As one of the twelve apostles, Matthew was there throughout almost all of Jesus ministry. To learn the history of John, the disciple of Jesus, we begin with his life before he met Jesus. And in the Lords Prayer, Matthew makes a curious substitution. According to this interpretation, Matthew (which is likely to mean Yahwehs Gift) would appear to be the Christian name of Levi (whom Mark refers to as Levi the son of Alphaeus), who had been working as a tax collector in the service of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee at the time of Jesus birth. Another relevant fact is that John lived until at least AD96 when Revelation was written, which is 66 years after Jesus died. He was a meticulous record keeper who was also a good watcher of people. 2 There He was transfigured before them. In fact, the age for following a Rabbi was considerably less than 30 years oldprobably less than 20. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, he was a tax collector (or publican)one of the most reviled professions in ancient Judaism. The level of craftsmanship with which The Gospel According to Matthewwas written never ceases to astound me. Of whom are Matthew, Philip, Thomas, Levi, and many others. Stromata. But the simplicity of this passage speaks volumes. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Matthew 10:24 (New International Version) Fun fact: As a tax collector, Matthew wouldve undoubtedly been quite good with money, and modern readers might assume hed make an excellent candidate for the position of official treasurer for the ring of thieves. He completed graduate work at Johns Hopkins University, receiving a Masters Degree in Near Eastern Studies in 1979. . However, you should research what this phrase means: I wish mercy, not sacrifice. Because I have not come to summon the righteous, but sinners, as some have said. (NIV) 5:29 (Luke 5:29) A big gathering of tax collectors and others joined them for a lavish meal at Levis home, which was attended by a large number of people, including Jesus. Hes mentioned in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and listed among the disciples in Acts. However, Jesus accepted and loved this tax collector for who he was, regardless of his background. We dont normally do much in the way of Lent observance around here, but just as Advent is tied to Christmas, Lent is tied to the Passion of Christ and the celebration of the Resurrection. Synopsis. Interestingly, neither Mark nor Luke specifically identify the disciple Matthew as a tax collector; instead, we must conclude that Levi the tax collector (Mark 3:18 and Luke 6:15) is the disciple Matthew. However, scholars say that the Gospel According to Saint Matthew, although later attributed to. It is amazing all the information that Scripture gives us. Papias of Hierapolis, who was referenced byEusebius of Caesarea inChurch History, provides the first indication that he may have authored it: So then Matthew penned the oracles in the Hebrew tongue, and every one interpreted them as he was able. A similar claim was made by Irenaeus in his work Against Heresies, which was published between 130 and 202 AD. Were going to look at what the Bible says about Matthew, what we know about the gospel that bears his name, and some other tidbits about this enigmatic apostle. As he walks on, he sees Matthew, who is also . No children are mentioned. He also worked as a missionary, bringing the good news to people in different parts of the world. Again, this in itself does not clinch the matter. 4, p. 643). Youll walk away from it with enough knowledge to have a thoughtful conversation about the Bible with a pastor, an atheist, or anyone else. Do you want to be a student or a teacher? They had already formed a negative opinion of Jesus, but now he was associated with the lowest strata of Hebrew society. Every male above the age of 20 who visits the temple of God is required to give a half-shekel as a census offering, according to Jewish law, which is found in Exodus 30:14-15. 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. 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. Ultimately, without a byline, we cant confirm or deny who wrote the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus is on the lookout for those who are truly committed. Others have speculated that Matthew was a bit older than the others because he had a fairly important position as a tax collector. Lebanon Baptist Church: Join us for our Sunday Morning Service with. The Bible tells us that Peter had a wife when Jesus cured his mother-in-law, according to Matthew 8:14-15. Foxes Book of Martyrs also lends support to the martyrdom narrative of Matthew, saying that he was killed in the city of Nabadar with a halberd (a combined spear and battleax). NEES, LAWRENCE, Barbara Drake Boehm, and Melanie Holcolmb. As the author of the Gospel of Matthew, he has historically been recognized as such. Tax collectors were considered to be the epitome of sin by the Jews. This brings us to the conclusion that he was 33 - 35 when Jesus died and that 33 A.D is the most probable year of his death. Or at least much younger than their Master. In Matthew 17, Jesus foreshadowed the events leading up to His own death and resurrection for the second time. Generally speaking, the Book of Matthew is thought to have been written by, yep, Matthew, who was a disciple, apostle, and evangelist in the early Christian community. He gave lectures near the seaside and from the top of a mountain. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Matthew 8:14 mentions his infirm mother-in-law, who was a sick woman. Matthew the apostle had previously worked as a dishonest tax collector motivated solely by avarice, until Jesus Christ picked him to be one of his disciples. *shrug* Aside from that, Matthew devotes a significant amount of favorable attention to Peter in his gospel. All rights reserved. Simeon was a patient man. 9:12 (KJV) By addressing Matthew specifically, Jesus was announcing that no one would be barred from his movementnot even those who were deemed unredeemable by society. Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism: Which is the true religion and why? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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 ). Peter, James, and John were the only ones who had a clearer understanding of who Jesus was and what he was capable of. Why was Jesus regarded odd by the establishment? If Peter had children, it would have been wise for the gospel authors not to mention them for their safety. Follow me, Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:2728. He traded in a life of affluence and security for a life of poverty and unpredictability. Since we dont know how old he was at the time he met Jesus, we cant be certain he was born in the first century, but he certainly lived then. Youd have to be completely convinced that Jesus is who He claims to be, that His is the only path to genuine life, and that its definitely worth it to push through the muck and gloom in order to see the beauty. Why did he not appear to the Pharisees & teachers of the law? Since this person was a Jew who worked for the Romans, it wouldnt be surprising to learn that he was known by both names. Some argue that Matthews role as an eyewitness is evidence that he didnt write the Gospel of Matthew. The children had a forceful mother called Salome, who insisted on arranging where they would sit at the dinner table with Jesus. Matthew the Apostle was the author of one of the four gospels included in the New Testament of the Bible. Jesus would have entered into ministry when he reached the age of thirty. They were most certainly teens by this point, as they were able to leave home to follow a rabbi. (Of course, the ages are approximate.) Naomi, Simhony. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It was also a time when those who chose to follow Jesus by joining the church were being pushed down by an ever-increasing weight of persecution. Only one (and its parallels) gives us any substantial details about him. Matthew says that Jesus is born in Bethlehem. There are several possible explanations for this difference. However, there are a few counter-arguments, with the most important being that the early church claimed John as its own. In his commentary on the New Testament, Clement of Alexandria quotes Heracleon, one of the earliest commentators, as saying that Matthew died naturally: But neither will this utterance be found to have been spoken universally; for all the saved have confessed in accordance with the confession made by the voice, and have departed. Among them are Matthew, Philip, Thomas, Levi, and a host of other individuals. Stromata is a slang term for a woman who is pregnant. Matthew, Mark, and Luke have parallel accounts of Jesus calling a tax collector to become a disciple. Its a great introduction to the Bible. The author of the Gospel of Matthew is unknown, however Matthew the Apostle is widely regarded as the books primary author. Jewish culture made it customary for a child to begin his religious training at the age of 5 and to continue to age 12 or 13. Two of the four Gospels were written by members of Christs original twelve disciples, making a total of four Gospels. Again crowds come to him, and he begins teaching them. 4 Hurley believes "the foundation-stone of Jesus's attitude toward women was his vision of them as persons to whom and for whom he had come. We do have something we dont have, which is the gospels, which demonstrate that Matthew was one of Jesus most compelling instances of the forgiveness God extends to everyone who ask. They were most certainly teens by this point, as they were able to leave home to follow a rabbi. Isaiah 11:1 He would be born from the family of Jesse. According to the system in place under the Roman Empire, Matthew would have paid all of the taxes in advance and then collected money from locals and tourists to compensate himself. Higher education consisted of studying under the supervision of a local rabbi for individuals who were intelligent (or affluent). The man's name was Matthew. 66 He wore clothing made of camel's hair and ate locusts and wild honey ( Matthew 3:4 ). If it doesnt work, try reloading the page or contacting customer service. Little is known about this apostle. (according to the Bible) Fishermen . Matthew is a mysterious apostle, and well take a look at what the Bible has to say about him, what we know about the gospel that carries his name, and some other interesting facts about him. Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About Them) By Bart D. Ehrman. In passages parallel to Matthew 9:9, both Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27 describe Jesus's calling of the tax collector . This is a designation designated for the traditional writers of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew makes it plain that Jesus is the King of the Jews. Moses: The Old Testaments Greatest Prophet. Matthew, who was also known as Levi, was a minor character in the Bible; he is only referenced by name in the lists of apostles and in the story of his calling. It is reasonable to assume that John was at least 20 years old at the time of the crucifixion, given his ability to care for Jesus mother (John 19:2627). As we just learned in the passages above (Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:2728), Matthew was a tax collector, or a publicansomeone who was contracted by the Roman government to collect taxes. Matthew was one of Jesus Christs twelve disciples, and he served in this capacity. The men were Moses and Elijah. Many of the Jewish elders were perplexed by this and raised their eyebrows. Matthew, whose fathers name was Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), was known by the name Levi before being called by Jesus to follow him. Think about that: they were worried about putting a tax collector in charge of their money, but Judas not only stole from the money bag (John 12:6), but