The Holy Apostle Judas, one of the 12 disciples of Christ, was descended from the family of King David and Solomon, and was the son of the righteous Joseph the Betrothed by his first wife.
The Holy Apostle John the Theologian writes in his Gospel: "Neither did his brothers believe in him" (John 7:5). St. Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria, explains these words as follows: at the beginning of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, Joseph's sons, including Judas, did not believe in His Divine essence. Tradition indicates that when the righteous Joseph the Betrothed, returning from Egypt, began to divide the land that belonged to him among his sons, he wished to allocate a part to Christ the Savior, who was born preternaturally and incorruptibly of the Most Pure Virgin Mary. The brothers opposed this, and only the eldest of them, James, accepted Christ Jesus into joint ownership of his share and for this was called the brother of the Lord. Later, Judas believed in Christ the Savior as the expected Messiah, turned to Him with all his heart and was chosen by Him to be one of the next 12 disciples. But, remembering his sin, the apostle Judas considered himself unworthy to be called the brother of God, and in his conciliar epistle he calls himself only the brother of James.
The Holy Apostle Judas had other names as well: the Evangelist Matthew calls him "Leviticus, surnamed Thaddeus" (Matthew 10:3), the Holy Evangelist Mark also calls him Thaddeus (Mark 3:18), and in the Acts of the Holy Apostles he is referred to by the name of Barsabbas (Acts.15:22). It was the custom at the time.
After the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle Judas set out to preach the gospel. He spread the faith in Christ first in Judea, Galilee, Samaria and Idumea, and then in the countries of Arabia, Syria and Mesopotamia, and finally came to the city of Edessa. Here he completed what had not been completed by his predecessor, the 70-year-old apostle Thaddeus. The news has been preserved that the holy Apostle Judas went to Persia with a sermon and from there wrote his conciliar epistle in Greek, in the brief words of which many profound truths are contained. It contains dogmatic teaching about the Holy Trinity, the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the difference between good and evil Angels, and the future Last Judgment. Morally, the apostle urges believers to protect themselves from carnal uncleanness, to be faithful in their duties, prayer, faith and love, to turn the lost to the path of salvation, and to protect themselves from the teachings of heretics. The Apostle Judas teaches that faith in Christ alone is not enough; good deeds inherent in Christian teaching are also necessary.
The Holy Apostle Judas died a martyr around the year 80 in Armenia, in the city of Arat, where he was crucified on a cross and pierced with arrows.