Introduction to the Gospel according to Matthew

Discuss the authorship, intended audience, date and historical/

sociological setting, structure, and major themes of the Gospel according
to Matthew.
I. Authorship
The earliest tradition about the authorship of Matthew is found in the

work of Eusebius of Caesarea, the early Church historian, about 325 CE.

Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History (3:39:16) quotes Papias, Bishop of

Hierapolis, c. 115 CE:

Matthew collected the logia (“oracles,” “messages,” or

“sayings”) in the Hebrew (Aramaic?) language, and each person
interpreted them as he was able.”
Usually it is assumed that the reference is to one of Jesus’ twelve

disciples, whose encounter with Jesus is described in Matthew 9:9-12 (where he

is called “a man named Matthew” ), and also in Mark 2:13-17 (where he is called

“Levi, son of Alphaeus”) and Luke 5:27-32 (where he is called “a tax collector,

named Levi”). All three accounts say that Jesus found him “sitting in the tax

office.” The name “Matthew” also appears in all four lists of Jesus’ twelve

disciples in Matthew 10:3 (“Matthew the tax collector” followed by “James the

son of Alphaeus”), Mark 3:18 (“Matthew,” followed by “James the son of

Alphaeus”), Luke 6:14 (“Matthew,” followed by “James the son of Alphaeus”), and

Acts 1:13 (“Matthew,” followed by “James the son of Alphaeus”).

If Papias’ statement refers to the present Gospel “according to

Matthew,” however, then the information given is probably incorrect. There

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are no indications in the current Greek text that might suggest that it is a

translation from either Hebrew or Aramaic. When the writer quotes the

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, usually the quote is from the Septuagint

Greek translation, not Hebrew or Aramaic.

Furthermore, this Gospel relies heavily on its primary source, the Gospel

“according to Mark,” as well as the other common source that it shares with Luke,

which is designated as “Q.” It seems unlikely that an actual eyewitness to

Jesus’ ministry, would be so dependent on the narrations of those who were not

themselves eyewitnesses to the ministry of Jesus. Indeed, the changes that

“Matthew” makes to his sources are not the kinds of changes in historical or

biographical detail that a person might expect an eyewitness to make. Rather,

they are primarily changes in theological emphasis, or simple grammatical

changes to make Mark’s narrative read more smoothly.

We noted in studying the Synoptic Gospel relationships that both

“Matthew” and “Luke” were dependent on the source “Q,” which consisted

primarily of sayings of Jesus, with no particular historical setting indicated

for them. Many interpreters since the time of Reimarus have suggested that

Papias may have understood “Matthew” to be the author, not of the current

Gospel that bears his name, but rather, of the “logia” mentioned by Papias,

and they further suggest that the “logia” and “Q” may be the same

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document. If this be the case, we should note that both “Matthew” and

“Luke” seem to have used that source in a Greek version, judging from the

similarities of the wording, which is practically identical in some sayings.

But elsewhere, there are some characteristics, some scholars suggest, that

might indicate that they were written originally in Aramaic and later

translated into Greek.

Other Biblical interpreters have suggested that perhaps “Matthew”

compiled a collection of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible prophetic proof-texts in

Greek (primarily from the Septuagint translation) that could be used with Jews

to “prove” to them that Jesus fulfilled the predictions of the Hebrew prophets

concerning the Messiah. These would then have been inserted later into the

narrative of the current Gospel according to “Matthew” at appropriate points.

These interpreters have suggested that perhaps such a collection of Hebrew

Bible “testimonia” may have been all that Papias had in mind.

In the final analysis, however, we really do not know who wrote or

compiled the Gospel according to “Matthew” as we currently have it. Clues in

the Gospel itself suggest that the writer was a person with Jewish, but not

necessarily Palestinian, roots. His name may or may not have been “Matthew.”

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 II. Intended Audience

Recent scholarship has suggested that the author was a member of,

and was writing for, a community of Hellenistic Jewish Christians, residing

outside Palestine, probably in Syria. Such a suggestion is supported by the

fact that the earliest direct quotations from this Gospel in early Christian

writings, appear in the letters of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch (c. 110-114

CE). Thus, many interpreters suggest that this Gospel may have been

composed for some congregation in that area.

