Each of these four writers used their writings to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. There are a few counter arguments, but the main one is that the early church claimed John Mark wrote down Peters account of Jesus ministry . "The Contrasted `Other' in the Old English Apocryphal Acts of Matthew, Simon and Jude." He completed a Th.M. The Names of the 12 Disciples We find the names of the disciples in the Gospel books of; Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19 and Luke 6:13-16. In the end, this is speculation, and we simply cannot know how old the apostles were. The Matthew recorded in the gospels as being a disciple of Jesus would of course have met him. Today, the physical movie theater remains a popular destination for teens, mostly because it provides them with opportunities to meet up with friends, go on dates, hang out, and so on. Theyd be told to collect a specified amount of money, but they could tell people they owed a different amount, and they had no power to dispute it. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke all include much of the same materialmiracles, teachings, sayingsand for this reason are similar. . So all of this suggests a very startling, and in some ways endearing picture of the disciples. Neophilologus 87 (1) (01): 137-151. They had already formed a negative opinion of Jesus, but now he was associated with the lowest strata of Hebrew society. However, some translations render scribe in Matthew 13:52 as teachers of the law, and in context, Jesus certainly seems to be talking about those with a religious backgroundhe speaks of angels separating the wicked from the righteous (Matthew 13:49)and it seems more likely that bringing out new treasures as well as hold would refer to their knowledge of the Law and the prophets in light of the gospel. "The evidence from Josephus suggests that it was not until about 68 C.E. However, they all ultimately offer a different portrait of Jesus. We think that Jesus began his public ministry around the age of thirty, which is consistent with the rabbinical traditions of the period. Do you wish you had a greater understanding of the Bible? The Jewish people shouted in . Matthew 9:36. According to the early church, he composed it, and the attribution according to Matthew was probably first inserted around the time of the first century AD. Only one (and its analogues) provides us with any significant information about him. If the brothers were grown men, Salomes obstinacy would be quite incomprehensible. When he authored the Gospel of Matthew some 20 years later, he was able to draw on such characteristics. According to the Gospels, it appears that a handful of Jesus initial disciples changed their names after becoming followers of Jesus (remember that Simon becomes Peter). Dislikes the New Guy: Initially does not get along with Matthew, who he remembers from the latter's previous line of work. Still, that doesnt mean Matthew didnt write this gospel as well. Only one (and its parallels) gives us any substantial details about him. Youll walk away from it with enough knowledge to have a thoughtful conversation about the Bible with a pastor, an atheist, or anyone else. Jesus is on the lookout for those who are truly committed. Besides this, Matthew gives Peter a good deal of positive attention in his gospel. No other disciples wives are mentioned in the Bible at any other time. The level of craftsmanship with which The Gospel According to Matthewwas written never ceases to astound me. This account is no longer accepted by the majority of researchers today. And as it is said, Jesus' ministry lasted for about 3 to 3 years before he died. On the other hand, before he met Jesus, Matthew was greedy. Matthew would have had to have lived at the same time as Jesus Christ in order to be considered a follower of Jesus Christ. He invited his friends as well so that they may all meet Jesus. . , . Matthews death on the cross. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. Jesus had not informed them when or where His death and resurrection would take place; all He had told them was that it was coming, that it was essential, and that He was fully committed to the mission. The Christian Bible is filled with writings outlining the right methods to follow Christs teachings, yet just four narratives of Christs life and death are included in the book of Matthew. As we come to see Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, and the Savior, may we also recognize that in order for any of this to be real, He had to take the route of the cross. As he walks on, he sees Matthew, who is also . It is supposed that Jesus, as he did in other cases, gave Levi another name, Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh." Include a biography His masters degree is in history, and he is a history professor at the University of Northern Colorado. Lessons via video QuizzesWorksheets Integration into the classroomLesson Plans Study.com is a website that I would strongly recommend to my colleagues. All rights reserved. Youd have to show proficiency and its assumed many students had very large portions of the Law and Prophets committed to memory. As a result, the majority of the apostles would have been teens when Jesus asked them to join him. What bolsters this case is the educational pathway of that time. We should not be made to feel unqualified because of our physical appearance, lack of education, or previous experiences in our lives. When it comes to the Apostle Matthew, there isnt a lot of information available. There are a number of contradicting tales of how he passed away. The joke was met with a major backlash online. To learn the history of John, the disciple of Jesus, we begin with his life before he met Jesus. Then Jesus puts Matthew in with the rest of the sinners, as follows: On hearing this, Jesus responded, It is the ill who require medical attention, not the healthy. But after that, the consistent picture of the disciples is of an older Peter and James with long beards, some gray hair, or balding heads, clearly middle aged, and clearly older than their strapping young Rabbi. They were considered religious outcasts since the manner in which they carried out their profession publicly flouted the Law of Moses. 2020. They traveled with Jesus for seven miles without knowing who he was, but came to realize who he was when they had dinner with him. And despite the fact that the church has long considered him the author of the Gospel of Matthew, little else was ever recorded about him. Hes mentioned in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and listed among the disciples in Acts. In Matthew 17, Jesus foreshadowed the events leading up to His own death and resurrection for the second time. We see in Scripture, how majestically he spoke out to the crowd on the day of Pentecost. The Bible states that these two men weren't just . Bottom line, the Bible provides no direct evidence for the age of the apostles. Matthew is regarded as one of the Four Evangelists of the New Testament. Matthew invites over his "sinner" friends to meet Jesus. John was the son of Zebedee who was also a fisherman in Galilee. Matthew, who was also known as Levi, was a minor character in the Bible; he is only referenced by name in the lists of apostles and in the story of his calling. Of whom are Matthew, Philip, Thomas, Levi, and many others. Stromata. How the disciples could be living and writing about the events of Jesus life as late as 95-100 A.D. The Gospel of Matthews author is anonymous, but Matthew the Apostle is traditionally considered the author. Matthews gospel appears to rely heavily on Marks (which is why there are so many parallel passages), but the Gospel of Mark is believed to have been written by a man named John Mark, who was not an eyewitness. Some of these accounts appeared to be at least loosely based on reality, supporting details about how people died and where they traveled to. (See Acts 11:27 for further information.) Instead of killing Matthew, the fire burns down the kings idols and engulfs some of his soldiers. Scripture refers to the offering of a pair of doves or . Tax collectors had very little accountability. Assuming that the identification of Matthew with Levi is correct, Matthew (probably meaning "Yahweh's Gift") would appear. