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Was the taxman named Matthew or Levi?
Matthew 9:9 and Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27
- Matthew (Matthew 9:9) - "And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He *said to him, "Follow Me!" And he rose, and followed Him."
- Levi (Mark 2:14) - "And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, "Follow Me!" And he rose and followed Him."
- Levi (Luke 5:27) - "And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me."
The answer is very simple. Both are true because Matthew and Levi are the same person. Matthew is the Greek name and Levi was the Hebrew name. As a tax-collector, Matthew worked for Greek-speaking Romans. He gathered taxes from Hebrew-speaking Jews. We see, as an example, Peter also being called Simon (Matt. 16:16).
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Part of a series on
Matthew - Mark
Chronology Tables
- Of the Crucifixion
- Of the Resurrection
- Of Jesus' Baptism and Temptation
- Of the cleansing of the Temple
- Matt. 1:16, Why are there different genealogies for Jesus in Matt. & Luke?
- Matt. 5:16, Should or should we not let our good works be seen?
- Matt. 10:2-4, Why are the lists of disciples different?
- Matt. 19:16-21, Are we saved by grace or works?
- Matt. 20:20-21, Who made the request to sit beside Jesus in His kingdom?
- Matt. 23:17, Can we call someone a fool or not?
- Matt. 28:8, Did or did not the women tell what happened about the tomb?
- Mark 1:7-13, What did Jesus do after being baptized by John the Baptist?
- Mark 3:29, Can you be forgiven of all sins or not?
- Mark 10:35-37, Who made the request to sit beside Jesus in His kingdom?
- Mark 16:2, How long was Jesus dead in the tomb?
- Mark 16:9-20, Is the ending of Mark scripture or not?
