioned among those who helped prepare Jesus for burial (Mark 16:1).

In John 19:25, Clopas’ wife is said to be the sister of Mary, Jesus’ mother. Mary, Jesus’ mother was James, the son of Alphaeus’ aunt. Thus, James and Jesus were 1^st cousins!

That’s about it!

James, the son of Alphaeus is the enigma of the 12. His influence is a mystery. James could be a template for how the ordinary Christian ought to think of themselves.

Do We Know About His Life after the Gospels?

Church tradition says James, the son of Alphaeus was stoned in Persia somewhere, which is modern-day Iran.

James, the son of Alphaeus was an ordinary Christian. Obscurity is normal, and, maybe even preferable. Ordinary pastors are more common than celebrity pastors. We should be emulating those who are ordinary more than those who are celebrity because the ordinary is something we can vouch for; the celebrity is often distant.

One virtue that is a friend to obscurity must be humility – especially for the leader in the church. (I Peter 5:1-6). Being ordinary requires a strong dose of humility.

E.M. Bounds tells us in the book Essentials of Prayer that “to be humble is to have a low estimate of one’s self. It is to be modest, lowly, with a disposition to seek obscurity. Humility retires itself from the public gaze. It does not seek publicity nor hunt for high places, neither does it care for prominence. Humility is retiring in its nature. Self-abasement belongs to humility. It is given to self-depreciation. It never exalts itself in the eyes of others nor even in the eyes of itself. Modesty is one of its most prominent characteristics.”

Being ordinary does not mean you are mediocre or forgettable. It means you are common. There are many heroes of the faith who are NEVER given names (Hebrews 11:33-38). And we don’t know most of their names. Maybe James, the son of Alphaeus was one of them!