After more than three decades practicing corporate law, T. Walter Taylor has turned his attention to the oldest case file in Western civilization. His debut novel, Matthew's Story: A Novel About Jesus, is narrated by the Apostle Matthew at the end of his life. Matthew sets down his own account of the man he followed and of how that man's story grew into a new religion. The novel opens with Matthew's confession: "I am an old man. I will die soon. I have decided that it is now time for me to share the story of some deceptions which gave rise to what is now called Christianity."
This framing immediately signals that Taylor's work is not a conventional retelling of the gospel narratives. Instead, it presents a first-person confession that claims the foundational stories of Christianity were shaped by deliberate deceptions. The implication is that readers will be asked to question the reliability of the very texts that have informed two millennia of belief. By placing this admission at the outset, Taylor sets up a narrative tension that drives the entire novel: what were these deceptions, and how did they transform a Jewish apocalyptic preacher into the center of a new world religion?
Matthew is the son of a tax collector in Tiberias. He first hears of Jesus at about sixteen, and part of the pull is Mary of Magdala, who can't stop talking about him. Matthew follows Jesus from John the Baptizer's camp on the Jordan to Galilee and on to Jerusalem. Some of the sharpest ideas come from Marcus, a slave in his family's household who knows more scripture than any of them and isn't afraid to say so. Through these characters, Taylor explores how diverse voices—Jewish, Greek, and Roman—contributed to the development of early Christian thought.
The story begins in 26 AD and runs through Paul's ministry, the Jerusalem Council, the Jewish War and the fall of Masada. Taylor grounds it in first-century history, Hebrew scripture and classical writers such as Josephus and Livy. The book closes with a final revelation readers won't see coming. This historical grounding gives the novel a sense of authenticity, but it also raises provocative questions about how much of Christian origins can be attributed to human invention rather than divine revelation.
"I imagined a close follower of Jesus who, at the end of his life, confesses the secrets he kept, and how those secrets, woven into Greek, Roman, and Jewish beliefs, turned Jesus into a new path to God," said Taylor. That statement underscores the novel's central premise: that Christianity's emergence was not a straightforward fulfillment of prophecy but a complex synthesis of cultural and political forces.
Matthew's Story is written for readers of historical fiction and for anyone curious about the historical Jesus and how Christianity began. In a cultural moment when debates over religion, history, and truth remain deeply polarized, Taylor's novel offers a fictional but meticulously researched exploration of how narratives are constructed and contested. It invites readers to consider the human factors behind the birth of a faith that would shape Western civilization.
T. Walter Taylor holds degrees in science, business and law. He began his career as a science and physical education teacher, later earned an MBA, and practiced corporate law for over 30 years. He has kept a lifelong interest in classical studies and world religions. Matthew's Story is his first novel. He lives in British Columbia, Canada.
Book Details: Title: Matthew's Story: A Novel About Jesus; Author: T. Walter Taylor; Publication date: September 11, 2026; Paperback ISBN: 978-1-0679746-0-2; eBook ISBN: 978-1-0679746-2-6; Price: $16.99 paperback, $9.99 eBook; Available from Amazon and through bookstores and libraries via Ingram.
