The Story of Matthew Henry: A Life of Scripture Study

Who Was the Apostle Matthew?

The Apostle Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples and a former tax collector called to follow Christ.

Before his encounter with Jesus, Matthew worked as a tax collector for the Roman Empire, a profession widely despised for its association with corruption and collaboration with an oppressive regime (Matthew 9:9). His occupation placed him in a morally ambiguous position, yet Jesus chose him to be part of His inner circle, demonstrating a commitment to reaching out to society's marginalized.

Jesus' call to Matthew, recorded in Matthew 9:9, reveals the radical inclusivity of His mission. By leaving behind his lucrative career to follow Jesus, Matthew became a living testament to the transformative power of God’s grace. This act also underscored Jesus’ ministry to 'call not the righteous, but sinners' (Matthew 9:13), emphasizing His mission to restore the lost and broken.

Matthew’s story challenges assumptions about worthiness and holiness, illustrating that Jesus seeks to redeem, not condemn. His inclusion among the disciples also served as a symbolic bridge between the religious elite and outcasts, foreshadowing the universal scope of the Gospel. This moment remains a foundational example of how God repurposes human lives for His glory.

Matthew's Role in the Early Church

As a former tax collector turned apostle, Matthew’s leadership in the early church reflected his unique vocation to bridge Jewish tradition and Christian proclamation.

Matthew’s Jewish heritage shaped his gospel, and he organized it to show that Jesus fulfilled messianic prophecies. His genealogy in Matthew 1:1 opens with Abraham, emphasizing Jesus’ Jewish roots and His role as the promised Davidic king. This framing positioned Jesus as the culmination of Israel’s covenantal history, affirming His identity as the Jewish Messiah. By weaving Old Testament citations into his narrative, Matthew underscored continuity between Judaism and Christianity, inviting both Jewish and Gentile readers to recognize Jesus as the long-awaited salvation (Matthew 1:1-17).

The Gospel of Matthew, attributed to him, remains crucial for understanding Christ’s mission because it explicitly connects Jesus’ life to Jewish scripture and theology. Matthew 9:9-13, where Jesus calls Matthew and dines with sinners, exemplifies his gospel’s emphasis on Jesus’ mission to redeem the marginalized - a theme woven into his portrayal of Christ as the new Moses and the fulfillment of the Law.

Matthew’s gospel also highlights Jesus’ universal mission, as seen in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), while maintaining a distinct Jewish theological lens. This dual focus ensures that readers grasp both the specificity of Jesus’ Jewish identity and the universality of His redemptive work. By situating Jesus within Israel’s story, Matthew provides a foundational framework for understanding how Christ’s mission reorients covenantal promises for all nations.

What We Can Learn From Matthew's Life

Matthew’s journey from tax collector to apostle teaches about repentance, divine purpose, and the transformative power of Christ’s call.

Jesus’ invitation to Matthew, recorded in Matthew 9:9, underscores that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. By leaving his lucrative and socially despised profession to follow Jesus, Matthew embodied the radical reorientation of identity that faith demands. His gospel further amplifies this message, framing Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes while commissioning believers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). The Great Commission, given to Matthew’s generation and ours, shows that faith is both personal and missional, calling followers to proclaim God’s kingdom with authority and humility.

Matthew’s life challenges believers to abandon self-imposed barriers and embrace the redemptive work God can accomplish through repentance. His story, paired with his gospel’s emphasis on Jesus as the universal Messiah, reminds us that faith redefines identity - not by human standards, but by divine purpose.