RESPONSE:As you correctly surmise, the solution to this question is somewhat shocking. Again crowds come to him, and he begins teaching them. Our website has teaching material for children of all aged - starting with the church nursery (age 0-1 years old), toddlers (age 2-3 years old), preschool (age 4-5 years old), young elementary (age 6-8 years old), older elementary (age 9-10 years old), and preteen youth ministry groups (age 11-12 years old). Its difficult to pinpoint exactly how Matthew died, as it is with the majority of the apostles. How Old Was Jesus When He Began His Ministry? Lessons in Ghana, Liberia, Cote dIvoire and Senegal by John Oakes Lessons in English and French. If I had to guess, I believe that most or all of the apostles were less than 25 years or so at the time they began to follow Jesus, but I cannot prove this, nor can anyone else as far as I know. "The evidence from Josephus suggests that it was not until about 68 C.E. Little is known about this apostle. Lon has been on the Board of Jews for . But, as I said, we dont have to infer that he was THAT much older, since his brother Andrew is still unmarried and he works with close friends James and John, also unmarried. They were religious outsiders, because the way they practiced their profession openly defied the Law of Moses. First and foremost, here are some short facts. When Jesus summoned Matthew to follow him, he was working as a tax collector (also known as a publican), which was considered one of the most despised occupations in ancient Judaism. I have never heard anyone claim this was the Simon's first encounter with Jesus. 3 Then two men were there, talking with him. (Matt 11:25). Additionally, we can assume Jesus' age through the Book of John in which three Passovers are recorded (John 2:13, 6:4, 11:55). We only have speculation to go on. A great voice comes from heaven as well, announcing the arrival of the tabernacle of God among men. While there are credible arguments against his authorship, no alternative writer has been named. As a result, the majority of the apostles would have been teens when Jesus asked them to join him. Dont our hearts go out to them more as they struggle to grasp all that Jesus is saying to them? To the Jews, tax collectors were the embodiment of sin. In the end, this is speculation, and we simply cannot know how old the apostles were. Despite the fact that there is no indication in Scripture of a specific age for any disciple, we can conclude from the evidence in the Gospels and from a little research into 1st century Jewish culture that this idea, which has been depicted repeatedly in movies and pictures, is almost certainly incorrect. Jesus with Moses and Elijah. There are several possible explanations for this difference. "The Contrasted `Other' in the Old English Apocryphal Acts of Matthew, Simon and Jude." But Matthew mentions them 28 times. Synopsis. 'He should be growing old like me!' . 0:00. This is a designation designated for the traditional writers of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Do you know where should I look for information on how old were the apostles when they joined Jess? According to prevailing expectations, even the other writers of the New Testament, like Matthew, Peter, and Paul, appear to be too old to be writing when they do, in their mid-60s and beyond especially considering the life expectancies at the period. What will happen to Matthew for the rest of his life is undetermined. When we get to this third section at Redemption Church, as we continue our journey through Matthew, we will be officially kicking off Lent as a community of believers. The gospel of Matthew reveals that Jesus was about two years of age when the wise men or magi visited Him. Matthew, whose fathers name was Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), was known by the name Levi before being called by Jesus to follow him. Irving Jensen: Matthew's reporting skips most of the first year of Jesus . Matthew was beaten by two . Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (verses 4-5). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The Greek word for . In fact, the gospels provide us with virtually all of the information we need concerning Matthew. He gave up the delights of this world in exchange for the assurance of eternal life. In it, Jesus appears to Matthew as a boy and tells him to go to the city of Myrna (an unknown location), which is inhabited by man eaters. Upon arriving there, Matthew performs miracles and casts out demons. Claims to fame: Matthew works as a tax collector before meeting Jesus. According to the early church, he composed it, and the attribution according to Matthew was probably first inserted around the time of the first century AD. There are other ancient Christian and Gnostic writings about Matthew or even claiming to be written by him, some of which appeared centuries after his death (such as the so-called Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew.). By the time they arrived at their final objective of Jerusalem, which they were well on their way there, the time for these occurrences would have come. According to the early church fathers, he was burnt, stoned, stabbed, or beheaded for his religious beliefs. After seeing this final miracle, the king and his kingdom of man-eaters come to realize the one true God and place their trust in Jesus as their Savior. Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism: Which is the true religion and why? Again, this in itself does not clinch the matter. (See Acts 11:27 for further information.) Logos Bible Software 10 review: Do you REALLY need it? Its message was ultimately intended to go to "all nations." True Higher education consisted of studying under the supervision of a local rabbi for individuals who were intelligent (or affluent). At the time of his call as an Apostle, Peter was living with his wife and his wife's mother. And in the Lords Prayer, Matthew makes a curious substitution. 