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Gospel of Matthew
 
The Book of the New Testament called the Book of Matthew was originally called the Gospel to the Hebrews. Written by the Apostle Matthew (one of the original twelve apostles of Christ) in the Hebrew language, it was later translated to Greek and entitled Gospel of Matthew (Lardner 299). Matthew wrote this gospel for the Jewish people located in Jerusalem and any surrounding areas so that they should know what took place in the life  of Jesus based on what Matthew had witnessed. It was later translated into Greek so that those who spoke Greek could read its contents.
 
 Matthew was from Capernaum and his trade was a tax collector before he met the Lord (Matt. 9:9). He gave up his trade and followed Jesus. After the Lord's resurrection, he continued to witness the Gospel both orally and in writing (obviously, as he wrote the Gospel of the Hebrews).
 
This Gospel in its original Hebrew version "is known from quotations by Cyril of Jerusalem (Discourse on Mary Theotokos 12a), Origen (Commentary on John 2.12.87), Clement of Alexandria (Stromateis 2.9.45.5, 5.14.96.3), and Jerome (Commentary on Isaiah 4, Commentary on Ephesians 3, Commentary on Ezekiel 6, De viris illustribus 2)" (Kirby). Church leaders would quote from its contents when there was still a copy in existence.
[Further research on this information can be found at Early Christian Writings:The Gospel of the Hebrews (Kirby).]
 
This Book was important for those Jewish believers in Jesus who chose to keep many of their original customs and practices, such as the Nazarenes and James and Jude (brothers of Jesus who wrote the New Testament letters entitled in their honor).
 
Jesus' brother James, also known as James the Just, was given the title of leader for the Messianic Jewish people living in Jerusalem.
    But Clement in the sixth book of his Hypotyposes writes thus: "For they say that Peter and James and John after the ascension of our Saviour, as if also preferred by our Lord, strove not after honor, but chose James the Just bishop of Jerusalem." But the same writer, in the seventh book of the same work, relates also thefollowing things concerning him: "The Lord after his resurrection imparted knowledge to James the Just and to John and Peter, and they imparted it to the rest of the apostles, and the rest of the apostles to the seventy, of whom Barnabas was one...Church History II.1.3-5 (Schaff, First Series, 104).
    But Hegesippus, who lived immediately after the apostles, gives the most accurate account in the fifth book of his Memoirs. He writes as follows: "James, the brother of the Lord, succeeded to the government of the Church in conjunction with the apostles. He has been called the Just by all from the time of our Saviour to the present day....He was holy from his mother's womb; and he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat flesh. No razor came upon his head; he did not anoint himselfwith oil, and he did not use the bath. He alone was permitted to enter into the holy place; for he wore not woolen but linen garments. And he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people,so that his knees became hard like those of a camel...Church History II.23.5-6 (Schaff, Second Series, 125).
Matthew's gospel would have been helpful in his teaching Christ's ministry to these people.
 
James the Just was martyred in Jerusalem by some of the Jewish leaders when he spoke of his brother Jesus, calling Him Lord and Messiah. He was killed with a fuller's club (Schaff, First Series, 104). It is not known what happened to Jesus' brother Jude, if he died a martyr, although it is known that he continued to witness the Gospel, believing his brother Jesus to be the promised Messiah and Savior (Williamson). A fresco located in the church of San Nereo in Rome depicts the martyrdom of the apostles and several other disciples of the Lord. It clearly shows Jude as one of those martyred (Jameson 178).
 
After Matthew had witnessed to those in Jerusalem, he travelled to other countries to minister the Gospel. According to tradition, he died a martyr by the King of Ethiopia. “The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew” painted by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (located in the Contarelli Chapel in Rome) depicts his death.
 
 
 
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Works Cited
 
Jameson, Anna. Sacred and Legendary Art (Volume 1). Reprint Services Corp, 1999.
 
Lardner, Nathaniel, and Andrew Kippis.The Works of Nathaniel Lardner, Volume 5. W. Ball, 1838.
 
Schaff, Philip. A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: First Series. T&T Clark Ltd., 1980.
 
Schaff, Philip. A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: Second Series. T&T Clark Ltd., 1980.
 
Kirby, Peter. "The Gospel of the Hebrews." Early Christian Writings. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelhebrews-mrjames.html. Accessed 13 Nov 2017.
 
Williamson, G.A.The History of the church from Christ to Constantine. Penguin Classics, 1990.