{
  "id": "dict_003529",
  "term": "Matthew (Levi)",
  "slug": "matthew-levi",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Matthew, also called Levi, was a tax collector whom Jesus called to follow Him and who became one of the Twelve apostles. Christian tradition has long identified him with the author of the Gospel of Matthew.",
  "simple_one_line": "Matthew, also called Levi, was a tax collector called by Jesus to become an apostle.",
  "tooltip_text": "A tax collector called by Jesus, named Matthew in the apostle lists and Levi in the calling narratives; traditionally linked with the Gospel of Matthew.",
  "aliases": [
    "Matthew / Levi"
  ],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Tax Collector",
    "Twelve Apostles",
    "Gospel of Matthew",
    "Levi",
    "Discipleship"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Matthew",
    "Levi",
    "Apostles",
    "Gospel of Matthew",
    "Tax Collector"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Matthew, also called Levi in the Synoptic Gospels, was a tax collector whom Jesus called to discipleship and later included among the Twelve apostles. The New Testament presents his call as a picture of grace toward sinners, and historic Christian tradition has associated him with the Gospel that bears his name.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Tax collector called by Jesus; one of the Twelve apostles; traditionally identified as the Gospel of Matthew’s author.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Called from tax collecting to follow Jesus",
    "Appears in the apostolic lists as Matthew",
    "Called Levi in the Synoptic call narratives",
    "Traditionally linked with the Gospel of Matthew"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Matthew, also known as Levi in the Gospel accounts, was a tax collector before Jesus called him to discipleship. He became one of the Twelve apostles and is traditionally associated with the Gospel of Matthew. Most evangelical readers identify Matthew and Levi as the same person, while handling the naming details carefully from the text.",
  "description_academic_full": "Matthew, also called Levi in the Synoptic Gospels, is presented in Scripture as a tax collector whom Jesus called to leave his work and follow Him. He then became one of the Twelve apostles. The Gospel accounts are commonly understood to refer to the same man by the names Matthew and Levi, though interpreters note the differences in how the passages are worded. Conservative Christian tradition has long associated this apostle with the Gospel of Matthew. A careful dictionary entry should state clearly what Scripture says—that Jesus called this man from tax collection into discipleship and apostleship—while treating the identification of Levi with Matthew and the question of Gospel authorship in a measured, historically orthodox way.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Matthew’s call appears in the Synoptic call narratives, where Jesus summons a tax collector from his booth and Matthew immediately follows. The apostolic lists then include Matthew among the Twelve. Taken together, these passages portray a public sinner receiving a gracious summons into close discipleship and apostolic service.",
  "background_historical_context": "Tax collectors in the first-century Roman world were widely disliked because they worked in a system associated with Gentile rule and financial exploitation. Matthew’s former occupation would have marked him socially and religiously as an outsider, which makes Jesus’ call of him especially significant in the Gospel narrative.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In Jewish society of the period, tax collectors were often regarded as collaborators with Rome and were frequently grouped with sinners. The calling of Matthew/Levi therefore highlights Jesus’ willingness to restore and include those viewed as spiritually and socially disreputable.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Matthew 9:9-13",
    "Mark 2:13-17",
    "Luke 5:27-32"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Matthew 10:3",
    "Mark 3:18",
    "Luke 6:15"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Matthew is the Greek form of the name used in the apostolic lists; Levi is the alternate name used in the Synoptic calling narratives.",
  "theological_significance": "Matthew’s call highlights Jesus’ authority to summon sinners into discipleship and the grace of God that reaches beyond social reputation or past occupation. It also underscores the apostolic foundation of the church and the witness of a transformed life.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The entry illustrates identity through testimony and narrative context: one man is known under two names, and the text must be read carefully to distinguish what is explicitly stated from what is inferred by harmonization. It also shows how public calling can redefine vocation and status.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "The identification of Levi with Matthew is widely accepted in orthodox Christian interpretation, but the text does not spell out the harmonization in a single sentence. Likewise, Matthew’s authorship of the Gospel is a longstanding tradition rather than an explicit statement of the Gospel text itself, so it should be presented as tradition with care.",
  "major_views_note": "Most evangelical and historic Christian interpreters identify Levi and Matthew as the same apostle. A minority of readers have treated the naming details more cautiously, but the harmonized identification remains the dominant traditional view.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This is a historical-person entry, not a doctrine. The Gospel text clearly presents Jesus calling a tax collector to follow Him and later including Matthew among the Twelve; traditional authorship claims should be stated as tradition, not as a direct canonical assertion.",
  "practical_significance": "Matthew’s account reminds readers that Jesus calls people from ordinary work, public shame, and spiritual need into service. It encourages repentance, obedience, and confidence that Christ receives those whom others may dismiss.",
  "meta_description": "Matthew, also called Levi, was a tax collector called by Jesus to become one of the Twelve apostles and is traditionally identified with the author of the Gospel of Matthew.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/matthew-levi/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/matthew-levi.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}