This quote from Powerss monograph on the Synoptic Problem may presume too much about the literary skills, and psychological motivations, of a relatively low-level functionary operating a toll booth on the outskirts of the Galilean village of Capernaum (Matt 9:1, 9; cf. Some Patristic interpreters guessed that the evangelists Mark and Luke called Matthew by his less popular name Levi out of deference for his apostolic status, while Matthew himself had the humility to confess that he was once employed in a disreputable profession under his better-known name (e.g., John Chrysostom, hom. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Mark 2:13-17. After all, a toll collector may have at least needed functional literacy to perform certain tasks. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that the two verses in Matthew 9:9 and 10:3 were the basis for why this Gospel was later ascribed to Matthew. One theory is that Matthew went by the name Levi, or was simply of the tribe of Levi, and was re-named by Jesus as Matthew upon his call. However, Mark . Vielhauer and Strecker, Jewish Christian Gospels, 167; Klijn. The Greek language became the international language through the conquests of Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. For objections against this view, see Meier, The Vision of Matthew, 25n.26; Luz, Matthew 820, 32. 184.9-10) and Eusebius regarded the text as disputed but not unorthodox (h.e. CHICAGO (RNS) The first time the Rev. Matthew was an accurate counter. Neither Matthew 9:9 nor 10:3 advances an explicit authorial claim. This English translation of the Greek text is taken from Michael W. Holmes, editor, Matthew Black, The Use of Rhetorical Terminology in Papias on Matthew and Mark. The account of the sinful woman at the well in John 4 is a good example as is the woman caught in adultery in John 8 or even Jesus calling Levi (Matthew) to join His entourage and dining with sinners and tax collectors in Matthew 9. 135). Omissions? Jesus sent out 70 Disciples to preach His Good News. The Bible says that Matthew left everything to follow Jesus. Change the way you think and act, and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) this Good News. prol.) Matthew (also known as Levi in the Gospels of Luke and Mark) was a Jewish tax collector, or publican, living in Capernaum. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Matthew, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Biography of Matthew, Catholic Online - Biography of St. Matthew, Catholic Information Network - St. Matthew Apostle and Evangelist. Other scholars suspect that the Nazarenes only supplied Jerome with their own translations and commentary on Matthews Gospel. F. C. Burkitt, Levi Son of Alphaeus JTS 28 (1927): 27374; Metzger, Textual Commentary, 78; Brent Nongbri, Matthew and Levi. Benjamin Bacon (Studies in Matthew [New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1930], 3940) conjectures that the textual variant in Mark 2:14 predated the composition of Matthews Gospel, leading a pre-Matthean scribe who was transmitting a list of the Twelve that was originally independent of Mark 3:1619 to preface the name James the son of Alphaeus with the title the toll collector. The author of Matthews Gospel, however, copied this list in Matthew 10:24 and wrongly took this scribal insertion in reference to Matthew since James was immediately preceded by Matthew in the list of names. The fact that three of the four Gospels recount the calling by Jesus of the tax collector Levi is important. 30.13.45), indicating that it was published in Greek at the outset. It is touching that Matthew, gift of Yahweh loved his new name, probably given to him by Jesus. (Matt. Both are true because Matthew and Levi are two names for the same person. [21] Krzinger, Papias, 1214, 2122, 5256; Gundry, Matthew, xxixxii, 61820; idem, Pre-Papian Tradition, 6364, 6768. Another option is that Papias was referring to a lost source. The other Eleven were ordinary men. ; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999), 56869. Levi was happy to accept! CLICK HERE for Jesus and the Constant Crowds article. He was thirty-one years old and married and had four children. As Brent Cunningham expressed it the changing of the names represented Jesus' ownership of them. 1.8.1; Clement, str. 8:2; 19:13; Isa. ill. 3). [8] See Barnabas Lindars, Matthew, Levi, Lebbaeus and the Value of the Western TextNTS 4 (1957-58): 220-22; Bruce Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 3rd ed., (London: New York, 1975), 26, 81; Brent Nongbri, Matthew and Levi (and James), Variant Readings (blog), May 21, 2018, https://brentnongbri.com/2018/05/21/matthew-and-levi-and-james/. H. Gundry, 287291; James R. Edwards, The Hebrew Gospel and the Development of the Synoptic Tradition (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), 35; Shanks, Papias, 12529, 195; Bauckham, Eyewitnesses, 214. On the other hand, the oldest quotations from the Gospel according to the Hebrews were not attributed to a named author (e.g., Clement, str. Gundry, Matthew, xxii. Clement. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [46] Other scholars suspect that the Nazarenes only supplied Jerome with their own translations and commentary on Matthews Gospel. Josef Krzinger and Robert Gundry have tried to line up Papiass testimony with the academic consensus. [20] Matthew Black, The Use of Rhetorical Terminology in Papias on Matthew and Mark JSNT 37 (1989): 32; Bauckham, Eyewitnesses, 222. [32] Harris J. Rendel, The Logia and the Gospels Contemporary Review 72 (1897): 341348; F. C. Grant, The Gospels: Their Origins and Growth (New York: Harper, 1957), 65, 144. Legend differs as to the scene of his missions and as to whether he died a natural death or a martyrs. He was a tax collector who was sitting at his booth. This is a quite different case from that of an individual having both a Semitic and a Greek or Latin name, as well as from that of an individual having a Semitic name and also a nickname or family name.". This could be a good possibility for the changing of the names. After his conversion, Matthew ardently preached Jesus as Messiah to his Jewish community. The best way to think about the Greek language during the time of Jesus is to think about modern-day English. [38] For the latter view, see France, Evangelist and Teacher, 64-66; Bauckham, Eyewitnesses, 224. Jesus sees value in all people. Dan. Jefferson himself believed that a person's religion was between them and their god. Updates? If these are all references to the same James, that would make James son of Alphaeus the author of the Book of James and one of the three men Paul called "pillars" of the church. Rather, he plainly states, So Matthew composed the oracles in the Hebrew language and each person interpreted them as best he could (in Eusebius, h.e. For the debate over whether Mark 2:14 and 3:18 refer to the same individual or to two different individuals named Alphaeus, see Bauckham. Matthew's Gospel was written in approximately A.D.___, before the destruction of Jerusalem. But let's hear Matthew's own account of his calling: He had the ability, the means, the opportunity, the motivation, and he wouldnt have done it? He is mentioned in Matthew 9:9. [35] For the general consensus of Q scholars, see Nigel Turner, Q in Recent Thought ExpTim 80 (1968-69): 32428; John S. Kloppenborg, The Formation of Q: Trajectories in Ancient Wisdom (Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 1987), 5164; Harry T. Fleddermann, Q: A Reconstruction and Commentary (Leuven: Peeters, 2005), 15557; Sarah E. Rollens, Framing Social Criticism in the Jesus Movement: The Ideological Project in the Sayings Gospel Q (Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014), 9193. He was a man of moderate wealth, the only one of any means belonging to the apostolic corps. 1.31.124), see Joseph Barber Lightfoot, Essays on the Work Entitled Supernatural Religion: Reprinted from the Contemporary Review (London: Macmillan, 1893), 17077; Bacon, Studies in Matthew, 443-51; T. W. Manson, Studies in the Gospels and Epistles (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1962), 6975; Krzinger, Papias, 5051; France, Evangelist and Teacher, 58-60; Krtner, Papias, 15167; Gundry, Matthew, 617; Norelli, Papia, 5980; Gundry, Pre-Papian Tradition, 6467; Sim, R. Outside the New Testament, a statement of importance about him is the passage from the Apostolic Father Papias of Hierapolis preserved by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea: So then Matthew composed the Oracles in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as he could. The Gospel According to Matthew was certainly written for a Jewish-Christian church in a strongly Jewish environment, but that this Matthew is definitely the Synoptic author is seriously doubted. Following Jesus Meant Matthew Lost His Lucrative Tax Collector Career. "Meet Nathanael in the Bible, the 'True Israelite'." Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2021, learnreligions.com/nathanael-the-true-israelite-701068. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The tax collector had already counted the cost.Sandra Sweeny Silver, Slaves Were Lifeless Tools in Ancient Rome, The Exotic Animal Business in Ancient Rome. I. 12.13; Is. 40.9; Ezech. [28] Baum, Ein aramischer Urmatthus, 26364. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. There were only 8 people in Noahs Ark. There were, however, at the time of Christ and the Apostles two languages spoken by JewsAramaic and Greek. His symbol is an angel, and he is a patron saint of tax collectors and accountants. As Jesus was having a meal in Levi's home, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples . [10] For the debate over whether Mark 2:14 and 3:18 refer to the same individual or to two different individuals named Alphaeus, see Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, 87n.17. Krzinger and Gundry insist that, Krzinger enlists Irenaeus in support of his reading of Papias, despite the fact that Irenaeus used the article when affirming that Matthew wrote to the Hebrews in their, Hence, Krzinger identifies the each one (. 