Apostle living at the time of the New Testament
James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of the Twelve Apostles and a member of Jesus' inner circle.
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James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. He was a fisherman by trade and was called by Jesus, along with his brother, to follow Him (Mat.4.21; Mrk.1.19). James, John, and Peter formed Jesus' inner circle and were present at significant events such as the Transfiguration (Mat.17.1; Mrk.9.2; Luk.9.28) and Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mrk.14.33). Jesus surnamed James and John "Boanerges," meaning "Sons of Thunder" (Mrk.3.17), possibly referring to their zealous and passionate nature. James and his brother also asked Jesus for positions of honor in His kingdom (Mrk.10.35-41). After Jesus' ascension, James continued to play a prominent role in the early church (Act.1.13). He was the first of the Twelve Apostles to be martyred, executed by Herod Agrippa I around 44 AD (Act.12.2).
Part of: The Herods · Bethany and the Women Around Jesus · The Jerusalem Church · The Twelve Apostles
Herod Agrippa I executed James, the brother of John, and imprisoned Peter at Passover before an angel freed him. Acts then records his death in Caesarea in Acts 12:20-23.
Sources: Scripture
John names either three or four women at the cross: "his mother's sister, Mary of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" may be 3 or 4. If four, the sister is likely Salome, mother of Zebedee's sons, making James and John Jesus' first cousins.
Sources: Scripture
Matthew's list at the cross includes "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" where Mark has Salome, so the two are generally taken as the same woman. She asked Jesus for places for her sons.
Sources: Scripture
Luke calls James and John partners of Simon in the fishing business, and Mark says Zebedee had hired servants. Peter and John then appear together in Acts 3-4 and 8:14 and as two of the three "pillars".
Sources: Scripture
Jesus selected twelve from his wider group of disciples and named them apostles. The four lists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts) agree on twelve names with one variation in the tenth to twelfth positions (Thaddaeus or Judas of James).
Sources: Matthew 10:2-4 · Mark 3:13-19 · Luke 6:12-16 · Acts 1:13
Luke calls James and John "partners" of Simon in the fishing trade, and Mark shows the two sets of brothers called at the same shore, one pair mending nets and the other casting them, with Zebedee's hired men present.
Sources: Luke 5:1-11 · Mark 1:16-20
Four of the Twelve are two sets of brothers, named together in the lists and called in adjacent scenes: Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John.
Sources: Matthew 4:18-22 · Mark 3:16-18
Matthew says James son of Zebedee and John his brother were in the boat with their father Zebedee.
Sources: Matthew 4:21 · Mark 3:17
Jesus gave James and John the surname Boanerges, which Mark glosses as "sons of thunder"; Luke shows them asking to call fire down on a Samaritan village.
Sources: Mark 3:17 · Luke 9:54
Matthew names "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" among the women at the cross where Mark names Salome. Most readers equate the two, making Salome Zebedee's wife; the name Salome itself is never said to belong to her in Matthew.
Sources: Matthew 27:56 · Mark 15:40
On three occasions Jesus takes only Peter, James and John: the raising of Jairus' daughter, the transfiguration, and Gethsemane.
Sources: Mark 5:37 · Mark 9:2 · Mark 14:33
No Gospel text states the home town of James and John. Bethsaida has been proposed because their business partners were from there; Capernaum is also possible.
Sources: Luke 5:10
The apostles are addressed as "men of Galilee", and Peter was identified by his speech. Many of the individual apostles are placed in Galilee by the Gospels.
Sources: Acts 1:11 · Acts 2:7
Matthew's list arranges the Twelve in six apparent pairs, and Mark says Jesus sent them out two by two. Some see these as mission pairs; the texts do not say the list order gives partners.
Sources: Matthew 10:2-4 · Mark 6:7
One proposal is that most of the Twelve were kin, neighbours or business contacts around the Sea of Galilee. The Gospels attest two brother pairs, a partnership, a shared home town for three and an invitation between two; the wider network is a pattern suggested by those links, not a stated fact.
