Matthew first appears in chapter nine of the Gospel of Matthew, where he is sitting at a tax booth. Jesus simply says, “follow me” and Matthew decides to follow, becoming one of Jesus’ disciples. Many of Jesus’ disciples, including Matthew, were unpopular choices because of their careers or social standing in the Jewish culture. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, Matthew was a tax collector. This was a frowned upon profession by most Jews at the time, not because of the idea of taxes but because tax collectors worked for the Roman Empire, which had put extensive pressure on the Jewish people. After Matthew joined Jesus, his ministry was spent spreading Jesus’ teachings throughout the Middle East, even as far into Africa as Ethiopia.
What Did Matthew Do in the Bible?
Some translations of the Bible, most notably the King James Version, refer to Matthew as a publican. This antiquated term is Latin for someone who served the government, the “public.” Matthew’s public service was serving as a tax collector. His profession made him an untrustworthy figure among his fellow Jews at the time because he was an agent of the Roman Empire, collecting taxes for the Romans who did not provide fair treatment or provisions for the Jews.
Nothing else about Matthew’s life before joining Jesus is mentioned in the New Testament. As Matthew is working and Jesus called him to follow, Matthew presumably leaves behind his career as a tax collector to join Jesus. This change from an untrustworthy or unsavory person to one of Jesus’ closest companions is a common theme throughout the New Testament, as many of Jesus’ early followers came from a variety of unpopular backgrounds.
Matthew the Apostle Facts
With a figure as popular in the Christian tradition as Matthew, there are several key facts that are important to remember about him. All four New Testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) list Matthew as one of the twelve disciples. The story of Matthew’s calling is found in the Gospel of Matthew; however, the Gospel of Mark and Gospel of Luke have a nearly identical calling narrative about a tax collector named Levi. Although there is no explicit connection between the name “Matthew” and “Levi,” many scholars and laypeople believe that the names refer to the same person. It was common for Jesus’ disciples to have or take two names: one that was a Hebrew name they were born with and another that was a Greek or Roman name (that they may or may not have also been given at birth) for ministering to non-Jews.
Matthew was living in the area of Capernaum, a city on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus called him. If Matthew was, in fact, the same person who was called Levi, then his father was named Alphaeus, according to Mark 2. He also might have had a brother named James, who was listed in Mark 3 as a son of Alphaeus. Matthew would have been fairly well-educated and literate because of his role in Roman society. He would have been educated in reading and writing Greek for his work, which was the common language used in many of the previously Greek cities throughout the Roman Empire.
Matthew 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Matthew 10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Closing Prayer; Heavenly Father we thank you for your deciple Matthew, and all the work he did for you after you made him a deciple. We hope people see how this relates to todays politics. We pray they see the correlation and they stop making things worse than they are. That they also read the 10 commandments and realize what they are doing are not in the 10 commandments. That they get the message before it is too late. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
For those who wish to become a child of Our Heavenly Father or wish to be stronger in his eyes, please say the following prayer below.
Dear Heavenly Father, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
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