Saint Matthew the Apostle

7.0

A person who was one of Jesus' twelve disciples and is believed to have written the first Gospel

proper noun

: San Mateo el Apóstol

In religious art, Saint Matthew the Apostle is frequently depicted with a book or scroll, symbolizing his role as an evangelist.

Examples

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew the Apostle is often cited for its unique perspective on Jesus' teachings.
According to tradition, Saint Matthew the Apostle was a tax collector.
Many churches are named after Saint Matthew the Apostle in recognition of his contributions to Christianity.
Many people celebrate the feast day of Saint Matthew the Apostle on September 21.
In religious art, Saint Matthew the Apostle is frequently depicted with a book or scroll, symbolizing his role as an evangelist.
Many churches are named after Saint Matthew the Apostle in recognition of his contributions to Christianity.
The Gospel according to Saint Matthew the Apostle is often cited for its unique perspective on Jesus' teachings.

Synonyms

Levi

vsSaint Matthew the Apostle

61 7.9

A follower of Jesus said to be the writer of the Gospel of Matthew

is the same person but named differently in tradition

Matthew

vsSaint Matthew the Apostle

26 1.7

One of Jesus' twelve followers who was a tax collector and is often said to have written the first Gospel

is the same idea but uses a more formal full title

Saint Matthew

vsSaint Matthew the Apostle

1 4.7

One of Jesus's twelve followers in the Bible, often shown holding a book

is the same role but presents a reverent full name

St. Matthew the Apostle

vsSaint Matthew the Apostle

7.6

One of the twelve followers of Jesus who is said to have written the first Gospel in the New Testament

has identical meaning but uses a shortened honorific form

St. Matthew

vsSaint Matthew the Apostle

4.1

A follower of Jesus who people say wrote the first Gospel

is the same role but uses a formal religious title

Surface Forms

Saint Matthew the Apostle main

Morphology

saint + Matthew + the + Apostle

The phrase is fully compositional: a learner who knows 'saint' (holy person), 'Matthew' (a personal name) and 'apostle' (a disciple of Jesus) can readily infer this refers to a holy person named Matthew who is one of the apostles. Religious honorifics and titles combine transparently across many languages, so a B1 learner familiar with the constituent words will understand the referent without prior exposure.

Etymology

Saint Matthew the Apostle is the name for Matthew, one of Jesus' twelve followers who became a holy person; the words Saint and Apostle show he is seen as a 'saint' and a 'apostle' or special messenger. He is often shown with a book because people believe he wrote the 'Gospel' that tells Jesus' life, so the title links him to both being a holy man and the writer who told Jesus' story.