III. Date and Historical/Sociological Setting

Furthermore, it seems probable that this Gospel was written about 85

CE. This conclusion is based on the assumption that the writer knew and used

Mark (composed about 69-70 CE), which must have circulated for several

years before becoming known widely. Also, it is clear from passages like

Matthew 22:7 that the Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE

has already occurred, and other expressions (e.g., Matthew 11:12; 28:15) seem

to indicate that a good deal of time has elapsed since the time of Jesus.

Although Christianity had begun in the context of Palestinian Judaism,

it soon moved into the larger Greco-Roman world, thanks to the missionary

work of Paul, Barnabas, and others. The first phase of the Christian expansion

outside Palestine was among Hellenistic Jews of the Diaspora, especially in

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Syria, Asia Minor, and Egypt. With the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple’s

destruction in 70 CE, many Jewish hopes everywhere were shattered. With the

important religious symbols of the Holy City and the Temple destroyed, Jews

struggled to survive and to rebuild.

As it turned out, the Pharisees were the Jews who had the best

resources to meet the challenge of the times. The Temple was gone, but

synagogues, the chief institution supported by Pharisees, still existed, and

many more would be built. Also, the Pharisees always had emphasized the

Torah, and, unlike the Sadducees, did not need the Temple to continue the

Jewish forms of worship as the Sadducees did.

About the year 85 CE, the Pharisees, under Rabbi Johanan ben

Zacchai, set up a new center for Judaism at Jamnia (Yavneh), on the

Mediterranean coast. There they worked to define and promote Jewish belief

and practice. They made decisions concerning the canon and text of the

Hebrew Scriptures, and they interpreted and codified the Torah, both written

and oral, and systematized matters of Jewish faith and practice. The Judaism

that eventually resulted from their work set basic patterns for Rabbinic

Judaism today. This center at Jamnia provided for the authoritative

interpretation of the Torah by the Rabbis that resulted in the Mishnah and

the Talmud that still influence the Judaism of today.

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 About the same time Christians of Jewish background were also being

affected by what was taking place at Jamnia. Prior to that time, in many

areas, Christians were still considered to be practicing Jews, who just

happened to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Jewish Messiah. Many of

these Christians still gathered with fellow Jews in synagogues to worship, to

pray, and to study the Torah. But about 85 CE the Rabbis at Jamnia

apparently made a formal decision that the Christians were heretics and were

to be excluded from participation in the activities of the synagogues.

References in Matthew to “their synagogues” (Matthew 9:35; 10:17, 12:9;

13:54) may reflect awareness of that decision.

Such a context might explain why this Gospel appears in some ways

to be both the most Jewish of the Gospels, and at the same time the most

anti-Jewish. Many interpreters suggest that the harsh attacks on Pharisees in

Matthew 23 are perhaps less the attitudes of the historical Jesus of c. 27-30

CE, and more the attitudes that Matthew and his community understood that

the Risen Christ in His Church was directing against the Pharisees at Jamnia.

IV. Structure

Matthew’s well-conceived story of Jesus is organized into five main

sections, with an introduction (prologue) and a conclusion (epilogue). Each

of the five sections consists of narrative material, taken for the most part

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from Mark, and sayings of Jesus, taken primarily from the lost source called

“Q,” that he holds in common with Luke, along with Matthew’s special

material, “M,” which is not used by any other Gospel writer. Each of the

five sections contains a formula-statement that serves as a bridge from the

narrative to the sayings material, and a concluding formula with some

variant of the words, “Now when Jesus had finished these sayings . . . ”

The following outline emerges from an examination of this Gospel:

