It all started while I was reading through the names of the Twelve Apostles with my six-year-old. I tripped merrily along . . . until I came to Thaddaeus.

Thaddaeus? Who in the world is Thaddaeus? I did a keyword search in BibleGateway. The name “Thaddaeus” is only mentioned twice. I delved a bit deeper and found that he’s also referred to as “Judas son of James” and “Judas (not Iscariot).” In all of Scripture, he has a one-liner found in John 14:22.

Wow, I thought. One of THE Twelve. The Big ...