The Gospel of Matthew PDF

# The Gospel of Matthew ## The Messiah Has Come! ### Outline - Author - Date - Place of Writing - Outline - Purpose and Characteristics - Jesus the Fulfillment of God's Intention - Jesus the Savior of Israel and the World - Jesus the Supreme Authority - Jesus the Teacher, Preacher, and Healer - T...

# The Gospel of Matthew ## The Messiah Has Come! ### Outline - Author - Date - Place of Writing - Outline - Purpose and Characteristics - Jesus the Fulfillment of God's Intention - Jesus the Savior of Israel and the World - Jesus the Supreme Authority - Jesus the Teacher, Preacher, and Healer - The Followers of Jesus and the Church - Critical Issues - Conclusion ### Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to: - List the pros and cons regarding the authorship of Matthew. - Discuss the dating of Matthew. - Outline the content of Matthew. - Use Scripture references to support the idea that God was involved in the events related to Jesus's life. - Enumerate the areas over which Jesus had supreme authority. - Illustrate with Scripture that Jesus was a teacher. - Describe the ways Jesus was both a preacher and a healer. ## Author The only person ever suggested as the author of the first Gospel until recent times was the apostle Matthew. Among the church fathers, Irenaeus, Origen, and Eusebius, quoting earlier sources, all attest to this. There was some discussion by these early writers about the precise nature of what Matthew wrote and which language he used (Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek), but they never disputed that Matthew was the author. The title "According to Matthew" is found in one major Greek manuscript, but it is not absolutely certain whether this was attached to the original document. Studies by Martin Hengel suggest rather convincingly that the Gospel titles including each author's name were used from the very beginning. The titles as we know them, or superscriptions, are in any case no later than AD 125. Matthew's name likely has been attached to the first Gospel since very early times. Since the rise of critical studies (see chaps. 10-12 below), however, Matthew's authorship of the Gospel has been denied by a great many New Testament scholars. Among the reasons for this are the following: Matthew nowhere explicitly claims to be the author, so the book is technically anonymous; because it reflects a later period in the church's history, it could not have been written by Matthew; it makes use of a Gospel written by a nonapostle (Mark), and it is unlikely that an apostle would have done this; it doesn't have the "feel" that an eyewitness account should possess. No one else is named as the possible author, but suggestions include a converted rabbi, a Christian Jew, a provincial schoolmaster, a Hellenistic Christian, or even a "school" of people or a church. From one point of view, the message of the Gospel isn't changed if Matthew were not the author. Yet all alternate selections are purely speculative. Those who were closest and knew best named the apostle Matthew as the author. There is no compelling reason that their testimony should be rejected. ## Date For those who reject Matthew as author, dating the Gospel is largely a matter of how developed the redactional (editorial) process is considered to be and how advanced the theological ideas are. Because Matthew is considered dependent on Mark, and Mark is viewed as beings written somewhere between AD 65 and 70, Matthew is put somewhere between AD 80 and 100. Paul Minear places it as late as 110. Others date Matthew much earlier, sometimes as early as the 50s. John Wenham and John A. T. Robinson have both attempted a comprehensive restructuring of thought, arguing for early dates for all the New Testament books. Wenham puts the date of Matthew at AD 40. There is no compelling reason why this date could not be correct, but it need not be that early. That Matthew was written before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 is most certainly correct, since it foretells that event. ## Place of Writing Two general localities qualify as the potential place of origin (or destination; they could be the same thing if Matthew was written for local believers). Syria, or Antioch of Syria in particular, is one, and Palestine is the other. The majority of scholars favor one of these two places. The former is suggested because of supposed affinities with some later works such as Ignatius's letters and the Didache, both identified with Syrian Antioch. Antioch's status as a center of early Christianity causes others to favor it as the point of origin of such central church document. The latter, Palestine, is proposed because of the Jewish flavor of the Gospel as a whole, and because it seems to have been written with Jews in mind. Caesarea, Phoenicia, and Alexandria have also been suggested, but few support these hypotheses. All