Introduction (chapters 1 and 2) – The coming of Jesus as God’s Messiah –

Genealogy and birth narratives.
Section I (chapters 3-7) – Preparation and program of Jesus’ ministry.
A. Narrative (chapters 3 and 4) – Baptism, temptation, call of disciples.
B. Teaching (chapters 5-7) – Sermon on the mountain.
Section II (chapters 8-10) – The authority of Jesus.
A. Narrative (chapters 8 and 9) – Healings and forgiveness of sins.
B. Teaching (chapter 10) – Instructions for disciples.
Section III (chapters 11-13) – The Kingdom and its coming.
A. Narrative (chapters 11 and 12) – Controversies resulting from the
inability of Jesus’ disciples to discern the Kingdom’s in-breaking.
B. Teaching (chapter 13) – Parables of the Kingdom.
Section IV (chapters 14-18) – Life of the New Community.
A. Narrative (chapters 14-17) – Anticipation of hostility toward, and
common life within, the New Community.
B. Teaching (chapter 18) – Regulations for the common life within the
New Community.
Section V (chapters 19-25) – The consummation of the Present Age.
A. Narrative (chapters 19-23) – Intensified conflict between Jesus and
Judaism.

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 B. Teaching (chapters 24-25) – The End of this Present Age.
Conclusion (chapters 26-28) – The humiliation and the exaltation of the
Messiah.
The “bridge paragraphs” are found at Matthew 5:1; 10:5; 13:1; and

18:1. The formula endings are found at or near the end of each section at

Matthew 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; and 26:1.

Many Biblical interpreters have concluded that the very outline of this

Gospel, with its five separated bodies of narrative and teaching, is a

conscious parallel of the five-fold division of the Torah, implying that, for

the Church, here is the new Torah, the new revelation, which fulfills or

completes the purpose of the original Torah delivered to Moses. It is true

that a careful reading of the Gospel will show that the author has not

followed his scheme with strict consistency. He is not a slave of his outline.

But it is just as obvious that he has deliberately structured this Gospel in a

five-fold pattern.

V. Major Themes

Two features of this Gospel are particularly striking. The first is the

many references to the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament that are used to

“prove” that Jesus “fulfilled” contemporary Jewish messianic hopes and

expectations.

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 Especially, in the first two chapters, which belong to Matthew’s

special material (“M”), we note the following:

1. Jesus’ lineage is traced back through Joseph to King David, and

then back to Abraham, the father of Judaism (Matthew 1:2-17).

2. The “virgin birth,” more properly, the “virginal conception,” is

proclaimed, and is supported by reference to Isaiah 7:14, taken out of its

original context, in much the same manner that many contemporary

Rabbinic pronouncements were made (Matthew 1:18-23).

3. The story of the magi (“wise men”) from the East is told, enriched

by a quotation from Micah 5:2, which Matthew understood as a prediction of

the Messiah’s birthplace (Matthew 2:1-12).

4. The escape of Jesus’ family from Bethlehem into Egypt is reported,

incorporating a quotation from Hosea 11:1, again taken out of its original

context (Matthew 2:13-14).

5. The story about King Herod’s killing of the male children of

Bethlehem is added, supplemented with a quotation from Jeremiah 31:15,

again taken out of its original context (Matthew 2:16-18).

6. The reason for Jesus’ eventual residence in Nazareth is reported,

with an affirmation that this is in accordance with the tradition of the

Hebrew prophets (Matthew 2:19-23), There is no certain source for the

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prophetic citation. It might refer to Isaiah 11:1, which speaks of a “branch”

(Hebrew: netzer) from the roots of David, or it might refer to the story of the

Judge Samson in Judges 13:8, where Samson is to take the vow of a

“Nazirite”—but neither the word netzer nor the word for “Nazirite” is related to

the place name, “Nazareth” and nowhere does the Gospel of Matthew state

that Jesus was a Nazirite.

A second striking feature of this Gospel is the number of ways, in

addition to the five-fold division of its content, in which the author/compiler

seems to portray Jesus as a “new and greater Moses”:

1. By the story of the killing of the male children at the time of Jesus’

birth (Matthew 2:16-18) which parallels the Pharaoh’s killing of children in

Exodus 1:15-22).

2. By relating Jesus to Egypt, from which Moses came with the

Israelites back to the Promised Land (Matthew 2:13-15; cf. Hosea 11:1 and

the entirety of Exodus – Deuteronomy).

3. By Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7), in which Jesus, like a

“new Moses,” delivers what appears to be a “new Torah” from a new mountain of

revelation (cf. Exodus 19:3 ff.; 31:18 ff.; 32:15 ff; 34:2 ff. and 28 ff.).

