Who was Matthew in the Bible?
Answer
Matthew in the Bible was one of Jesus’ disciples. Matthew’s Gospel, along with the Gospels of Luke, John, and Mark, is an inspired—and thus accurate and true—history of the life of Christ. His Gospel is the longest of the four, and some scholars believe it was the first to be written.
Before Matthew became a disciple of Christ, he was a tax collector or “publican” in the town of Capernaum (Matthew ; ). Matthew is also called Levi, the son of Alphaeus, by Luke and Mark (Mark ; Luke ). Although Luke and Mark do not come out and say, “Levi and Matthew are the same person,” we can deduce the names refer to the same individual because of context. Matthew’s account of his call matches exactly the accounts of Levi’s call in Luke and Mark, both in terms of language and chronological placement. Also, it is not uncommon for a person to be given a different name after an encounter with God. Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter, and Saul became Paul. It is likely that Matthew (meaning “gift of God”) was the name Jesus gave to Levi after his conversion.
Tax collectors were absolutely despised by their own culture because th
Matthew of the Twelve Disciples: Bio, Legacy, and Death
Published Jan 30, written by Eben De Jager, PhD New Testament
From the context of Matthew’s calling as one of the Twelve Disciples (Matthew ), it is not surprising that most scholars identify him as Levi from Mark and Luke The setting, occupation, and verbiage are identical to that used during the calling of Matthew. The Mark account adds a unique detail. Matthew was the son of Alpheus. The name has no relevant connotation to us today but may have given context to who Matthew was via his Jewish lineage when the gospel was written.
Name and Background
Matthew means “gift of God,” and Levi is the name of the priestly tribe of Israel. These names suggest that Matthew was embedded in Jewish culture, which would have made him an outcast to Jews who would consider his employment by the Roman state a treacherous act. If Matthew was a Levite, it would make his association with the Romans and work as a tax collector even more egregious.
Jews considered tax collectors as sinners by default. They often collected more than was required and kept the difference, thereby enriching themselves. Luke shows that this
Matthew means &#;gift of God&#; in Hebrew, and he was also called Levi in a few passages in the New Testament. We know that Matthew was one of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels that chronicled much of Jesus’ ministry but just like the other disciples, his name vanished quickly from most Biblical records after Jesus’ death. But thanks to his skills as a writer, the modern Christian can read about Jesus’ life, deeds, and death through the Gospel of Matthew with his unique perspective.
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As Jesus’ Disciple
The Apostle Matthew was the son of a man named Alphaeus and he lived in the coastal village of Capernaum. There were no records of his early life, but he introduced himself as a tax collector (publican) in his own book during the time of Herod Antipas (Matthew ; ). Si
Who Was Matthew the Apostle? The Beginner&#;s Guide
The Apostle Matthew, also known as Saint Matthew and Levi, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the Gospel of Matthew. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, he was a tax collector (or “publican”)—one of the most reviled professions in ancient Judaism.
Little is known about this apostle. Aside from a handful of mentions in the gospels, he’s a surprisingly obscure New Testament figure. And despite the fact that the church has long considered him the author of the Gospel of Matthew, little else was ever recorded about him.
While Matthew is honored as a martyr, no one knows for sure where or how he died. Various accounts say he was beheaded, stoned, burned, or stabbed—one even suggests he died of natural causes like John.
There are legends about his ministry, but no substantial records of his role in the early church. Later apocryphal texts emerged claiming to be written by him, and some early church fathers supported these texts, but the works only survive in fragments and quotations, and modern scholarship is divided on their authorship.
So what do we really know a
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