ABSTRACT
James, the son of Zebedee, one of the first disciples called by Jesus, is among the first three in each list of the apostles. In Mark, James is mentioned second after Peter (Mark 3:17), and in Matthew, Luke, and Acts he comes third (Matt 10:2; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). Since James is most often listed before John, and John is almost consistently referred to as “the brother of James,” many scholars believe James was the elder brother.1 James and John both left their fishing business and followed Jesus when he personally called them (Matt 4:21–22; Luke 5:10), although their quick response suggests possible earlier contact. He is often called James the Great, to differentiate him from James the Little (Mark 15:40), James, the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18), and James the brother of Jesus (Gal 1:19).
