The focus of Matthew’s Gospel is Jesus, Divine Son of God and Messianic King. Today we more
readily turn to John or Mark, perhaps, but for early Christians
Matthew was a liturgical favourite – perhaps because, compared with
Mark, its narrative style is generally more concise. It is also quite
orderly in structure. Maybe we should give it more attention than we
do.
Authorship
The
Gospel itself gives no indication of authorship but has traditionally
been ascribed to Matthew. Many early church fathers held that Matthew
or Levi the tax collector, the disciple and apostle, was its author.
Around AD 325 Eusebius quotes Papias to the effect that Matthew had
composed the oracles of the Lord, probably a reference to the Gospel.
About 150 years earlier Irenaeus (c 175) wrote that ‘Matthew also
issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while
Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and laying the foundations of
the church Against’ (Heresies 3.1.1). Several early manuscripts are
headed According
to Matthew.
Matthew was not prominent
in the apostolate and so it is likely that this assertion is true. It
would be a strange choice of pseudonym. Surely the name of a more
prominent apostle would have been preferred.
There
are some possible internal indicators to support this. Mark and Luke
both refer to him as Levi and use his more familiar name (Mark 2:14,
Luke 5:27) - perhaps it is omitted from the first Gospel because the
original readers already knew it. Mark and Luke both refer to the
banquet he held for the Lord being at his
house
whereas Matthew simply says it was in
the house
– again perhaps because he had already told those to whom he wrote
where the meal was held.
Words
for money appear not found elsewhere in the New Testament, possibly
reflecting the author’s contact and financial involvement with
Gentiles. Also, it is the only Gospel to record the Lord’s payment
of the Temple Tax (17:24–27) and the parable of the unforgiving
servant where the servant owes 10,000 talents (18:21–25). Also
observe the distinctive way it deals with the parable of the master
entrusting wealth to his servants before heading off on a journey (cf
Luke 19:11–27, Matthew 25:14–30) and the specific no
gold, or silver or copper of
Matthew 10:9. He is the only evangelist to use the expression to
settle accounts (18:23,
24; 25:19) or refer to debt
(18:32),
bankers
(25:27).
Such details help confirm traditional authorship.
The account of his call
to follow Christ is in Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:13–17; Luke 5:27–32.
He was a tax collector, more like a modern day customs officer,
collecting tolls on trade caravans passing through the district
centred on Capernaum on Galilee’s northern shores. Publicans were a
largely despised group, reviled for their close contact with
Gentiles, service to an alien occupying force and their common
dishonesty. Nevertheless, the Lord called Matthew to follow and he
immediately obeyed, a decision that probably cost Matthew more than
most. He was the least able to go back on his decision. The banquet
for the Lord, his disciples and friends, that followed included, to
the Pharisees’ disgust, notorious sinners (Luke 5:29–30).
As a tax collector he
would have been used to taking notes in the course of his work, a
habit he may have continued as a disciple. It would have helped in
compiling his Gospel.
Beyond his name and
occupation little is known. He is listed among the 12 in the Gospels,
among the Apostles in Acts 1:13, after which Scripture records
nothing more. Tradition says he preached in Judea for about 15 years,
then in Ethiopia, Persia and Parthia. This may be mere legend.
Original language?
The
idea that Matthew originally wrote in Aramaic was first put forward
by Papias (see above). He is quoted in Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical
History (3.39.16).
The view has been rejected because no trace of the original remains.
Papias says many attempted to translate into Greek, ‘as they are
able’,
which does not suggest polished results, whereas the Greek of the
Gospel is fine. The book contains no aramaisms
but does explain customs, such as Pilate releasing a prisoner at the
Feast of Passover (27:15). This would surely be unnecessary for
Aramaic readers in Palestine.
It is possible that,
having written in Aramaic, Matthew himself produced not a translation
but a Greek version of his work. Demand for written information about
the life of Christ from Gentile churches would have increased as the
first century wore on. Gentile churches soon outstripped Aramaic
speaking ones as the gospel spread across the known world.
It is important to
remember that this is speculation. Most early Church Fathers seem to
know only of a Greek Gospel. Only Papias suggests a Semitic original.
