Saint Matthew the Evangelist

Saint Matthew the Evangelist
Peter Paul Rubens · Public domain · source
Name	Saint Matthew the Evangelist
Birth date	c. 1st century
Death date	c. 1st century
Feast	21 September (Western), 16 November (Eastern)
Attributes	Angel, winged man, tax collector's bag, book
Patronage	accountants, bankers, tax collectors, civil servants
Major shrine	Basilica of Saint Matthew, Salerno

Saint Matthew the Evangelist Saint Matthew the Evangelist is traditionally identified as one of the Twelve Apostles and the attributed author of the Gospel bearing his name. He is associated in Christian tradition with roles as a tax collector, an apostle, and an evangelist active in the early Mediterranean world. Major Christian communities including Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, and Oriental Orthodox Church have preserved liturgical, iconographic, and hagiographic traditions about him.

Life and Identity

Early Christian sources present Matthew as a Galilean tax collector called from his booth by Jesus in narratives paralleling those involving Simon Peter, Andrew the Apostle, James the Great, and John the Apostle. The canonical episode appears alongside references to Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee, locations also associated with Bethsaida and Chorazin. Patristic writers such as Papias of Hierapolis, Irenaeus of Lyons, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Jerome discuss Matthew in collections concerning apostolic origins and itineraries. Later medieval and Byzantine traditions link him with missionary activity in regions variously named as Ethiopia (historical), Parthia, or Persia, and with martyrdom narratives paralleling accounts of figures like Bartholomew the Apostle and Thomas the Apostle. Tomb claims and relic translations involve sites such as the Basilica of Saint Matthew, Salerno, the cathedral traditions of Zagreb Cathedral, and medieval pilgrim itineraries associated with the Via Francigena.

Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew occupies a central place in the New Testament canon and in the lectionaries of Catholic Church liturgy, Eastern Orthodox liturgy, and Lutheranism. It contains distinctive materials such as the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, and a structured arrangement of five discourses that echo the Pentateuchic schema found in Moses narratives. The text interacts closely with traditions preserved in the Synoptic Gospels and has been foundational for theological formulations in councils like the Council of Nicaea and doctrinal developments influencing figures such as Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, and John Calvin. Manuscript witnesses include codices and papyri circulated in communities in proximity to Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome.

Authorship and Dating

Questions about authorship and dating have animated scholarship from the medieval period through modern critical studies represented by scholars such as Julius Wellhausen, F. C. Baur, Adolf von Harnack, John A. T. Robinson, and contemporary commentators on the Quest for the Historical Jesus. Traditional attribution to the apostle Matthew is defended in patristic testimony of Papias and Irenaeus, and in medieval synodal lists preserved by Jerome and Eusebius. Critical scholarship proposes composite authorship or editorial communities, with many assigning the final form of the Gospel to the late first century, often c. 80–100 CE, contemporaneous with debates about Paul the Apostle’s influence, the destruction of Jerusalem (70 CE), and the evolving relationship between emerging Judaism and Early Christianity. Textual critics examine interdependence among Mark the Evangelist, the hypothetical Q source, and unique Matthean material to map redactional layers.

Theological Themes and Sources

Matthew emphasizes continuity with Israelite scripture, frequently citing the Hebrew Bible and engaging with promises attributed to prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah. Christological emphases include Jesus as Son of David and Son of Abraham, linking Jewish messianic expectations with narratives such as the genealogy and Passion. Ecclesiological themes—community, discipleship, and pastoral authority—inform passages on binding and loosing, Peter’s commissioning, and the Great Commission, which shaped ecclesial institutions including Petrine claims and later ecclesiastical structures in Constantinople and Rome. Ethical teaching in Matthew intersects with rabbinic debates reflected in sources contemporary to Pharisees and polemics involving Samaritans. Use of apocalyptic motifs connects Matthew to traditions circulated alongside writings attributed to figures like John the Baptist and to movements reacting to Roman imperial realities under emperors such as Titus and Domitian.

Veneration and Iconography

Veneration of Matthew developed early in liturgical calendars and artistic programs across Byzantine Empire, Medieval Europe, and later in Renaissance art. Iconography commonly represents Matthew with the winged man or angel, an emblem derived from Ezekiel and Revelation symbolism and the four living creatures used by Jerome and Bede in allegorical exegesis. Artistic cycles by masters such as Caravaggio, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Giovanni Bellini, and in Eastern icon painting reflect martyrdom scenes, evangelist portraits, and scenes from the Gospel. Major shrines claiming relics—Salerno’s basilica, cathedral reliquaries in Zagreb, and medieval collationes in Rouen—became focal points of pilgrimage linked to monastic orders like the Benedictines and Franciscans. Feast days are observed across calendars, influencing musical settings by composers associated with liturgical traditions in Notre-Dame de Paris and monastic repertories preserved in medieval manuscripts.

Category:12 Apostles Category:Evangelists