135; Matt. People had to pay taxes to the *Romans. He offered something infinitely better. For example, the Valentinian theologian Heracleon differentiated Levi from Matthew (cf. 13:3; Pol. [23] Krzinger, Papias, 24, 3342; cf. 47:13-15), yet God . Q. Jonah was in the belly of the whale 4 days. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthews house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. Many think that just as Simon was named Peter (the rock) by the Lord, Levi was likewise renamed Matthew (the gift of God) by Jesus. Excessive. [16] This English translation of the Greek text is taken from Michael W. Holmes, editor, The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations (rev. 30.3.7; 30.13.214.4), was the Gospel according to the Hebrews, though Epiphanius derided it as the Ebionites mutilation of Matthews Gospel. [42], It was not until Epiphanius (Pan. Logion could be translated as an oracle or divine utterance. The Gospel According to Matthew consequently emphasizes Christ's fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (5:17) and his role as a new lawgiver whose divine mission was confirmed by repeated miracles. Most general Bible readers have the mistaken impression that Matthew, the opening book of the New Testament, must be our first and earliest Gospel, with Mark, Luke and John following. ill. 2), but several of his quotations were lifted from previous Greek texts penned by figures such as Ignatius (cf. Tax collectors at that time were known as dishonest and corrupt people. A minority view during the Patristic period was that Levi and Matthew were separate individuals. Perhaps most plain is the calling of the disciple Matthew, also known as Levi the tax collector. Ein Beitrag zur Lsung eines alten Problems ZNW59 (1968): 4056; Mark Kiley, Why Matthew in Matt 9:913Biblica65.3 (1984): 34751; Michael J. Kok, Re-naming the Toll Collector in Matthew 9:9: A Review of the Options JGAR (forthcoming). [37], The final option is that a non-extant Jewish Gospel stands behind Papiass reference to Matthews oracles or, at least, the New Testament Gospel that bears the name Matthew was mixed up with a Jewish Gospel circulating in Papiass milieu. Vir. [1] Despite the pain and agony of the cross, Jesus chose to die for the sins of the world because He loves us. Some scholars equate Matthews oracles with the hypothetical sources Q or M supposedly underlying the double tradition shared by Matthew and Luke and the singly attested traditions in Matthews Gospel respectively. h.e. [41], Papiass notice that Matthew addressed a Palestinian Jewish audience in their own vernacular language (i.e., Aramaic) was repeated in subsequent Patristic literature (e.g., Irenaeus, haer. [32] The diversity of text-forms evident in Matthews biblical citations and allusions, however, disproves the notion that the evangelist was reliant on one testimonium source. 1.62), though these However, most scholars think that the tax collector Levi (not Zacchaeus) and Matthew were the same person based on these three verses: - Matthew 9:9 - "And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He *said to . F. C. Burkitt, Levi Son of Alphaeus. 3. The account in the three Synoptics is identical, the vocation of Matthew-Levi being alluded to in the same terms. Moreover, the Hebrew itself is preserved to this day in the library at Caesarea, which the martyr Pamphilus so diligently collected. Acts 7:38; Rom 3:2; Heb 5:12; 1 Pet 4:11;1 Clem. C hristmas Day may be Dec. 25, but it's not the end of Christmas story. 2:1-10; Acts 8:9-24). 11.1-3; Pelag. March 2020. It felt "weird," Carr said. Mark 2:1, 1314). Matthew had a lucrative, though dishonest, tax collecting business for the occupying Roman government. Dr. Beth Harris: In the Contarelli Chapel. The important take-away from this detour through the Patristic testimonies was that the oldest tradition was that the evangelist Matthew published a text in Aramaic and left it to more qualified translators to translate it into the form that we have today as the Greek. Wilson (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1991), 138; A. F. J. Klijn, Jewish-Christian Gospel Tradition (Leiden: Brill, 1992), 11, 119, 138; Hans Josef Klauck, Apocryphal Gospels: An Introduction, trans. 3.11.7), which is hard to reconcile with the Ebionitess denial of the virginal conception of Jesus (1.26.2; 3.21.1; 5.1.3; contra Matt 1:23). Levi: Luke 5:27, "And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, 'Follow Me.' ". So it is more than probable that Matthew or someone else translated Matthews biography of Christ into Greek in order to spread the Good News beyond the Jews. Could Ancient Sparta Defeat Ancient Rome? ill. 3; Tract. [43] Daniel A. Bertrand, Lvangile des Ebionites: une harmonie vangelique antrieur au Diatessaron NTS 26 (1980): 54863; Vielhauer and Strecker, Jewish Christian Gospels, 16671; Klijn, Gospel Tradition, 28-30; Klauck, Apocryphal Gospels, 5154; Luomanen, Jewish-Christian Sects, 3738; 83, 25152; Frey, Die Fragmente des Ebioniterevangeliums, 60722; Kok, Gospel according to the Hebrews, 43; Gregory, Gospel according to the Hebrews, 10, 171261.