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Part 8
Matthew
Matthew, one of Jesus' disciples, is called the son of "Matthew the Tax Collector" or "Levi" in the New Testament.
Matthew was originally a tax collector, an official of the Roman Empire who collected taxes. Jesus met Matthew by the Sea of Galilee and called him to be his disciple (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27-28).
As a disciple of Jesus, Matthew participated in many of Jesus' ministries and witnessed His teachings and miracles. Matthew is also listed as one of Jesus' twelve disciples (Matthew 10:3).
Since Matthew himself had served as a tax collector, he had a deep understanding of the society and economy at that time. This allowed him to better understand and communicate what Jesus taught about money, wealth, and justice.
Tradition has it that the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament was written by Matthew. The Gospel details the life, teachings, and interactions of Jesus with his disciples.
Although Matthew started out as a tax collector, he completely changed his life after meeting Jesus and became one of the key members of Jesus' ministry. By writing the Gospel, he spread the teachings of Jesus to later generations and had a profound impact on the development of Christianity.
