By profession, Matthew was a tax collector before being called by Jesus to follow Him. Tax collectors were despised in the ancient world, especially among the Jews at the time of Christ, who saw the imposition of taxes as a mark of their occupation by the Romans. Born in Palestine sometime in the 1st century, Saint Matthew was one of Jesus's 12 apostles and also one of the four Evangelists, according to the Bible. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. Since Cleopas was the brother St. Matthew, also called St. Matthew the Evangelist, St. Matthew the Apostle, or Levi, (flourished 1st century ce, Palestine; Western feast day September 21, Eastern feast day November 16), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the traditional author of the first Synoptic Gospel (the Gospel According to Matthew). According to Luke 5:29, the aforementioned dinner was given by Levi in his house after his call. Matthew as a Publican . The Church established St. Matthew's feast day as September 21. Matthew worked for the Romans as a tax collector. Born in Palestine sometime in the 1st century, Saint Matthew was one of Jesus's 12 apostles and also one of the four Evangelists, according to the Bible. Italian Dominican theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas was one of the most influential medieval thinkers of Scholasticism and the father of the Thomistic school of theology. Omissions? The Life of St. Matthew. Given the name "Gift of God", his birth must have been a joyous time for his family. One day, as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw, sitting at the receipt of custom, Matthew, who was a tax collector for the rulers of the Roman Empire. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. The first recorded information of Matthew tells of a meeting between him and Jesus. Thomas’ name occurs in Matthew (10:3), Mark (3:18), Luke (6) and Acts of the Apostles (1:13), but in the Gospel of John he plays a particularly distinctive part. Also called Levi, Matthew was not a stand-out character in the Bible; He is only mentioned by name in the lists of apostles and in the account of his calling. kēf; Engl. Other than naming Matthew in the list of Apostles, usually pairing him with St. Thomas, the New Testament offers scant and uncertain information about him. Matthew authored the first Gospel of the Bible's New Testament, now known as the Gospel of Matthew. Many people felt that he was unworthy to be a chosen as a follower of Jesus. GOSPEL: Matthew 9:9-13 EPISTLE: 1 Corinthians 4:9-16 . First appearing in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Saint Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus Christ and the husband of the Virgin Mary. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Matthew, Catholic Encyclopedia - Gospel of St. Matthew, Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of St. Matthew, Catholic Information Network - St. Matthew Apostle and Evangelist. Legend differs as to the scene of his missions and as to whether he died a natural death or a martyr’s. The name Matthew means gift of Yahweh. He was included as one of the Evangelists according to the Christian tradition. Matthew is the patron saint of tax collectors and accountants. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Facts about Matthew the Apostle give the readers a hint about Levi or Saint Matthew. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. His symbol is an angel, and he is a patron saint of tax collectors and accountants. "Matthew, the publican," he calls himself, branding himself with the profession the Jews most hated. Assuming that the identification of Matthew with Levi is correct, Matthew (probably meaning “Yahweh’s Gift”) would appear to be the Christian name of Levi (called by Mark “Levi the son of Alphaeus”), who had been employed as a tax collector in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. When he wrote his gospel, after years of exposure to the teachings of Christ and days of fierce persecution, he was the only one of the four who directly addressed the Jews. It would appear from this that Matthew was claiming…, …the subject of Christ calling Matthew, the tax gatherer, in a dingy modern tax collector’s office somewhere in a basement of Rome. Having received the grace of the Holy Spirit, which descended upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, Saint Matthew preached in Palestine for several years. Apostle Saint Mark was one of Christ's 70 disciples, one of the four evangelists and the traditional author of the second Gospel, The Book of Mark. rock) by Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Simon bar Jonah and Simon bar Jochanan (Aram.) Christ and Peter, wearing timeless robes that symbolize eternal salvation, encounter Matthew and a group of taxpayers in gaudy modern dress. His original name, Levi, suggests that he was a man of the priestly tribe. Outside the New Testament, a statement of importance about him is the passage from the Apostolic Father Papias of Hierapolis preserved by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea: “So then Matthew composed the Oracles in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as he could.” The Gospel According to Matthew was certainly written for a Jewish-Christian church in a strongly Jewish environment, but that this Matthew is definitely the Synoptic author is seriously doubted. petros, petra; Aram. Matthew is spoken of five times in the New Testament; first in Matthew 9:9, when called by Jesus to follow Him, and then four times in the list of the Apostles, where he is mentioned in the seventh (Luke 6:15, and Mark 3:18), and again in the eighth place (Matthew … At the request of the Jewish converts at Jerusalem, the holy Apostle Matthew wrote his Gospel describing the earthly life of the Savior, before leaving to preach the Gospel in faraway lands. Prior to preaching the word of God, he worked as a tax collector in Capernaum. The Apostle Matthew . In the entire New Testament, his name only appears in the four lists of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2–4, Mark 3:16–19, Luke 6:14–16, Acts 1:1–13). The Feast of St. Matthew is annually celebrated on September 21. He preached and lived a radical message of God's Love and was able to heal people of lifelong disabilities and illnesses and was able to command natural phenomena. With Richard Kiley, Bruce Marchiano, Gerrit Schoonhoven, Dawid Minnaar. In the Christian Bible, he was cited as one of the Jesus’ apostles. Matthew was the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), who was also called Cleopas, and Matthew’s brother, James, was also one of the Twelve Apostles. Matthew, Apostle Matthew means “gift of God” in Hebrew, and he was also called Levi in a few passages in the New Testament. https://www.biography.com/religious-figure/saint-matthew. St. Helena, the mother of Constantine I, is believed to have discovered the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified. Tradition notes his ministry in Judaea, after which he supposedly missioned to the East, suggesting Ethiopia and Persia. 