4. By having Jesus in that same “Sermon on the Mount” give a close

interpretation of portions of the Torah of Moses preceded by these words: “You

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have heart that it was said, . . . but I say, . . . ” (Matthew 5:21-26, 27-30, 31-32,

33-37, 38-42, 43-48). One must, however, give close attention to the words

preceding this series of statements in order to view them in proper context.

5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or
the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I
tell you, until Heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one
stroke of a letter, will pass from the Torah until all is accomplished.
19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these
commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called
least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does them and
teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For
I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes
and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Matthew 5:17-20 NRSV)
“M” –The Traditional Material /Source(s) Peculiar to Matthew
We use the symbol M to denote the Gospel tradition peculiar to
Matthew. Apart from editorial insertions, it consists of:
about a dozen Hebrew Bible proof-texts (“testimonia”);
some dozen narratives: The Nativity Narrative (1-2) Peter’s Walking
on the Water, the Coin in the Fish’s Mouth, and stories connected
with the Passion and Resurrection (the death of Judas, Pilate’s Wife’s
Dream, the Handwashing, the resurrection of the Jewish Saints, the
Watch at the Tomb, the Earthquake, the Appearance to the women,
the Bribing of the Guard, and the Final Commission; and
many sayings and parables in chapters 5-25, of which the chief are:
three-fifths of the Sermon on the Mount (5-7);
more than twelve verses of the Mission Charge (10);
five parables of the Kingdom (13);
most of chapter 18;
the three eschatological parables of chapter 25,
plus such sayings as “Come unto Me,” the two “ecclesiastical”
sayings (16:17-19 and 18:15-20) and such parables as the
Laborers in the Vineyard, the Two Sons, the Marriage Feast and
the Wedding Garment

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 Many of the narratives in (b) sound like Jerusalem gossip and “rarely
rise above the level of edifying stories to the level of historicity” (James
Moffatt). This is the least valuable of the Synoptic tradition.
It is to (c), the teaching peculiar to Matthew that B. H. Streeter and
others apply the symbol M. Some portions of it are “divergent versions” of
sayings in Q. Did it all reach Matthew orally, or did he derive it from some
hypothetical document M? Scholars are divided between these two views.
What is certain is that M represents a distinct cycle of tradition with a clear
Jewish atmosphere. Its respect for the Torah, coupled with its hatred of the
interpreters of the Torah, its Palestinian Jewish milieu, sayings like 10:6
and its strong Church interest suggest that it emanated from the
congregations of Judea, which were centered in the Jerusalem Mother
Church; and that it belongs to the years just before the Fall of Jerusalem.
M undoubtedly contains much genuine teaching of Jesus; but since it
has suffered adulteration from the Jewish side, we must use it with
considerable caution.
“M” material appears in the following passages in the Gospel
According to Matthew:
The Birth and Infancy Narratives Matthew 1:1 – 2:23
John the Baptizer’s hesitation Matthew 3:14-15
Fulfillment of Isaiah 9:1 f. Matthew 4:13-16
The Sermon on the Mount:
The Beatitudes Matthew 5:1, 5, 7-10
Salt and Light Matthew 5:13-16 f. (esp. 14, 16 f.)
Jesus and the Torah Matthew 5:17-20 (esp.19-20)
On Murder Matthew 5:21-26 (esp. 21-24)
On Adultery Matthew 5:27-30
On Divorce Matthew 5:31-32 (esp. 31); cf. Luke 16:18 and Mark
10:11-12
On Vows and Oaths Matthew 5:33-37
On Retribution Matthew 5:38-42 (esp. 38-39a, 41)
On Love of Neighbor Matthew 5:43-48 (esp. 43)
On Almsgiving Matthew 6:1-4