Sources: Luke 5:10 · John 1:44
John 19:25 lists the women at the cross; if "his mother's sister" is a separate person from Mary of Clopas, she could be Salome of Mark 15:40 or the mother of Zebedee's sons of Matthew 27:56. That would make James and John Jesus' first cousins.
Sources: John 19:25 · Mark 15:40 · Matthew 27:56
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JAMES (the same as "Jacob," the supplanter). James the Elder, one of the three favorite apostles, a son of Zebedee and Salome, and a brother of John the evangelist. With Peter and John, he was present at the raising of Jairus's daughter, the transfiguration, and the agony in Gethsemane. He was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa, and became the first martyr among the apostles, a.d. 44, thus fulfilling our Saviour's prediction concerning the baptism of blood. Matt 4:21; Matt 20:20-23; Ex 26:37; Mark 1:19-20; Mark 10:35; Acts 12:2. His apostolic labors seem not to have extended beyond Jerusalem and Judaea. Clement of Alexandria relates that the accuser of James on the way to the place of execution, stung by remorse, confessed faith and asked forgiveness; whereupon James said to him, "Peace be with thee!" gave him a brotherly kiss, and had him for a companion in martyrdom. His place was filled partly by James the brother of the Lord, partly by Paul. James the Less, or the Little, also one of the twelve apostles, a son of Alpheus and Mary. Mark 15:40; Mark 16:1; Matt 10:3; Matt 27:56; Acts 1:13. He labored, according to the tradition of the Greek Church (which distinguishes him from James, the brother of the Lord), in the south-western part of James the Less, or the Little, also one of the twelve apostles, a son of Alpheus and Mary. Mark 15:40; Mark 16:1; Matt 10:3; Matt 27:56; Acts 1:13. He labored, according to the tradition of the Greek Church (which distinguishes him from James, the brother of the Lord), in the south-western part of Palestine, afterward in Egypt, and was crucified in Lower Egypt. He is regarded by many as a cousin of Jesus. James, "the brother of the Lord," Gal 1:19; comp. Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3, or simply James, Acts 12:17; Acts 15:13; Gen 21:18…
JAMES (the same as "Jacob," the supplanter). James the Elder, one of the three favorite apostles, a son of Zebedee and Salome, and a brother of John the evangelist. With Peter and John, he was present at the raising of Jairus's daughter, the transfiguration, and the agony in Gethsemane. He was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa, and became the first martyr among the apostles, a.d. 44, thus fulfilling our Saviour's prediction concerning the baptism of blood. Matt 4:21; Matt 20:20-23; Ex 26:37; Mark 1:19-20; Mark 10:35; Acts 12:2. His apostolic labors seem not to have extended beyond Jerusalem and Judaea. Clement of Alexandria relates that the accuser of James on the way to the place of execution, stung by remorse, confessed faith and asked forgiveness; whereupon James said to him, "Peace be with thee!" gave him a brotherly kiss, and had him for a companion in martyrdom. His place was filled partly by James the brother of the Lord, partly by Paul. Palestine, afterward in Egypt, and was crucified in Lower Egypt. He is regarded by many as a cousin of Jesus. Epistle of James, "a servant (not an apostle) of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ," the same who is also called "the brother of the Lord." It is one of the catholic or general Epistles, and consists of five chapters. The design of the Epistle is, (1) To correct errors into which the Jewish Christians had fallen, especially relating to justification by faith; (2) To animate their hope, and strengthen their faith, in view of afflictions felt and feared; and (3) To excite the unbelieving Jews to repentance toward God and faith in the rejected Messiah. It is remarkable that the name of our blessed Lord occurs but twice in this Epistle, but with great reverence as the divine Master, Jas 1:1, and as "the Lord of glory."…
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
19 verses in 4 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G2385
Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.
As soon as Jesus and His companions had left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),
And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.
While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,
He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed.
and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”
Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;
When He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the childʼs father and mother.
About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray.
When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.