Matthew

Matthew (Greek: Maththaios) is a name derived from Hebrew meaning "gift of God". The term refers to two related subjects: one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament, and the first Gospel (Gospel of Matthew), named after him in Christian tradition.

According to the Gospels, before following Jesus, Matthew was a tax collector—an official who collected taxes for the Roman administration. This occupation was regarded with disdain by Jewish groups of the time, and this fact is consistently noted in the Gospel accounts when Matthew is mentioned.

Matthew as an Apostle

The lists of apostles found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the Acts of the Apostles all include the name Matthew. Some of these texts identify Matthew with Levi (also called Levi), an identification that scholars have interpreted as indicating the same person with two names. In other contexts he is referred to as "Matthew the tax collector". The account of Jesus calling him while he sat at the tax booth is among the most well-known episodes of the Gospels.

The Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is the first Gospel in the standard New Testament order. It belongs to the three Gospels known as "synoptic" (Matthew, Mark, Luke), which share much structure and content. The Gospel emphasizes how Jesus fulfilled the predictions of the Hebrew prophets, and therefore frequently references the Old Testament. It also opens with a genealogy of Jesus traced from Abraham and David.

Among the most famous sections are the Sermon on the Mount, which includes teachings on blessings and the prayer known as the Lord's Prayer. The Gospel also contains numerous parables and concludes with the account of Jesus's final commission to the apostles to teach all nations.

Questions of Authorship

Early church tradition attributed the Gospel to the apostle Matthew. Modern scholars using historical methods debate whether the book is anonymous and was given this title later, noting that the author drew on earlier sources, particularly the Gospel of Mark. Significant disagreement remains and has not been fully resolved.