Are Matthew and Levi the Same Person?

Direct Answer: Are Matthew and Levi the Same Person?

In short, yes: biblical Matthew and biblical Levi are understood by most scholars to be the same person, a first-century Jewish tax collector called by Jesus to be a disciple and apostle. Matthew is named as a witness and apostle in the Gospels and early lists, while Levi appears only in the calling stories. The name change reflects a new identity in discipleship rather than a different person. Below we break down the Gospel evidence, linguistic notes, and historical consensus to clarify the relationship and any differences in naming across Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts.

Gospel Evidence for Identity

All four Gospels present Matthew as a tax collector seated at the booth when Jesus calls him. Mark and Luke call him Levi in the parallel calling accounts, while Matthew’s own Gospel names him Matthew at the point of recruitment and again in lists of apostles. This has led to a scholarly consensus that Levi is the pre-discipleship name and Matthew the post-discipleship name, consistent with other name changes in the New Testament (e.g., Simon to Peter). No Gospel presents them as two separate individuals with overlapping roles.

• Matthew 9:9 — Jesus calls a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth.
• Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27 — The same event refers to the person as Levi.
• Matthew 10:3 and Acts 1:13 — Matthew appears in apostolic lists, confirming his ongoing role after the calling.

Patristic and Early Tradition on Matthew and Levi

Early church fathers generally affirm that the apostle Matthew authored the Gospel bearing his name and that he was previously known as Levi. Papias and Irenaeus recognize one Matthew among the Twelve, with no bifurcation between Levi and Matthew. The emphasis is on a transformed identity: from tax collector and outsider to evangelist and witness. The absence of contradictory testimony in the early church strengthens the case that Matthew and Levi refer to one calling narrative rather than two figures.

Linguistic and Naming Context

Levi is a Hebrew name meaning "joining" or "attached," while Matthew (from Mattityahu) means "gift of Yahweh." It is not unusual for someone in first-century Jewish context to bear two names, one in Hebrew/Aramaic and one in Greek, especially when entering a new community or role. The shift from Levi to Matthew in the Gospel narratives can thus be read as symbolic of a new vocation and identity as a disciple and apostle, rather than an indication of two different people.

Canonical Scope and Authorship Considerations

Within the New Testament, the figure known as Matthew contributes to Scripture in two ways: as the recipient of Jesus’s teachings and as the traditional author of the Gospel of Matthew. The Gospel itself does not explicitly name its author in the text, but early attribution links it to the Matthew of the Twelve. Because Levi appears only at the calling and vanishes from the narrative, the consistent apostolic name used in lists and episcopal references is Matthew. This supports treating the calling accounts as two linguistic windows into one person’s story rather than competing threads about two apostles.

Summary of Key Points

Matthew and Levi are the same person according to the prevailing reading of the Gospels and early Christian tradition. The variation in naming reflects a shift from a pre-discipleship identity (Levi) to a new apostolic calling (Matthew). No canonical text presents them as distinct individuals, and early church witnesses treat them as one apostle. Recognizing this helps readers navigate the Synoptic calling accounts and appreciate the narrative and symbolic weight of a tax collector transformed by Jesus’s summons.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why does Mark call him Levi but Matthew calls him Matthew?
• Is there any scenario in which Levi and Matthew could be two people?
• How does the early church reconcile the naming differences?