The Recipients Of The Commission

Church history: The Names Of The Persons To Whom This Commission Was Given; Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16;
Mark listed the same persons as Matthew, with some additions, which we shall consider as we come at the persons whom they concern. Apostles signify persons sent; the term applied to Christ's disciples signifies the persons that were first sent by him to preach the gospel. It was reasonable for the evangelists to set down their names, because the whole Christian church was to be built upon their doctrine, Ephesians 2:20.
Simon, who is called Peter, because the term signifies a rock, and the confession of faith which he made our Savior declares to be a rock, on which he would build his church. He was called Simon Peter to distinguish him from Simon the Canaanite.
James the son of Zebedee, so called to distinguish him from another of the apostles of the same name, who was the son of Alphaeus. This is whose death we read about in, Acts 12:2; he was slain by Herod.
John his brother, also. the son of Zebedee: this is he who was called the beloved disciple, who also wrote the Gospel of John. John 21:20,24.
Philip, and Bartholomew.
Philip was of Bethsaida the city of Andrew and Peter, John 1:44, found and called by Christ, John 1:43.
Bartholomew - Many are of opinion that this was Nathanael, mentioned John 1:46, whose name was probably Nathanael bar Talmai, Nathanael, the son of Talmai: here, his own name is repressed, and he is called Bar Talmai, or Bartholomew, from his father.
Thomas, the same who was called Didymus, who was so unbelieving as to Christ's resurrection, John 20:24,27;
Matthew the publican, (tax collector) the writer of the Gospel of Matthew: he was also called Levi.
James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus. This James is called James the less, Mark 15:40, and so is distinguished from James the son of Zebedee.
James The Lord's brother, Galatians 1:19; that is, as some think, his kinsman, judging him not the son of Alphaeus who was the father of Matthew, but another Alphaeus, the husband of Mary the wife of Cleophas, John 19:25. But this appears not from Scripture. Instead of Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus, Luke said, Luke 6:16, Judas the brother of James (he that wrote the Epistle of Jude, as appears by Jude). Mark, Mark 3:18, mentions not Lebbaeus at all, which makes some think that the words are transposed, and should be Thaddaeus the son of Lebbaeus; for Thaddai in the Syriac is the same with Judas.
Simon the Canaanite; Luke calls him Simon Zelotes, Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13. We must not understand by Canaanite a pagan, (for Christ sent out none but Jews), but one of Cana, which by interpretation is Zelus, from where it is said that Luke called him Zelotes.
Judas son of James (Thaddaeus). We do not know the James who was the father of Judas, and of Judas himself we know very little. He seems to have been known at first by his name Thaddaeus, possibly to distinguish him from Iscariot, but later (Luke and John wrote later than Matthew and Mark) by the name Judas.8 Jude 1:1 says that he was the brother of James
Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. There are many guesses how Judas had the name of Iscariot, whether from Kerioth, supposed to be his home town, or on some other account: the guesses of the best are but uncertainties, nor is it material for us to know. Here it distinguishes him from the other Judas (the son of James). Christ altered the name of Simon, whom he called Peter, Mark 3:16. He added to the names of James and John, calling them Boanerges, that is, The sons of thunder, Mark 3:17. Thaddaeus is called Judas, and by Matthew also Lebbaeus. These were the twelve first apostles, to which were added (after Christ's ascension) Matthias, (instead of Judas Iscariot), Paul, and Barnabas; but these conversed with Christ, and were the first sent out by him. We shall now hear the instruction he gives them.