Andrew Allen

Mr. Campbell

Religion II

12/15/17

Saint Matthew

Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist was an Apostle of Christ and wrote the first of

the synoptic gospels. He went from being a tax collector to being an honored figure in church

history following his acceptance of the Lord without question when called to discipleship. He is

the patron of bankers and civil servants. His feast day is September 21. Saint Matthew’s life can

be divided into two sections: early life and apostleship, and evangelism.

He was born somewhere in Palestine, likely Galilee. He was the son of Alpheus and his

name at birth was Levi. He went on to become a tax collector working under the tetrarch of

Galilee, Herod Antipas. At the time, being a tax collector was a looked down upon and hated line

of work. Because of this disrespect towards tax collectors, the Pharisees condemned Jesus for

eating with Matthew, prompting Jesus to respond ​“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners”

(Mark 2:15–17​) ​His call to discipleship came when Jesus called out to him at his tax collection

booth, simply saying “Follow me”. He instantly followed Christ without question. He was

given the name Matthew, which means “gift of Yahweh.” It is known that he witnessed Christ’s

ascension. He recorded the instruction “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to

observe all that I have commanded you.” Little else is documented about his actions as an

apostle.
 Probably more notable than his actions as an apostle are his actions as an evangelist.

After the death and resurrection of Christ, Matthew is thought to have migrated to Parthia,

Persia, or Ethiopia to escape persecution. There, somewhere during the timeframe of 41 to 50

A.D., he wrote his gospel. The Gospel according to Matthew was written, at the time, with the

intent of proving to doubtful Jews that Jesus was in fact the messiah. It is the first of the three

synoptic gospels, and the first book in the New Testament. Matthew’s gospel is generally

regarded as the most complete gospel as it has stories not included in the other synoptic gospels.

It is also one of the books that is often recommended to individuals new to the Bible or

Christianity, as it provides a cohesive overview of Jesus’s birth, life, death, and resurrection.

St. Matthew was an apostle and evangelist. He is the patron of bankers and civil servant,

as he worked a financial job for the government of his hometown Galilee. After becoming an

apostle based on a single call from Jesus, he was a lifelong follower of Christ and wrote one of

the three synoptic gospels. His gospel is the first book in the New Testament and regarded as a

good introduction to the Christian faith. St. Matthew was a very influential and important saint

in church history, as he not only travelled with Christ, but also wrote one of the most important

books in the Bible.

Prayer

St. Matthew, we pray that through you, our eyes can be

opened to our Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as you

proved in your gospel. Obtain for us the grace to him into

our lives and to follow his word so that we may feast in

everlasting life with him.

 Works Cited

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Saint Matthew.” ​Encyclopædia Britannica​,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Aug. 2013,

www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Matthew-the-Evangelist.

“Feast: September 21 .” ​St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist​, Passionist Nuns,

passionistnuns.org/Saints/StMatthewApostle/index.htm.

“Matthew the Apostle: History, Facts & Death.” ​Study.com​, Study.com,

study.com/academy/lesson/matthew-the-apostle-history-facts-death.html.

Online, Catholic. “St. Matthew - Saints & Angels.” ​Catholic Online​, Catholic Online,

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=84.