Because Matthew's original purpose was to prove to his Jewish brethren that Jesus is their Mashiach/Messiah, he included in his Gospel nine proof texts from the Old Testament which Jesus fulfilledMatthew 1:22,23; 2:15; 2:17,18; 2:23; 4:14-16; 8:17; 12:17-21; 13:35; 27:9,10. The education of a Jewish youngster came to an end at the age of fifteen. 10. Later apocryphal texts emerged claiming to be written by him, and some early church fathers supported these texts, but the works only survive in fragments and quotations, and modern scholarship is divided on their authorship. HarperOne. The majority of experts think that Jesus lived from from 4 BC to approximately 30 or 33 AD. as members of a sect called the Zealots." Matthew 9:9-13 is a Bible verse that describes the life of Jesus. According to the scripture, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Topic:When it comes to the disciples, the question of how they could have written their letters 30 or more years after the crucifixion of the Christ tends to come up frequently. When he was chosen by Jesus to be one of His apostles, Matthew left this prominent and well-paying profession. You are the Christ, the Son of God, Peter responded when Jesus went further and asked who the disciples believed He was (Matthew 16:16 ESV). The disciples were most likely not middle-aged men, as shown in historical films and even in the most recent television miniseries, The Bible, which is currently showing. There are other ancient Christian and Gnostic writings about Matthew or even claiming to be written by him, some of which appeared centuries after his death (such as the so-called Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew.). . This isnt simply some haphazard attempt by a lone individual to document the events of his life. He may or may not have been that well educated. No, Matthew wasnt a shady writer in the traditional sense. The date of his death is unknown. Furthermore, Jesus declared that He was the Son of God. Ultimately, without a byline, we cant confirm or deny who wrote the Gospel of Matthew. God has the ability to utilize anybody to assist him in his job. But that in no way makes him not unintelligent. The Apostle Matthew, also known as Saint Matthew and Levi, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. Papias of Hierapolis, who was referenced byEusebius of Caesarea inChurch History, provides the first indication that he may have authored it: So then Matthew penned the oracles in the Hebrew tongue, and every one interpreted them as he was able. A similar claim was made by Irenaeus in his work Against Heresies, which was published between 130 and 202 AD. Disciples come in two sexes, male and female. 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. The meaning of Matthew . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. As he walks on, he sees Matthew, who is also . Matthew the Apostle was the author of one of the four gospels included in the New Testament of the Bible. | Theme by SuperbThemes.Com. It is reasonable to assume that John was at least 20 years old at the time of the crucifixion, given his ability to care for Jesus mother (John 19:2627). Matthew also states that AFTER Jesus was born, that Magi came to Jerusalem, to Herod and asked him "where is he that was born the King of the Jews." The priests Herod then consulted said that the prophecy indicated that Jesus would have been born in Bethlehem. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (verses 4-5). The famous parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-20) only appears in the Gospel of Matthew. Females are seen by Jesus as genuine persons, not simply as the objects of male desire. Matthew was meticulous in his record-keeping. It is, however, the end of the story. He is mentioned in traditions regarding his preaching, but there are no reliable records of his contributions to the early church. Dont our hearts go out to them more as they struggle to grasp all that Jesus is saying to them? Youd have to be completely convinced that Jesus is who He claims to be, that His is the only path to genuine life, and that its definitely worth it to push through the muck and gloom in order to see the beauty. He was anti-religious in his views. How did Luke know what Jesus said in the garden if the apostles were asleep? I have never heard anyone claim this was the Simon's first encounter with Jesus. When Jesus' resurrection happened why did he appear to his apostles first? Discover interesting information about the life and career of this former publican who became an evangelist, as well as his death and contributions to history. Especially since hes talking about a text that was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, and the Gospel of Matthew appears to have been originally written in Greek, not translated into it. Matthew 18:11-13. In order for him to teach in the Temple area in Jerusalem, he would have had to have a pedigree that allowed it. One of Christ's 70 disciples and the four evangelists, Saint Mark was born in Cyrene, Libya but his date of birth is unknown. The first time Nicodemus is mentioned, he is identified as a Pharisee who comes to see Jesus at night. It is amazing all the information that Scripture gives us. By calling Matthew, Jesus was proclaiming that no one would be excluded from his movementnot even those society considered irredeemable. Matthew makes it plain that Jesus is the King of the Jews. There are no birthdates listed for any of them. Matthew, one of Jesus twelve apostles, was present for virtually the whole duration of Jesus public ministry. Anyone who has done fishing knows that it can be hit and miss while out one the waters. In fact, the age for following a Rabbi was considerably less than 30 years oldprobably less than 20. The word rendered as wrote could also mean compiled, arranged, or composed. The word for oracles could mean sayings or gospel. And the word for interpreted here could mean translated.. St. Matthew, also called St. Matthew the Evangelist, St. Matthew the Apostle, or Levi, (flourished 1st century ce, Palestine; Western feast day September 21, Eastern feast day November 16), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the traditional author of the first Synoptic Gospel (the Gospel According to Matthew ). The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-20), which is well-known across the world, is found solely in the Gospel of Matthew. To the Jews, tax collectors were the embodiment of sin. What we know is that his personal promise from God was fully kept. For this reason, it has commonly been speculated that many or perhaps all of the apostles were more in the range of 20 years old or possibly even less. