Luke 6:15

Luke 6:15, in plain English

Then Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot — a political revolutionary and a tax collector in the same group.

Why it's here

Jesus put together people who should have been enemies. A tax collector and a zealot following the same leader — only Jesus could make that work.

Who's speaking

Luke lists the next four apostles, highlighting the diversity of the group.

Where it sits in the story

Jesus doesn't build His community from people who already agree. He brings together the most unlikely combinations and transforms them into family. Unity isn't about sameness — it's about shared devotion to Him.

The scholarly reading

Matthew (identified with Levi the tax collector) and Thomas continue the list, followed by James son of Alphaeus and Simon called the Zēlōtēs ("Zealot"), a political revolutionary designation.

Language and setting

The inclusion of both a tax collector (Roman collaborator) and a Zealot (anti-Roman revolutionary) in the same group demonstrates the radical social reconciliation at the heart of Jesus' community.

Voice

Luke continues the apostolic catalog with the next four names.

Significance

The juxtaposition of Matthew (who profited from Roman occupation) and Simon the Zealot (who fought against it) reveals that Jesus' community transcends political divisions.

13When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles:

14Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

15Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alphaeus and Simon called the Zealot;

16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

17Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.

Read all of Luke 6 — Blessed are the poor; woe to the rich. Jesus delivers his version of the great sermon and demands a love so radical it includes your enemies.