“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;”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 10:2 Mean?
Matthew lists the twelve apostles, beginning with "the first, Simon, who is called Peter." The word "first" (protos) isn't just sequential — it indicates primacy. Peter is first among the twelve not because he was called first (Andrew may have been) but because he held a position of recognized leadership.
The pairing of the apostles in twos reflects how Jesus sent them out (Mark 6:7): brothers together (Simon and Andrew, James and John), and partners in ministry (the remaining pairs). The organizational structure — twelve named individuals, sent in pairs — establishes the church's leadership from the beginning.
The list includes the eventual traitor, Judas Iscariot, without comment. Matthew records all twelve names as they were originally called, including the one who would betray. The original calling is recorded alongside the eventual failure, both held as historical fact.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does Peter's primacy despite his failures teach about the kind of leaders God uses?
- 2.How does Judas's inclusion in the original twelve challenge assumptions about who 'belongs'?
- 3.What does this list teach about the church being built on imperfect people from the beginning?
- 4.Which apostle's journey from calling to outcome resonates most with your own story?
Devotional
Twelve names. One list. Including the one who would betray everything the list represents.
Matthew names them all — the fishermen, the tax collector, the zealot, the unknown, and the traitor. No asterisks, no footnotes, no warning labels. The list reads as it was at the beginning, before anyone knew how the stories would end. Peter, who would deny. Judas, who would betray. James and John, who would ask for the best seats. Every name carries both its promise and its future failure.
Peter is listed first — not as a formality but as a recognition of leadership. He'll speak first, fail spectacularly, be restored personally, and lead the early church. His primacy isn't about perfection; it's about the role God assigned to a man whose track record would include both the greatest confession ("Thou art the Christ") and the greatest denial ("I know not the man").
The inclusion of Judas without comment is the list's most sobering detail. He's named alongside the others — same calling, same training, same access to Jesus. Nothing in the list distinguishes him from the faithful eleven. He was chosen, commissioned, and sent with the same authority. The betrayal came from inside the twelve, not from outside.
This list is the church's original roster. Imperfect, eventual-failure-included, betrayer-among-them. And Jesus built the church on it anyway.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Here we are told, I. Who they were that Christ ordained to be his apostles or ambassadors; they were his disciples, Mat…
apostles the only passage in this Gospel where the word occurs. The Greek word lit. = "sent forth," "envoys." This…
Cross References
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