Here is the second post looking at the lives of the major characters of the New Testament after Jesus’ resurrection. This time it’s the apostles, James the Just, and Lazarus:
Matthew: Matthew seemed to want to stick around Palestine where he preached the gospel and ministered to many before heading out to, “other countries.” “Other countries,” is not defined. Church tradition says he died a martyr’s death but that death is not described.
James the son of Alphaeus: Also known as “James the Less.” Little is known about this James. Many historians believe he remained in Jerusalem and was stoned to death by an angry mob.
Thaddaeus: Also called St. Jude, Thaddaeus is the patron saint of lost causes. He traveled spreading the gospel to Armenia, Osroene, and Iran where he was run through with a spear by an angry mob. He and Simon the Zealot are the only two apostles martyred together. Before his death, Thaddaeus is said to have looked at the crowd then turned to Simon and said, “I see that the Lord is calling us.”
Simon the Zealot: Is said to have preached in Mauretania, Africa, Britain, and Iran where he suffered martyrdom alongside Thaddaeus (Jude). While in Iran, the Magi reportedly saw Thaddaeus and Simon cast demons from their Temple. Because of this, the magi encouraged an angry mob to kill the Christians. Simon was sawn to pieces.
Judas Iscariot: Judas, of course, hanged himself (Matt. 27:5) for betraying our Lord. He may well have used a tree with a branch which extended out over a cliff. Later, either the tree branch broke or the rope was cut, and the body of Judas fell and burst open (Acts 1:18). It is interesting to me that every time his name is mentioned in the Scripture, he is either in the act of betraying Jesus or his betrayal is noted.
Matthias: Matthias was elected to be the replacement for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:15-26). It looks like Matthias might have travelled with the gospel to Armenia and helped Andrew with the cannibals of Scythia. Tradition has it that he returned to Jerusalem and was stoned to death by an angry mob of Jews around 51 a.d.
Paul: Paul, of course, traveled throughout the Roman world sharing the gospel with the gentiles. He also was the writer of much of the New Testament. As a Roman citizen, it was illegal to crucify Paul, so he was beheaded sometime after the great fire in Rome (64 a.d.) but before Nero’s reign ended in 68 a.d.
James the Just: James the Just was the half-brother of Jesus and head of the church in Jerusalem. That church kept many Old Testament traditions as do many Messianic Jews today. Because of this, the Jewish leaders thought James to still be a practicing Jew and asked him to stop the preaching of Jesus. This he would not do and proclaimed the gospel throughout the city. As a result, in 62 a.d., James was taken to the top of the wall of the temple and thrown down. The fall did not kill him, though. He was stoned and beaten to death.
James was a righteous man and recognized as such by the citizens of Jerusalem. He was called “Old Camel Knees” because of what the hours of daily prayer had done to his knees. He was such a just man, that when Jerusalem was overthrown and the temple destroyed in 70 a.d., many blamed the destruction on the way they had killed James the Just. James is the writer of the book of James in Scripture.
Lazarus: Lazarus is thought to have fled Jerusalem around the time of Christ’s crucifixion as the Jews sought him as well. He went to Cyprus and stayed there. Later, it is said, he met Paul and Barnabas in Kition in Cypress and was ordained by them to be bishop of Kition where the Church of St. Lazarus exists today.
Another tradition says that Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were set adrift in a boat which eventually arrived at Gaul. They evangelized the people there, and Lazarus was said to have become the first bishop of Marseille.
People don’t live as these men and women did for something they don’t believe, and they don’t die for a lie.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 