Was Saint Matthew an apostle of God? Matthew was one of the most influential apostles. The Son of God, the One without sin, Who came to earth with a human likeness to save sinful people, passing through Capernaum, saw a man sitting at the customs named Matthew and said to him: Come after Me! The publican, hearing this not only with his ears but also with his soul’s ears, immediately got up from customs and, leaving everything behind, followed Christ; then the Lord came into his house, and Matthew gave him a feast. We found this vital information about Matthew’s life. But who was Saint Matthew? Was he an apostle or a disciple?
When did Jesus say that He came for the sick ones?
At Matthew’s house, his neighbors, his friends, and many acquaintances, publicans and sinners, gathered at Matthew’s and sat down with Christ and His disciples. So the Pharisees and sinners happened to be there, And they sat down with the sinners and said unto his disciples. , Why is your Master eating and drinking with sinners and publicans?”. And when the Lord heard their words, he said unto them. They need no doctor to heal, but the sick need Him: for I came not to call the righteous. But sinners to repentance.
Was Matthew the son of Alpheus?
Matthew was the son of Alpheus. He was the son of Alphaeus and the brother of James. And to the other evangelists, his name was Levi of Alphaeus. Therefore, wanting to cover his life as a publican for the honor of the apostolate, they named him Levi of Alphaeus, a little-known name. And St. Matthew, in his Gospel, writing about himself out of great humility, shows his name on the face of all, calling himself Matthew and recounting all his life before, not being ashamed to confess his sins.
What happened after Matthew received the Holy Spirit?
And after receiving the Holy Spirit, St. Matthew, before all other evangelists, wrote the Gospel in Hebrew for the believing Jews. And wrote it eight years after the Ascension of the Lord, preaching this gospel in many lands. For he passed through the Sloping and Midian, preaching Christ. Then he surrounded the whole of Ethiopia, where his fate had fallen, a country which he enlightened with the light of the understanding of the Holy Gospel.
He went up to a nearby mountain and fasted on that mountain, praying to God diligently for the return of that unbelieving nation.
What wonders has Jesus done through Matthew?
Then the Lord appeared to him as a handsome young man with a staff. Jesus performed great miracles through Matthew: writing the gospel, healing the sick, and spreading the Good News.
Then, giving peace to the apostle, he stretched out His right hand, giving him that staff and commanding him to come down from the mountain and stick his team in front of the door of the church built, “for soon,” said the Lord.
A tall tree with My power will bring much fruit, surpassing all other fruits with size and sweetness. And a fountain of clean water shall flow from his root, and if the man-eaters wash, they shall be white.”
The people who were healed
Notifying Bishop Plato of his arrival, he greeted him with the clergy. And when he came into the city and came near the church, he did according to all he had commanded. The fruits in it are lovely, large, and sweet, and spring water flows from its root.
Then all that looked upon this wonder were amazed: all the city was gathered together unto such a one, and they ate sweet grapes from this tree and drank clean water. And the Holy Apostle Matthew, sitting on a high place, preached the word of God in the language of the people who had gathered there.
So, immediately, everyone believed in the Lord, and the apostle baptized them in that miraculous spring. Saint Matthew first baptized the woman of the hegemon whom he had delivered from the wicked spirit with his son, then all the people who believed in Christ.
Matthew had to deal with the Devil.
Then the devil urged him, and he was angry with the apostle because all the people had forsaken him, ran after him, and thought to kill him. The hegemon became aware of this; he first enjoyed healing his wife and son. That night the Savior appeared to the Apostle, commanding him to dare Himself and promising to be with him in the tribulation that would come to him. So, when it was a day when the apostle was singing praises to God in the church and the believers. The hegemon sent four soldiers to seize him and turn him back.
The catch of Matthew
When asked why they did not bring Matthew, they replied, “I heard his voice speaking, but we could not catch him.” So, angry with the hegemon, he sent several soldiers with weapons, ordering them to bring the Apostle by force, and if anyone would resist, not allowing him to take him, cut him with the sword. But this plan also failed. The soldiers wanted to catch him.
The hegemon
Hearing the hegemon, he became furious and went with the crowd of his servants, wanting him to catch the Apostle alone. But when he approached him, he immediately went blind and looked for a supporter. Then he began to ask the Apostle to forgive his sin and to lighten his eyes, and the Apostle, making the sign of the Holy Cross over his eyes, gave him sight.
But the hegemon, seeing with the eyes of the flesh, but not with the eyes of the soul. His wickedness blinded him — he did not think it to be the power of God but sorcery. Then, taking the Apostle by the hand, he led him into his court as if to honor him, and in his heart, he thought of the deceitful ones. He wanted to burn the Apostle of the Lord in fire like a sorcerer.
How did Saint Matthew die?
The apostle, seeing the mysteries of his heart, and understanding the thoughts, rebuked him, saying: Do what the devils have put in your heart, for, as you see, I am ready to endure all things for my God.” Then the hegemon commanded the soldiers to take St. Matthew. Placing him on the ground, stretch his face up and nail his hands and feet to the floor.
And it came to pass, as the tormentor commanded, that the servants gathered a multitude of vineyards and vines; then they brought pitch and brimstone, and putting all this on St. Matthew, they lit them. When the fire was kindled with great flames, they all believed that the Apostle of Christ would be burned. But, oh, wonder! Immediately that fire turned to cold and the fire to dew, and St. Matthew remained alive, glorifying God.
The power of God
The judge was angrier instead of knowing the power of God. Who kept alive and unharmed the preacher of Christ and spoke of the law of iniquity, calling him a sorcerer and saying that the spells extinguished the fire and guarded him. Alive.
Then he commanded them to gather more wood, vines, and vines and put them on top of him. To light them and to pour a great deal of tar over them. Then he brought his twelve golden gods and, putting them around the fire, called them to help so that St. Matthew, with their power, would be unable to escape and burn in the fire.
The Apostle, being on fire, prayed to the Lord of powers to show His invincible power. To display the pagan gods’ helplessness and shame those who hope in them. And immediately, the flame of the fiery fire was kindled on the golden idols. And they melted like wax, and many of the unbelievers around them were still burning.
The serpent and the hegemon
And out of the melting idols came a fiery serpent, which went after the hegemon, wanting to harm him so that he couldn’t flee and escape his fear until Saint Matthew humbly prayed to the Apostle to get him out of that need.
The Holy Apostle Matthew rebuked the fire. The fire was extinguished, and the resemblance of the fiery serpent perished.
Matthew is giving his soul into God’s hands.
From now on, the hegemon wanted to get saint Matthew out of the fire, but he, making the last prayer, gave his holy soul into the hands of God.
Then, covering him with precious clothes, he took him on his shoulders with his boyars to his courtyards. But he did not have perfect faith. That is why he commanded to make an iron coffin. And, putting in it the body of the Holy Apostle Matthew, to close it everywhere with lead and to throw it into the sea, saying to his boyars: “If the One who kept Matthew whole in the fire, he will guard him against drowning, then truly He is God, and we will worship Him, leaving all our gods, who could not escape the burning of the fire.”
Was Matthew burned?
Yes, after winning a few souls, ordaining a bishop named Plato, building a church, and retiring to a nearby mountain, the Holy Apostle was burned at the stake by the heathen. But the Holy Apostle Matthew rewrote the Holy Gospel in Greek.
Biography of Matthew
[table id=5 /]
You should read from the Book of Matthew and see his story through his own eyes and experiences. I hope you will experience the best day of your life. If you’d like to learn more about Saint Matthew, you can play a Trivia Game about Matthew by accessing the link from this phrase.