things considered, Antioch seems a reasonable possibility, though Palestine can hardly be ruled out. ## Outline The outline of a book must take into consideration authorship, date, place of writing, and the purpose for which the book was written. Because there are so many diverse theories on these topics, one is not surprised to find many different suggested outlines. The one offered here is based on the premise that Matthew is the author and that one of his primary purposes was to present a life of Jesus-not necessarily a biography in the strict sense of the word, but Jesus's life as he remembered it. For that reason the basic facts of Jesus's life form the substance of the outline, which proceeds along geographical lines, with emphasis on Jesus as teacher and preacher. ### I. The Birth and Preparation of Jesus (1:1-4:16) - A. The Birth and Childhood of Jesus (1:1-2:23) - B. Preparation for Ministry (3:1-4:16) ### II. Jesus's Public Ministry in Galilee (4:17-16:20) - A. Jesus Begins His Public Ministry (4:17-25) - B. Jesus's Teaching on Discipleship (5:1-7:29) - C. Jesus's Authority Manifested (8:1-9:34) - D. The Disciples' Ministry (9:35-11:1) - E. Jesus's Ministry Receives Diverse Responses (11:2-12:50) - F. Jesus's Parables of the Kingdom (13:1-53) - G. Jesus's Teaching and Parables Receive Diverse Responses (13:54-16:20) ### III. Jesus's Private Ministry in Galilee (16:21-18:35) - A. Teaching on Jesus's Mission (16:21-17:27) - B. Teaching about Relationships among Jesus's Followers (18:1-35) ### IV. Jesus's Ministry in Judea (19:1-25:46) - A. Teaching on the Way to Jerusalem (19:1-20:34) - B. Arrival in Jerusalem (21:1-22) - C. Confrontations in Jerusalem (21:23-23:39) - D. Jesus's Teaching about the Future (24:1-25:46) ### V. Jesus's Passion and Resurrection (26:1-28:20) - A. Preparation for the Passion (26:1-46) - B. Jesus's Arrest and Trial (26:47-27:26) - C. Jesus's Crucifixion (27:27-56) - D. Jesus's Burial and Resurrection (27:57-28:20) ## Purpose and Characteristics Unlike Luke and John, Matthew nowhere formally states his purpose, so it is left to the reader to determine what he or she thinks the basic purposes are. The only way that can be done is by a careful reading of the material and noting which characteristics stand out. Some of these are obvious and are agreed on by most commentators; others are not, especially if they are based on some highly specialized theory regarding the structure of Matthew. Some of the more technical theories understand the Gospel to be a Christian lectionary (readings for the church year), a midrash (expanded commentary), a manual of instruction for the church, or perhaps a modified Greco-Roman biography. There is merit in some of these ideas, but they are all in the realm of conjecture. Too rigid a use of them could detract from what Matthew was really trying to say. Fundamentally, Matthew wrote his Gospel to preserve what he knew about Jesus's life and words. That was his basic purpose, as it was the underlying purpose of each of the Gospel writers. He wanted to make sure that the truth about Jesus would never be lost. To accomplish this goal, he focused on certain specific things that to him were the essence of Jesus's life and teachings. ## Jesus the Fulfillment of God's Intention Matthew emphasizes that the coming of Jesus cannot be understood as just another event in history. It is the supreme event in history, planned and prophesied by God centuries before it occurred. Virtually every circumstance surrounding the birth, life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus is seen as the fulfillment of prophecy (e.g., 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14-16; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:53-54; 27:9). Jesus came to fulfill the destiny mapped out for him in advance by God. Not only was Jesus's life prophetically set out in advance, when the time of Jesus's arrival came, God was actively involved in the unfolding events that constituted Jesus's life. God was constantly involved to ensure that all went according to plan. It began with the divine birth of Jesus of the virgin Mary (1:18). Then God spoke through his angel to Joseph in a dream (1:20); he warned the magi not to return to Herod (2:12); he sent the holy family to Egypt to escape Herod's wrath (2:13) and then to Galilee (2:22); at Jesus's baptism, God assured him of his divine sonship with a voice from heaven (3:17); the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil (4:1) and then to be ministered to by angels (4:11); Jesus called Peter's confession of Jesus's divine sonship a direct revelation of God (16:17), and, at Jesus's transfiguration, God's voice again affirms Jesus as Son (17:5); supernatural events take place at Jesus's death (27:51-53), and God raised Jesus from the dead (28:2-7). Not only was God with Jesus in all these remarkable ways, but Jesus is, indeed, God with us