The Life of Matthew

Introduction:

The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the
three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people but is
rejected by them and how, after his resurrection, he sends the disciples to the gentiles instead.
Who is Matthew?
Matthew was considered an outcast because he was a tax collector; many places in the Bible
talk against the tax collectors. But, the Lord takes him for a purpose. As the Bible has told,
the Lord called, he got up and went to follow Jesus; he was holding a position (as a tax
collector), but that position didn’t keep him there, just a word calling from the Lord, and he
followed. The following is proof of his heart and that he deserved to be a disciple. Matthew
has followed the Lord, has seen the work of the Lord, and he believed the Word of the Lord
because he has seen it, so he believed every word the Lord spoke.
How did Matthew Reach the Point of Writing the Gospel?
After having passed a long time for him following the Lord and having seen many miracle
works, the work of the Lord has opened his heart to commit himself fully to write down the
Gospel (more than commitment, submit himself to the Lord for the work). So, he followed
that conviction, left everything behind, and worked for the Lord (wrote the Gospel down).
One day as he went along the life, the Lord has put in his heart to start the work; that was a
simple way, come along, sit down and listen to the Holy Spirit speak to him and write down
the Gospel. Suppose that someone comes and says that Matthew copied the Gospel. That is
wrong; Matthew got the Gospel from the Lord straight; he did not take words from anyone,
only from the Holy Spirit; his ear was opened, his heart was gentle, and the work of the Holy
Spirit has been done through him. Also, remember that Matthew was an intelligent man, his
job as a tax collector was important for people in that time, but this did not hold him down
from where his heart was calling, like the majority of people do when the Lord calls, they
will not leave everything behind; and the work of writing the Gospel, that time was work
without payment.

Purpose of the Gospel

The Gospel of Matthew covers all the gospel details, and that is why his Gospel is the first
Gospel to be put down in the Bible. The facts as written in this Gospel are further covered in
the other gospels. Think of the main details; for example, he has put enough details of the
birth of the Lord, but other gospels will provide extra details as well. The main purpose of the
Gospel of Matthew was to show the plan of the Lord for humans. He quotes things from the
prophets that no one knows, only the Lord who showed it to him. As you read the Gospel,
you should notice that he quotes a Scripture manuscript that is older than his generation,
which is not written down for common people to read. Some quotes he put, as his work on
earth as a tax collector, he would not have a chance to study those work unless the Holy
Spirit has revealed them to him. The Gospel of Matthew[note 1] is the first book of the New
Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how
Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people (the Jews) but is rejected by them and how,
after his resurrection, he sends the disciples to the gentiles instead.[3] Matthew wishes to
emphasize that the Jewish tradition should not be lost in a church that was increasingly
becoming gentile.[4] The gospel reflects the struggles and conflicts between the evangelist's
community and the other Jews, particularly with its sharp criticism of the scribes
and Pharisees[5] with the position that through their rejection of Christ, the Kingdom of
God has been taken away from them and given instead to the church.[6] Traditionally, the
gospel has been attributed to the Apostle Matthew, who is described as a tax collector within
the text. Most modern scholars hold the gospel was written anonymously by a male Jew in
the last quarter of the first century who was familiar with technical legal aspects of scripture.
[7][8] The authorship has been variously dated between AD 40 and AD 85, with most
modern scholars favoring the latter date of AD 85. A minority of scholars hold to a pre-70
date

1. ^ ESV Pew Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2018. p. 807. ISBN 978-1-4335-6343-

0.  Archived from the original on 3 June 2021.
2. ^ "Bible Book Abbreviations". Logos Bible Software. Archived from the original on
21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.

NAVIGATION

St. Matthew the Apostle — He Left His Post to Follow Jesus

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He
said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9)
Caravaggio, “The Calling of Saint Matthew”(Photo: Caravaggio)
Caravaggio, “The Calling of Saint Matthew” (Photo: Caravaggio)
Theresa Doyle-Nelson Blogs
September 21, 2020
Matthew (also known as Levi in the Gospels of Luke and Mark) was a Jewish tax collector,
or publican, living in Capernaum. Tax collectors at that time were known as dishonest and
corrupt people who would take advantage of anyone they could, overtaxing as much as
possible for personal gain. So, although Matthew most likely lived in comfort, he would also
have experienced much ostracism from his fellow Jews.

