For 2,000 years, Christendom has referred to four ancient narratives about the life
of its prophet, Jesus Christ, as "the Gospels."
The four texts, by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are so named for the authors traditionally
ascribed to them.
These books, each with their own similarities and differences, provide descriptions and
accounts of the events of Jesus' life and ministry.
Collectively, these four books provide as complete a picture as we're going to get of
what happened before, during, and after Christ's resurrection.
The first of these texts bears the name of Matthew, traditionally that of the man who
wrote it.
Based on what we know, the author was a close companion of Jesus Christ and an eyewitness
to the events he wrote about.
This possibly makes his text a reliable account of Jesus' life.
And, the personal history of the man whose name is attached to the gospel brings another
layer of meaning to the text.
Plus, it's placed at the beginning, not only of the four gospels, but of the New Testament
itself.
There were two reasons for this.
The first is that, at the time, Matthew was believed to be the earliest of the gospels,
but it turns out that Mark is actually older.
The second reason is that Matthew relies quite a bit on Judaism and Judaic tradition in its
narrative.
This means that in its place at the beginning, it provides a "bridge," between the Old Testament
and the New.
As biblical scholars note, Matthew is the most Jewish of the gospels.
The text contains more references to the Old Testament than any of its companions.
The writer is also careful to juxtapose sayings from Jewish tradition in the context of Jesus'
life and ministry.
The author was also quick to point out what he believed were the failings of the Jewish
people to embrace Jesus.
This, possibly, played a part in setting the stage for the spread of Christianity to the
Gentiles and not to the Jews.
Although a Jew himself, Matthew was a tax collector for the Romans before he was called
by Jesus.
Specifically, the text introduces him as collecting duties from farmers and merchants.
To say that the tax collectors were hated is an understatement.
Many, like Matthew himself, were seen as doing the dirty work of the Romans, and as such,
were seen as traitors.
But also, it wasn't uncommon for the collectors to extract a little more than they were owed
and keep it for themselves.
Jesus' calling of a tax collector is a metaphor for Christ's forgiveness.
That is to say, his calling is for anyone, regardless of their sin, and of the transformative
nature of living the Christian life.
Plus, Matthew's job qualified him as a gospel writer because he was literate, had attention
to detail, and had the ability to observe people.
However, the Bible that modern-day Christians read is divided up into chapters and verses,
which differ from Matthew's original seven sections.
Specifically, these sections are an introduction that sets the stage for Jesus' arrival and
a conclusion that ties up the narrative with Jesus' Last Supper, crucifixion, and resurrection.
The other five parts are each arranged around one of Jesus' sermons.
These are: the Sermon on the Mount, the Missionary Discourse, the Parable Discourse, the "Church
Order" Discourse, and the Eschatological Discourse.
Writing in Circe Institute, Brian Phillips describes the five discourses, as recorded
in Matthew's gospel, by stating,
"[They are] a retelling and fulfilling of the entire Old Testament."
When it comes to the authorship of books of the Bible, for centuries two conflicting schools
of thought have competed against each other.
The traditional view holds that every book of the Bible was written by one man, whose
name has been attached to that book.
Modern scholarship of the last few centuries has held that these books are the result of
copying, editing, and compilation by large numbers of people.
And so, the names traditionally ascribed to them are not always reliable.
In the case of Matthew, it's highly unlikely that it was written entirely by one man.
As many scholars note, much of the text of Matthew is copied word-for-word from Mark,
which was written earlier.
This suggests that both gospels shared a similar source.
Similarly, the author was likely an anonymous member of a Jewish community drawing not only
from Mark but from oral tradition.
However, Matthew is still something of a key figure in the New Testament.
And of course, he had a gospel named after him, although whether he wrote any of it is
a matter of dispute.
But, outside the New Testament, his name is virtually absent from recorded history.
What became of him after Jesus' life is completely unknown.
But, the absence of historical fact hasn't gotten in the way of tradition.
According to early records, which are unreliable at best, he may have ministered in Ethiopia.
However, this is not Ethiopia in Africa, but a region around the Caspian Sea.
These early records also state that Matthew was martyred, however, it's unclear where,
why, or how he was martyred.
Various traditions claim he was stabbed or beheaded, or he may have simply lived to an
old age and died of natural causes.
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