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| Saint Matthew the Apostle | |
|---|---|
| Name | Matthew |
| Birth date | c. 1st century |
| Death date | c. 1st century |
| Feast day | 21 September (Western), 16 November (Eastern) |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, Oriental Orthodox Church |
| Titles | Apostle, Evangelist, Tax Collector |
| Major shrine | Basilica of San Matteo (Salerno), possible tombs in Salerno, Ethopia |
Saint Matthew the Apostle Saint Matthew the Apostle is traditionally numbered among the Twelve Apostles and is credited with authorship of the Gospel attributed to him. He appears in the Synoptic Gospels and in lists of the Twelve in the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, and Gospel of Luke, and his vocation and activities are commemorated across Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church traditions. Scholarly discussion intersects New Testament studies, Patristics, Textual criticism, and Hagiography.
Matthew is identified in the synoptic tradition as a former tax collector called by Jesus. The name Matthew corresponds to the Hebrew name Mattityahu and the Greek form Matthaios; other New Testament figures with related names include Levi (Apostle) and Matthew (Gospel), leading to early debates in Patristic literature about identity. Tax collectors connected to Roman Empire fiscal systems appear in contemporary sources such as the Fiscus Judaicus and inscriptions from Judæa (Roman province). Early Christian sources such as Papias of Hierapolis, Irenaeus, and Eusebius provide testimonies about Matthew's life, sometimes conflating traditions preserved in Syriac Christianity and Latin Church accounts. Extra-biblical traditions place Matthew's activity in regions like Judea, Parthia, Persia, and Aethiopia.
The canonical call narrative describes Matthew seated at a tax booth when Jesus says "Follow me," an episode paralleled in Gospel of Mark and Gospel of Luke. The scene connects Matthew to organizations like the publicani under Rome and to Jewish communities mentioned in Galilee. Tertullian and Origen recount missionary attributions linking Matthew to Christianization in Mesopotamia and Ethiopia, while Jerome and Augustine of Hippo cite traditions of preaching among Parthians. Later medieval hagiographers, drawing on Golden Legend motifs, narrate miracles and martyrdoms associated with apostolic missions. Missionary activity attributed to Matthew intersects with accounts of other apostles such as Thomas the Apostle, Bartholomew, and Philip the Apostle in regional church histories.
The attribution of the Gospel of Matthew to Matthew the Apostle is attested by early authorities including Papias, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian, and appears in canonical lists compiled by Eusebius of Caesarea. Modern New Testament scholarship debates canonical authorship, proposing hypotheses including the traditional Matthean authorship, a Greek-speaking Jewish-Christian author's community (the "Matthean community"), or dependence on the hypothetical sources Q source and Markan priority. Textual relationships between Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, and Gospel of Luke underpin the Synoptic Problem; methods from Source criticism, Redaction criticism, and Form criticism inform scholarly reconstructions. Manuscript tradition features key witnesses like Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, and Papyrus 45, while Church Fathers provide commentary traditions influencing medieval and modern reception.
Apostolic traditions ascribed to Matthew influenced the formation of liturgy, biblical canon, and ecclesial identity across Byzantine Empire, Latin Church, and Syriac Orthodox Church contexts. Relics claimed to be Matthew's shaped pilgrimage and ecclesiastical politics in medieval Europe, notably involving sanctuaries such as the Basilica di San Matteo (Salerno) and sites in Salerno and Ethiopia. Artistic, literary, and musical legacies appear in works by Dante Alighieri and liturgical composers of the Middle Ages. The Gospel attributed to Matthew has played a central role in doctrinal debates across councils like the Council of Nicaea indirectly via scriptural authority and has been invoked in theological writings by figures such as Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, and John Calvin.
Matthew is commonly depicted in Christian art as an evangelist with iconographic attributes including a winged man or angel, a book or scroll, and occasionally a moneybag referencing his former role as a tax collector. These motifs appear in Byzantine iconography, Romanesque art, and Renaissance painting, with representations by artists influenced by patrons in Italy, France, and Spain. Matthew is the patron saint of tax collectors, bankers, and accountants in various popular devotions; his patronage is invoked in guild traditions and confraternities documented in medieval guild records and in the devotional practices of cities such as Rome and Naples.
The Western liturgical calendar observes Matthew's feast on 21 September, celebrated in the Roman Rite, Anglican Communion, and parts of the Lutheran Church, while Eastern rites commemorate him on 16 November together with other apostles in the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles. Liturgical texts honoring Matthew appear in Gregorian chant, the Byzantine Rite propers, and in Gregorian sacramentary traditions; hymns and readings are found in the Roman Missal, Divine Liturgy cycles, and Breviary offices. Local liturgical customs, processions, and relic translations have shaped communal observances throughout Christendom.