Bible Question: Could you help me to identify Matthew? I find different identifications among the three Gospels:     Mt 10:3 = "Matthew the tax collector"     Mk 3:18 and Luke 6:15 = "Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus"     Mk 2:14 = "He saw Levi, son of Alphaeus"   Bible Answer: The New Testament refers to Matthew, the apostle, in eight places (Matt. 9:9-10; Mark 10:3; 2:14; 3:18; Luke 5:27; 6:15 and Acts 1:13). The following table gives us different descriptions of Matthew,     Passage Description   Matt 9:9 He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office   Mark 2:14 He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office   Luke 5:27 He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office   Who was Matthew? He was a tax-collector and a son of Alphaeus. Matthew had two names - his second name was Levi. It was not unusual in those days to have two names.     Matthew had a brother whose name was James, and he was also an apostle (Matt. 10:3). Usually, James is referred to as a son of Alphaeus because there were two apostles named James (Matt. 10:2-3). History says that both Matthew and James were tax-collectors, as well as their father.   Conclusion: Matthew's name means "gift of Yahweh." He was a Jewish tax collector whom Jesus loved and cherished. He had the joy of serving Jesus and enjoyed the privilege of being used by Him.       < Back
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