Tackling Tradition - Part 17 Simon the Zealot

Many theologians & text critics believe that Nathaniel & Bartholomew are the same person.  The gist of their reasoning looks something like this: In extant lists in the Synoptic Gospels, Bartholomew is listed with Philip.  Nathaniel is with Philip when Yeshua speaks to him I John 1.   Therefore, in all likelihood, & since Bartholomew can functions a surname, Nathaniel is Bartholomew or Nathaniel son of Bartholomew.  

The truth of the matter is that this sort of reasoning basically concludes that Bartholomew is Nathaniel because of his placement in 3 of 4 lists.  There is no consideration of Nathaniel’s character.

Pay attention to what Bible Study Tools has to say about Nathanael’s character.   

For one thing, it’s evident that both men had been students of the Old Testament prior to meeting Jesus. They had studied the Law of Moses and read the prophets. But rather than just being casual readers, Philip and Nathanael had become passionate about the Word of God, even developing an interest in the prophecies of the promised Messiah. Like many in Israel, this was something (or someone) they were eagerly waiting and even searching for. (Emphasis mine)

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Rather, Nathanael had developed a regional prejudice and bias against those from a nearby town, perhaps in the same way crosstown rivals might deride each other, or residents of Los Angeles and San Francisco might disparage each other.

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Though Cana itself was not a particularly remarkable village, Nathanael’s disdain for Nazareth indicates a certain civic pride and pretension on the part of the Nathanael.

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Saw Nathanael Jesus certainly did. The good. The bad. The ugly. Jesus knew Nathanael’s heart. He knew his passion. He knew his prejudice. He knew that he had longed to know God, sitting alone under the fig tree to study His Word.

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Despite Nathanael’s initial prejudice, Jesus saw through the sinful, the imperfect, and the ordinary to the eager heart of one who was willing to leave everything behind to follow Him. This was one Jesus could transform and equip for His glory.

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Then there’s John’s Gospel itself: 

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47)

Notice that Acts 1:13 draws a distinction between Bartholomew & Simon the Zealot.

And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

Judging from his character, Nathaniel was a Zealot or someone with Zealot sympathies.  In John, he is listed with Philip, just like Bartholomew in the Synoptics. Acts separates them.   

What makes sense of all of the available biblical evidence concerning Nathaniel?   The preponderance of the evidence indicates that he is Simon the Zealot & that he was a Bartholomew not the Bartholomew, which makes Bartholomew a group name, not just a surname used as a first name qua first name. 

We arrive at this conclusion by not just noting that Bartholomew & Philip are paired in the Synoptics, & because Nathaniel & Philip are paired in John, Nathaniel is Bartholomew.  If this was a court of law or a philosophy classroom, that sort of reasoning would be quickly (and correctly) identified as a nonsequitur.  It’s the equivalent of saying that “choice” means “libertarian free will.”  There were 120 people gathered together in Acts 1, to identify one of them as a particular person simply based on a pairing in 3 of 4 lists ( (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13) won’t do, especially in light of Luke’s pattern of altering names based on character & character trajectory and the separation of Philip & Bartholomew in Mark’s list & Acts’ list. 

The Bible gives us enough information about Nathaniel’s character to know that he has the spirit & way of the Zealot about him.  Rather than glossing over his character, we need to account for it.  In the Bible, names mean something & are deployed by God to reveal the character of the people it describes & reveal our own.  Because God emphasizes character over appearances (1 Samuel 16), we should too.