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. According to the Bible, Saint Matthew was one of Jesus's 12 apostles and the first author of the New Testament. Matthew, the Apostle of Yahshua (Popularly known as Jesus Christ) is best known as the publican or tax collector. Saint Matthew, the first-century tax collector turned apostle who chronicled the life and ministry of Christ in his Gospel, is celebrated by the Church today, September 21. After being called, Matthew invited Jesus home for a feast. She was murdered, along with her entire family, in 1918. Bartholomew was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ. It is the contracted name of Mattathias. St. Matthew (active 1st century), one of the Apostles chosen by Jesus, is traditionally considered the author of the First Gospel. Do you want to learn the important lessons from the life of the Apostle Matthew? Because Levi’s occupation was one that earned distrust and contempt everywhere, the scribes of the Pharisees criticized Jesus on seeing him eat with tax collectors and sinners, whereupon Jesus answered, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:15–17). The first recorded information of Matthew tells of a meeting between him and Jesus. Probably to the surprise of those with Jesus, he immediately followed after Him. Matthew was a tax collector and is therefore the patron saint of bankers. Matthew was a tax collector at Capernaum, which is traditionally designated as the place of his birth. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. He was also called Levi , and Jesus probably changed his name to Matthew, meaning “gift of Yahweh,” when He called him to His service. Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ who was martyred in the 1st century AD. However, when one considers that Matthew followed Jesus long after most of the apostles, and that Matthew was not an inner-circle disciple, then it stands to reason that Matthew would borrow material from Mark’s Gospel if it is true that Mark relayed information from Simon Peter—who was both an early apostle and inner-circle disciple. St. Matthew, also called St. Matthew the Evangelist, St. Matthew the Apostle, or Levi, (flourished 1st century ce, Palestine; Western feast day September 21, Eastern feast day November 16), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the traditional author of the first Synoptic Gospel (the Gospel According to Matthew). ... We read of Andrew and Peter’s calling in Matthew 4:18-22 “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Twelve Apostles. St Matthew Short Life History. Answer Matthew in the Bible was one of Jesus’ disciples. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the Gospel of Matthew. Christ beckons Matthew, as if to draw…. Matthew belonged to a family of tax gatherers, or publicans, but was himself a customs collector in Capernaum,. Matthew’s relics were reputedly discovered in Salerno (Italy) in 1080. According to the list occurring in each of the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 3:13-19, Matthew 10:1-4, Luke 6:12-16), the Twelve chosen by Jesus near the beginning of his ministry, those whom also He named Apostles, were . Updates? Simon: called Peter (Grk. He’s never given any distinguishing qualities or titles, so aside from his name, we know almost nothing about him. Matthew the Apostle, also known as Saint Matthew and as Levi, was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist, a claim rejected by the majority of modern biblical scholars, though the "traditional authorship still has its defenders." 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. where he lived.. Jesus called him to follow him, just as he had done to Peter, Andrew, James and John, who worked in … And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Although there is a Matthew named among the various lists of Jesus’ disciples, more telling is the fact that the name of Levi, the tax collector who in Mark became a follower of Jesus, in Matthew is changed to Matthew. when Jesus called him, he was working as a receipt of custom. Alexandra Feodorovna was consort of the Russian Czar Nicholas II. Thomas is often condemned for his lack of belief, but Thomas was equally courageous, willing to stand by Jesus in dangerous times. The apostle Matthew, also called Levi, was the son of Alphaeus and the brother of the apostle James the Less, or, James, son of Alphaeus. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Matthew is the name of one of the Twelve Apostles that Jesus chose. We first see Philip mentioned in John 1:43-45 the day after Andrew and his brother Peter first started following Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Her rule precipitated the collapse of Russia's imperial government. Matthew is traditionally identified as the author of the Gospel of Matthew. full of letters explaining the proper ways to follow the teachings of Christ, but only four accounts of Christ's life and death. If yes, then you came to the right place. One of the Twelve Apostles, Saint Thomas or “Doubting Thomas” was initially skeptical about Jesus’ resurrection, but later proclaimed Jesus, “My Lord and My God.”. Matthew the apostle had been a dishonest tax collector driven by greed until Jesus Christ chose him as a disciple. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. We know little about the life of Matthew the Evangelist. Jesus said to him, “Follow Me;” and leaving all, Matthew arose and followed Him. Matthew, also known as Levi, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. His Gospel is the longest of the four, and some scholars believe it was the first to be written. Corrections? St. Matthew Apostle and evangelist. Read on to learn more. The Apostle Matthew, also known as Saint Matthew and Levi, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. Matthew, the seventh apostle, was chosen by Andrew. … Directed by Regardt van den Bergh. He was thirty-one years old and married and had four children. Apostle Saint Mark was one of Christ's 70 disciples, one of the four evangelists and the traditional author of the second Gospel, The Book of Mark. Matthew, the Evangelist who wrote the Gospel that appears first in the New Testament, was different from the other Apostles. The Apostle Andrew Biography, Life and Death. The founder of the Order of Poor Ladies, Saint Clare of Assisi was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. Young Matthias was born during the reign of Caesar Augustus in the early first century AD. He is mentioned in Matthew 9:9. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! However, we know from the Gospels that he was a Galilean tax collector before being called by Jesus to be an apostle. He was a tax collector (or more accurately, a tax agent) for the Romans (and therefore hated by fellow Jews), stationed at Capernaum. St. Matthew (active 1st century), one of the Apostles chosen by Jesus, is traditionally considered the author of the First Gospel. He was not a popular man. Matthew the Apostle, also known as Saint Matthew and as Levi, was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist, a claim rejected by the majority of modern biblical scholars.. November 16, 2014 . 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