Matthew

Matthew, or Levi, son of Alpheus, lived in Capernaum. He was a publican or tax collector and wrote the Gospel that bears his name. 

The call of Matthew to the apostolic band is mentioned in Mark 2:14, Matthew 9:9 and Luke 5:27-28. From these passages, we learn that Matthew was also called Levi. It was a common custom in the Middle East at the time of Christ for men to have two names. The name Levi could have been given to him by Jesus. It is likely that James the lesser, was Matthew's brother, as he was also the son of Alpheus. Although we know little about Matthew personally, the outstanding fact about him is that he was a tax collector. 

Of all the nations in the world, the Jews were the most vigorous haters of tax gatherers. To the devout Jew, God was the only one to whom it was right to pay tribute in taxes, while to pay it to anyone else was to infringe on the rights of God. Tax collectors were hated on religious grounds but also because most of them were unjust and overcharged for their own profit.

In the minds of many honest, Jewish men, these tax collectors were regarded as criminals. They were classified together with harlots, Gentiles and sinners (Matthew 18:17; Matthew 21:31; Matthew 9;10; Mark 2:15-16; Luke 5:30). Such was Matthew, and yet, Jesus chose someone all men hated and made him one of His own.

Unlike the other Apostles, who were mostly fishermen, Matthew could use a pen. As a result, he became the first man to present an account of the teaching of Jesus to the world in the Hebrew language. The average man would have thought it impossible to reform Matthew, but to God all things are possible.  He was a missionary of the Gospel and laid down his life for the faith of his Master.