Church Related Studies
Whatever Happened to the Disciples?
|This article was written and submitted by: Gregory B. Dill, who manages a Christian website called The Dill's Family Home page. If you want good, thourough Bible studies, you need to visit this site. "This contributed article is copyright protected, and the sole property of the contributing author. The materiel may be freely used by anyone, as long as it is not sold or in any way used for monetary or property gain by the users!" Document expiration: indefinite.|
|The Twelve, the Apostles, the Saints, the Disciples.
Many names have been ascribed to the twelve original followers of Jesus
Christ. Just like their master and great teacher, the twelve disciples would
go on to change the face of history. They zealously spread the gospel to
the four corners of the world and established strong and faithful churches
throughout the entire Roman empire and even beyond the tentacles of it's
far reaching boundaries. Peter, John, James, and Matthew would write many
of the books contained in the canon of the New Testament, forever changing
the lives of many men, women, and children alike. According to Acts 1:21,
there seems to have been three primary qualifications to be one of the twelve
1. To have been with Jesus during his whole time of ministry.
2. To have been baptized by John the Baptist.
3. A witness to the resurrection
This motley crew of a ragtag band of young men were nothing more than mere fishermen from what we know. With the exception of one however, Levi, who was a tax collector. Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Galilee were the three primary towns and villages these men lived, all of which were bustling fishing villages at the time. After witnessing firsthand the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, they went on to become perhaps the most influential and inspiring men the world has ever known. They became the very pillars and foundation of the most widespread and popular religion of the world. The New Testament gives an intimate and detailed account of these twelve men and their experiences with Christ, and after Christ.
However, the Bible abruptly ends without any additional information pertaining to the lives of these 12 disciples. The last known Biblical references to these men leaves us with the following conclusions: Peter would go on to become the leader of the church in Jerusalem. John was exiled to the island of Patmos to write the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:9). James, brother of John, was the first disciple to be martyred (Acts 12:2). Andrew and Philip were two of several to inform Jesus about the Greeks wanting to see Him (John 12:22). Bartholomew, otherwise known as Nathanael is last seen in the boat with a few other disciples in the Sea of Tiberius catching an abundance of fish that Jesus miraculously allowed to occur (John 21:2). Matthew wrote a gospel. Thomas is last seen doubting Jesus (John 20:24-25). Judas Iscariot committed suicide (Acts 1:18). James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the "Zealot" are merely mentioned in the list as disciples (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18). We must remember however, that the purpose of the New Testament is not to provide a biography of the disciples but rather to inform us about Jesus, the establishment of the church, and about living a holy and godly life in communion with the Lord.
As a believer and a student of the scriptures, I have always been somewhat inquisitive as to the fate of these twelve most profound men. The very men who experienced Jesus firsthand and in the flesh. Who touched him, listened to him, slept beside him, walked with him, ate with him, prayed with him, and witnessed the single most influential and inspirational event in the history of mankind, His death, burial, resurrection, and ultimately His ascension into heaven. So whatever happened to these men? What countries did they visit? What churches did they establish? Where did they live? Were they ever married? Have children? How long did they live? How did they die? Where are they revered today? And why? What influence do they have on our culture today? These and many more questions are the focus of this study.
Extra-Biblical information pertaining to the 12 disciples is somewhat obscure and limited. Not much is known of the disciples outside of the biblical accounts and narratives. Some of the facts have even been conjectured as mere speculation or assumption only. There are however a few reputable sources of eyewitness accounts and testimonies as to the lives of these noble men. Some are from the early church fathers such as: Tertullian, Eusebius, Origen, Irenaeus, and Clement of Alexandria, just to name a few. I will provide a detailed background of each of the 12 individual men utilizing the Bible and other Biblical resources I have pertaining to this subject. I hope this study will benefit you as it has me.
