This study is a little tedious as we look at the names of the disciples. Bear with me, I hope you glean understanding of who the twelve were in light of Peter’s perception.
Mark gave us a little different view of the selection of the disciples than the other Gospels give. Remember, Peter is thought to have dictated or relayed the story to Mark. Peter was the leader of the disciples. He gives the disciples with insight into the nicknames that were given them. Peter is introducing intimate friends to us. He starts with his own name. Simon was called Peter (stone), while James and John were nicknamed “sons of thunder.” Perhaps this is from the time where they asked if they could call fire down from heaven (Luke 9:54). These brothers were constantly getting in hot water as they bartered for positions of authority in the coming Kingdom (Mark 10:35-39). The point of this bartering is that according to the Jewish thinking of the time, the Messiah would set up a military power in order to overthrow the Roman government. This has a lot to do with the behavior of the disciples on different occasions. They believed that they were a part of a revolution that would set the world free during their lifetime. By the way, James in all three places is mistranslated due to King James wanting his name in the Bible. His name should have been translated as Jacob.
Simon the Zealot is another interesting translation. The Greek word for Zealot is Cananaean, which means “from Canaan” (2 places, Mat 10:4; Mk 3:18). How did it get translated as Zealot? The dictionaries still hold the translation as Zealot even though they give alternative translations as Cananaean. This most likely comes from translators who are trying to correct an error. Luke refers to him as one who is “called the Zealot”, Greek “Zelotes” (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Matthew and Mark refer to Simon making a distinction between him and Simon Peter by using his hometown as a defining agent. Luke refers to him by his character. Translators need to translate, not to interpret. The distinction was necessary because Jesus renamed Simon as Peter. Perhaps when Peter was relaying this to Mark, he gave his original name. Peter may have been humbled by the denial, and later occurrences that Paul chastises him for. Perhaps he did not feel he lived up to his new name. Just a thought.
Mark does the same thing when distinguishing between Thaddaeus (Matt 10:3; Mk 3:18) who is also called Judas son of James(Lk 6:16; Acts 1:13) and Judas Iscariot. Thaddaeus is thought to be the surname of Judas son of James. Judas Iscariot is a distinctive name meaning he was from Kerioth. The names Peter gave were probably the ones that were used with the disciples which were used to specify which Judas they were talking about and which Simon they were talking about. The names that he lists are the intimate names that were used daily.
The note on Judas Iscariot is especially compelling. Why did God pick one that He knew would deny Him? This strikes an interesting point in the “once saved, always saved” group. Were the disciples saved while they were serving and following Jesus? It is obvious that these men left everything to devote their lives to the Messiah. Yet, Judas was the exception to the rule. Judas was involved in every ministry with the other disciples, he worked feeding the five thousand, healing the sick, as well as carrying the money bag for the group. We may argue that since Jesus had not died on the cross yet, Judas was not redeemed by His blood. I wonder though, how could you be face to face with God and then deny Him? Some think that Judas denied Jesus just to force His hand so that he would stop delaying and usher the kingdom of God in earlier. Judas was a strategist who made a tragic mistake. Yet, I am certain that Judas knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yeshua was the Messiah and was wholeheartedly devoted to Him. It will be interesting to see if we meet him in heaven.
Before we are hard on the disciples for their behavior regarding the denial of Jesus and bartering for positions of authority, perhaps it is time to think of the way that we treat Jesus. The disciples were trying ot fit Jesus into their “box” expecting Him to fit their understanding of the Messiah. Today we try to fit Jesus into our “box” by defining God, and end times according to our understanding of the scriptures. Sometimes we fit God into our “box” that is shaped out of psychology or current trends in our humanistic society. The God of the Bible has been defanged, tamed and turned into a servant of man rather than a God to be served. Often, God is treated as a concept that is reserved for Sunday mornings (if it doesn’t interfere with the ball game). Sometimes, our denominations teach about a different Jesus than we see in the Bible. Some denominations make Jesus to be nothing more than a prophet, while others make Him a slave of Mary, and sadly, some denominations entertain Jesus as a good man that is to be used for an example to follow. Jesus did not fit into the understanding of the disciples, neither will He fit our box, our job is to follow Him. The only way to get to know Him is to clear the slate. We need to return to the basics. Jesus is Yeshua the Messiah, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then let the scriptures define who Jesus is and stay away from the stinking thinking of the denominations.