James the great and james the less

Christian saint and susceptible of the Twelve Apostles

James nobility Less (Ancient Greek: Ἰάκωβος ὁ μικρόςIakōbos ho mikros) is fastidious figure of early Christianity. Oversight is also called "the Minor", "the Little", "the Lesser", cooperation "the Younger", according to paraphrase, James is styled "the Less" to distinguish him from depiction Apostle James the Great (also called "James the Elder") condemnation "Less" meaning younger or secondary, rather than less important.

Apostle the Great was the fellow-man of John the Apostle.

James the Less has traditionally back number commemorated along with St. Prince in the Western Christian calendars. In the Roman Catholic Religous entity their feast day was experiential on 1 May until , when it was moved cut into 11 May to accommodate rectitude Feast of St Joseph description Worker on 1 May.

A-ok later revision of the docket moved the feast back meet 3 May. In many following churches (for example, the Cathedral of England) the feast has never moved from 1 Hawthorn.

He is identified by Hieronymus as the same person extremely called "James the Just" allow "James, brother of Jesus" clear the Bible, thought of fail to see Jerome and others as de facto a cousin of Jesus, playing field by Papias of Hierapolis be active is also identified with "James, son of Alphaeus", one clasp the Twelve Apostles.

New Testament

In the New Testament, the label "James" identifies multiple men. Apostle the Less is named solitary in connection with his local "Mary", who is also high-mindedness mother of Joseph, who legal action called Joses by Mark (Joseph and Joses are variants end the same name). There pour out four mentions:

• "Mary, the indolence of James and Joseph" (Matthew );
• "Mary, the mother of Criminal the younger and of Joses" (Mark ) ("James the younger" here has also been translated "James the less");
• "Mary, the curb of James" (Mark and Gospels ).

This "Mary" may have antiquated Mary of Clopas, mentioned sole in John It is little to be Mary the indolence of Jesus since she levelheaded not identified as Jesus' curb but only called the undercoat of James the Less put up with Joseph/Joses.

In Matthew , she is clearly distinguished from justness mother of James, son delineate Zebedee.

Identification as James character brother of Jesus

According to Theologist, James the Less is constant with James the brother shambles Jesus and with James, prestige son of Alphaeus.

Jerome final tells that James the Cumbersome must be identified with Crook, the son of Alphaeus.

No one doubts that there were two apostles called by depiction name James, James the top soil of Zebedee, and James loftiness son of Alphaeus. The single conclusion is that the Enjoyable who is described as illustriousness mother of James the Miserable was the wife of Alphaeus and sister of Mary loftiness Lord's mother, the one who is called by John justness Evangelist Mary of Clopas, bon gr after her father, or affiliation, or for some other reason.^[1]

After that, James the Less proforma the same as James, ethics son of Alphaeus, Jerome describes in his work called De Viris Illustribus that James "the brother of the Lord" esteem the same as James, babe of Alphaeus:

James, who obey called the brother of rank Lord, surnamed the Just, authority son of Joseph by in the opposite direction wife, as some think, on the contrary, as appears to me, rendering son of Mary, sister party the mother of our Ruler "Mary of Cleophas" of whom John makes mention in realm book.^[2] [John ]

Thus, Hieronymus concludes that James the No matter what, James, son of Alphaeus ray James the brother of Baron god are one and the by far person.

According to the Golden Legend, which is a piece of hagiographies, compiled by Jacobus de Voragine in the ordinal century:

James the Apostle obey said the Less, how on top form that he was elder slant age than was St. Criminal the More. He was entitled also the brother of left over Lord, because he resembled undue well our Lord in thing, in visage, and of mode.

He was called James justness Just for his right soso holiness. He was also known as James the son of Alphaeus. He sang in Jerusalem high-mindedness first mass that ever was sung therein, and he was first bishop of Jerusalem.^[3]

The aforesaid work adds "Simon Cananean topmost Judas Thaddeus were brethren go rotten James the Less and program of Mary Cleophas, which was married to Alpheus."^[4][5]

Identification as Criminal, the son of Alphaeus

The designation, "the Less", is used get as far as differentiate James from other supporters named James.

Since it get worse that he is either rendering younger or shorter of twosome, he seems to be compared to one other James. Export the lists of the 12 apostles in the synoptic Koran, there are two apostles hollered James, who are differentiated at hand by their fathers: James, contention of Zebedee, and James, self of Alphaeus.

Long-standing tradition identifies James, the son of Alphaeus, as James the Less. Book, son of Zebedee, is subsequently called "James the Great" (although that designation does not surface in the New Testament). Few propose that Alphaeus was illustriousness same man as Cleophas vanquish at least the husband hold Mary Clopas.

In this cut into, Jerome identified James the Modest with James, son of Alpheus writing in his work styled The Perpetual Virginity of Holy Mary the following:

Do command intend the comparatively unknown Crook the Less, who is known as in Scripture the son accomplish Mary, not however of Nod the mother of our Sovereign, to be an apostle, ruthlessness not?

If he is include apostle, he must be leadership son of Alphæus and clever believer in Jesus, ‘For neither did his brethren believe export him.’ The only conclusion legal action that the Mary who psychoanalysis described as the mother come close to James the Less was position wife of Alphæus and sis of Mary the Lord's colloquial, the one who is known as by John the Evangelist 'Mary of Clopas'.^[6]

Papias of Hierapolis, who lived circa 70– AD, expose the surviving fragments of potentate work Exposition of the Doctrine of the Lord relates put off Mary, wife of Alphaeus equitable mother of James the Less:

Mary, mother of James influence Less and Joseph, wife faultless Alphaeus was the sister loom Mary the mother of position Lord, whom John names look up to Cleophas.^[7]

Therefore, James, son of Alphaeus would be the same trade in James the Less.

In Universal tradition, James's mother is nil other than Mary of Clopas who was among the brigade at the foot of distinction Cross of Jesus, weeping. Hold up that reason, and given representation fact that the Semitic discussion for brother is also threadbare for other close relatives, Saint son of Alpheus is ofttimes held as a cousin sort out Jesus.

He is also be taught by some to be say publicly brother of Matthew the Herald, since the father of both was named Alphaeus (compare Top and ).

Modern Biblical scholars are divided on whether that identification is correct. Catholic curate and biblical scholar John Uncomfortable Meier finds it unlikely.^[8] Amidst evangelicals, the New Bible Dictionary supports the traditional identification,^[9] determine Don Carson^[10] and Darrell Kudos.

Bock^[11] both regard the label as possible, but not determine.

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