There are four primary names given to Peter throughout the New Testament. Peter, Simon, Simeon, and Cephas. Additionally, Simon Peter is used simultaneously numerous times throughout the New Testament as well. The names Simon and Peter are synonymous with each other and originate from the Greek word petros meaning "rock" or "stone", symbolic of his strong character and personality. Similarly, Simeon and Cephas are the Syriac-Aramaic equivalent. It is often understood that Jesus himself spoke in Aramaic and referred to Peter as Cephas although He gave him the name of Peter (Mark 3:16, Matt 16:18, John 1:42). It is worth noting however that Peter was referred to as Simon by the resurrected Jesus rather than Peter or Cephas. The King James Version of the Bible makes a reference to Peter as, Simon Bar-jona (Matthew 16:17). This is simply the Hebrew meaning of, "Simon son-of-Jona", not to be confused with the Old Testament prophet Jonah of Nineveh. It was quite common in Jewish culture to refer to someone with a paternal attachment to his name, i.e. Joshua son of Nun, Solomon son of David, etc. Peter's father was either named Jona (Greek. for Jonah), Jonas, or John (Matt. 16:17, John 1:42). His name means "a dove" which generally symbolizes peace. Peter's mother remains unidentified.
It is also known that Peter was in fact married (Mark 1:30). His wife, whose name is unknown, would later travel with him on his missionary journeys (1 Corinthians 9:5). Tradition claims that Peter's wife could've possibly been the daughter of Aristobulus (Romans 16:10), a Roman friend and believer in Christ. Peter's brother Andrew, his mother-in-law, and assumingly his wife, all lived together (Mark 1:29-30) in a house in a little fishing village named Bethsaida which was a suburb of Capernaum. As to who owned the house itself is uncertain. We do know the home would later become a common place of gathering and fellowship with the other disciples, including the Lord himself (Matt. 8:14, Mark 1:29-31). Both Peter and Andrew were fishermen who conducted business as partners with the sons of Zebedee, James and John who were also later to become disciples (Matthew 4:21). It is assumed that Peter and Andrew were fishermen of the poorer class since the Bible makes no reference to them owning a boat as it does with John and James (Matt. 4: 18-22). In addition to being fishermen, tradition says that Peter and Andrew also marketed their sun dried fish in the city of Jerusalem. It is speculated that Peter was probably between the ages of 30 and 40 years when Christ called him away from his fishing business.
Peter is almost always the first of the disciples to be addressed by Christ and the first to be listed in the Bible as a disciple (Acts 1:13). In some aspects, Peter acted as the chief representative and spokesman for all of the disciples. He was what we would consider today in psychological terms, an extrovert. He was outspoken, aggressive, assertive, reactionary instead of responsive, and at times irrational such as in the case of the incident in the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ was arrested. There, Peter instinctively pulled his sword from his sheath and proceeded to cut off the ear of one of the high priest's servants who was accompanying the arresting guards (John 18:10). Aside from these moments of fault, Peter is credited with doing much more good than not. He preached the Gospel (Acts 2:14-36, 3:12-26), he healed the sick (Acts 3:1-10, 9:32-42), oversaw the work of other missionaries (Acts 8:14-25), and later suffered for his faith (Acts 4:13-22, 5:17-41). Despite popular belief, Peter was in fact the first to preach and open the doors to the Gentiles instead of Paul (Acts 10:1-11:18). He also would be instrumental in the establishment of church rules at the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. It was concluded that Paul was given the missionary obligations to the Gentiles while Peter's was given to the Jews (Galatians 2:7 and 9).
