They were considered religious outcasts since the manner in which they carried out their profession publicly flouted the Law of Moses. Matthew was beaten by two . Almost all we know about Matthew comes straight from the gospels, which is a good thing. What will happen to Matthew for the rest of his life is undetermined. Little is known about this apostle. The earliest records say he carried out his ministry in Ethiopia (not what we consider Ethiopia, but a region south of the Caspian Sea), Persia, Macedonia, and/or Syria. Additional evidence may be found in Matthew 17:24-27. In Mark, gold and silver are only referenced once, whereas in Luke, they are mentioned four times. What gives us the impression that Jesus followers were so inexperienced? Why was Jesus regarded odd by the establishment? He traveled with Saint Barnabas and Saint Paul on many . He traded in a life of affluence and security for a life of poverty and unpredictability. 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 ). Neophilologus 87 (1) (01): 137-151. While there are credible arguments against his authorship, no alternative writer has been named. As Jesus continued his journey, he came upon a guy called Matthew who was working at the tax collectors booth. Follow me, Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:2728. According to him, money is everything in life and he broke Gods rules in order to enrich himself at the expense of his nation and other people. This is a designation designated for the traditional writers of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There are a number of contradicting tales of how he passed away. (Of course, the ages are approximate.) The end. We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. We know that John lived until about AD 96 or 97, which is about 66 years after Jesus died. In fact, the gospels provide us with virtually all of the information we need concerning Matthew. Jasmine A.L. Consider this: they were concerned about placing a tax collector in charge of their money, but Judas not only stole from the money bag (John 12:6), but he also betrayed Jesus at the end of the story. CHRIST ASSOCIATES WITH SINNERS TO HELP THEM. Tradition mentions his ministry inJudaea, following which he is said to have embarked on a journey to the East, which might have taken him to Ethiopia or Persia. Tax collectors were held to a low standard of responsibility. Here are a few biblical indices of youth development: In Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21, and John 13:33, Jesus refers to his followers as little ones, referring to them as children. Are you already a member? Virtually everything we really know about Matthew comes directly from the gospels. Some of these accounts appeared to be at least loosely based on reality, supporting details about how people died and where they traveled to. Revealing Christ is our current series where we are delving further into the Scriptures of Matthew 15:29 17:23, where Peter declared Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God, and where Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus transfiguration. Ultimately, we wont be able to affirm or deny who wrote the Gospel of Matthew until we have a byline. First and foremost, according to Scripture, Jesus was around 30 years old when He began His public ministry (Luke 3:23). Commentary: One of the most pervasive images in the New Testament is that of Jesus as our Passover lamb. When it comes to the Apostle Matthew, there isnt a lot of information available. Gold and silver are only mentioned once in Mark, and four times in Luke. . Site design and hosting by . So why would an eyewitness use an account written by someone who wasnt there? Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, according to tradition, he preached for 15 years in Jerusalem before embarking on a missionary journey to various places across the world. Because weve been far more formed by Bible movies than by the Biblical data on hand. Matthews gospel appears to rely heavily on Marks (which is why there are so many parallel passages), but the Gospel of Mark is believed to have been written by a man named John Mark, who was not an eyewitness. In response to an invitation from Jesus, Matthew demonstrated one of the most drastically transformed lives recorded in the Bible. But thats all there is to it. On the other hand, before he met Jesus, Matthew was greedy. Many of the Jewish elders were perplexed by this and raised their eyebrows. [ a] And despite his position as a religious outsider, Jesus gave him a prominent position within what would eventually become the largest religion in the world. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Matthew is mentioned in Matthew 9:9 and Matthew 10:3 as a tax collector who, while sitting at the "receipt of custom" in Capernaum, was called to follow Jesus. Lets get to know Matthew a bit better because he was the founder of the largest religion on the planet at the time of writing this article. The Bible states that these two men weren't just . 2 There He was transfigured before them. Simeon was a patient man. His message was not polished, but blunt and to the point. He was a "wilderness man," a man who from childhood had lived " in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel " ( Luke 1:80 ). In the words of Heracleon, the apostle died as a result of natural circumstances. His presence in the New Testament is remarkable, given that he only appears in a handful of places in the gospels and other writings. (according to the Bible) Fishermen . John was the son of Zebedee who was also a fisherman in Galilee. But Matthew mentions them 28 times. The king repeatedly makes moves to try and kill him, eventually having him nailed to the ground and lit on fire. