(Matthew 20:20-24; Mark 10:20-24). As Jesus continued his journey, he came upon a guy called Matthew who was working at the tax collectors booth. The Gospel of Matthews author is anonymous, but Matthew the Apostle is traditionally considered the author. . He gave lectures near the seaside and from the top of a mountain. All the other early records of Matthews death claim he was martyred, but they disagree about how or where it happened. Christopher Muscato is the instructor. 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 is mentioned in traditions regarding his preaching, but there are no reliable records of his contributions to the early church. No other disciples wives are mentioned in the Bible at any other time. 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.". Are you already a member? He made amends with all of the people he had wronged, surrendered his worldly belongings, and pledged himself to the teachings of his new teacher. Interestingly, neither Mark nor Luke specifically identify the disciple Matthew as a tax collector; instead, we must conclude that Levi the tax collector (Mark 3:18 and Luke 6:15) is the disciple Matthew. What we know is that his personal promise from God was fully kept. Matthew was living in the area of Capernaum, a city on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus called him. Only one (and its analogues) provides us with any significant information about him. Higher education consisted of studying under the supervision of a local rabbi for individuals who were intelligent (or affluent). He was inspired by the Holy Spirit and learned from Jesus brilliance by actually walking with Him and learning from His teaching. In Mark, gold and silver are only referenced once, whereas in Luke, they are mentioned four times. Tax collectors were considered to be the epitome of sin by 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. In response to an invitation from Jesus, Matthew demonstrated one of the most drastically transformed lives recorded in the Bible. If they were males, this would be considered a bit disrespectful, regardless of how radical or mild the rabbi is! According to Matthews Gospel, which was written 3040 years after Jesus resurrection, he was in his 20s when he followed Jesus on earth, implying that Matthew was in his 20s when following Jesus on earth. But that in no way makes him not unintelligent. How Old Was Jesus When He Began His Ministry? Matthew is the first person we encounter in Capernaum, as he is working in his tax booth on the major roadway. It comes from the Greek word evangelion, meaning good news. These four writers proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ with their writings. And so, being passed over as teenagers, they are perhaps shocked to be considered worthy of apprenticeship with a traveling Rabbi who was beginning to gain a reputation at that time. When it comes to the Apostle Matthew, theres not much to go on. Matthew is regarded as one of the Four Evangelists of the New Testament. Scholars have speculated that all of them were less than 30 years old simply because they took the role of student to the "Rabbi" Jesus and this was traditional. 2 There He was transfigured before them. Jesus twelve disciples were virtually all under the age of eighteen, with some as young as fifteen, which suggests that they were in their early teens. While Jesus and his followers were eating supper at Matthews house, a large number of tax collectors and sinners joined them and ate with them. 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. 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.. RESPONSE:As you correctly surmise, the solution to this question is somewhat shocking. Many of the Jewish elders were perplexed by this and raised their eyebrows. Logos Bible Software 10 review: Do you REALLY need it? Jesus is on the lookout for those who are truly committed. It seems in the Luke passage that Jesus was entering the home of someone he know. Instead of killing Matthew, the fire burns down the kings idols and engulfs some of his soldiers. The men were Moses and Elijah. But, as I said, we dont have to infer that he was THAT much older, since his brother Andrew is still unmarried and he works with close friends James and John, also unmarried. There were no records of his early life, but he introduced himself as a tax collector (publican) in his own book during the time of Herod Antipas (Matthew 9:9; 10:3). Death, on the other hand, having been overcome, shows Him to be the genuine and better King; the suffering Servant promised by the prophet Isaiah. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. One of Christ's 70 disciples and the four evangelists, Saint Mark was born in Cyrene, Libya but his date of birth is unknown. Tax collectors earned a reputation for telling people they owed more than they did and pocketing the difference. He was sitting at his tax collector's desk near the Sea of Galilee when Jesus told him to follow him (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14). He may or may not have been that well educated. Do you know where should I look for information on how old were the apostles when they joined Jess? The Beginners Guide to the Bible gives you an overview of what the Bible is, what its for, and what its all about. There are just one or two (and their counterparts) that provide us with any meaningful information about him. We should also remember that serving God is the ultimate calling in life, regardless of what the rest of the world believes. They clearly hadnt passed muster for special Rabbinic training, but having been with Jesus for 3 years, and seeing him alive again, gave them special qualifications: When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and knew that they had been with Jesus. He is also listed among the twelve, but without identification of his background, in Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13. Matthew is one of the Four Evangelists, as the term suggests. Deuteragonist: After Jesus, he is the second-most important character of the story, and since Jesus is the Son of God, Peter's the person getting the most Character Development.Season 3 especially focuses on him overcoming (the first of) his doubts toward Jesus. 00:00 36:02. . Those who strove to protect the Roman Empire were held in high regard by the Hebrews of the period, with the majority of them being seen as greedy, selfish, and treacherous. 10. In John 1:40-42, Andrew goes and gets Simon Peter and they follow Jesus. Peter, Prince of the Apostles. Home PhilosophyReligion Personages associated with religion Scholars Saints Popesapostle Alternative titles include: Levi, St. Matthew the Apostle, and St. Matthew the Evangelist are all names for the same person. 2003. We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. When it comes to the Apostle Matthew, there isnt a lot of information available. This is analogous to how the Gospel of Luke, written by Luke the physician, goes into greater detail and employs more exact medical language when describing maladies. If the brothers were grown men, Salomes obstinacy would be quite incomprehensible. Last modified on Wed 20 Sep 2017 12.17 EDT. Matthew 8:14 mentions his infirm mother-in-law, who was a sick woman. He understood King David's advice found in Psalm 37: "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. The Bible does not give us many more details except that Matthew immediately throws a party and invites all of his friends. Another important thing to remember is that John lived until at least AD96, when the book of Revelation was published, which is 66 years after Jesus death and resurrection. