Matthew the Apostle

Matthew the Apostle, also known as Levi, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and is traditionally credited as the author of the Gospel that bears his name — the first book of the New Testament. His calling is one of the most dramatic conversion stories in the Gospels: a tax collector sitting at his customs post in Capernaum, Matthew heard Jesus say simply, 'Follow me,' and immediately left everything behind. As a tax collector (telōnēs) working for the Roman administration in Galilee, Matthew occupied one of the most despised positions in Jewish society. Tax collectors were considered collaborators with the Roman occupation and were frequently associated with sinners and social outcasts. The fact that Jesus chose such a figure as one of his closest companions was profoundly counter-cultural and served as a living demonstration of his teaching that he came 'not to call the righteous, but sinners.' Matthew's subsequent hosting of a great banquet for Jesus, attended by 'many tax collectors and sinners,' further scandalized the religious establishment. The Gospel attributed to Matthew, likely composed between AD 80 and 90, is the most Jewish of the four Gospels, systematically demonstrating how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. It contains some of the most beloved passages of the New Testament, including the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and the Great Commission. Church Fathers such as Irenaeus, Origen, and Eusebius affirm Matthew's authorship, with early tradition holding that he first wrote in Hebrew or Aramaic before a Greek version was produced. After the dispersal of the apostles from Jerusalem, tradition records that Matthew preached the Gospel first to the Jewish communities of Judea before traveling to foreign lands. Various traditions place his later ministry in Ethiopia, Persia, Parthia, or Macedonia. The circumstances of his death are disputed — some traditions describe him as a martyr, while others suggest he died of natural causes. He remains the patron saint of accountants, bankers, and tax collectors.