Thaddaeus is one of the least-documented of the Twelve. He appears in the apostolic lists under different names: in Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18 as "Thaddaeus" (Matthew adds "Lebbaeus"), and in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 as "Judas son of James." These are almost certainly the same person.
In the Gospels
Thaddaeus is nearly silent in the gospels. The only saying attributed to him comes from John 14:22, where "Judas (not Judas Iscariot)" asks Jesus, "But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus' answer is the Johannine promise of the indwelling Father and Son.
Death
Later tradition places his missionary activity in Persia and Mesopotamia, sometimes paired with Simon the Zealot (see next). The Western tradition of his martyrdom says he was clubbed to death; the Eastern tradition says he died of natural causes. The traditions are late and unreliable.
Sources
- Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 889.