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, and the traditional author of the firstSynoptic Gospel. 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. Follow me, Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:2728. The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Lexham, England). 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. If I had to guess, I believe that most or all of the apostles were less than 25 years or so at the time they began to follow Jesus, but I cannot prove this, nor can anyone else as far as I know. His mother was also there for her Jewish religious ritual of Purification or Cleansing. The exact date of his passing is unclear. We think that Jesus began his public ministry around the age of thirty, which is consistent with the rabbinical traditions of the period. *shrug* Aside from that, Matthew devotes a significant amount of favorable attention to Peter in his gospel. New Testament citations: John 1:29, John 1:36, John 19:33, John 19:36, 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, 1 Peter 1:19. In most cases, a young mans discipleship instruction under the supervision of a rabbi begins between the ages of 13 and 15. Almost all we know about Matthew comes straight from the gospels, which is a good thing. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Despite the fact that there are compelling reasons against his authorship, no alternate author has been identified. We cant be definite that he was born in the first century since we dont know how old he was when he encountered Jesus, but we can be confident that he lived throughout that time period. Still, that doesnt mean Matthew didnt write this gospel as well. At the very least, Jesus motivation to live and die in complete surrender to His Fathers will, knowing that His Fathers goals and mission are the best shows itself in this prophecy when considered in its context. It derives from the Greek word evangelion, which literally means good news. With their writings, these four authors spread the good news of Jesus Christ across the world. As a result, the majority of the apostles would have been teens when Jesus asked them to join him. Jesus encountered Matthew at a tax booth in Capernauma city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. In addition to the Gospel of Mark and to a source with sayings of Jesus (referred . If Matthew was, in fact, the same person who was called Levi, then his. 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. Despite the fact that Matthew is revered as a martyr, no one knows for certain where or how he perished. The wealthier they were, the worse it was considered that they were. All three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) make mention of him, as does the book of Acts, which lists him among the disciples. Copyright 2022 . If the brothers were grown men, Salomes obstinacy would be quite incomprehensible. So what do we really know about him? Pseudepigrapha, or erroneously claimed to be written by a well-known Christian, were common among these mythical narratives, which featured miraculous experiences as well as Gnostic doctrines. Remember also that Jesus nicknamed them Sons of Thunder because they were probably either loud or bold, characteristics of youth. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 66 He wore clothing made of camel's hair and ate locusts and wild honey ( Matthew 3:4 ). Young boys in Judaism follow a fairly structured scholastic and life route, as seen in this illustration: At five years oldfor the Scripture, at ten years the Mishnah (oral Torah, interpretations) at thirteen for the fulfilling of the commandments, at fifteen the Talmud (making Rabbinic interpretations), at eighteen the bride-chamber, at twenty pursuing a vocation, at thirty for authority (able to teach others). So, in the time of Jesus, almost all Jewish young men were married, and usually by age 18. Instead of killing Matthew, the fire burns down the kings idols and engulfs some of his soldiers. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Wait There Were How Many Herods?! In John Foxes famous Book of Martyrs (first published in 1563), the entry for Matthew states: The scene of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which latter country he suffered martyrdom, being slain with a halberd in the city of Nadabah, A.D. 60.. In Exodus 30:14-15, we read that every male over the age of 20 was to pay a tax to maintain the Sanctuary or Temple. during the Roman-Judean War that one of the revolutionary factions came to identify itself formally as the Zealots. Read An Excerpt . Luke 3:23 says that he was about age thirty when he began his ministry. There is good news beyond Jesus death, although it appears to have escaped Peters awareness, and that good news is that Jesus will be risen from the grave on the third day. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. A period of preparation is underway, and we will be encouraging you to walk through that season intentionally; knowing that at the end of the road lies a bloody cross and our Saviour, who rose from the dead and is God with us. According to Matthew 4:2122, James and John intentionally abandoned their father in the boat in order to follow Jesus. Matthew was one of the tax collectors whom Jesus saved. Your email address will not be published. The holy city, Jerusalem, comes down from out of heaven, looking as new and innocent as a bride ready for her husband. Teenagers have always played an important role in the moviegoing experience. Dislikes the New Guy: Initially does not get along with Matthew, who he remembers from the latter's previous line of work. Almost certainly, they were only students of the Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, who taught them. Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About Them) By Bart D. Ehrman. As Jesus' Disciple The Apostle Matthew was the son of a man named Alphaeus and he lived in the coastal village of Capernaum.