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Apostle1st century

Apostle James son of Alphaeus

1st century

Also known as James of Alphaeus

One of the Twelve Apostles and brother of the Evangelist Matthew, who preached Christ after Pentecost and suffered for the Gospel.

October 9New Calendar
Feast Day
October 22Old Calendar
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Commemorated as

The Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Apostle James, son of Alphaeus

Come to them for
Missionary Work

Life

James, son of Alphaeus, was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Christ. He is named in each of the three Synoptic lists of the apostles and again in the Acts of the Apostles, and Orthodox tradition identifies him as the brother of the Evangelist Matthew. He is to be distinguished from the two other apostolic figures who bear the name James: James, son of Zebedee, and James, the Brother of the Lord.

Having heard the teaching of Christ and witnessed his miracles during the earthly ministry, James took up missionary work after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Orthodox accounts associate his preaching with several regions of the eastern Mediterranean and place his death by crucifixion in Egypt.

Kontakion & Troparion2 hymnsReadHide
KontakionTone 2

Let us bless James, praising him as the messenger of God,
for he filled the souls of the pious with wise dogmas.
Standing at the throne of glory before the Master,
he rejoices with all the angels unceasingly praying for us all.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 3

Holy Apostle James,
entreat the merciful God
to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline3 momentsReadHide
  1. 1st centuryCalled among the TwelveJames, son of Alphaeus, is numbered among the Twelve Apostles in the lists found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and in the Acts of the Apostles. He heard the words of Christ and witnessed his miracles.
  2. After PentecostMissionary journeysFollowing the descent of the Holy Spirit, James undertook missionary journeys together with the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, preaching in Judea, Edessa, Gaza, and Eleutheropolis.
  3. 1st centuryCrucifixion at OstrachinaAccording to Orthodox tradition, James concluded his apostolic labors in the Egyptian city of Ostrachina, where he was crucified.

Contributions & Legacy

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Identity and Distinction

The name James is borne by more than one figure in the apostolic age, and the Orthodox tradition is careful to distinguish them. James, son of Alphaeus, appears in the New Testament only within the lists of the Twelve Apostles, at Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:12-16, and Acts 1:13.

His father was Alphaeus. Because the same name is given as the father of Levi, the tax collector also known as Matthew, in Mark 2:14, the tradition that James and Matthew were brothers arises from this shared paternal name. In wider church tradition James, son of Alphaeus, has also been associated with the figure called James the Less.

Missionary Work and Martyrdom

After Pentecost, James joined the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in preaching the Gospel across Judea, Edessa, Gaza, and Eleutheropolis, where the accounts describe the conversion of many and the healing of the sick.

His apostolic work ended in the Egyptian city of Ostrachina, where, by tradition, he was crucified by the pagans. A separate strand of tradition recorded in Western sources instead holds that he was stoned to death while preaching in Jerusalem and buried near the temple.

Commemoration

The Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates the Apostle James, son of Alphaeus, on October 9, and again on June 30 as one of the members honored in the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles. In Western calendars his feast is kept on May 3 in the Roman Catholic Church and on May 1 in the Anglican Communion.

Member ofReadHide
Synaxis of the Holy Twelve Apostles
Commemorated together · Jun 30
Family2 relativesShowHide
His brother; the tradition names James and Matthew (Levi) both as sons of Alphaeus.
Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
His father, numbered among the Seventy.
Apostle Alphaeusof the Seventy
Companions5 figuresShowHide
The Lord, who called him among the Twelve.
Jesus Christ
The First-Called of the apostles.
Apostle Andrewthe First-Called
Chief of the apostles.
Apostle Peter
Fellow apostle of the Twelve, the Theologian and Evangelist.
Apostle & Evangelist Johnthe Theologian
A distinct apostle of the same name among the Twelve, the brother of John.
Apostle JamesBrother of Saint John the Theologian
Related Saints1 saintShowHide

Saints connected to his life, mission, and place in Orthodox tradition.

Commemorated among the Twelve in their joint synaxis.
Synaxisof the Holy Twelve Apostles

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints