Matthew

Matthew — also called Levi — appears in the Synoptic record first as a toll-collector at his post and then as a member of the named circle of the Twelve. Mark identifies him by patronym ("the [son] of Alphaeus"), Luke by profession ("a publican"), and the apostle-lists place him by name beside Thomas and James. Across the four scenes that mention him, his portrait moves from the customs-bench, to the call, to the great feast in his house, and finally into the standing roster of Jesus' disciples.

Levi at the Place of Toll

Matthew is first encountered seated at his customs-bench. Mark introduces him by family-name and post: "And as he passed by, he saw Levi the [son] of Alphaeus sitting at the place of toll, and he says to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him" (Mark 2:14). Luke's notice is parallel and adds the trade-tag "publican" — the receiver of Roman tolls: "And after these things he went forth, and noticed a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said to him, Follow me" (Luke 5:27). The Lukan follow-up tightens the response: "And he forsook all, and rose up and followed him" (Luke 5:28). The forsaking-language is Luke's, and what is forsaken is the toll-post itself.

The Feast in His House

Matthew's call is immediately followed by a meal-scene set in his own house. Luke supplies the host-naming: "And Levi made him a great feast in his house: and there was a great multitude of publicans and of others who were sitting at meat with them" (Luke 5:29). Mark gives the same scene without the host-tag and notes the size of the following: "And it comes to pass, that he was sitting at meat in his house, and many publicans and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him" (Mark 2:15). The two notices together exhibit Matthew both as the one who supplies the house and the great feast, and as the hinge by which a wider crowd of fellow publicans is brought to table with Jesus and his disciples.

Among the Twelve

After the call-scene Matthew appears by name in the standing apostle-lists under his other name. Mark places him in the central block of the Twelve: "and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean" (Mark 3:18). Luke's parallel list keeps the same neighbour-pair and adds the Zealot-tag for Simon: "and Matthew and Thomas, and James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot" (Luke 6:15). In both rosters Matthew stands beside Thomas, and the family-name "[son] of Alphaeus" recurs in the same list — applied to James — keeping the patronym from the call-scene present in the apostle-roster as well.

The Composite Picture

Matthew thus holds together a small composite identity: the Alphaean toll-collector at the place of toll (Mark 2:14), the publican named Levi who forsook all (Luke 5:27-28), the host of the great feast that gathered publicans and sinners with Jesus and his disciples (Luke 5:29; Mark 2:15), and the named apostle standing beside Thomas in the central block of the Twelve (Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15). The call-narratives file him under the Levi-name and the trade of toll-receiver; the apostle-lists file him under the Matthew-name. The same disciple stands in both files at once.