Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew (yeah, the tax collector); James (Alphaeus's son) and Lebbaeus (who also went by Thaddaeus).
Jesus picked regular people with regular jobs to change the world, even the guy everyone probably hated for collecting taxes.
📚 Historical Context
In the first century AD, Jesus was selecting and sending out his twelve apostles to preach the gospel and perform miracles, as described in the Gospel of Matthew, which was written to a Jewish audience emphasizing Jesus as the Messiah. This specific verse lists several apostles, including Matthew, who was a tax collector, illustrating the diverse backgrounds of Jesus' followers in a society where tax collectors were often seen as traitors collaborating with Roman authorities. The inclusion of figures like Philip and Bartholomew highlights the ordinary men from Jewish communities who became key leaders in the early church.
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