Date of writing
It is impossible to be
certain on this but limits can be set and tentative conclusions
reached. It was not written after 70 AD, the year the Temple was
destroyed. Matthew relates at length the Lord’s teaching on
Jerusalem’s destruction (24:1-28). It seems highly unlikely that he
could have written this after the event without referring to it
explicitly. (Liberal scholars reject predictive prophecy and so
readily assign dates after 70 AD).
It is unlikely to have
been written before the first dispersal of Christians from Jerusalem
(Acts 8:4) when the church was all together with the Apostles in the
city. Their presence meant there was no need for a written account of
Christ’s life. To some extent, dating will depend on whether we
believe Matthew wrote before Mark. Hendriksen narrows down to AD
63–67, which fits Irenaeus’s statement that it was written while
Peter and Paul were in Rome. It is as good an estimate as any, though
some go for AD 45–55.
It may be that it was
written in Syrian Antioch, or at least for the Antioch church, which
had a large Gentile element speaking both Aramaic and Greek. The
Gospel itself shows signs of having been written for Jews, although
it also relates to Gentiles. This would suit a church like Antioch.
Material unique to
Matthew
Narratives
Vision of
Joseph 1:20–24
Visit of the magi
2:1–12
Flight into
Egypt 2:13–15
Massacre of the
infants 2:16
Pilate’s wife’s
dream 27:19
Judas’s
death 27:3–10
Resurrection of
saints 27:52
Bribery of
guards 28:12–15
Great Commission in this
form 28:19–20
Parables
Weeds 13:24–30
Hidden
treasure 13:44
Pearl of great
price 13:45–46
Dragnet 13:13:47
Unmerciful
servant 18:23–35
Labourers in
vineyard 20:1–16
Two sons 21:28–32
Marriage of King’s
son 22:1–13
Ten virgins 25:1–13
Talents 25:14–30
Miracles
Two blind
men 9:27–31
Mute
demoniac 9:32–33
Coin in fish’s
mouth 17:24–27
Matthew uses miracles
more as proof of Jesus’s Messiahship than to advance the narrative,
even when he duplicates what is in Mark and Luke.
Purpose and features
The
opening phrase: ‘The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the
Son of David, the Son of Abraham’ is similar to the repeated phrase
in Genesis ‘the generations of ...’ Christ’s genealogy follows.
Matthew wants to show that all he relates about Jesus goes back to
God’s covenants with Abraham and David of a great nation and an
eternal house. These are fulfilled in him. Matthew portrays Christ as
teacher but especially as king. The phrase kingdom
of heaven
occurs 33 times; kingdom
of God
five times; the royal, messianic title Son
of David
nine times.
Use of the Old
Testament
Matthew often speaks of
the fulfilment of prophecy, frequently quoting or alluding to the Old
Testament. There are some 53 quotations, easily more than in any
other Gospel. Matthew shows, for example, that Messiah would:
Be born of a
virgin 1:23 Isaiah 7:14
Go down into
Egypt 2:15 Isaiah 59:7
Reside in
Nazareth 2:23 referring (probably) to prophecies
about Messiah being
despised by men.
Be announced by a
forerunner 3:3 Isaiah 40:3
Minister in
Galilee 4:15,16 Isaiah 9:1
Do healing miracles
8:17 Isaiah 53:40
Be
humble 12:18–21 Isaiah 42:1–3
Speak in parables
13:35 Psalm 78:2
Come as a lowly King
21:5 Zechariah 9:9
Be arrested
26:56 Several prophecies
Be crucified
27:35 Psalm 22
These are not random or incidental
but are chosen because they suit Matthew’s purpose. They confirm
that he is writing for a Jewish audience familiar with these texts
and interested in their fulfilment.
Structure
In
4:17 and 16:21 we have the phrase ‘From that time …’ Seemingly
insignificant, it marks major turning points. In 4:17, the opening of
the Lord’s public teaching ministry. Having established the Lord’s
identity from Scripture, Matthew relates that when the Lord heard
that his forerunner John was in prison, ‘from that time’ he began
to teach and preach, saying ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand’.
