THE TWELVE

THE TWELVE

John Stone

To any who may still not yet realize that the New Testament (NT) is only fiction, please study this brief review of the NT citations concerning “the apostles.” Open your Christian Bible and follow along with me. And when so doing, recall the many times your clergy, bible-intoxicated friends and/or missionaries have told you the NT was God’s word, given by the “power of the holy ghost etc.” So, if you are ready, let’s take a look at this so-called word of God!

One would think that Matthew, one of the apostles, would know his own name; and how he came to be numbered among the chosen Twelve. Matthew says, reporting on himself,

“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9 KJV of the Christian Bible)

BUT, Mark tells us that

“And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.” (Mark 2:14)

Ah, but perhaps Matthew does not remember his own name. Let’s see what Luke has to say about who was at customs and who followed Jesus:

And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. (Luke 5.27)

Sorry Matthew, but Luke agrees with Mark, and as usual contradicts your gospel. Either you did not know your know that your name was really Levi or someone has played a cruel hoax here. Oh, but wait, no one knows who authored the gospels, so maybe Matthew was just as good a guess as any ― nice try anyway ”O’ mysterious author(s) of Matthew and the gospels.”

Ah, but the tangled web is weaved ever tighter. Matthew is so kind as to list the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4).

Among the others he identifies:

"Matthew the publican;"

Two Simons: one surnamed Peter, the other the Canaanite ¹

Two James: the son of Alphieus and the son of Zebedee; and

"Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus"

Another oops is caught in the tangled web.

And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. (Luke 6:16)

Luke omits Lebbaeus, and includes a second "Judas ― the brother of James." Luke keeps Judas Iscariot. So, this holy ghost inspired word of god still does know who composed the Twelve, these all important apostles.

As for James, his identity is very confused, as is also that of the second Judas.

Matthew and Mark say that both James and Judas were sons of the Virgin Mary and brothers of Jesus

Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? (Matthew 13:55)

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. (Mark 6:3)

What does Paul have to say about all of this? Paul affirms that James was "the Lord's brother"

“… the apostles saw I … James the Lord's brother. (Gal. 1.19).

But later both Matthew and Mark go against what they themselves had already said. They now claim this James was the son of some other Mary.

Among which was Mary Magdalene, AND Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children. (Matthew 27.56)

There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, AND Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; (Mark 15:40)

If James and Jesus were sons of the Virgin Mary, their father had to be Joseph the carpenter; but Matthew and Mark say that James (and therefore his brother Judas) was the sons of Alphaeus. See below:

Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:3)

And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, (Mark 3:18)

If these characters were the sons of Alphaeus, that would mean they were brothers of Levi [aka Matthew] the publican. How is this you may ask? Remember the citations above? Here they are again

Mark states that Levi was the son of Alphaeus.

And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom… (Mark 2:14)

Judas according to Luke was "the brother of James;"

And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. (Luke 6:16)

It is funny when you think about it; James is not mentioned even once in the gospel of his so-called brother John.

To recap this so-called infallible God-given holy book of Christianity;

1. The gospels of Matthew and John, show the Twelve picked up, one, two, or four at a time, at various times and places.

2. Mark and Luke say that they were all chosen together at the same time, from among a large number of disciples.

“… he … calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach (Mark 3:13-14)

“…when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;” (Luke 6:13)

And then follows the list of names we have just seen to be at odds with the other two lists.

Has all these Christian holy book gyrations made you dizzy yet? It has for me! Boy, what a ride this was! Did your clery or Sunday school teachers ever teach you this? Or your well meaning missionary-minded friends; perhaps they took the time to explain this? No? Wonder why not? You too should also wonder why not! (Pssst, a hint; it is all fiction!)

So, did God make a mistake? Did the holy ghost not know whom God’s so-called son had chosen as “Apostles?

Or, perhaps you will now entertain the thought that the Christian Bible is fiction and not God given or inspired after all.

The choice is yours;

Did God goof up; did He make a mistake? or

Is the New Testament not God-given, but a work of fiction?

There is no middle ground here! It is either–or! A simple choice!

All this reminds me of a quote my Grandmother (OBM) used to say: “O what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!” ²

Footnote:

1. The whole race of Canaanites had long previously been exterminated by Joshua.

2. Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, A Tale of Flodden Field (1855), xvii

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