20) The Messiah would be the Passover lamb. One, it means that if most of the disciples are apprenticing at their trades when called, as in the case of James and John working in the family fishing business, they must have been older than 15. Youd have to be completely convinced that Jesus is who He claims to be, that His is the only path to genuine life, and that its definitely worth it to push through the muck and gloom in order to see the beauty. Including parallel passages, there are just seven mentions of him in the entire Bible. Jesus and Matthew first met at a tax booth at Capernaum, a city on the edge of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus was preaching. Compare this line in the prayer as recorded by Matthew and Luke: Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Luke 11:4 (emphasis added), And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12 (emphasis added). With the exception of his fathers name being Alphaeus and the possibility that his original given name was Levi, we know nothing about Matthews life before he became a disciple (student) of Jesus Christ. Your email address will not be published. St. Peter was a fisherman by trade. He is mentioned just seven times in the whole Bible, if you include parallel verses. One may assume that since he was running a fishing business when he met Jesus that he was "in his early thirties, born, like Jesus, some time before the turn of the century," (Thiede). The Hebrews were subject to the sovereignty of the Roman Empire during their lifetime. As with most of the apostles, its hard to say exactly how Matthew died. Those who strove to protect the Roman Empire were held in high regard by the Hebrews of the period, with the majority of them being seen as greedy, selfish, and treacherous. As a tax collector, Matthews job wouldve involved meticulously recording and documenting tax information. Although born in Bethlehem, according to Matthew and Luke, Jesus was a Galilean from Nazareth, a village near Sepphoris, one of the two major cities of Galilee ( Tiberias was the other). The education of a Jewish youngster came to an end at the age of fifteen. He is reported by Luke to still be alive when Jesus was around 12 years old in Luke 2:41-42. A few of the disciples had just witnessed Jesus transfiguration and heard the voice of the Father saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him. In this second instance, the disciples had actually just witnessed Jesus transfiguration and heard the Father say, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him (Matt. The only people who saw more of who Jesus was and what he was capable of were Peter, James, and John. Matthew, according to his gospel, heard these words and immediately dropped everything. Later, in Matt. He completed a Th.M. Your email address will not be published. This isnt simply some haphazard attempt by a lone individual to document the events of his life. Since we dont know how old he was at the time he met Jesus, we cant be certain he was born in the first century, but he certainly lived then. According to Matthew 4:21-22, James and John intentionally abandoned their father in the boat in order to follow Jesus. But this really doesn't settle his age at all. The Jewish people shouted in . as members of a sect called the Zealots." According to Matthew 4:2122, James and John intentionally abandoned their father in the boat in order to follow Jesus. Today, the physical movie theater remains a popular destination for teens, mostly because it provides them with opportunities to meet up with friends, go on dates, hang out, and so on. Andre Iguodala compares Stephen Curry to Jesus Christ - "I think I've met the closest thing to Jesus Christ" Iguodala claims he knew Curry was destined for greatness from the moment he joined the Warriors in 2013, and even went as far to compare him to Jesus Christ when praising him Discover interesting information about the life and career of this former publican who became an evangelist, as well as his death and contributions to history. Those appointed to be tax collectors had a job for life. Commentary: One of the most pervasive images in the New Testament is that of Jesus as our Passover lamb. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Become a member today. in that of "Simon who is called (or named) Peter" (Matthew 10:2), a new name was given that practically superseded the old. Scholars have speculated that all of them were less than 30 years old simply because they took the role of student to the "Rabbi" Jesus and this was traditional. Tax collectors were held to a low standard of responsibility. He was inspired by the Holy Spirit and learned from Jesus brilliance by actually walking with Him and learning from His teaching. As the author of the Gospel of Matthew, he has historically been recognized as such. Third and last point: Jesus prophecies about His own death and resurrection add to the dramatic tension of this most ultimate of redemption stories. First and foremost, according to Scripture, Jesus was around 30 years old when He began His public ministry (Luke 3:23). It derives from the Greek word evangelion, which literally means good news. With their writings, these four authors spread the good news of Jesus Christ across the world. How the disciples could be living and writing about the events of Jesus life as late as 95-100 A.D. According to Matthews Gospel, which was written 3040 years after Jesus resurrection, he was in his 20s when he followed Jesus on earth, implying that Matthew was in his 20s when following Jesus on earth. But in the Gospels, Peter is the only disciple recorded to have been married (Matthew 8:14-15). But lets not void Jesus human nature and the nature of his patriarchal cultural. Jesus had walked down from the brow of the low mountain outside of Capernaum, his adopted home ( Matthew 4:12-16 ). Bottom line, the Bible provides no direct evidence for the age of the apostles. His Story from the Bible Zacchaeus was a tax collector of the city Jericho and learned that Jesus the prophet was passing through the city. But what we do havethe gospelsshows us that Matthew was one of Jesus most powerful examples of the forgiveness God offers everyone. He was loyal to Jesus and once committed, he never wavered in serving the Lord. However, this does not rule out the possibility that Matthew wrote this gospel as well. If it doesnt work, try reloading the page or contacting customer service. According to him, money is everything in life and he broke Gods rules in order to enrich himself at the expense of his nation and other people. Additional evidence may be found in Matthew 17:24-27. