Bible Figure

James, son of Alphaeus

Male
one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ
A Visit With Jesus
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James the son of Alphaeus was one of the Twelve apostles. He appears in each apostolic list but is not given an independent narrative in the New Testament. Scripture does not provide enough evidence to identify him with certainty with James the Less or with James the brother of Jesus.
James, son of Alphaeus

Biography

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts all include James the son of Alphaeus among the Twelve. Beyond those lists, the New Testament does not clearly narrate any event involving him individually. Because several men named James appear in the early Christian community, later interpretation has often tried to merge their identities. James the son of Alphaeus has been identified by some with James the Less, and in some traditions with James the Lord's brother, but these equations are not established by the biblical text. Matthew or Levi is also called a son of Alphaeus in Mark 2:14, but Scripture never calls Matthew and James brothers. A careful biography therefore stops with what is certain: James was chosen by Jesus as one of the Twelve and remained with the apostolic company after the resurrection and ascension.

Biblical Significance

James the son of Alphaeus is significant because membership in the Twelve was itself a major calling even when Scripture preserves little individual detail. His sparse record cautions against allowing later legends to replace the limited but secure New Testament evidence.