ultimately betrayed Jesus. Like Mark 1:14, Matthew begins after John the Baptist is imprisoned; John 1-5 shows that Jesus' ministry actually began earlier, interspersing ministry in Judea and Galilee before moving to Capernaum. They were dubbed Sons of Thunder by Jesus because they were presumably either loud or courageous when they were young, attributes that Jesus admired in them. In John Foxes famous Book of Martyrs (first published in 1563), the entry for Matthew states: The scene of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which latter country he suffered martyrdom, being slain with a halberd in the city of Nadabah, A.D. 60.. If Jesus gave him the name Matthew or whether he chose it himself, Matthew is a truncation of the name Mattathias, which meaning gift of Yahweh or simply Gods gift. Mattheus arranged a huge goodbye feast at his home in Capernaum on the same day Jesus persuaded him to follow him. In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus asks Peter to fish up the tax he has been instructed to collect. There are several conflicting accounts about his death. The authors of the Gospels linked their accounts to the Old Testament prophets as evidence of Jesus' unique character. Matthew also uses money-related words the other gospels dont. They were considered religious outcasts since the manner in which they carried out their profession publicly flouted the Law of Moses. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. | Theme by SuperbThemes.Com. We cant be definite that he was born in the first century since we dont know how old he was when he encountered Jesus, but we can be confident that he lived throughout that time period. This prophecy of His own death and resurrection aimed to let people recognize Him as Christ in the proper light, for to confess Him as Christ while denying Him the cross would be to have incorrect expectations of what He was capable of. Dont our hearts go out to them more as they struggle to grasp all that Jesus is saying to them? In the end, how much do we actually know about him? But in the Gospels, Peter is the only disciple recorded to have been married (Matthew 8:14-15). The Transfiguration. Both Daniel and Zechariah Ch 9-14 are the product of the Hellenistic era and have no messianic prophecies. Dislikes the New Guy: Initially does not get along with Matthew, who he remembers from the latter's previous line of work. As with most of the apostles, its hard to say exactly how Matthew died. Irenaeus, who lived from about 130 AD to 202 AD, made a similar claim in Against Heresies: Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church., However, Papias statement is actually pretty ambiguous. and Peter saw more of Jesus than Matthew and was a pillar of the early church, so . , . In 2013, a group portrait of American male teenagers was taken. He knew the human heart and the longings of the Jewish people. The Gospel of Matthews author is anonymous, but Matthew the Apostle is traditionally considered the author. 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. It seems in the Luke passage that Jesus was entering the home of someone he know. Jesus, everyone agrees, was about 30 years old during his ministry, based on Luke's explicit aging in 3:23. Certain scholars believe that Matthews Gospel has internally referenced evidence that ties it to Matthews profession, which might suggest that he was the biblical author. (Matthew 20:20-24; Mark 10:20-24). The holy city, Jerusalem, comes down from out of heaven, looking as new and innocent as a bride ready for her husband. Matthew was a tax collector. As a Jew, stepping into this profession was essentially an act of betrayal to his people. Over 30 million students around the world benefit from this resource. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (verses 4-5). 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. On the basis of Lukes specific aging in 3:23, everyone accepts that Jesus was around 30 years old throughout his ministry. Scripture refers to the offering of a pair of doves or . Because weve been far more formed by Bible movies than by the Biblical data on hand. Follow me, he said, as Matthew rose to his feet and followed him. The wealthier they were, the worse it was considered that they were. RESPONSE:As you correctly surmise, the solution to this question is somewhat shocking. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 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. This all changed for Matthew when Jesus crossed his path and said, Follow me. Thats all there is to it. Matthew 9:36. Doesn't this contradict what God said in the OT? The precise ages of Jesus followers are not specified in the Bible; nonetheless, it is probable that they were all between the ages of 13 and 30 at the time they followed Jesus. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. What bolsters this case is the educational pathway of that time. His mother was also there for her Jewish religious ritual of Purification or Cleansing. (See Acts 11:27 for further information.) Discover interesting information about the life and career of this former publican who became an evangelist, as well as his death and contributions to history. When he entered the town, he was met by a small delegation of Jewish elders. If the brothers were grown men, Salomes obstinacy would be quite incomprehensible. 4 (2018): 55161. Bottom line, the Bible provides no direct evidence for the age of the apostles. As we approach the first of three instances on which Jesus prophesied both His death and resurrection to His followers, Id like to take a minute to look forward to these three occurrences in particular. They were all alone there. Its message was ultimately intended to go to "all nations." 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Of four Gospels included in the end, how much do we know! Apostle was the son of Alphaeus cookies will be stored in your browser only with consent!
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