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Lebanon Baptist Church: Join us for our Sunday Morning Service with. Jesus would have entered into ministry when he reached the age of thirty. Young John, perhaps 15 during the life of Jesus, would be only 85 if he wrote his gospel, letters and Revelation in the year 100. Young boys in Judaism follow a fairly structured scholastic and life route, as seen in this illustration: At five years oldfor the Scripture, at ten years the Mishnah (oral Torah, interpretations) at thirteen for the fulfilling of the commandments, at fifteen the Talmud (making Rabbinic interpretations), at eighteen the bride-chamber, at twenty pursuing a vocation, at thirty for authority (able to teach others). So, in the time of Jesus, almost all Jewish young men were married, and usually by age 18. May we purposefully prepare ourselves to answer the call for His glory and our delight, as we discover that there is abundant grace and restoration for all of us as we lean into the brokenness and muck that lies before us. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is incomparably more valuable than money, celebrity, and power. Even more so given that he is referring to literature that was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, and that the Gospel of Matthew appears to have been written in Greek rather than translated into it, as some scholars believe. Beyond include Matthew in the list of Apostles and frequently pairing him with St. Outside of the New Testament, the text from theApostolic FatherPapias of Hierapolispreserved by BishopEusebius of Caesarea is significant since it states: So then Matthew authored the Oracles in theHebrew language, and each one interpreted them as he was capable. The Gospel is a collection of stories about Jesus Christ. He may or may not have been that well educated. To learn the history of John, the disciple of Jesus, we begin with his life before he met Jesus. *shrug*. Which is the true religion: Christianity, Islam or Zoroastrianism, and why? The fact that you are a young disciple does not affect the truth of the Gospel. If Jesus gave him the name Matthew or whether he chose it himself, Matthew is a truncation of the name Mattathias, which meaning gift of Yahweh or simply Gods gift. Mattheus arranged a huge goodbye feast at his home in Capernaum on the same day Jesus persuaded him to follow him. In John 1:40-42, Andrew goes and gets Simon Peter and they follow Jesus. Remember also that Jesus nicknamed them Sons of Thunder because they were probably either loud or bold, characteristics of youth. 00:00 36:02. . So why would an eyewitness use an account written by someone who wasnt there? How did Luke know what Jesus said in the garden if the apostles were asleep? Major Themes "As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. And to discover a four-drachma coin in the mouth of the fish he has caught; enough to pay the tax for two men, himself and Jesus, when he opens the fishs mouth. He was a meticulous record keeper who was also a good watcher of people. Some argue that the Gospel of Matthew includes internal evidence linking it to Matthews profession, which could indicate he was the biblical author. His face became bright like the sun. Matthew, who was also known as Levi, was a minor character in the Bible; he is only referenced by name in the lists of apostles and in the story of his calling. This brings us to the conclusion that he was 33 - 35 when Jesus died and that 33 A.D is the most probable year of his death. T he horrific killing of Matthew Shepard in 1998 is widely seen as one of the worst anti-gay hate crimes in American history. Jesus had not informed them when or where His death and resurrection would take place; all He had told them was that it was coming, that it was essential, and that He was fully committed to the mission. and Peter saw more of Jesus than Matthew and was a pillar of the early church, so . His message was revolutionary. Do you want to be a student or a teacher? They had an urgent request. Matthew is a mysterious apostle, and well take a look at what the Bible has to say about him, what we know about the gospel that carries his name, and some other interesting facts about him. Because Matthew's original purpose was to prove to his Jewish brethren that Jesus is their Mashiach/Messiah, he included in his Gospel nine proof texts from the Old Testament which Jesus fulfilledMatthew 1:22,23; 2:15; 2:17,18; 2:23; 4:14-16; 8:17; 12:17-21; 13:35; 27:9,10. Matthew was saying, Jesus IS the fulfillment of Old Testament . Matthew was an accurate record keeper. You will be able to see your next lesson in 10 seconds. Almost all we know about Matthew comes straight from the gospels, which is a good thing. Little is known about this apostle. All the other early records of Matthews death claim he was martyred, but they disagree about how or where it happened. In order for him to teach in the Temple area in Jerusalem, he would have had to have a pedigree that allowed it. In the words of Heracleon, the apostle died as a result of natural circumstances. How educated he was is really unknown. He left behind the source of his riches; he left his position of security and comfort for traveling, hardship, and eventual martyrdom; he left his old life for a new life with Jesus. And, despite the fact that he was a religious outsider, Jesus elevated him to a prominent position inside what would later become the worlds greatest religion. Assuming that the identification of Matthew with Levi is correct, Matthew (probably meaning "Yahweh's Gift") would appear. What we know is that his personal promise from God was fully kept. Matthew is regarded as one of the Four Evangelists of the New Testament. How old were the apostles when they began to follow Jesus? According to the Gospel of Matthew, Pilate washed his hands in front of the crowd before announcing, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.". 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