Biography of st matthew the apostle

Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox churches celebrate St. Matthew on November 16, along with St. Fulvianus, a prince who is recorded in some traditions as converting from paganism after Matthew's martyrdom.

The Gospel accounts of Mark and Luke, like Matthew's own, describe the encounter between Jesus and Matthew under the surprising circumstances of Matthew's tax-collecting duties. Jewish publicans, who collected taxes on behalf of the Roman rulers of first-century Judea, were objects of scorn and even hatred among their own communities, since they worked on behalf of the occupying power and often earned their living by collecting more than the state's due.

Jesus most likely first encountered Matthew near the house of Peter, in Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee. The meeting of the two was dramatic, as Matthew's third-person account in his Gospel captured: “As Jesus passed on,” the ninth chapter recounts, “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's calling into Jesus' inner circle was a dramatic gesture of the Messiah's universal message and mission, causing some religious authorities of the Jewish community to wonder: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus' significant response indicated a central purpose of his ministry: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

A witness to Christ's resurrection after death, as well as his ascension into heaven and the events of

St. Matthew was a first century Galilean, born in Galilee, and was the son of Alpheus.  During the Roman occupation that began in 63 BC, Matthew collected taxes from the Hebrew people for Herod, tetrarch of Galilee.  His tax office was located in Capernaum.  Jews who became rich doing this, were despised and they were considered outcasts. 

Jesus called Matthew to be one of the Twelve Disciples.  After he was called to come with Jesus, Matthew invited Jesus into his home for a feast.  This really upset the Scribes and the Pharisees, criticizing Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus answered by saying, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners”.  (Mark )  When Matthew is mentioned in the New Testament he is sometimes found paired with Thomas.  The New Testament records that as a disciple, he followed Jesus and was one of the witnesses to the Resurrection and the Ascension.  Afterwards they withdrew to the “Upper Room”.  St. Matthew remained in and about Jerusalem and proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  

St. Matthew wrote the Gospel of St. Matthew in the New Testament.  Because Matthew was a tax collector he would have been literate in both Greek and Aramaic.  Greek was the language used in the market place.  He is called Levi, son of Alpheus in Mk and Lk   

Matthew is recognized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.  He was martyred for his faith, and his feast day is celebrated on September 21.  His relics are preserved in the Salerno Cathedral in Italy.  He is depicted in art with one of the four living creatures of Revelation   Usually the one who is in the form of a winged man accompanies him.  His image in the paintings by Caravaggio in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome is the theme of “gatherer” because of his being an Apostle. 

Christian evangelist and apostle

Not to be confused with Matthias the Apostle or Matthew.

"Saint Matthew" redirects here. For other uses, see Saint Matthew (disambiguation).

Matthew the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist.

The claim of his gospel authorship is rejected by most modern biblical scholars, though the "traditional authorship still has its defenders." The New Testament records that as a disciple, he followed Jesus. Church Fathers, such as Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria, relate that Matthew preached the gospel in Judea before going to other countries.

In the New Testament

Matthew is mentioned in Matthew and Matthew as a tax collector (in the New International Version and other translations of the Bible) who, while sitting at the "receipt of custom" in Capernaum, was called to follow Jesus. He is also listed among the Twelve Disciples, but without identification of his background, in Mark , Luke and Acts In passages parallel to Matthew , both Mark and Luke describe Jesus's calling of the tax collector Levi, the son of Alphaeus. However, they do not explicitly associate it with the name Matthew.

Since the father of both Levi/Matthew and James, son of Alphaeus is named Alphaeus, according to the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church the two apostles were brothers.

Ministry

The New Testament records that as a disciple, Matthew followed Jesus. After Jesus' ascension, the disciples withdrew to an upper room (Acts –14) (traditionally the Cenacle) in Jerusalem. The disciples remained in and about Jerusalem and proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

In the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a), "Mattai" is one o

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September Saint Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist—Feast

First Century
Patron Saint of civil servants, accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, customs officers, financial officers, guards, moneychangers, money managers, stockbrokers, and tax collectors
Pre-Congregation canonization
Liturgical Color: Red
Version: Full &#; Short

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Quote:
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. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” ~Matthew –13

Reflection: At the time that Jesus began His public ministry, Galilee was part of the Roman Empire. Among the expectations of the Roman authorities was that all who lived under their rule pay taxes. To accomplish this, they often collaborated with local Jews, authorizing them to collect taxes on behalf of the Roman emperor and local governor. The rest of the community often despised the local tax collectors because they were seen as traitors to their people for entering into an oppressive collaboration with the Roman authorities. Even the tax collectors’ families were shunned. For example, their children were often seen as unsuitable as potential spouses. Additionally, many tax collectors were corrupt, imposing more taxes upon the people than they had a legal right to do. The Roman authorities usually overlooked this abuse because they often received a portion of the excess. The tax collectors pocketed the rest. It is within