The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew is one of the 12 apostles. In the Holy Scriptures it is also called Levi (Lk. 5, 27). The Apostle Matthew was the brother of the Apostle James Alpheus and, before his calling to the apostolic rite, was the publican of Galilee, i.e. tax collector. After being called by the Lord, he left everything and followed the Savior. Since then, Matthew, along with other disciples of Jesus Christ, remained with Him inseparably.
According to Holy Tradition, upon the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Matthew preached the Gospel to the Jews in Judea. Here, according to the legend of Eusebius and other holy fathers, 8 years after the ascension of the Lord, Matthew wrote the Gospel to the believing Jews of Palestine and gave it to the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord. From Jewish to Greek, the Gospel was translated either by the Apostle James or the Apostle John the Theologian.
In the 2nd century, Panten found the Gospel of Matthew, written in Hebrew, with Christians in India. According to the testimony of the holy fathers, the original was kept in the Caesarean library, built in the 3rd century by the martyr Pamphilus.
The Gospel of Matthew preaches mainly that Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised by God, foretold in the Old Testament by the prophets and sent from God, from the family of David and Abraham.
According to the legend of Socrates, Nikephoros and others, the Apostle Matthew traveled with the preaching of the word of God to Syria, Media, Persia, Asiatic Ethiopia and India. In Ethiopia, the Apostle Matthew appeared with the Gospel of the tribe of anthropophages (cannibals). After some time, Saint Matthew consecrated Bishop Plato in the city of Myrmena.
Having healed those possessed by rage in the family of the prince of that country, Fulvian, the evangelist first attracted his surprise and respect, and then, after his sermon, the full power of anger. As a result of this, the holy apostle Matthew was martyred for Christ around 60 years old. Some time after this, Fulvian himself renounced his power and was baptized with the name Matthew in honor of the holy apostle.
After the death of Bishop Plato, Fulvian was elected and consecrated to the see, and by his ministry he continued the work of St. Matthew the Apostle in spreading the word of God.