After the encounter with Jesus Christ, the famous tax collector, Matthew, has had his own name changed. In the Old Testament itself, we can see changes of names. For example, Abram became Abraham, and Simon was renamed Peter.
Another character in the Bible who, according to many scholars, received a name change was Matthew, the apostle. In the Gospel of Matthew the tax collector whom Jesus Christ called to become an apostle has been named “Matthew” (Matthew 9:9).
Yet, in the Gospel of Mark, the same tax collector is named “Levi” (Mark 2:14).
Some scholars believe that the tax collector simply had two names, one in Greek (Matthew) and the other in Hebrew (Levi). This is very possible, as scholars point to Simon (Peter) and Saul (Paul) as similar examples that do not signify a name change, but two names in two different languages.
At the same time, other scholars believe that it could indicate a name change. The Catholic Encyclopedia, explains, “It is probable that Mattija, ‘gift of Iaveh,’ was the name conferred upon the tax-gatherer by Jesus Christ when He called him to be an Apostolate, and by it he was thenceforth known among his Christian brethren, Levi being his original name.”
In reality, both theories are possible. What is for certain is that after the time he left his job as a tax collector, he was ever known as “Matthew” in the early Christian community.
Whatever the case may be, both names are capable of inspiring symbolic reflections, as can be seen in the following passage from The Golden Legend, a popular medieval text that provided inventive meanings for the names of saints.
Matthew had two names, Matthew and Levi. Matthew (Matthaeus) is interpreted as a hasty gift, or as the giver of counsel. Or the name comes from Magnus, meaning great, and Theos, meaning God, and hence great unto God, or from Manus, meaning hand, and Theos, and hence the hand of God. Saint Matthew was a hasty gift by his speedy conversion, the giver of counsel by his salutary preaching, great unto God by the perfection of his life, and the hand of God by the writing of his gospel. Levi is interpreted as taken up, attached, added to, or placed with. The saint was taken up from the work of exacting taxes and was attached to the company of the apostles, added to the group of evangelists, and placed with the catalog of martyrs.
He may have been known as “Levi” before, but ever since his encounter with Jesus Christ, the world has known him as “Matthew.”