as well (1:22-23). ## Jesus the Savior of Israel and the World Jesus came as the fulfillment of Israel's prophetic Scripture but also as the fulfillment of Israel itself, of all its hopes and dreams. Matthew introduces Jesus to his readers as "Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham" (1:1). Just as Abraham had begun the nation that made up God's people, so Jesus brings it to completion. Just as David ruled the nation, so Jesus will rule on his throne over all of Israel (2:6; 19:28). For Matthew, the God of Israel is the true God, and when Jesus works his wonders, the people burst forth in praise (15:31). Jesus's mission is to Israel (10:6; 15:24), and he is to save his people from their sins (1:21), minister to them as God's Chosen Servant (12:15-21), fulfill the whole of their law (5:17), and be for the people of Israel what they had never seen before (9:33). For Matthew, the title "Messiah" (or "Christ") sums it up (1:17; 26:63–64). Jesus is the one who was to come; there will be no other. He is the final Word of God to his people. ## Jesus the Supreme Authority Throughout the entire Gospel of Matthew constant emphasis is placed on the inherent supreme power and authority of Jesus (28:18). Nothing can stand in his way, and his actions or words bring instant compliance from anything that comes in contact with him. His authority is supreme over: - people (4:20, 22) - paralysis and suffering (8:6, 13) - illness and disease (9:22; 14:35, 36) - blindness (9:30) - leprosy (8:3) - the wind and the water (8:23-27) - the temple (12:3-6) - sin (9:2) - demons (8:31-32; 15:28) - nature (21:18-19) - history (26:64) - the individual destinies of all human beings (7:21-23; 11:27; 13:40-43) - his own destiny (16:21; 20:17-19; 26:45-46) - his mission on earth (10:1) - space, time, and the future (18:19-20; 28:20) ## Jesus the Teacher, Preacher, and Healer For Matthew, Jesus is the Teacher, called so by himself (10:24-25; 23:10) and by others (8:19; 19:16; 22:16, 24, 36; 26:18). His whole public ministry is directed toward instructing the people. He takes advantage of every opportunity to lead them into a deeper understanding of God. He teaches in the farms and villages of Galilee (9:35; 11:1); in Judea and across the Jordan (19:1-3; cf. Mark 10:1); on the road to Jerusalem (20:17-19); on the Mount of Olives (24:3-25:46); in the temple courts (21:23); in synagogues (4:23; 13:54) and houses (13:36-52); in grain fields (12:1-8); in hill country (5:1-2); from a boat (13:1-3); on weekdays and the Sabbath (26:55). Jesus is filled with compassion for the ill-taught people and sees them as sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless, as a plenteous harvest without enough workers (9:36-38). The crowds are constantly astonished and amazed at his teaching (7:28; 13:54; 22:33); the religious leaders are indignant (26:1-4) because he teaches with unsurpassed authority (7:28-29). Matthew ends his Gospel with Jesus commanding his disciples to go to all the nations and teach them to obey everything he has commanded (28:19-20). Jesus's ministry of teaching is never to end. As a preacher, Jesus has the prophetic ministry of expounding the Word of God, calling the people to repentance, warning of the coming judgment of God on sin, announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God (4:17), and proclaiming the end of the age with his glorious second coming (24-25). ### Key Terms - Baptism - Hades - Magi - Messiah - Transfiguration ### Key People / Places - Caesarea Philippi - Egypt - Eusebius - Galilee - Ignatius - Irenaeus - Judea - Mount of Olives - Origen - Syria - Syrian Antioch As a healer, Jesus delivers the people from physical and spiritual bondage by restoring them to health and expelling demons. There are several summaries of Jesus's healing activities that speak of this extensive power over pain, suffering, disease, sickness, epilepsy, paralysis, demon possession, lameness, blindness, muteness, and crippled limbs (4:23-25; 9:35; 14:34-36; 15:29-31; 21:14). There are also numerous examples of individual healing that illustrate the above categories and show Jesus's deep concern for the people he heals. At one point, when the task had gotten too large for one person, Jesus sends out his disciples, filled with his own authority, "to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness" (10:1). Matthew sees all this as fulfilling prophecy in Isaiah (8:16-17; 53:4) and elsewhere. ## The Followers of Jesus and the Church Matthew is the only Gospel that mentions the church by name. At Caesarea Philippi, after Peter's great confession of Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus says that he will build his church on the rock-solid fact of his messiahship and that the gates of Hades will not overcome it. He also gives to Peter, representing all the disciples, symbolic keys of authority over the kingdom of heaven to confirm