Who Was Matthew in the Bible — In Biblical Context

The Biblical Context

Matthew, also called Levi, underwent one of the most dramatic transformations in the New Testament. He was a tax collector — a profession despised by his fellow Jews. Tax collectors were considered traitors, collaborators with Rome, and extortionists who enriched themselves at their neighbors' expense. They were grouped with sinners and prostitutes in popular contempt. Jesus found Matthew sitting at the tax booth in Capernaum and simply said, 'Follow me.' Matthew rose and followed Him — immediately, completely, without looking back. This act of obedience meant abandoning a lucrative career, social standing (such as it was), and any hope of restoration to Jewish society. Matthew's response was so joyful that he threw a great feast at his house, inviting Jesus and many other tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees complained, Jesus defended the gathering: 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' Matthew became one of the twelve apostles and is traditionally identified as the author of the first Gospel. His Gospel is distinctly Jewish in orientation, beginning with a genealogy that traces Jesus' lineage from Abraham through David, emphasizing Jesus' credentials as the promised Messiah and rightful heir to David's throne. Matthew quotes the Old Testament more frequently than any other Gospel writer, using the formula 'that it might be fulfilled' to show how Jesus' life fulfilled prophecy. His account includes the Sermon on the Mount, the kingdom parables, and extensive teaching material organized into five major discourses — perhaps modeled on the five books of Moses. Matthew's own experience as a tax collector made him acutely aware of grace. A man who had been an outcast became the recorder of Jesus' message for the world. His Gospel is the bridge between the Old and New Testaments, showing that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything Israel hoped for. Tradition holds that Matthew preached to the Hebrews for fifteen years and died a martyr, though accounts vary as to where and how.

Where It Sits in Scripture

Supporting Passages