Peter is also credited with writing at least two known epistles of the New Testament, 1st and 2nd Peter. The 1st epistle was written about 62-64 A.D. It was during this time when the great persecution under Emperor Nero began. About three years after the 1st epistle was completed, he began the 2nd epistle around 67 A.D. By this time the persecution had been in full swing for a couple of years and he knew his time on earth was now limited. This is greatly reflected in his second epistle. There is much speculation amongst Bible scholars that he may have had much input into Mark's gospel as well, since he was a close friend to John Mark. Aside from these two epistles and possibly assisting John Mark with his gospel, it is also assumed that he transcribed several other religious forms of literature known as the Apocrypha. These books are, the Gospel of Peter, the Apocalypse of Peter, the Epistle of Peter to James, the Preaching of Peter, and the Acts of Peter (200-220 A.D.) which record the famous Quo Vadis encounter where he supposedly met Jesus on the road while leaving the city of Rome. This story however seems to have been of Roman Catholic influence.
Millions of people have believed for centuries that Peter was the first to establish the Roman Catholic church and that he was the first of a long line of succeeding popes or pontiffs. This belief is based on two primary premises. One premise is based on Jesus' statement,
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matt. 16:18-19)
First, the above verse simply cannot be enough to justify the basis for the claims of the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic church. This verse has been the subject of debate for centuries. The verse is rather vague and does not indicate any mention of the Roman Catholic church whatsoever. It is difficult to fully understand what Jesus meant concerning the above verse. Space would not allow for the many speculations. However, in summary, the primary interpretations of this passage containing, "the keys" are as follows: 1) the keys represent the authority to carry out church discipline, legislation, and administration. 2) the keys are simply opportunities to bring people to the kingdom of heaven by presenting them with the message of the gospel. 3) the keys are symbolic of his way of getting in through the door of heaven when Peter dies.
The religious leaders of Jesus' time thought they too had the keys to the kingdom of heaven and often times shut people out due to their unrighteousness or lack of obedience to God. Some religious scholars have speculated that this verse is simply referring to the methods used in building ancient temples and palaces which were often built on a bed of rock or huge limestones. It is worth noting that this account is not paralleled in the earliest Marcaean account as it is today (Mark 8:27-30).
The second means that Catholics use in support of justifying Peter as the first pope is the assumption that he visited Rome and established the first church of believers there, only later to become the Roman Catholic Church. The Bible simply makes no reference of such an excursion. Nowhere in the scriptures are there any indication that Peter took a missionary journey to Rome. However, based upon extra-Biblical references such as: archaeological evidence, tradition, and apocryphal books, Peter along with Paul did in fact visit Rome and was instrumental in the establishment of the church there. However, Peter did not set himself up as the pontiff and as having sole authority over the church as do the popes of today (ex cathedra). If Peter were alive today he would most assuredly be appalled with what he saw. Elevating anyone above Christ, whether it be Peter, the mother Mary, or the pope, is outright idolatry and blasphemy. Today, many Roman Catholics hold to the practice of the "veneration of Mary" as the coredemptrix to man. In other words, Mary, along with Jesus, is the mediator between man and God who is able to redeem our sins rather than Christ's atonement on the cross alone.
Another primary factor disproving that Peter was the first pope was the fact that he was married. According to the Roman Catholic doctrine, pontiffs, bishops, and priests cannot marry and must remain celibate throughout his entire life. If Peter was the first pope, it most assuredly contradicts the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical rules for the church hierarchy.
Before Peter's final demise, it could be said that he possibly had visited Corinth and quite possibly the places mentioned in his epistles, i.e. Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia (Turkey), Asia, and Bithynia, before finally ending in Rome. Confirming the claims of Tertullian (200 A.D.), Eusebius claims in his treatise, Church History, (326 A.D.) and according to the epistle of I Clement, both Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom at about the same time in Rome under the leadership of Emperor Nero (64-68 A.D.). Most would agree that Nero was perhaps the most ruthless, brutal, and violent emperor who ever ruled Rome. He hated and absolutely vilified Christians. To give such an example, the once famed Roman emperor and historian Tacitus (200-276 A.D.) in his book entitled, Annals XV.44 tells of the unspeakable horrors of this most evil man.
