Brothers divided: Levi and James of Alphaeus

[gryan]

PS. Regarding "Matthew" the tax collector in GMatt.

"If Matthew and Levi were the same person, we should be confronted with the virtually unparalleled phenomenon of a Palestinian Jew bearing two common Semitic personal names (Matthew: ninth most popular, 62 occurrences; Levi: seventeenth most popular, 25 occurrences). This is a quite different case from that of an individual having both a Semitic and a Greek or Latin name, as well as from that of an individual having a Semitic name and also a nickname or family name."

--Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/article ... st-matthew

-------------------

Given that I'm so focused on "James son of Alphaeus" as the great "James" the son of "the other Mary" who gave Paul the right hand of fellowship in Gal/Acts (not to be confused with James the Lord's brother/James the less), it doesn't bother me at all that GMk's "Levi son of Alphaeus", his likely brother, is not one of the 12.

In GLk there were 70 who, like "Levi", followed in mission (in addition to the 12). And so, given that GLk seems to share my opinion that it is no problem for "Levi" not to be one of the 12:

It strikes me as odd that suddenly in GMatt, the name Matthew (one of the 6 named among the 12 who, in Mk and Lk-Acts, have not one mention before or after the listing of their name) suddenly appears in the role of the tax collector and dining host! And then "Matthew, the tax collector...", after his listing among the 12, is never mentioned again in GMatt.

I doubt the tradition that says "Matthew" is another name for "Levi"--"Levi son of Alphaeus". There was no clue of the link in GMk or GLk, and no explanation of his name change in GMatt. Matthew as Levi son of Alphaeus sounds to me like a case of special pleading for harmonization. I think the author of GMatt wanted to supersede GMk rather than be read side by side with GMk.

The tax collector, "Levi son of Alphaeus", of GMk and GLk, was not one of the 12.
The tax collector, "Matthew", of GMatt alone, was one of the 12.
"Levi" and "Matthew" are not the same person.

However, in respect to the characterization of "James son of Alphaeus" I do think the shift of "Matthew, the tax collector" to be named beside "James son of Alphaeus" in GMatt's list of the 12 is significant. I doubt it means they are both "sons of Alphaeus" since that name has been erased in GMatt's call story. I think it might mean that (in the narrative world of GMatt, where it could have been read as "Matthew; the tax collector, James son of Alphaeus...") they are both to be viewed as tax collectors (who may have held similar views on Jewish law and Gentile mission).

---------

Why is "Levi son of Alphaeus" not among the Twelve? Levi is in the majority--Lk's "70".

Why is his brother "James" one of them? James is the "great" servant leader, the James of Gal 2 and Acts 15. The existence of another "son of Alphaes"--Levi-- with a call story and a dining story gives this well known "James" a back-story.

[Kunigunde Kreuzerin]

"If Matthew and Levi were the same person, we should be confronted with the virtually unparalleled phenomenon of a Palestinian Jew bearing two common Semitic personal names (Matthew: ninth most popular, 62 occurrences; Levi: seventeenth most popular, 25 occurrences). This is a quite different case from that of an individual having both a Semitic and a Greek or Latin name, as well as from that of an individual having a Semitic name and also a nickname or family name."

--Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/article ... st-matthew

good argument

Given that I'm so focused on "James son of Alphaeus" as the great "James" the son of "the other Mary" who gave Paul the right hand of fellowship in Gal/Acts (not to be confused with James the Lord's brother/James the less), it doesn't bother me at all that GMk's "Levi son of Alphaeus", his likely brother, is not one of the 12.

Yeah, Levi is historically rather uninteresting, but imho primarily of interest as a literary figure.

Why is "Levi son of Alphaeus" not among the Twelve? Levi is in the majority--Lk's "70".

Why is his brother "James" one of them? James is the "great" servant leader, the James of Gal 2 and Acts 15. The existence of another "son of Alphaes"--Levi-- with a call story and a dining story gives this well known "James" a back-story.

