What were their professions? Additionally, we can assume Jesus' age through the Book of John in which three Passovers are recorded (John 2:13, 6:4, 11:55). The richer they were, the worse they were assumed to be. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Matthew, who was also known as Levi, was a minor character in the Bible; he is only referenced by name in the lists of apostles and in the story of his calling. Almost certainly, they were only students of the Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, who taught them. Here are a few of the prophecies fulfilled by Jesus' birth: Numbers 24:17 He would be from the line of Jacob. The holy city, Jerusalem, comes down from out of heaven, looking as new and innocent as a bride ready for her husband. Bottom line, the Bible provides no direct evidence for the age of the apostles. Its difficult to pinpoint exactly how Matthew died, as it is with the majority of the apostles. Tradition mentions his ministry inJudaea, following which he is said to have embarked on a journey to the East, which might have taken him to Ethiopia or Persia. Only one (and its parallels) gives us any substantial details about him. Even more so given that he is referring to literature that was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, and that the Gospel of Matthew appears to have been written in Greek rather than translated into it, as some scholars believe. That makes St. Peter between 63 and 66 years old when he died. The word rendered as wrote could also mean compiled, arranged, or composed. The word for oracles could mean sayings or gospel. And the word for interpreted here could mean translated.. Peter - Movie "Risen" The author of the Gospel of Matthew is unknown, however Matthew the Apostle is widely regarded as the books primary author. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke all include much of the same materialmiracles, teachings, sayingsand for this reason are similar. Higher education consisted of studying under the supervision of a local rabbi for individuals who were intelligent (or affluent). Not only do we read the recorded interaction between Jesus and His followers, but as we read the tale, our gaze is drawn to the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ as well. Matthew also states that AFTER Jesus was born, that Magi came to Jerusalem, to Herod and asked him "where is he that was born the King of the Jews." The priests Herod then consulted said that the prophecy indicated that Jesus would have been born in Bethlehem. 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. We know that John lived until about AD 96 or 97, which is about 66 years after Jesus died. 2003. 4, p. 643). 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). Despite the fact that there are compelling reasons against his authorship, no alternate author has been identified. Logos Bible Software 10 review: Do you REALLY need it? As he walks on, he sees Matthew, who is also . In order to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, Matthew obviously wouldve had to live at the same time. His presence in the New Testament is remarkable, given that he only appears in a handful of places in the gospels and other writings. 3 Then two men were there, talking with him. But Matthew mentions them 28 times. Like Mark 1:14, Matthew begins after John the Baptist is imprisoned; John 1-5 shows that Jesus' ministry actually began earlier, interspersing ministry in Judea and Galilee before moving to Capernaum. In 2013, a group portrait of American male teenagers was taken. Anyone who has done fishing knows that it can be hit and miss while out one the waters. He completed graduate work at Johns Hopkins University, receiving a Masters Degree in Near Eastern Studies in 1979. . St. Peter was a fisherman by trade. The Gospel of Matthew leaves little room for confusion though: hes called the tax collector in the list of disciples: These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Matthew 10:24. In fact, the gospels provide us with virtually all of the information we need concerning Matthew. St. Matthew, also called St. Matthew the Evangelist, St. Matthew the Apostle, or Levi, (flourished 1st century ce, Palestine; Western feast day September 21, Eastern feast day November 16), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the traditional author of the first Synoptic Gospel (the Gospel According to Matthew ). Matthew was an accurate record keeper. There are several possible explanations for this difference. 4 (2018): 55161. To the Jews, tax collectors were the embodiment of sin. In the same way, Matthew used the word in this passage to call our attention to the direction in which Jesus ministry is now heading. 'He should be growing old like me!' . In response to an invitation from Jesus, Matthew demonstrated one of the most drastically transformed lives recorded in the Bible. Based on the lack of other mentions of him in the biblical . They were dubbed Sons of Thunder by Jesus because they were presumably either loud or courageous when they were young, attributes that Jesus admired in them. 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. Did Jesus encourage the apostles to break the Sabbath? John, his brother James, Peter, and Andrew were all partners in the fishing business before they became disciples of Jesus. CHRIST ASSOCIATES WITH SINNERS TO HELP THEM. 10. Jasmine A.L. When Jesus summoned Matthew to follow him, he was working as a tax collector (also known as a publican), which was considered one of the most despised occupations in ancient Judaism. Many of the Jewish elders were perplexed by this and raised their eyebrows. He is an eyewitness of Jesus Christ's ascension. Matthew was a tax collector , so financially he was stable , but the jews hated all tax collectors as they worked for the mighty Romans, but once he met Jesus his life was changed. Jesus Calls Matthew - Life of Christ Part 12. When Jesus entered Peter's house in Luke 4:38-43 it appears to not be the first time he met Peter. 17 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John the brother of James up on a high mountain. And in the Lords Prayer, Matthew makes a curious substitution. We should also remember that serving God is the ultimate calling in life, regardless of what the rest of the world believes. Evangelion is derived from the Greek word for good news, which is evangel. Follow me, he said, as Matthew rose to his feet and followed him. Irving Jensen: Matthew's reporting skips most of the first year of Jesus . They had an urgent request. The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Lexham, England). So its more than a little unclear what exactly Papias is referring to. It is supposed that Jesus, as he did in other cases, gave Levi another name, Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh." His face became bright like the sun. He was devoted to Jesus, and once he made the decision to serve the Lord, he never looked back. Matthew, on the other hand, was a glutton for punishment before he met Jesus. And as to the plausibility of them being young enough to still be around to write about all this in the 60s 90s, there is no problem at all. There are a number of contradicting tales of how he passed away. And despite his position as a religious outsider, Jesus gave him a prominent position within what would eventually become the largest religion in the world. "The Central Synagogue of Nazareth Illit and its Architectural Dialogue with Nazareths Basilica of the Annunciation." 