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Matthew 9:12. Simeon was a patient man. So why would an eyewitness use an account written by someone who wasnt there? However, Jesus accepted and loved this tax collector for who he was, regardless of his background. As we approach the first of three instances on which Jesus prophesied both His death and resurrection to His followers, Id like to take a minute to look forward to these three occurrences in particular. Virtually everything we really know about Matthew comes directly from the gospels. May we purposefully prepare ourselves to answer the call for His glory and our delight, as we discover that there is abundant grace and restoration for all of us as we lean into the brokenness and muck that lies before us. Almost certainly, they were only students of the Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, who taught them. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, he was a tax collector (or "publican")one of the most reviled professions in ancient Judaism. Females are seen by Jesus as genuine persons, not simply as the objects of male desire. Tax collectors were held to a low standard of responsibility. Log InBack to top. 4, p. 643). Matthew the Apostle, according to the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. No one dared to disagree with them since their judgments were enforced by Roman soldiers. When we get to this third section at Redemption Church, as we continue our journey through Matthew, we will be officially kicking off Lent as a community of believers. We know that John lived until about AD 96 or 97, which is about 66 years after Jesus died. But think of other indicators of the youthfulness of the disciples: In Matthew 11:25, Mark 10:24, Luke 10:21, and John 13:33, Jesus calls his trainees little children or little ones. The Gospels are the four books that make up this collection. Others have speculated that Matthew was a bit older than the others because he had a fairly important position as a tax collector. He was inspired by the Holy Spirit and learned from Jesus brilliance by actually walking with Him and learning from His teaching. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Pilate washed his hands in front of the crowd before announcing, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.". Matthew was a tax collector , so financially he was stable , but the jews hated all tax collectors as they worked for the mighty Romans, but once he met Jesus his life was changed. Here are a few biblical indices of youth development: In Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21, and John 13:33, Jesus refers to his followers as little ones, referring to them as children. Lon has been on the Board of Jews for . T he horrific killing of Matthew Shepard in 1998 is widely seen as one of the worst anti-gay hate crimes in American history. But for centuries, the church has claimed it was the Apostle Matthew. Although born in Bethlehem, according to Matthew and Luke, Jesus was a Galilean from Nazareth, a village near Sepphoris, one of the two major cities of Galilee ( Tiberias was the other). You see, Matthew was a member of the Republican Party. Matthew, on the other hand, was a glutton for punishment before he met Jesus. But all the disciples are present ( theycame to Capernaum vs 24). Although the Bible declares that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), the term sinner was reserved for the worst of the worst in ancient Judaism, such as tax collectors. A fourth point to consider is that the subsequent lives of several of the disciples provide information about their likely ages. Since Zacchaeus was "short in stature," he ran ahead. As for how and when the Apostle St. Peter died, it is traditionally believed that he died between 64 and 67 AD and was crucified upside down at Rome. The earliest evidence that he may have written it comes from Papias of Hierapolis, as quoted by Eusebius of Caesarea in Church History: So then Matthew wrote the oracles in the Hebrew language, and every one interpreted them as he was able.. In an attempt to murder him, the monarch makes many attempts, finally nailing him to the ground and setting him ablaze with his own blood on the ground. Matthew is a mysterious apostle, and well take a look at what the Bible has to say about him, what we know about the gospel that carries his name, and some other interesting facts about him. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, and the traditional author of the firstSynoptic Gospel. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Jesus encountered Matthew at a tax booth in Capernauma city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Mattew put together a masterpiece that, like any genuinely great narrative, instills perspective and inspires understanding while constantly directing us to the true Christ. Matthew was an accurate record keeper. On the basis of Lukes specific aging in 3:23, everyone accepts that Jesus was around 30 years old throughout his ministry. List price: $25.99. He was tireless, steadfast, unwavering, dedicated, firm and determined. Matthew makes it plain that Jesus is the King of the Jews. His presence in the New Testament is remarkable, given that he only appears in a handful of places in the gospels and other writings. Your email address will not be published. This prophecy of His own death and resurrection aimed to let people recognize Him as Christ in the proper light, for to confess Him as Christ while denying Him the cross would be to have incorrect expectations of what He was capable of. The Gospel of Matthew talks about money in more detail and greater frequency than the other gospelssimilar to how the Gospel of Luke, written by Luke the physician, includes greater detail about ailments and uses precise medical terminology. They would be instructed to collect a specific amount of money, but they would be able to convince individuals that they owed a different amount, and they would have no ability to contest the amount they said they owed. When tax collectors came to be baptized by John the Baptist, they said, Teacher, what shall we do? and he told them: Collect no more than you are authorized to do (Luke 3:1213). Some argue that Matthews role as an eyewitness is evidence that he didnt write the Gospel of Matthew. As we just learned in the passages above (Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:2728), Matthew was a tax collector, or a publicansomeone who was contracted by the Roman government to collect taxes. . As an example, Levi becomes Matthew, which is taken from the Hebrew word meaning gift of Yahweh. Matthew is a fascinating character for theologians and historians since he was not a well-liked individual in his day. 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