The Call of the Apostles - Simon the Zealot

 

And he [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Mark 3:13–19 ESV).

 

Today we come to the next to last apostle mentioned in the lists found in the gospels, Simon the Zealot. He is one of the most obscure and mysterious figures in the New Testament, mentioned strictly by name only in the biblical lists of the disciples (cf. Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, and Acts 1:13). There is no recorded dialogue or personal narratives. He was given this name by the Gospel writers to differentiate him from Simon Peter. The Greek word for “zealot” has sometimes been confused as a geographical reference to Canaan, which would make him a Canaanite (Matthew 10:4 and Mark 3:18 use Kananaios. This is, however, not a geographical reference to the land of Canaan or the town of Cana, but rather a transliteration of the Aramaic word qan'an, which also translates to "zealous one".

 

Scholars generally hold two main perspectives regarding his title. It may refer to a political affiliation: He may have belonged to the Zealots, a radical Jewish nationalist faction fiercely opposed to the Roman occupation. The movement sought the programmatic liberation of Judea, often by utilizing armed force or targeted assassinations. We will see that Judas Iscariot alos belonged to this sect. Alternatively, the title could simply describe his temperament before or after converting. It may signify that he was a man possessing exceptional, rigid zeal for the Mosaic Law and the honor of God. The latter seems more likely and favored by most scholars.

 

It is very encouraging that Simon's inclusion in the twelve highlights the unifying nature of Jesus’ ministry. He sat at the same table as Matthew the tax collector. Matthew worked under the employment of the occupying Roman government, representing the exact system that political Zealots dedicated their lives to actively overthrowing. Their shared allegiance to Christ required both men to transcend extreme political divides.

 

Because the Bible does not record Simon’s life after the day of Pentecost, his subsequent ministry relies entirely on Christian tradition. Various accounts track his evangelism through Egypt, Mauritania, North Africa, and potentially as far as Britain. Likely he was partnered with Jude. The Western church tradition frequently pairs him with the apostle Jude Thaddaeus, stating that they preached together throughout Mesopotamia and Persia. Accounts of his martyrdom vary wildly. Eastern traditions state that he passed away peacefully of old age in Edessa. Conversely, prominent Western accounts record that he was martyred in Persia by being cut in half with a saw—which is why he is traditionally depicted holding a saw in Christian iconography.

 

We can be encouraged that Jesus saw purpose and ministry in Simon. Our past does not determine our future. God holds that in His hands and directs us through the indwellin of the Holy Spirit!