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 On Prayer Matthew 6:5-15 (esp. 5-8, 10b, 13b); cf. Luke 11:2-4
On Fasting Matthew 6:16-18
On Treasures Matthew 6:19-21; cf. Luke 12:33
On Light Matthew 6:22-23
On Loyalty Matthew 6:24
On Freedom From Worry Matthew 6:23-34 (esp. 34)
On Judging Matthew 7:1-5
On Discrimination Matthew 7:6
On Asking God Matthew 7:7-11
The Golden Rule Matthew 7:12 (esp. 12b)
The Two Ways Matthew 7:13-14; cf. Luke 13:23-24
False Prophets Matthew 7:15-20 (esp. 15. 19 f.)
Exorcists Matthew 7:21-23 (esp. 22); cf. Luke 6:46 and 13:26-27
Parable of the Two Houses Matthew 7:24-27
Fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4 Matthew 8:17
Mercy and Sacrifice; Fulfillment of Hosea 6:6 Matthew 9:13a
The Healing of Two Blind Men Matthew 9:27-31 (cf. Mark 10:46 ff.)
The Healing of the Dumb Demoniac, a Preface to the Mission of the Twelve
Matthew 9:32-36
Sayings, Chiefly of a Missionary Character Matthew 10:5-8, 9-13, (a
mixture of Mark and M) 16b, 23, 24-25, 36, 40-42 (esp. 5b, 8b, 16b,
23, 25, 36, 41
? Editorial Matthew 11:1
On Elijah (Re: John the Baptizer) Matthew 11:14-15
? Editorial Matthew 11:20
The Great Invitation Matthew 11:28-30 (cf. Sirach 51:23-27)
On the Sabbath Matthew 12:5-7, 11:12a
Fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1-4 Matthew 12:17-21
On Idle Words Matthew 12:36-37
Mathew 12:40 (cf. Luke 11:30)

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The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Costly Pearl Matthew 13:44-46
The Parable of the Drag Net Matthew 13:47-52
Peter’s Walking on the Water Matthew 14:28-33 (cf. Mark 6:51b)
The Pharisees and the Blind Matthew 15:12-14a
The Canaanite Woman Matthew 15:22-25 (esp. 23 f.)
The Promise to Peter Matthew 16:17-19
Expansion of Mark’s Story of the Transfiguration Matthew 17:6 f.
Explanatory Note about Elijah Matthew 17:13
On Faith Matthew 17:20; cf. Luke 17:6, Q; Mark 11:23; I Corinthians 13:2
The Coin in the Fish’s Mouth Matthew 17:24-27; 18:4 (cf. Luke 14:11;
18:14)
The Parable of the Lost Sheep Matthew 18:10, 12-14; cf. Luke 15:3-7, L
Life within the Church Matthew 18:15-20
On Forgiveness: the Unmerciful Slave Matthew 18:21-35
On Celibacy and the Kingdom Matthew 19:10-12
The Twelve Thrones Matthew 19:28; cf. Luke 22:28-30, L
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard/Good Employer Matthew 20:1-16
Who Is This? Matthew 21:10-11
The Children’s Hosanna and Fulfillment of Psalm 8:3) Matthew 21:14-16
The Parable of the Two Sons Matthew 21:28-32
Explanatory Note Matthew 21:43
The Parables of the Marriage Feast and the Wedding Garment Matthew
22:1-14
Woes on Scribes and Pharisees Matthew 23:1-39 (esp. 23:2 f., 5, 7b-10, 15-
22, 27b-28, 32 f.) (for 33 cf. Luke 3:7)
Apocalyptic Sayings Matthew 24:10-12, 14b, 20b, 30 (30 is an expansion of
Daniel 7:13)
The Parable of the Ten Virgins Matthew 25:1-13

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The Parable of the Money in Trust (Talents) Matthew 25:14-30; cf. Luke
19:11-27, L
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats Matthew 25:31-46
Introductory to the Passion Narrative Matthew 26:1
Saying to the Traitor Matthew 26:25, 50a (cf. Luke 22:23, 48)
Twelve Legions of Angels Matthew 26:52-54 (cf. Revelation 13:10)
The Death of Judas and Fulfillment of Zechariah 11:12 Matthew 27:3-10 (cf.
Acts 1:15 ff.)
Pilate’s Wife Matthew 27:19
Pilate’s Handwashing Matthew 27:24-25
A Fulfillment of Psalms 22:19 Matthew 27:43
The Resurrection of Jewish Saints Matthew 27:51b-53
The Watch at the Tomb Matthew 27:62-66
The Earthquake Matthew 28:2-4
Appearances to the Women Matthew 28:9-10
The Bribing of the Guard Matthew 28:11-15
The Final Commission Matthew 28:16-20

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