In
16:21, after Peter’s confession, we read ‘From that time Jesus
Christ began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and
suffer’,
etc.
Another distinctive is the way major blocks of teaching occur, including the largest such block in all the Gospels, the Sermon on the Mount. As much as 60% of the work is teaching. To some extent the placing of these blocks gives the book its structure. Matthew obviously wanted to stress the content of the Lord’s teaching, especially in regard to his relationship with God’s Law, so that the full implications of the long awaited coming of Messiah might be clarified. These significant blocks of teaching are marked by a recurring concluding phrase When Jesus had finished these words …. It marks the close of the five sermons Matthew records. The five major blocks are located thus
Another distinctive is the way major blocks of teaching occur, including the largest such block in all the Gospels, the Sermon on the Mount. As much as 60% of the work is teaching. To some extent the placing of these blocks gives the book its structure. Matthew obviously wanted to stress the content of the Lord’s teaching, especially in regard to his relationship with God’s Law, so that the full implications of the long awaited coming of Messiah might be clarified. These significant blocks of teaching are marked by a recurring concluding phrase When Jesus had finished these words …. It marks the close of the five sermons Matthew records. The five major blocks are located thus
Chapters 5–7 Sermon on
the Mount
Chapter 10 Commissioning
disciples
Chapter 13 Parables of
the Kingdom
Chapter 18 Humility and
forgiveness
Chapter 24, 25 The last
things (Chapter 23 could be included here)
Characteristics
Some have seen in these
five major sections a parallel to the Five Books of Moses, the Torah.
A new Moses gives a new Law for his disciples, a law written on the
heart. Certainly fulfilment is a theme and it could be said that the
New Testament people of God, Christ’s followers, are to fulfil what
the Old Testament people failed to do. The Lord fulfils all that
Scripture foretells. He also makes clear (eg Chapters 5–7) their
true meaning, which had been obscured by Pharisaic legalism. But
Jesus does more than simply complete the old ways, he inaugurates a
new way, with new and distinctive teaching.
Some see 13:52 as a key
verse. First Century Teachers of the Law never said anything new.
They always went back to the traditions. The Lord himself had
authority to build on what was given, not rejecting it but bringing
out what was old, developing it and taking it consistently further to
the fulfilment of God’s purposes. This is one reason why his
teaching came to the people with authority and freshness.
Another feature is an
apparent love for the number three. Examples include the threefold
division of the genealogy (Chapter 1), three temptations (Chapter 4),
three illustrations of righteousness, three prohibitions and three
commands (Chapters 6, 7), three groupings of three types of miracle
(Chapters 8, 9). It is unlikely that Matthew attached symbolic
significance to the number. It is more likely that he had in mind the
Jewish requirement that truth be established by testimony from two or
three witnesses. It is suggestive of how his mind worked.
Finally, it has been
noted that, for some reason, the Sadducees are mentioned more times
in this Gospel than in any other.
Matthew shows Jesus is
the one the prophets foretold, the Messiah. He shows that he came to
his own but they would not receive him. He also shows from the start,
with the account of the Magi, that Gentiles would be drawn to him. He
includes biting denunciations of the Jews for rejecting Messiah. For
instance, the woes on the cities that rejected him (11:20-24). Such a
statement must have staggered the Teachers of the Law and priests.
Also note the lengthy discourse (Chapters 24, 25) on Jerusalem’s
overthrow.
Study Plan
Session
1 Navigating the narratives Dealing
with the stories unique to Matthew and how to preach them as
described above.
Session
2 Teaching the teaching Dealing
with the teaching sections in Chapters 5-7, 10 and 18 and how
to preach them.
Session
3 Preaching the parables Dealing
especially with Chapter 13 and the unique parables in Chapters
20-22 and how to preach them.
Session
4 Meditating on the miracles Dealing
especially with Chapters 8, 9 and 17:24-27 and how to preach
them.
Session
5 Learning from the law Dealing
with the Old Testament as it is employed by Matthew and how
to preach these sections – see the appropriate section
above.
Session
6 Expounding eschatology Dealing
with Chapters (23?) 24 and 25 and how to preach them.
This article first appeared as an Affinity ministers fraternal guide
