Matthew, Saint, was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Matthew states that Matthew was working as a tax collector when he was called to follow Jesus. However, the Gospels of Mark and Luke state that the tax collector’s name was Levi. Some scholars have suggested that Levi was Matthew’s second name. These scholars also suggest that all of the Gospels refer to the same person.
Matthew has traditionally been regarded as the author of the first Gospel, perhaps written in Hebrew or Aramaic. Many modern scholars, however, believe that Matthew was not the author and that this Gospel was originally written in Greek. According to tradition, Matthew preached in Africa and Persia, where he was martyred.
Matthew’s feast day is celebrated on September 21 in the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate his feast day on November 16.