"Nero substituted as culprits, and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men, loathed for their vices, whom the crowd styled Christians... Vast numbers were convicted, not so much on the count of arson as for hatred of the human race. And derision accompanied their end: they were covered with wild beasts' skins and torn to death by dogs; or they were fastened on crosses, and when daylight failed were burned to serve as lamps by night."
Concerning Peter's execution, Origen says that Peter thought himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner the Lord was. So at his own request, he was crucified upside down on a cross. Eusebius states that Peter was later buried in the cemetery near Nero's Circus Maximus in what is today near St. Peter's Basilica. Recent excavations underneath the Basilica have unearthed a cemetery containing both Christian and pagan tombs, a likely place for the burial of this great and noble Christian servant and leader.
According to Eusebius, John was of the priestly family. He and his brother James were both sons of a man named Zebedee who was a Galilean fisherman. The two brothers are often referred to as "the sons of Zebedee" (Matt. 26:37, Mark 10:35, Luke 5:10, John 21:2). Jesus gave them the name of Boanerges which means, "sons of thunder" or "sons of anger" (Mark 3:17). This implies that the two apparently had a fiery, zealous, impetuous nature about them. Zebedee and his two sons seemed to have been rather prosperous in their fishing business for they had both a boat (unlike Peter and Andrew), and hired servants (Mark 1:20). By contrasting the two verses of Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 which tells of the women who were present at Jesus' crucifixion, the Zebedee sons' mother is assumed to have been a woman by the name of Salome. It has also been conjectured that she was the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
He is credited with many noble deeds. He was one of the first four disciples called by Jesus (Mark 1:19, Matt. 4:21), he was the first to believe in the resurrection of Jesus (John 20:1-10), he was the first to recognize the Lord at the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-7), he was one of the few disciples who waited in Jerusalem after the ascension (Acts 1:13), and helped heal a lame man (Acts 3:1-4:22). But perhaps the most noble deed that John is most credited with is the care of Jesus' mother, Mary. It is supposedly because of John's acquaintance with Caiphas (John 18:16), that he and Peter were allowed into the council chambers and finally into the praetorium of the Roman procurator. From there, John and the others of Jesus' disciples, family, and friends followed him to the place of his crucifixion at Golgotha. It was there while on the cross when Jesus entrusted John with the care of his own mother (John 19:26-27). The Bible says, "From that time on, this disciple took her into his home." Wow! What a major honor, privilege, and responsibility to be entrusted with the care of the very woman who brought the Son of the Living God into this world.
Aside from his noble deeds, John is also credited with transcribing at least one book of the New Testament. This has been the cause for much debate amongst many religious scholars and theologians for centuries. In most part, historically it was assumed that John did write the Gospel of John along with 1,2, and 3 John, and the Book of Revelation. However, by means of textual criticism which wasn't adopted as a theological practice until the 18th or 19th century, some have concluded that he only wrote the Gospel of John. These scholars have supposedly observed a distinct difference in writing between all the assumed books. Another man by the name of John the Elder is sometimes credited with the writings of 1,2, and 3 John. John the Elder was an elder or presbyter at the church of Ephesus. Either way, this man was taught by John the Apostle for he himself resided their. Conclusively, it is a widespread notion today that John the Apostle is in fact credited with the writings of all the named books. The Gospel of John was probably written around 85-90 A.D. after the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. possibly in Ephesus or Rome, but before his exile to the island of Patmos (95 A.D.). 1,2, and 3 John was written somewhere between 87-90 A.D. probably in Ephesus. The Book of Revelation was transcribed much later, around 95 A.D. Some scholars say he wrote the book directly from the island of Patmos (Rev. 1:9). Others say that he simply received the revelation while there but later wrote it while returning to Rome or Ephesus. By this time John was the only surviving apostle. He outlived all the other 12 disciples and might've possibly been the only one to die a natural death.
