Matthew
· In the list of the Apostles in the New Testament, Matthew is mentioned as either being in seventh or eighth place.
· Also referred to as Levi in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, which is believed to be his original name before being called Matthew.
· Matthew was the son of Alphaeus (not the same person as James the Less and Thaddeus's father) and is believed to be either a Galilean or a Syrian. He is the author of the first Gospel.
· Worked in the custom house as a tax-collector at Capharnaum. He collected custom duties for Herod Antipas, and, although he was a Jew, was despised by the Pharisees, who hated all tax-collectors.
· When Jesus called for him to become an Apostle, Matthew left his table and followed Him, leaving his job and wealth behind. Matthew then fixed Jesus a meal in his home, where tax-gatherers and sinners sat at the table with Christ and His disciples. This brought many protestations from the Pharisees, for which Jesus responded with, “I came not to call the just, but the sinners.”
· Matthew’s life after the Ascension is mostly unknown. It is thought that he preached the Gospel among the Hebrews for fifteen years in Palestine. It also seems that he evangelized in Ethiopia (that is to the south of the Caspian Sea), Persia, Macedonia, and Syria.
· He wrote his Gospel in his native Aramaic, the “Hebrew tongue.”
· According to many historians, Matthew did not die a martyr, however there is some ancient testimony that claims otherwise. According to the legendary Greek writings entitled “Martyrium S. Matthaei in Ponto,” which was published in the third century, Matthew was martyred but this document is supposedly devoid of historic value. Some accounts say that he was beheaded, while others argue that he was either burned or stoned.
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