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, and the traditional author of the firstSynoptic Gospel. Peter is the exception to this, but because his brother Andrew is not married, and theyre working with James and John (Luke 5:10 perhaps their two families have a joint business venture), it stands to reason they are roughly the same age. Or at least much younger than their Master. Others have speculated that Matthew was a bit older than the others because he had a fairly important position as a tax collector. The end. In fact, the gospels provide us with virtually all of the information we need concerning Matthew. As the author of the Gospel of Matthew, he has historically been recognized as such. His face became bright like the sun. Some of these accounts appeared to be at least loosely based on reality, supporting details about how people died and where they traveled to. Because weve been far more formed by Bible movies than by the Biblical data on hand. One of these signs is Walking on water Feeding the 5,000 Matthew's Gospel names no audience for its message other than that which is implied in its Great Commission. Matthews death on the cross. In this case, the age of Christ is important since the information helps us understand the fulfillment of a prophecy in Jeremiah. Your response? Tax collectors were held to a low standard of responsibility. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. It was not until Antioch, some years after Jesus resurrection, that the term Christianity was coined. He was devoted to Jesus, and once he made the decision to serve the Lord, he never looked back. Young men began their studies with a Rabbi when they were 12 to 30 years old, although they normally started when they were fewer than 20 years old, according to Jewish tradition. A few of the disciples had just witnessed Jesus transfiguration and heard the voice of the Father saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him. In this second instance, the disciples had actually just witnessed Jesus transfiguration and heard the Father say, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him (Matt. 4 Hurley believes "the foundation-stone of Jesus's attitude toward women was his vision of them as persons to whom and for whom he had come. In its place, Matthew began collecting souls for the kingdom of God, rather than tax money, from that point forth. These two gentlemen were brothers. Your email address will not be published. Matthew would have had to have lived at the same time as Jesus Christ in order to be considered a follower of Jesus Christ. At the time of his call as an Apostle, Peter was living with his wife and his wife's mother. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. John watches as a New Heaven and a New Earth appear in a vision. There are legends about his ministry, but no substantial records of his role in the early church. Including parallel passages, there are just seven mentions of him in the entire Bible. In it, Jesus appears to Matthew as a boy and tells him to go to the city of Myrna (an unknown location), which is inhabited by man eaters. Upon arriving there, Matthew performs miracles and casts out demons. Calling his disciples children may indicate they were mostly gasp! Both Daniel and Zechariah Ch 9-14 are the product of the Hellenistic era and have no messianic prophecies. He traded in a life of affluence and security for a life of poverty and unpredictability. With the exception of his fathers name being Alphaeus and the possibility that his original given name was Levi, we know nothing about Matthews life before he became a disciple (student) of Jesus Christ. Over 30 million students around the world benefit from this resource. And his clothes became white as light. This is a designation designated for the traditional writers of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Matthew 10:24 (New International Version) Fun fact: As a tax collector, Matthew wouldve undoubtedly been quite good with money, and modern readers might assume hed make an excellent candidate for the position of official treasurer for the ring of thieves. Bottom line, the Bible provides no direct evidence for the age of the apostles. 0:00. Irving Jensen: Matthew's reporting skips most of the first year of Jesus . 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. Verse Concepts. But this really doesn't settle his age at all. Do you wish you had a greater understanding of the Bible? The Bible tells us that Peter had a wife when Jesus cured his mother-in-law, according to Matthew 8:14-15. John 18:1-13. As recorded in Matthew 17:24, the temple tax was two drachmas, and the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, Doesnt your teacher pay the temple tax? After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, Doesnt your teacher pay the temple tax? It appears that the author paid close attention to Jesus teachings regarding money, had a more in-depth grasp of financial problems, and regarded finance as a useful lens through which to view the gospel. Jesus Calls Matthew - Life of Christ Part 12. The first time Nicodemus is mentioned, he is identified as a Pharisee who comes to see Jesus at night. Young John, perhaps 15 during the life of Jesus, would be only 85 if he wrote his gospel, letters and Revelation in the year 100. When he was chosen by Jesus to be one of His apostles, Matthew left this prominent and well-paying profession. The scripture that can be confusing in this connection is Mark 1:14-20. This tax collector was reviled for who he was, but Jesus loved him for who he was. This isnt simply some haphazard attempt by a lone individual to document the events of his life. Lets get ready. After that, the Son of Man will be handed up to the chief priests and scribes, who will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles to be ridiculed, flogged, and crucified, after which he will be resurrected on the third day. Jesus and His followers had embarked on a journey to the city of Jerusalem from Galilee. Since Zacchaeus was "short in stature," he ran ahead. Little is known about this apostle. Matthew the Apostle, according to the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. . Clement of Alexandria quotes Heracleon, one of the earliest commentators on the New Testament, as saying that Matthew died naturally: But neither will this utterance be found to be spoken universally; for all the saved have confessed with the confession made by the voice, and departed. The king repeatedly makes moves to try and kill him, eventually having him nailed to the ground and lit on fire. Why is there no mention of the apostles being baptized in the Bible? Four, the Mishnah explains why Jesus didnt start his ministry until age 30 even though his mission of redemption by death could have been accomplished at any age. Peter - Movie "Risen" Assuming that the identification of Matthew with Levi is correct, Matthew (probably meaning "Yahweh's Gift") would appear. 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. 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