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.". They were religious outsiders, because the way they practiced their profession openly defied the Law of Moses. By the time they arrived at their final objective of Jerusalem, which they were well on their way there, the time for these occurrences would have come. However, Jesus accepted and loved this tax collector for who he was, regardless of his background. Matthews death on the cross. You are the Christ, the Son of God, Peter responded when Jesus went further and asked who the disciples believed He was (Matthew 16:16 ESV). 3 Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!" So Matthew got up and followed him. After Jesus calls him, Matthew hosts a gathering at his house, and as he and his unsavory companions dine with Jesus, the Pharisees ask why Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:11). On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Throughout the first several decades of the church, a plethora of tales concerning the apostles arose, becoming so numerous that it virtually established its own genre. 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. Others have speculated that Matthew was a bit older than the others because he had a fairly important position as a tax collector. Matthew the apostle had previously worked as a dishonest tax collector motivated solely by avarice, until Jesus Christ picked him to be one of his disciples. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. Answer Neither the Bible nor any other source specifies the ages of any of Jesus initial twelve apostles. Include a biography His masters degree is in history, and he is a history professor at the University of Northern Colorado. Jesus would have entered into ministry when he reached the age of thirty. Your response? According to Matthew 4:21-22, James and John intentionally abandoned their father in the boat in order to follow Jesus. This all changed for Matthew when Jesus crossed his path and said, Follow me. Thats all there is to it. John 18:1-13. In Matthew 17, Jesus foreshadowed the events leading up to His own death and resurrection for the second time. Since we dont know how old he was at the time he met Jesus, we cant be certain he was born in the first century, but he certainly lived then. He was tireless, steadfast, unwavering, dedicated, firm and determined. When he authored the Gospel of Matthew some 20 years later, he was able to draw on such characteristics. Are you already a member? Third and last point: Jesus prophecies about His own death and resurrection add to the dramatic tension of this most ultimate of redemption stories. Simeon was a patient man. Fun fact: As a tax collector, Matthew wouldve presumably been great with money, and modern readers would think hed be an ideal candidate for the groups official treasurer. But given the reputation of tax collectors in first-century Judaism, that wouldve been a bad move politicallywhich might be why the disciples gave the job to a guy named Judas Iscariot. This is a designation designated for the traditional writers of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus, everyone agrees, was about 30 years old during his ministry, based on Luke's explicit aging in 3:23. This does seem to imply that John was almost certainly less than thirty when he began to follow Jesus. 66 He wore clothing made of camel's hair and ate locusts and wild honey ( Matthew 3:4 ). The joke was met with a major backlash online. Disciples come in two sexes, male and female. The scripture that can be confusing in this connection is Mark 1:14-20. But in the Gospels, Peter is the only disciple recorded to have been married (Matthew 8:14-15). . To some extent, this proof of His foresight speaks volumes about His divinity, and Matthew is surely conveying this point for his audience with this storyline. Youd have to show proficiency and its assumed many students had very large portions of the Law and Prophets committed to memory. Matthew was living in the area of Capernaum, a city on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus called him. No other disciples wives are ever mentioned. [ a] Matthew is a tax collector, he meets Jesus, he leaves everything and becomes a disciple of Jesus. 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. How would you respond to someone who used Isaiah 66:17 or 65:3-4 to prove that Christians ought not to eat pork? He is traditionally regarded as the author of the Gospel of Matthew. (Mark 3.16). But thats all there is to it. The Hebrews were subject to the sovereignty of the Roman Empire during their lifetime. This is a term designated for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the four gospel authors who are considered to be the traditional authors of their respective books. "The Contrasted `Other' in the Old English Apocryphal Acts of Matthew, Simon and Jude." This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. All three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) make mention of him, as does the book of Acts, which lists him among the disciples. Due to this viewpoint, there is some variation in their ages, with John presumably being the youngest and Peter maybe being the oldest due to the fact that he had previously been married. The Gospel of Matthew was written 30-40 years after Jesus' resurrection, indicating that Matthew was perhaps in his 20s when following Jesus on earth. degree in Hebrew and Old Testament at Capital Bible Seminary (1975, summa cum laude). Jesus also referred to them as small children, which might have been a reference to the fact that they were several years younger than He. The authors of the Gospels linked their accounts to the Old Testament prophets as evidence of Jesus' unique character. Which is the true religion: Christianity, Islam or Zoroastrianism, and why? According to prevailing expectations, even the other writers of the New Testament, like Matthew, Peter, and Paul, appear to be too old to be writing when they do, in their mid-60s and beyond especially considering the life expectancies at the period. by Ryan Nelson | Apr 1, 2019 | Bible characters. Matthew makes it plain that Jesus is the King of the Jews. Commentary: One of the most pervasive images in the New Testament is that of Jesus as our Passover lamb. I cant help but think of the scene from The Chronicles of Narnia: When it comes to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, In the middle of the night, Susan and Lucy are strolling with Aslan through the woods, gripping his mane and falling in love with him, only to realize that they are actually travelling with him to the Stone Table. February 27, 2023. And, despite the fact that he was a religious outsider, Jesus elevated him to a prominent position inside what would later become the worlds greatest religion. 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