James The Apostle
James The Apostle [1]
Two of the apostles had the name James. The lesser known was James the son of Alphaeus ( Matthew 10:3). Possibly he is the same person elsewhere called ‘James the less’ or ‘James the younger’, names no doubt given to distinguish him from the better known James. If this is so, his father must have had two names, Alphaeus and Clopas ( Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25).
The other apostle named James was the elder brother of the apostle John ( Matthew 10:2). In the Gospels, he is never mentioned by himself, but always together with his more famous brother. (Concerning the family background and personal experiences shared by the two brothers see John The Apostle.) Jesus had warned James and John that, as his followers, they could expect the sort of persecution he suffered. For James this came true a few years later when Herod Agrippa beheaded him ( Matthew 20:20-23; Acts 12:1-2).