entrance to it or restriction from it (16:17-19), an authority specifically conferred on all the apostles both here and in 18:18. Later Jesus gives instructions for the settling of disputes within the church, including the use of expulsion if the offender refuses to regard the admonitions of the community (18:15-17). Matthew also records lengthy sections of Jesus's instructions to his followers. Some commentators have suggested that Matthew sees Jesus as a new Moses giving a new "law" to his people, because the instructions can be grouped in five large sections all ending with the same stylized formula "when Jesus had finished saying these things" (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). The five sections may be likened to a new "pentateuch" (5-7; 10; 13; 18; 24-25). Whether that is true or not, Matthew certainly presents Jesus as the founder of the church, understood as the true Israel (16:18). His words are to guide all God's people as they live their lives in the kingdom of God. ## Critical Issues In addition to questions about author, date, and place of writing (see the beginning of this chapter), scholars debate whether this Gospel is written from a Jewish or a gentile Christian point of view-and even whether this distinction as long understood is still meaningful today. Data support various possibilities. There is ongoing discussion of how Matthew may (or may not) have made use of written sources like Mark (or a version of Mark) or the Sayings Source Q (on this see chap. 11 below). ## Summary 1. Matthew arranged his Gospel to emphasize how Jesus provided Israel and the world with a savior. 2. Until recent times Matthew was the only author suggested for the Gospel bearing his name. 3. The traditional dating for Matthew places it sometime prior to AD 70. 4. Although the Jewish flavor of the Gospel of Matthew suggests that it might have been written in Palestine, most scholars favor Antioch of Syria. 5. Matthew's basic purpose in writing his Gospel was to preserve what he knew about Jesus's life and words. 6. Matthew demonstrates that Jesus's coming is the supreme event of history and that every circumstance of his birth, life, teaching, death, and resurrection is a fulfillment of prophecy. 7. Matthew emphasizes that Jesus is the final Word of God to his people. 8. Matthew focuses on the inherent power and supreme authority of Jesus. 9. Matthew highlights the fact that Jesus was primarily a teacher but was also a healer and a preacher. 10. Matthew is the only Gospel that mentions the church by name. Recent research continues to scrutinize the theological intention of Matthew's author and the historical trustworthiness of what he writes. How do the Gospel's individual sections relate to its overarching message(s)? Here attention has focused on such matters as the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount, the conflict between Jesus and the rulers of Israel (when Matthew is subjected to literary-critical analysis), and the role of Old Testament elements in Matthean understanding. Other Matthean themes receiving attention are Christology, the gentile mission, eschatology, the church, and discipleship. ## Conclusion Matthew was writing to show his audience that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel, coming as Israel's Messiah and Redeemer. And because the original promise to Abraham included the promise that Abraham's descendants (Israel) would be a blessing to the nations, or gentiles, Matthew also pointed out that Jesus came to be the Savior of the world, as well as the Savior of Israel. As the fulfillment of God's ultimate intention for all who trust him, Jesus is depicted as the sole supreme authority, teacher, preacher, and healer. The Old Testament Scriptures prophesied it; Jesus fulfilled it. But Matthew lived in the time of the church after Jesus's saving death and resurrection, so he noted that this, too, was part of God's intention. Jesus had said that his church would be established and hell itself could not overthrow it. We live now in the time of that church with Jesus's personal presence supporting us, awaiting the end of the age when God will bring to a close what he began with Abraham long ago. ### Study Questions 1. What was Matthew's basic purpose in writing his Gospel? 2. In what ways did Jesus fulfill God's intention? 3. How does Matthew emphasize that Jesus is Savior of both Jews and gentiles? 4. In what ways was Jesus the supreme authority? 5. How does Matthew depict Jesus as the Teacher? ### Further Reading - Allison, Dale Jr, *Studies in Matthew: Interpretation Past and Present*, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005. Draws on the history of interpretation to shed fresh light. - Carson, D. A. "Matthew." In vol. 9 of *Expositor's Bible Commentary*, rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010. An insightful commentary by a well-known scholar.