The children had a forceful mother called Salome, who insisted on arranging where they would sit at the dinner table with Jesus. 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. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. 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. In order to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, Matthew obviously wouldve had to live at the same time. While Matthew is honored as a martyr, no one knows for sure where or how he died. But after that, the consistent picture of the disciples is of an older Peter and James with long beards, some gray hair, or balding heads, clearly middle aged, and clearly older than their strapping young Rabbi. According to what we can gather from the book of Acts, the early Jesus movement was referred to as The Way (Acts 9:2; Acts 24:14). He becomes an active follower/disciple of 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. 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. Of whom are Matthew, Philip, Thomas, Levi, and many others. Stromata. as members of a sect called the Zealots." Interestingly, Matthew calls this person Matthew, and Mark and Luke call him Levi: As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collectors booth. 'He should be growing old like me!' . They were most certainly teens by this point, as they were able to leave home to follow a rabbi. Matthew, whose fathers name was Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), was known by the name Levi before being called by Jesus to follow him. There is good news beyond Jesus death, although it appears to have escaped Peters awareness, and that good news is that Jesus will be risen from the grave on the third day. Matthew 4:18-22 relates that Andrew and Peter were fishing, plying their trade when called, and James and John were mending nets with their father. The end. Historical documents are not more sure of anything more exact. In the end, this is speculation, and we simply cannot know how old the apostles were. According to the early church, he composed it, and the attribution according to Matthew was probably first inserted around the time of the first century AD. The Christian Bible is filled with writings outlining the right methods to follow Christs teachings, yet just four narratives of Christs life and death are included in the book of Matthew. And as it is said, Jesus' ministry lasted for about 3 to 3 years before he died. Matthew 2:17 quotes Jeremiah 31:15. Jeremiah 23:5-6 He would be David's kingly heir. It is amazing all the information that Scripture gives us. Join our email list, and well send you some of our best free resourcesplus well tell you whenever we make something new. He gave lectures near the seaside and from the top of a mountain. The Bible tells us that Peter had a wife when Jesus cured his mother-in-law, according to Matthew 8:14-15. Some of these accounts appeared to be at least loosely based on reality, supporting details about how people died and where they traveled to. Imagine this scene if the brothers were grown men (Matthew 20:20-24)! Some argue that the Gospel of Matthew includes internal evidence linking it to Matthews profession, which could indicate he was the biblical author. (Matt 11:25). 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. Dislikes the New Guy: Initially does not get along with Matthew, who he remembers from the latter's previous line of work. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (verses 4-5). The education of a Jewish youngster came to an end at the age of fifteen. 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. With the disciples, its possible that we had a Young Guns-style cast. The Transfiguration. They were considered religious outcasts since the manner in which they carried out their profession publicly flouted the Law of Moses. Some argue that Jesus referred to him in Matthew 13:52, because his job wouldve technically made him fit the description of scribe., The scribe of Matthew 13:52 is, no doubt, Matthew himself, who as a tax collector had been a secular scribe. When Jesus entered Peter's house in Luke 4:38-43 it appears to not be the first time he met Peter. Matthew 18:11-13. 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. Matthew is regarded as one of the Four Evangelists of the New Testament. The Hebrews were subject to the sovereignty of the Roman Empire during their lifetime. (Matthew 20:20-24; Mark 10:20-24). New Testament citations: John 1:29, John 1:36, John 19:33, John 19:36, 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, 1 Peter 1:19. Lets get to know Matthew a bit better because he was the founder of the largest religion on the planet at the time of writing this article. We should not be made to feel unqualified because of our physical appearance, lack of education, or previous experiences in our lives. Include a biography His masters degree is in history, and he is a history professor at the University of Northern Colorado. He invited his friends as well so that they may all meet Jesus. 64 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 3 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Mt. This is supported by the educational tradition of the period. Most scholars dont accept this account today. 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. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 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. After seeing this final miracle, the king and his kingdom of man-eaters come to realize the one true God and place their trust in Jesus as their Savior. Aside from a handful of mentions in the gospels, he's a surprisingly obscure New Testament figure. This is solely for Peter and Jesus, according to Jesus request. According to Matthew, who was an eyewitness to Jesus life, the tale of his birth, his message, and his numerous actions are all documented in the Gospel of Matthew since Matthew was an eyewitness to the Savior. (according to the Bible) Fishermen . Now, God, Himself, will dwell with the people . Matthew was one of the tax collectors whom Jesus saved. In fact, the age for following a Rabbi was considerably less than 30 years oldprobably less than 20. Irenaeus, who lived from about 130 AD to 202 AD, made a similar claim in Against Heresies: Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church., However, Papias statement is actually pretty ambiguous. In the end, how much do we actually know about him? How Old Was Jesus When He Began His Ministry? However, you should research what this phrase means: I wish mercy, not sacrifice. Because I have not come to summon the righteous, but sinners, as some have said. (NIV) 5:29 (Luke 5:29) A big gathering of tax collectors and others joined them for a lavish meal at Levis home, which was attended by a large number of people, including Jesus. He was a "wilderness man," a man who from childhood had lived " in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel " ( Luke 1:80 ). 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). Little is known about this apostle. Its message was ultimately intended to go to "all nations." True Follow me, he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9, As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collectors booth. Jesus likens him to a person bringing forth treasures new and oldthe old being those acquired as a tax collector (such as gifts for accuracy and organization), the new being Jesus teachings; about the kingdom of heaven. As a man doubly equipped, Matthew is now ready for further scribal activitythe writing of the book that bears his name. Walter A. Elwell and B.J. These accounts so closely parallel each other that its hard to imagine they arent speaking of the same person. and Peter saw more of Jesus than Matthew and was a pillar of the early church, so . They had already formed a negative opinion of Jesus, but now he was associated with the lowest strata of Hebrew society. As we approach the first of three instances on which Jesus prophesied both His death and resurrection to His followers, Id like to take a minute to look forward to these three occurrences in particular. Lon has been on the Board of Jews for . Every male above the age of 20 who visits the temple of God is required to give a half-shekel as a census offering, according to Jewish law, which is found in Exodus 30:14-15. Matthew 8:14 mentions his infirm mother-in-law, who was a sick woman. 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.". Compare this line in the prayer as recorded by Matthew and Luke: Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Luke 11:4 (emphasis added), And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12 (emphasis added). Matthew the Apostle was the author of one of the four gospels included in the New Testament of the Bible. John watches as a New Heaven and a New Earth appear in a vision. 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. Jesus messes up the system the religious leaders had created. All three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) make mention of him, as does the book of Acts, which lists him among the disciples. Again crowds come to him, and he begins teaching them. 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