There is much speculation and debate concerning John's last surviving years. Some early church historians have claimed that he, along with his brother James, were both "killed by the Jews" in Palestine in 70 A.D. (Chronicle of Philip of Side, 430 A.D.). This claim however goes against most, if not all other evidence claiming otherwise. The last known biblical reference to John places him at the church in Jerusalem, where both he and his brother helped lead the church there (Galatians 2:9). This is roughly around 50 A.D. when Paul makes a visit to these great "pillars of the faith". Gathering the claims from many of the early church fathers and historians, the account given below is quite possibly the most accurate and conclusive depiction of John's last surviving years.
He, along with Jesus' mother moved from Jerusalem several years before the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. Between 65-70 A.D. they moved to Ephesus which was the central Christian church in the surrounding region. An interesting story long current amongst Eastern Orthodox Christians says that when Mary Magdalene retired she also accompanied the Apostle and the mother Mary to Ephesus as well. It was there where they resided until Peter was later captured and taken to Rome while under the evil leadership of Emperor Domitian. Like Nero, Domitian also hated Christians and continued the ruthless slaughter and persecution of many followers of Jesus. According to Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History III, Domitian considered "himself the successor of Nero in enmity and hostility to God." Tradition states that John was thrown into a pot of boiling oil with the intentions of being killed. Instead he survived and went on to labor in the mines and was later exiled to the island of Patmos just 60 miles off the coast of Ephesus. It was there he received the visions that make up the book of Revelation. He resided on Patmos until finally, the Emperor Domitian who was assassinated by co-conspirators was then succeeded by the Emperor Nerva who then frees John from the danger and returns to reside in Ephesus around 97 A.D. According to Polycarp and Irenaeus, John continued to live in Ephesus until the reign of the Emperor Trajan began (98 A.D.). Trajan did not have the intense hatred towards Christians as Nero and Domitian previously had. He made no special commands and orders to hunt down and capture any remaining Christians scattered throughout the empire. However, in a letter addressed to Pliny, a governor of Bithynia and Pontus, he did state, "These people [Christians] must not be sought out; if they are brought before you and the charge is proved, they must be punished; but any of them who denies he is a Christian and gives visible evidence of that, by praying to our gods... let him be given a pardon for his penitence." (Pliny Letters X.97) It is in Ephesus that John finally dies a natural death around the turn of the century. Some have speculated that he lived as late as 120 A.D. which is possible, but highly unlikely.
John was a wonderful man who exhibited all that the Lord would ever want anyone to be. He witnessed the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection firsthand. He later witnessed his ascension to heaven. John was loved by many, including Jesus himself. He was given the task to care for the mother of Jesus. He established and led churches. He presented the Gospel, wrote numerous books, suffered severe persecution under many emperors, was tortured, and exiled. Hopefully the last few remaining years of "the disciple with whom Jesus loved" were spent somewhat peacefully in the city of Ephesus.
The name James is the English form of the Hebrew Jacob and is derived from the Greek word Iacabos which means "supplanter". Jacob as we know was a central figure that played an integral role in the establishment of the Jewish religion thousands of years prior to the coming of Christ. Since Jacob was a revered ancestor of Israel, James was a common name among Jews in the Roman period. There are four important individuals mentioned in the New Testament alone with the name of James. It is therefore quite easy to get confused with what James is who in the Bible. In addition to the James of Zebedee there is: James, the son of Alphaeus who is also later chosen as a disciple (Matt. 10:3, Mark 3:18, 15:40); James, the Lord's brother who is credited with writing the Book of James (Matt. 13:55, Mark 6:3); and James, the brother of the Apostle Judas (Luke 6:16, Acts 1:13).
