Saint Matthew Facts
Facts of Apostle Matthew
Matthew The Apostle Facts prove Levi, the Son of Alphaeus, Matthew was a tax collector–the most despised people in all of Israel. They were known for making extra money from the people of Israel to pay off the Romans and to pad their own pockets.
Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.
When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, it is not those who are healthy that need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:16)
As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, Follow Me! And he got up and followed Him. (Matthew 9:9)
Matthew The Apostle facts tell us that Matthew brought the gospel to Ethiopia and Egypt. Hyrcanus the king had him killed with a spear.
Symbol Saint MatthewApostle Matthew Facts and Symbols
One of the Matthew the Apostle facts is that St. Matthew, also called Levi, begins following Jesus when he worked as a tax collector in Capernaum. Matthew was sitting in a tax booth, also called a customs house, and Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Jesus immediately went to a house where he ate with tax collectors and sinners.
As you probably know, Jews did not like tax collectors, because they worked for the Roman oppressors.
They were often corrupt, too, using their position to extort money above what they were owed in taxes.
Another of the Matthew The Apostle facts is that tradition believes that Matthew wrote the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament, which was written with a Hebrew audience in mind. Matthew’s gospel, more than any other, reminds us of the Old Testament roots and prophecies behind Jesus’ mission.
Tradition also suggests varied destinations for Matthew’s missionary journeys after Pentecost. Some say that he traveled west to Ethiopia while others claim his mission was to Persia. We believe that he died a martyr.
One legend about his death has him strung up, upside down, above a fire by Fulvia, the ruler of the Ethiopians. Matthew was unharmed by the fire, so Fulvian added more wood until the flames were very high. He commanded that 12 idols be placed around the fire, but the fire lashed out and burned them. The flames went out when Fulvian asked Matthew to pray for him, and then Matthew died.
Matthew’s symbols are bags of money, representing his profession as a tax collector before Jesus called him.
Did Matthew Write the Gospel of Matthew?
The Gospel of Matthew’s author is anonymous, but Matthew the Apostle is traditionally considered the author. The early church claimed he wrote it, and the attribution “according to Matthew” was added possibly as early as the second century. While there are credible arguments against his authorship, no alternative writer has been named.
Apostle MatthewCall to Ministry
Jesus called Levi to the Ministry, and Levi followed him. He became known as Matthew.
Matthew followed Jesus as one of his four disciples. He saw both the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and he preached the gospel in Jerusalem.
After preaching in Judea, scholars believe he traveled to other countries to continue his preaching. Matthew supposedly authored the Gospel of Matthew, but there is no proof he wrote it. Fragments of other gospels have been found, also attributed to Matthew. These are the Gospel of the Nazarenes, the Gospel of the Ebionites, and the Gospel of the Hebrews.
Matthew was one of the early followers of Jesus. He is known as Matthew the Apostle, Saint Matthew, and his birth name of Levi
Saint Matthew TapestryApostle Matthew’s Facts on Miracles
Researching the Matthew the apostle facts then it is clear that St. Matthew went to Ethiopia and thence into the neighboring states. He began his mission at Nadabar, the capital, where he met two notorious magicians named Zaroes and Arphaxad, who, by their hellish art, caused people to become sick, after which they cured them by magic, and thus gained the reputation of performing miracles, besides which, they gathered great riches.
The apostle discovered the fraudulent means by which they deceived the credulous, and he admonished the inhabitants of the city, not to fear those two men, as he was preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in whose name, all such diabolical art would be destroyed.
When the two magicians saw that they lost credit and gain by these remarks of the apostle, they endeavored by new sorcery to frighten the people; but the Saint, making their fraud public, caused himself to be greatly esteemed so that the people commenced to attend his sermons, and to take an interest in the faith he announced.
The many miracles which Matthew performed at length opened the eyes of the blind pagans; they recognized their error, and truth took possession of their hearts.
Saint MatthewMatthew The Apostle Facts Veneration
Within the list of Matthew The Apostle Facts, he is recognized as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. His feast day is celebrated on 21 September in the West and 16 November in the East. (For those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, 16 November currently falls on 29 November of the modern Gregorian Calendar).
He is also commemorated by the Orthodox, together with the other Apostles, on 30 June (13 July), the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles. His tomb is located in the crypt of Salerno Cathedral in southern Italy.
Like the other evangelists, Matthew is often depicted in Christian art with one of the four living creatures of Revelation 4:7. The one that accompanies him is in the form of a winged man. The three paintings of Matthew by Caravaggio in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where he is depicted as called by Christ from his profession as a gatherer, are among the landmarks of Western art.
Prayer to Saint Matthew the Apostle
O Glorious St. Matthew, in your Gospel, you portray Jesus as the longed-for Messiah who fulfilled the Prophets of the Old Covenant and as the new Lawgiver who founded a Church of the New Covenant. Obtain for us the grace to see Jesus living in his Church and to follow his teachings in our lives on earth so that we may live forever with Him in heaven. AmenConclusion Matthew the Apostle Facts
In conclusion, Matthew the Apostle’s facts gave an in-depth view of Matthew (also referred to as Saint Matthew by the Catholic church) is known for being a publican (or tax collector) which is unusual in that most of the disciples were fishermen by trade.
Due to his work as a tax collector, Matthew was seen as filth among people, classified as the lowest of the low for working alongside the Romans in collecting taxes, and at the time being under Roman rule was the most hated thing of all.
In addition, during this time many tax collectors were dishonest giving people even more reasons to hate them. Matthew always refers to himself as Matthew the tax collector or Matthew the publican making note of the fact that he was once a sinner even though he followed the path of Christ.
Matthew was particularly self-absorbed at the time he was called by Jesus to serve as His disciple. Upon meeting Christ; however, Matthew forgot about being self-centered and began to consider others. Matthew is recognized for being the first writer of the first Gospel which is now referred to as the Gospel of Matthew.
Resources Matthew the Apostle Facts
https://ourlordstyle.com/blogs/christian-writings/classic-christian-symbols-and-their-meanings-the-twelve-apostles-part-2
https://overviewbible.com/12-apostles/#matthew
https://peoplepill.com/people/matthew-the-apostle (Aug 31, 2021, bad gateway)
https://www.sunsigns.org/famousbirthdays/profile/st-matthew/