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus' mission to the Jews was highlighted by seven miraculous signs. But this really doesn't settle his age at all. The Gospel of Matthew was written 30-40 years after Jesus' resurrection, indicating that Matthew was perhaps in his 20s when following Jesus on earth. Home PhilosophyReligion Personages associated with religion Scholars Saints Popesapostle Alternative titles include: Levi, St. Matthew the Apostle, and St. Matthew the Evangelist are all names for the same person. Mattew put together a masterpiece that, like any genuinely great narrative, instills perspective and inspires understanding while constantly directing us to the true Christ. Matthew also uses money-related words the other gospels dont. How did Luke know what Jesus said in the garden if the apostles were asleep? Matthew 14:14. He was devoted to Jesus, and once he made the decision to serve the Lord, he never looked back. as members of a sect called the Zealots." In the same way, Matthew used the word in this passage to call our attention to the direction in which Jesus ministry is now heading. 2020. No other disciples wives are ever mentioned. In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus asks Peter to fish up the tax he has been instructed to collect. Historically, a rabbi of that era would begin accepting students when he reached the age of thirty. He knew the human heart and the longings of the Jewish people. , . 329 views, 25 likes, 5 loves, 29 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Living God Tabernacle -God's Spoken Word Evangelism: 2023-01-22 SUNDAY SERVICE _"IF YOU ARE BORN AGAIN, WHERE IS. Matthew 9:9-13 is a Bible verse that describes the life of Jesus. Despite the fact that Matthew is revered as a martyr, no one knows for certain where or how he perished. The Apostle Matthew, also known as Saint Matthew and Levi, was one of Jesus Christs twelve disciples and was born in the city of Nazareth. Each of these four writers used their writings to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. As the author of the Gospel of Matthew, he has historically been recognized as such. Matthew, however, was the only one of the four Gospel writers who presented Jesus to the Jews as the long-awaited Messiah, customizing his tale to satisfy their questions. Most scholars dont accept this account today. Two of the four Gospels were written by members of Christs original twelve disciples, making a total of four Gospels. They were religious outsiders, because the way they practiced their profession openly defied the Law of Moses. We see in Scripture, how majestically he spoke out to the crowd on the day of Pentecost. Another relevant fact is that John lived until at least AD96 when Revelation was written, which is 66 years after Jesus died. The fact that you are a young disciple does not affect the truth of the Gospel. It seems that the author paid particular attention to Jesus statements about money, had a greater understanding of financial matters, and saw finance as a helpful lens to understand the gospel. The first time Nicodemus is mentioned, he is identified as a Pharisee who comes to see Jesus at night. You . But for centuries, the church has claimed it was the Apostle Matthew. NEES, LAWRENCE, Barbara Drake Boehm, and Melanie Holcolmb. The Transfiguration. Your email address will not be published. Jesus, everyone agrees, was about 30 years old during his ministry, based on Luke's explicit aging in 3:23. This is a term designated for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the four gospel authors who are considered to be the traditional authors of their respective books. February 27, 2023. In the end, this is speculation, and we simply cannot know how old the apostles were. One of these signs is Walking on water Feeding the 5,000 Matthew's Gospel names no audience for its message other than that which is implied in its Great Commission. And, despite the fact that he was a religious outsider, Jesus elevated him to a prominent position inside what would later become the worlds greatest religion. Your response? 2 While they watched, Jesus was changed. Fun fact: As a tax collector, Matthew wouldve presumably been great with money, and modern readers would think hed be an ideal candidate for the groups official treasurer. But given the reputation of tax collectors in first-century Judaism, that wouldve been a bad move politicallywhich might be why the disciples gave the job to a guy named Judas Iscariot. St. Peter was a fisherman by trade. Another important thing to remember is that John lived until at least AD96, when the book of Revelation was published, which is 66 years after Jesus death and resurrection. Answer Neither the Bible nor any other source specifies the ages of any of Jesus initial twelve apostles. Matthew 9:36. Matthew invites over his "sinner" friends to meet Jesus. Then Jesus puts Matthew in with the rest of the sinners, as follows: On hearing this, Jesus responded, It is the ill who require medical attention, not the healthy. MATTHEW 9:9-13 MARK 2:13-17 LUKE 5:27-32. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Claims to fame: Matthew works as a tax collector before meeting Jesus. The Greek word for . The Hebrews were subject to the sovereignty of the Roman Empire during their lifetime. Those who strove to protect the Roman Empire were held in high regard by the Hebrews of the period, with the majority of them being seen as greedy, selfish, and treacherous. Despite the fact that there is no indication in Scripture of a specific age for any disciple, we can conclude from the evidence in the Gospels and from a little research into 1st century Jewish culture that this idea, which has been depicted repeatedly in movies and pictures, is almost certainly incorrect. It is supposed that Jesus, as he did in other cases, gave Levi another name, Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh." Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention him, and he is included in the list of the disciples in the book of Acts. Copyright 2022 . If they were males, this would be considered a bit disrespectful, regardless of how radical or mild the rabbi is! 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