Thaddaeus [Thăddae'us]—breast, one that praises or man of heart. One of the twelve apostles of Christ (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18), also called Labbeus, or Lebbeus, and sometimes identified as Jude, who wrote the epistle bearing his name. This apostle then, was known by three names, two of which were terms of endearment used toward him from early days. In this least known among the apostles, we have a man who discovered that love is the secret of obedience and that obedience is the secret of blessedness.