As mentioned earlier, James as we know was the brother of John and a son of Zebedee, a prosperous Galilean fisherman. There is compelling evidence that Zebedee did much business in the city of Jerusalem and that he supplied, among others, the high priest and his family with fish. This explains why John or James were able to get themselves into the council chambers during Jesus' interrogation. Their mother was Salome. James was older than his younger brother John who also became an important disciple of Jesus. In the list of the Apostles, James is almost always paired with his brother's name (Matt. 10:2, Mark 3:17). Because of the Lord's attachment of the name, "sons of thunder" to the two brothers it is assumed that they were alike in temperament. They both apparently had fiery, brandish, and strong willed personalities and character traits.
James was first called as a disciple of Jesus in 27 A.D. while fishing on a boat in the Sea of Galilee with his family business partners (Mark 1:20). James, his brother John, and Peter were also present at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1, Mark 9:2, Luke 9:28). James was also present to witness firsthand the raising of Jairus' daughter (Luke 8:51, Mark 5:37). On the night before the crucifixion, he was also present at the Garden of Gethsemane to supposedly keep watch with Jesus while he prayed to the Father (Matt. 26:37, Mark 14:33). Outside of the synoptic Gospels, James is only mentioned a couple more times in the Book of Acts. James is one of the disciples in the upper room just shortly before the Day of Pentecost to cast lots to determine who the replacement of Judas would be as a disciple (Acts 1:12-26). But perhaps the most profound and final accomplishment committed by James is his suffering a death as a martyr for Christ. Shortly before the day of Passover in 44 A.D. in the early days of the Apostolic Church, he was put to death by sword by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-2). At that same time, Herod Agrippa had Peter arrested but instead had him thrown into prison, only later to escape unharmed (Acts 12:3-10). It is believed by many that Jesus had alluded to James' martyrdom in Mark 10:38 when both of the sons of Zebedee asked to sit on the right and left hand side of Jesus in His glory. Also, according to legend, James' bones were taken to Spain, and his shrine at Santiago de Compostela was one of the most important pilgrimage centers during the Middle Ages.
James is the first of the original 12 disciples that was killed as a result of his faith in Christ. He was second only to Stephen to suffer martyrdom as a believer of this strange new cult called, the Way. James was a noble man who witnessed firsthand many of the miracles committed by his Master. He saw perhaps one of the greatest miracles at the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was temporarily glorified and surrounded by Elijah and Moses as God spoke, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" (Matt. 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36). James will always be remembered as a close disciple to Jesus and as the first disciple to die a martyr.
The Biblical references to Andrew are few. He is present at the feeding of the five thousand and is in fact the one to make notice of the two fish and five loaves that Jesus would miraculously multiply (John 6:8). He was one of the disciples to ask Jesus about events that would take place in the future as described in the Olivet Discourse (Matt.24:1-25; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-24). Andrew however is most credited with being a productive foreign missionary. Aside from introducing Peter to Jesus, he, along with Philip, told Jesus about the inquiring Greeks who wanted to see Him (John 12:22). Aside from the Biblical references, it is believed according to tradition that Andrew successfully preached the Gospel in Greece, Asia Minor, Thrace, and Scythia. The Scythians inhabited the land just north of the Black Sea in what is today modern day Russia. To the ancients, the Scythians were the most fierce and barbaric people living on earth at that time. They were usually associated with having a lack of intelligence and were also known to be highly uncivilized and rather barbaric.
Andrew's day is November 30th, because, according to late medieval tradition, Andrew was arrested and crucified then at Patrae in Achaia, a province of the Roman empire, upon a crux decussata, an X-shaped cross, later known as St. Andrew's cross. This cross later appears on the flag of Great Britain representing Scotland, whose patron saint is Andrew. Additionally, Andrew is the patron saint of the Russian Orthodox church perhaps due in part to his early missionary journey's to ancient Russia.
Some scholars have suggested that Philip was the man that asked Jesus if he could first bury his father before following after Him (Luke 9:59-60). This cannot be proven and is pure speculation. Philip was the one disciple that Jesus did ask about the multitude of people needing to be fed. Philip had his doubts and it was only later that Andrew suggested using the two fish and five barley loaves to feed them (John 6:5-9).
