Simon the Zealot
Little regarding the life of of Simon the Zealot is known outside of what is recorded in the Bible. He was a Canaanite who lived in Galilee. He was a zealot and Zealots were fanatical Jewish nationalists who had heroic disregard for suffering involved and the struggle for what they regarded as the purity of their faith. But in the end, he emerged as a man of faith and died a martyr and saw that God would have no forced service.
We know almost nothing about Simon the Zealot. Even his moniker, “the Zealot” is ambiguous enough that we can’t be sure what it means—though there are several strong possibilities. He may have belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots, who were bent on revolution and looking for a Messiah to violently overthrow Rome. Or he may have simply been zealous for the Mosaic Law. Or even zealous for Jesus and his teachings.
Simon is mentioned occasionally in early church writings, but centuries after the gospels were written, Saint Jerome and others mistranslated Simon’s title, believing that Matthew and Mark referred to him as Simon the Cananite or Simon the Cananaean. They assumed he was from Cana—a town within Galilee—or possibly Canaan, an ancient region in the near east which was frequently mentioned in the Bible. This mistake led to the idea that Simon was present at the wedding in Cana in John 2, where Jesus performed his first miracle and turned water into wine, and that he was the same person as Simon, the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55).
So what does this title mean? It could mean he belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots. The Zealots were associated with violent uprisings (including, later, the First Jewish-Roman War), and expected the coming Messiah to overthrow Rome using force.
(Matthew 10:2-4
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Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
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Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
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Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Mark 3:16-19;
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And Simon he surnamed Peter;
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And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
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And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
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And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
(Matthew 13:55); Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Luke 6; 14-16
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Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
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Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
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And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Closing prayer; Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank You for all Your goodness, grace, and long-suffering patience towards us, a sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ. Thank You for the Scriptures and the truth they contain and thank You for opening our eyes to believe the truth Your Word teaches.
For those who wish to become a child of Our Heavenly Father or wish to be stronger in his eyes, please say the following prayer below.
Dear Heavenly Father, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
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