Matthew the Evangelist
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| Saint Matthew | |
|---|---|
| " by Rembrandt | |
| The Tax Collector | |
| Born | 1 January 1 BC, |
| Died | 24 January 34, near Hierapolis or Ethiopia |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Anglican Church, Lutheran Church, some other Protestant Churches |
| Canonized | 1/11/95 |
| Major shrine | Salerno, Italy |
| Feast | September 21 (W), November 16 (E) |
| Attributes | tax collector |
| Patronage | Accountants, Salerno, Italy, and others, see [1] |
| Image:Gloriole.svg Saints Portal | |
Matthew the Evangelist (מתי, "Gift of the LORD", Standard Hebrew and Tiberian Hebrew: Mattay; Septuagint Greek: Μαθθαίος, Matthaios), most often called Saint Matthew, is a Christian figure, and one of Jesus's Twelve Apostles. He is credited by tradition with writing the Gospel of Matthew, and is identified in that gospel as being the same person as Levi the toll collector.
Contents |
[edit] Gospel depictions
The identity of Matthew the Evangelist is complex for a number of reasons. The gospel to bear the name "Matthew" was written anonymously, with tradition ascribing authorship to Matthew at a later date. Both the style of Greek used and the means of describing events lead nearly all Biblical scholars to conclude that the author of the gospel was not a companion of the historic Jesus.[1] Some scholars use the designation "Matthew the Evangelist" to refer to the anonymous gospel author, and "Matthew the Apostle" to refer to the Biblical figure described. Christian tradition holds that they are the same person.
Matthew's depiction in the New Testament is likewise complex. In the gospels of Mark and Luke, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles, Matthew is mentioned without any title, identifier, descriptions, or actions. Virtually nothing besides his apostleship can be determined from these accounts, and he is not mentioned at all in the Gospel of John or subsequent epistles.
The Gospel of Matthew, on the other hand, names Matthew as the toll collector called by Jesus, whom the other gospels name "Levi". This gospel subsequently gives Matthew the title "the toll collector" in his list of the Twelve Apostles. Christian tradition holds that Matthew and Levi were, in fact, two names for the same person (in much the same was that tradition posits a "Jude Thaddeus" to reconsile the Jude of Luke and Acts with the Thaddeus of Matthew and Mark.) Modern Biblical scholarship holds this position as highly unlikely, however.[2] Most exegetes posit that the writer of the Gospel of Matthew changed Levi's name to Matthew for his own theological reasons, possibly to ensure that all disciples called by Jesus (as Levi had been) were members of the Twelve.[2] If one concludes that the Gospel of Matthew's stories of St. Matthew are based on Mark's stories of Levi, a different person, then one can say nothing about Matthew the Apostle besides the fact that he was one of the Twelve.
However, the Catholic Encyclopedia asserts that Matthew once could have been called "Levi", according to Mark 2:14[3] and Luke 5:27.[4] The Encyclopedia also states that "The fact of one man having two names is of frequent occurrence among the Jews."[5] Other gospel passages that refer to Matthew or Levi are Mark 2:1-22[6] and Luke 5:27-39.[7]
Levi is described in Mark (and synoptic parallels) as being a toll collector who was called by Jesus to follow him just as the Twelve Apostles were. He is called the "Son of Alphaeus", and his calling leads into a scene where Jesus is confronted by Pharisees for eating with tax-collectors and sinners. It is possible that James, son of Alphaeus, had been distinguished from James, son of Zebedee by the former's other name "Levi" and that James, son of Alphaeus was called to the Apostolate along with Luke.
[edit] Recognition and Modernity
Matthew is recognized as a Saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches. The Eastern Orthodox celebrate his feast day on November 16, whereas September 21 is observed in Latin, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.
Like the other three evangelists, Matthew is often depicted in Christian art. He is usually depicted with a winged man, the designation given to him by the Church in relation to Daniel 7, or possibly as a reference to the angel who is supposed to have dictated to Matthew as he wrote his gospel. The three paintings of Matthew by Caravaggio in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome are among the landmarks of Western art.
[edit] References
- ^ John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew volume 1, Anchor Bible Reference Library.
- ^ a b John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew volume 3, Anchor Bible Reference Library, 2001. p.130-133, 201.
- ^ Mark 2:14
- ^ Luke 5:27
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia
- ^ Mark 2:1-22
- ^ Luke 5:27-39
[edit] See also
| Saints Portal |
The Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ |
|---|
| Simon Peter · Andrew · James, son of Zebedee · John · Philip · Bartholomew · Thomas Matthew · James, son of Alphaeus · Jude · Simon the Zealot · Judas Iscariot · Matthias |
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