The Apostle Matthew

Matthew, meaning “Gift of God,” was a tax collector and a disciple of Jesus Christ. As a tax collector Matthew was working in a hated profession. When Jesus called Matthew he followed him immediately (9:9-13). Matthew is most known for his writings in the Gospel proclaiming Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Matthew was one of the twelve apostles who witnessed the miracles of Jesus first hand. His eye witness accounts have been questioned by some scholars who wonder why his testimony relies heavily on Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark. Most believe that the reason is that Matthew’s testimony is the same as those of the other apostles and the writings are to show that no division lies with each testimony.

The Gospel of Matthew is known as a bridge between the Old Testament and New Testament. Some also believe that Matthew is the most comprehensive and informative Gospel that proclaims the life of Jesus from his birth to his resurrection.

The book of Matthew was written in Greek and it is widely speculated that Matthew’s audience included primarily Jewish people. The fullness and detail of this Gospel has caused this book to become the most popular of the four Gospels and many publications and literature content have been created around the writings of Matthew.
Some of the most famous writings in the Gospel include the beatitudes (5:3-10), the Lords Prayer (6:9-13), and the Passion Narrative.