The Gospel of Matthew

1. The Gospel of Matthew Context & Characteristics

2. Who? • Tradition: • A tax collector named Matthew who became one of the Twelve (9:9, 10:3) • Problems: • Gospel itself makes no such connection • Reliance on Mark would be unnecessary • Adds relatively little historical data to Mark’s account • Theological developments seem aimed at Christians of a later era

3. Who? • The Consensus • Jewish Christian • Possibly an educated leader or scholar • Probably a second-generation Christian • There is enormous debate about whether Matthew saw himself as belonging to a Jewish sect or a separate religious entity

4. Where? • Appears to be written for a prosperous urban community • cf. Matt. 10:9, Mark 6:8 • References to “village” often changed to “city” • Jewish community within a Gentile context • Possibilities include Alexandria, Caesaria Maritima, and Antioch

6. When? • Majority of scholars place date somewhere in the 80s • Use of Mark as source puts it somewhere after 70 • Had been around long enough to be quoted as authoritative by Ignatius of Antioch in 115 • Appears to have been a source for the Didache, which is dated ca. 105

7. Why? • Question of Christian relationship to Torah • Sense that Mark was not only incomplete but inadequate • Mark does not present Jesus as currently present in the community of faith • Mark does not provide sufficient basis for ethics • Mark does not portray discipleship as a matter of progress • In short, Mark has no real doctrine of the church

8. Matthew’s Sitz im Leben • The Jewish Crisis After 70 CE • How do we go on in a post-Temple world? • Rabbis gather in Jamnia to figure this out • Matthew attempts to describe Christianity as distinct from, and superior to, rabbinic Judaism • Attempt to establish legitimacy of Christianity over rabbinic movement • “We do Torah right!”

9. The “What” Characteristics of Matthew’s Gospel

10. 1. A Knack For Organization • Five great speeches or discourses • Intended as an analog to Five Books of Moses? • Exactly twelve fulfillment citations • Twelve tribes of Israel • Genealogy in three sets of 14 generations • Moves five of Mark’s miracle stories into Matthew 8-9, alongside other miracle stories

11. 2. Doubling Down • Matthew often doubles minor characters • Matt. 8:28-33; cf. Mark 5:1-14 • Matt. 20:29-34; cf. Mark 10:46-52 • Are the two donkeys in 21:6-7 an overly literal fulfillment, or another doubling from Mark 11:7? • In addition, several stories occur twice • Jesus’ teaching on divorce (5:31-32, 19:9) • Leaders seeking sign (12:38-42, 16:1-4) • Accusation of satanic influence (9:32-34, 12:22-24)

12. 3. Prominence of Peter • A number of Peter stories in Matthew occur nowhere else in the NT • Coin in the fish (17:24-27) • Question about forgiveness (18:21-22) • A number of stories from Mark are expanded to highlight Peter • Matthew 14:28-31; cf. Mark 6:47-52 • Matthew 16:17-20; cf. Mark 8:27-29 • NOTE: Not all of these expansions present Peter totally positively!

13. 4. Emphasis on “Church” • Only one of the four Gospels to use the word “church” (16:17-20; 18:15-18) • Matthew portrays Jesus as founding the church during his earthly ministry • Provides “institutional” rules and procedures for the church’s life

14. 5. Jewish or Anti-Jewish? • Jesus’ pre-Easter mission directed exclusively to “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (15:24; cf. 10:5) • At times, Jesus is respectful of Jewish authorities (17:24-27 et al.) • At the same time, Jesus is more hostile to Jewish leaders, calling them “a brood of vipers,” evil and satanic, and “hypocrites” • Matt. portrays people as sharing guilt of cross

15. The Need For Historical Context • It is important to remember that Matthew is writing in the context of the biggest crisis to hit Judaism in 600 years • Various parties jockeying to claim legitimacy • Matthew’s invective against the Jewish leaders is not inconsistent with the OT Prophets • Not so much “Christians vs. Jews” as “Christian Jews vs. Rabbinic Jews”

16. 6. Particular Interest in Torah • Not one letter or stroke of a letter of the Law will pass away • Matthew appears to view dietary and Sabbath laws as still binding (cf. Matt. 15:17, Mark 7:19)

17. 6. Particular Interest in Torah • However, Jesus sets aside Moses’ teaching in favor of his own, usually more radical teaching (5:21-48; 19:3-9) • Great Commission is to be fulfilled by teaching Jesus’ commandments, not Torah • Commandments seen as being consistent with Torah • Jesus is, in a sense, the “super-Rabbi”, offering an authoritative reinterpretation of Torah

18. 7. Jesus & Fulfillment of Prophecy • Jesus has come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (5:17) • Twelve fulfillment citations based on the Prophets • Jesus himself makes sweeping prophecies of the destruction of the temple and of the end times (24:3-25:46)

19. 8. Apocalyptic Dualism • Everything is divided into either a divine or demonic sphere of influence • Wheat vs. weeds • Sheep vs. goats • Children of the kingdom vs. children of the evil one • Seemingly trivial disputes are actually symbolic of cosmic clash between God and Satan

20. 9. The Presence of God • Emmanuel, “God is with us” (1:22-23) • Jesus twice promises his presence to his disciples (18:20; 28:20) • God’s presence in the world may not be immediately obvious, but is nonetheless assured (25:31-46)

21. Next Week:Key Theological Emphases • The Abiding Presence Of God • Jewish Law, Christian Faith • People of Little Faith • Life Together In Community