I don't know. Which source mentions that Levi is among the 70? However, the theory may not be impossible.

It is not so easy for me to believe in an extra-literary existence of Levi and to assign him to a historical group of prominent disciples.

[Kunigunde Kreuzerin]

.
Like Neil, I think that the methodologically correct consideration is to compare the two callings, looking not only for the similarities but also for the differences. It seems to me, however, that Neil could have overlooked a not entirely unimportant fact.

Neil wrote

So where does all this leave Levi?

His calling is clearly meant to be interpreted as a calling to be one of Jesus’ “inner disciples”. The narrative has too many resonances with the calling of the leaders of the Twelve to be taken as anything else.

This is where the differences need some thought. Levi is a tax-collector. His job is to take money from his fellow Jews and give it to gentiles. He has many tax-collector friends. He also has many “sinner” friends. And they all come together to have a feast with him and Jesus.

But Jesus also came to Levi with a large crowd which included his disciples. So there were two large groups in Levi’s house: the tax-collectors and sinners and the disciples of Jesus and the multitude with them.

One of the differences seems to be the professional activities and the promise given by Jesus.

The first four

14 And after the delivering up of John, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God 15 and saying, “The time has been fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near; repent and believe in the gospel.” 16 And passing by besides the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make (ποιήσω) you to become (γενέσθαι) fishers of men.” 18 And immediately, having left the nets, they followed Him. 19 And having gone on a little, He saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, and they were in the boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and having left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they went away after Him.

Levi

13 And He went forth again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to Him, and He taught them. 14 And passing by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and says to him, “Follow Me.” And having arisen, he followed Him.

There was no promise for Levi. The promise for Peter and Andrew (and probably also for the other two) includes two stages:

- first, Jesus will make (ποιήσω) something in the future
- second, then they should become something (namely fishers of men)

This is significant because Markan scholars with a literary approach see a connection between this promise and the appointment of the Twelve. What Jesus explicitly “makes” regarding the disciples is the “making” of the Twelve.

13 And He goes up on the mountain and calls near those whom He Himself wanted, and they went to Him. 14 And He maded (ἐποίησεν) twelve ones, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 And He maded (ἐποίησεν) the Twelve; and to Simon He added the name Peter; 17 and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and He added to them the name Boanerges, which is, Sons of Thunder; 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

[Kunigunde Kreuzerin]

There was no promise for Levi. The promise for Peter and Andrew (and probably also for the other two) includes two stages:

- first, Jesus will make (ποιήσω) something in the future
- second, then they should become something (namely fishers of men)

This is significant because Markan scholars with a literary approach see a connection between this promise and the appointment of the Twelve. What Jesus explicitly “makes” regarding the disciples is the “making” of the Twelve.

The second step - becoming fishers of men - is usually seen in the sending out of the 12 and their return as "apostles", (which as a word occurs only in Mark 6:30 according to NA/USB).

In this regard, it may be worth noting that another pair of divided brothers appear in GMark right between the sending out and the return of the 12. Amazingly, the name of one of these brothers also appears in the list of the 12.

Mark 6:17 For Herod himself, having sent, seized John, and bound him in prison, on account of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Mark 3:16 And He appointed the Twelve; and to Simon He added the name Peter; 17 and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and He added to them the name Boanerges, which is, Sons of Thunder; 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Of course, one cannot assume that Philip the apostle is Herod's brother. On the other hand, it may still mean something since the name of Herod's daughter, Salome, also reappears later in GMark (15:40, 16:1).

The structure of the 12 would then possibly be 3 x 4. The first four are those whom Jesus called in Mark 1:16-19, whereby Andrew lost second place and the designation as Peter's brother. The second block of four is led by Philip, the third block by James of Alphaeus.

- Simon Peter, James of Zebedee, John the brother of James, Andrew
- Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas
- James of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanean, Judas Iscariot