When Jesus called Matthew to apostleship, his sudden acceptance is striking to imagine. All
three Gospel accounts state that he immediately got up and followed Jesus. Luke emphasized
how Matthew left everything he had behind in order to go with Jesus. It would be much
easier to suppose that such a sinful and hated Jew would hesitate, either feeling unworthy or
considering such a dramatic life change to be too daunting. Another interesting point to
notice in Matthew’s calling is the illustration of Jesus associating with sinners. After his
drastic transformation, Matthew threw a big feast for Jesus and invited many of his tax-
collector-type friends. The Pharisees and scribes had a hard time accepting Jesus mixing with
such deplorable people. The Lord’s words must have stung as he compared himself to a
physician whose duty required healing the sick rather than the healthy.

Tradition has named Matthew as the author of the first Gospel. This particular Gospel was
written for Jews who chose to embrace Christianity, clearly showing the countless
fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies through the life of Jesus. What happened to
Matthew after Pentecost is unknown. Because he is never mentioned in any of Paul’s letters,
it is assumed by many that he did not travel within the Mediterranean region. Tradition holds
that he preached in Persia at some point. Some claim he was martyred in Ethiopia; others
believe he died of old age. His remains were allegedly transferred to Salerno, Italy, where
they are now kept within the city’s cathedral.

Nine Days with St. Matthew

St. Matthew shares a name day with the Old Testament prophet, St. Jonah — on Sept. 21!
This is especially intriguing, for St. Matthew makes a reference to St. Jonah within his
Gospel (see Matthew 12:38-42). St. Matthew is known as the patron saint of bankers and
accountants. By exploring the Bible passages below, you can spend nine days with this
sinner-turned-saint and evangelist. Ponder what each passage means to you and how it might
nudge you to shift in your actions — to move closer to Christ.

Day 1) Matthew 9:9–13

Day 2) Matthew 10:1–15
Day 3) Mark 2:13–17
Day 4) Mark 3:13–19
Day 5) Luke 5:27–32
Day 6) Luke 9:1–6, 10–17
Day 7) Luke 22:14–20 hi
Day ☺️Luke 24:33, 36–53
Day 9) Acts 1:6–14

Matthew the Apostle is also known as

Levi or Saint Matthew. He was the son
of Alphaeus and was the first century
Galilean. He was not only among the
twelve disples of Jesus but also a tax
collector. As one of the four evangelists,
he was the author of the Gospel of
Matthew hence regarded as Matthew the
Evangelist.
The Gospel of Matthew presents the role
of Jesus, Son of God and Messiah, in
God's plan. Jesus teaches us that faith in
Him and loving and serving God by
loving and serving one another is our
path to eternal life. Believers know scripture is essential for a full life in Christ. One view
was that the end of the world would see all the believers brought up to join the Kingdom of
Heaven. The other view was that the end times would have God come down to directly rule
Earth, and the chosen people would then be given dominion over the entire world.

Outline of Matthew

Matthew is a phenomenal work of literature, arranged in a way that presents Jesus as the
ultimate Jewish hero: the Messianic son of David, the prophet who surpasses Moses, and the
seed of Abraham that blesses all the nations. These big themes are introduced in the book’s
prologue, explored in the large middle section, and then resolved in the climax.
The bulk of Matthew is arranged into five main sections (which may have been in reference
to the five-fold Law of Moses). Each section opens with stories of Jesus’ life and ministry,
and closes with a long set of teachings from Jesus, called “discourses.”
 KATE M. GASCON

JOHN MARTEL GANGAN

DARYLL GALIZA

JIM PATRICK DOMINGO

MARC JUSTINE ERAÑA