Holy Apostle
Matthew the Evangelist
Matthew was at first a tax collector in Capernaum. Jesus called Matthew to
follow Him. Jesus ate in Matthew's house with the publicans and the sinners,
saying that He came to call not the righteous but the sinners to repentance.
Matthew journeyed with Jesus and became one of the Twelve Apostles. The
Christians in Jerusalem asked Matthew to write for them the life and teachings
of Jesus. He accomplished this in Aramaic about eight years after Pentecost,
whereupon he left for his missionary work.
He passed through Persia, Syria, Media, and Parthia creating churches. In
Ethiopia, he encountered much difficulty from the cannibals. Matthew retired to
a mountaintop to pray, and there Jesus appeared to him in the guise of a young
man. He handed him a staff and commanded that Matthew plant it at the front
door of the church. He did this in plain view of the people. The staff
blossomed with beautiful fruit, and a holy spring emerged beneath it as Jesus
had foretold. They all partook of the fruit and water, became receptive to the
teachings of Matthew, and were baptized.
King Fulvian heard about this and took Matthew to the castle, where he attempted
several times to burn him alive. Finally, Matthew gave up his spirit, but his
body was completely unharmed. The king enclosed Matthew's body in a lead
coffin, saying he would believe if the coffin did not sink. The coffin indeed
arrived at dry land, and a Bishop Platon had a vision to recover it.
King Fulvian converted to Christianity and prayed before Matthew's coffin. He
was baptized, and by divine revelation was given the name Matthew. The king
attempted to follow Matthew's example; within a week, he broke all the idols in
his land. Matthew again appeared to the bishop and instructed him to ordain the
king into the priesthood; later he became Bishop Matthew.
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