Philip was one of the disciples who withstood the terrifying experiences of Jesus' crucifixion, and was one of the faithful who prayed in the upper room shortly after Christ's resurrection (Acts 1:12-14). Outside of the Biblical references to Philip not much else is known. According to tradition, he preached in Phrygia, and died as a martyr at Hierapolis.
We do know that Nathanael was born in Cana of Galilee (John 21:2), the same place that Jesus attended the wedding feast and turned the water into choice wine (John 2:1-12). As mentioned earlier, it was Philip who introduced Nathanael to Jesus and later became a disciple (John 1:45). Aside from being merely listed as a disciple, there is no additional Biblical information or references pertaining to Nathanael in the gospel accounts nor the Acts.
Nathanael is said to have preached the gospel in as far away as India, Arabia, and according to some in Armenia. He is also reputed to have preached along with Philip in Phrygia. According to tradition it was in Albana, modern day Azerbaijan where Nathanael finally met his death as a martyr.
As we know, Matthew was a tax collector, he was despised by the Jews because of an indirect allegiance to the Romans by collecting the Jewish people's money for taxes. Because of this he was probably an outcast from the Jewish society altogether and had a limited amount of friends. His job primarily consisted of collecting dues and customs from persons and goods crossing the Sea of Galilee, or passing along the great Damascus road which ran along the shore between Bethsaida and Capernaum. It is believed that Matthew was fairly wealthy as a tax collector. Historically speaking, the office of tax collector was sold at an auction to the highest bidder. Because of the vast amounts of money involved, usually men of great wealth were the ones who acquired these positions. In addition, the Roman government paid their tax collectors reasonably well.
Aside from being the writer of the gospel that bears his name, Matthew is most known for having a feast at his house. Many guests were invited and present. Among them, Christ himself. Fellow tax collectors and "sinners" were also present at the feast (Mark 2:15; Luke 5:29-32). This feast is also indicative of Matthew's wealth. We know he had his own home and was able to provide enough food and drink to provide for a large gathering of people at his expense.
Perhaps the most notable thing Matthew is most known for is his penning the gospel of Matthew. There has been some debate concerning the authorship of this book. But both Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.) and Irenaeus (125-202 A.D.) both confirm Matthew as the author. Much debate, however, surrounds the issue of what language it was originally transcribed in. Jerome (4th-5th century A.D.) claims it was originally written in Aramaic which supposedly still existed in his day. It was only later that it was translated into Greek. According Eusebius, 4th century bishop to Caesarea, and Papias, bishop at Hierapolis (ca. 130 A.D.) claims that he transcribed it in the Hebrew dialect. This view is rejected today by most scholars. Today, many Greek versions of the book still exist, but no Hebrew or Aramaic versions do. Many have suggested that Matthew wrote the book from the church at Antioch in Syria, while others have suggested he wrote it while in Jerusalem. Either way, it is believed that Matthew wrote this book primarily to the Jews because of it's numerous allusions to the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. Because the book of Matthew is the first of the gospels placed in the canon of Scripture, it does not mean that it was the first gospel that was written. In fact, it is believed by many that the gospel of Mark was the first of the gospels to be written somewhere around 55-62 A.D. The book of Matthew was written somewhere between 60-65 A.D. Some have even suggested as late as 85-90 A.D., well after the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. This means it was transcribed some 30 years or more after Christ's ascension. This implies that Matthew lived a fairly long life since he was the author.
Concerning his latter years, it is believed that he remained in Jerusalem for approximately 15 years after Christ's ascension. According to tradition it is believed that he then went on a multitude of missionary journeys throughout Asia and preached to the Persians, Parthians, and the Medes. Legend holds that he died a martyr in Ethiopia at an unspecified date.
Matthew, despised by many, but loved by Jesus. Loved enough to not only be called to write a gospel to be placed in the Bible forever, but loved enough to be called a disciple.