Is there more than one person with the name James in the Bible?

Answer 1

There are either two or three. There are the apostles James the Greater, Son of Zebedee; and James the Lesser. There is also James of Jerusalem, called the brother of Jesus. Some believe he is a third James, and some believe he is the same person as James the Lesser.

There are four men in The Bible named James:

1. The father of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:13)

Acts 1:13 13 When they arrived, they went up into the upper room where they were staying. There were Peter as well as John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the zealous one, and Judas the son of James.

2. An apostle of Jesus, brother of John (Matthew 10:2

Matthew 10:2 2 The names of the 12 apostles are these: First, Simon, the one called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee and John his brother;

3. Another apostle of Jesus (Mark 3:18)

Matthew 10:2, 3 "2 The names of the 12 apostles are these: First, Simon, the one called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee and John+ his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus;"

4. Jesus half-brother, the son of Mary and Joseph

Mark 6:3 "This is the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, is it not? And his sisters are here with us, are they not?" So they began to stumble because of him"

This James is the one that wrote the Bible book of James.

Answer/

Two: The Apostles James son of Zebedee and James the son of Alphaeus.

The particulars of the recordings for each of the James' martyred are instrumental for seeking insight into the various identities and relationships of the two James' and how they all relate to just two James'. Determinations are gained from reading Luke as recording the martyrdom of James son of Alphaeus AD 44, and from reading Hegesippus as recording the martyrdom of James son of Zebedee AD 70.

Ref: Clement of Alexandria, Hypotyposes Book 7 - 'But there were two James'... one beaten with a fullers club, and one who was beheaded.' - Clement had studied the the work of Hegesippus, a recorder (historian) during the early Christian era; Luke's Acts Ch.12.

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Answer 2

In the New Testament there are three men named James who gain repute - James (son of Zebedee, an apostle); James (son of Alphaeus, also an apostle); and James (the brother of Christ and writer of the epistle of James).

Answer 3

Theologians have sought to harmonise the confusing biblical references to James, by determining that they refer to more than one person, calling one "James the son of Zebedee" or "James the Great", another "James the Less" and "James the Just".

There is indeed more than one person named James in the Bible.

Firstly, there is James the son of Zebedee and Salome who was a disciple and apostle. He was the brother of John also a disciple.

There was also another James called 'James the Less' to distinguish him from the other. He too was an apostle.

Finally, there is James the brother of Jesus who was not a disciple, but may have authored the epistle of James.

Answer/

James son of Zebedee and James son of Alphaeus are the two James' that are in the Bible, so yes there is more than one James in the Bible.

Answer 4

I can find four James' in the Bible:

1. Father of the apostle Judas (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13)

2. Apostle James, Son of Zebedee, John's brother (Matthew 10:2)

3. Another Apostle of Jesus, Son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:2, 3; Mark 3:18)

4. Jesus' brother, son of Joseph and Mary, writer of the Book of James (Mark 6:3, Gal 1:19)

See attached links for more information on these men.