THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Transcription

1 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW HISTORICAL CONTEXT INTRODUCTION: The book of Matthew has always occupied a position of high esteem in the faith and life of the church: "When we turn to Matthew, we turn to the book which may well be called the most important single document of the Christian faith, for in it we have the fullest and the most systematic account of the life and the teachings of Jesus." (William Barclay) The writings of the early church fathers reveal that it was the most frequently quoted and perhaps the most widely read gospel during the first two centuries of the church's history. AUTHOR: Matthew s surname was Levi. He had been a tax-collector, one of Jesus' earliest disciples (Mt 9:9; Mk 2:14). He was chosen to be one of the twelve apostles (Mt 10:2-3). A close associate of Jesus during His ministry, Matthew's gospel is a first-hand account, unlike Luke who depended upon other eyewitnesses. Matthew may very well be a nickname Jesus had given him which means gift of God. There is a good chance that James (not the brother of John) was the brother of Matthew, since they are both described as sons of Alpheus (Mk 2:14; 3:18; Lk 6:15). This would mean that half of the twelve disciples were composed of three pairs of brothers. The apostolic origin and canonical rank of the gospel of Matthew were accepted without a doubt by the early church. Some scholars hold to a Christian scribe as the author. He would have been a part of Matthew s community, who took Matthew s fingerprint of five largely unconnected blocks of Jesus sayings and, using the Gospel of Mark as a template, wrote what we have come to know as the Gospel of Matthew. o Matthew s five statements (8:1; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1) unite the sayings material of each discourse and moves the narrative along to a new segment. Page 1 of 5

2 DATE: Irenaeus says it was written when Peter and Paul were preaching in Rome (Against Heresies 3.1.1). Eusebius states that this was done when Matthew left Palestine and went to preach to others (Historia Ecclesiastica, III, 24). Clement of Alexandria said that the presbyters who succeeded each other from the beginning declared that "the gospels containing the genealogies (Matthew and Luke) were written first" (Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica, VI, 14). It is traditionally dated between A.D. Various items in this Gospel have also been said to prove a pre-70 origin. Matthew (and only he) include references to the temple tax (17:24 27), offerings (5:23 24) and ritual (23:16 22) and Sabbath keeping in Judea (24:20). In an era (after 70), these rituals would no longer be practiced. THEME: The gospel appears written to Jews, designed to prove that Jesus is the Messianic king of Old Testament (OT) prophecy. This is evidenced by Matthew s frequent appeal to OT Messianic prophecies. He quotes from almost every book in the OT, and twelve times he identifies OT prophecies as fulfilled in the life of Jesus (Mt 1:22; 2:15,23; 4:14; 5:17; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14,35; 21:4; 27:9). One could therefore say that the theme is: Jesus, the King of the Jews Matthew s Gospel is focused on identity, namely, helping the reader discard the old, incomplete identities that enslave and receive a radical new identity. Matthew leads the way to surrendering whatever citizenship you define your identity by and becoming a citizen of the new kingdom, whose King is Jesus. Matthew is primarily about the identity of Jesus and the often-painful process of subsuming our identities in his (see Gal 3:28). The entire Gospel might be summed up in the plea Jesus, tell me who you are, so I can know who I am. In this light, the oft asked question Who am I? is transformed, becoming servant to the ultimate question, Who is Jesus? SETTING OF MATTHEW S GOSPEL: The place is Galilee, to which Matthew refers some sixteen times. The ministry of Jesus begins and ends in Galilee (Mt 4:12-16; 28:16, 26). That Jesus lives there is a fulfillment of two Old Testament prophecies (Mt 2:23; 4:14). It is the hub of his ministry. He flees there for comfort and perspective when his cousin John is arrested (Mt 4:12). Page 2 of 5

3 Most of Jesus ministry involves canvasing Galilee (Mt 4:23, 25; 17:22). The women who accompany him throughout his ministry and to the cross and the empty tomb are Galilean women (Mt 27:55). His ministry will come to its climax on a hilltop in Galilee (Mt 28:7, 10, 16). Matthew could be described as the Gospel of Galilee. Estimated the population at three million. Revolts frequently ignited there (see Acts 5:37). Galilee in Jesus day was crowded and frequently the center of conflict between the Romans and the Jews, and among the Jews themselves. The Talmud describes the Galileans as quarrelsome and ignorant. One famous rabbi, Yohanan ben Zakkai, later lamented, O Galilee, Galilee, thou hatest the Torah. Galilee was a crowded place with a mixed population with customs often at odds with one another a people who were contentious and looked down on, a place where poor tenant farmers were commonly abused by wealthy landowners from Judea, a country at war with the Romans and with itself. Into this turmoil of mid-first-century Galilee, Jesus and his movement were born, and the first community of his followers, all Galileans, was set on a collision course with crisis. NOTE: To those who were being stripped of their identity as children of Israel, Matthew s Gospel speaks repeatedly of the kingdom of God. More than any other Gospel, it portrays the kingship of Jesus and the radical uniqueness of his kingdom. Only in Matthew do we hear Jesus tell his followers that they are the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Mt 5:13-14; see Jn 8:12). CHRISTOLOGY: Clearly Matthew views him as Teacher, not only because of the five extensive sermons but because of the prominence of ethical instruction throughout the Gospel. One of the most distinctive titles for Jesus in Matthew is Son of David. It occurs nine times, eight of which are unparalleled in any of the other Gospels, whereas Mark uses it only three times and Luke four. Matthew s Son of Man references generally parallel the range of usage elsewhere in the Gospels the human Jesus, the one who must suffer, and the exalted figure of Dan 7: Perhaps the most significant title of all for Matthew is that which addresses Jesus as Lord. Page 3 of 5

4 Lord is the correct term for a disciple to use, particularly when in need of a miracle that only one who has divine power can supply (e.g., 8:2, 6, 25; 9:28). Many have vigorously defended Son of God as the key Christological title for Matthew. Matthew includes it at strategic points in his narrative: at Jesus birth (2:15), temptations (4:3, 6), recognition by the disciples (14:33; 16:16), and passion and death (26:63; 27:40, 43). SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS It is a Jewish gospel. We've noted its frequent appeal to OT prophecies. Its organization is mostly topical, as opposed to strictly chronological (a common style in Jewish literature). Thus, it appears to have been written with a Jewish audience in mind. It is an ecclesiastical gospel. It is the only gospel which mentions the word "church". It foretells its beginning (Mt 16:18), and describes some of the life in the church (Mt 18:15-17). It contains lengthy discourses especially beneficial to those in the church, such as the sermon on the mount (Mt 5-7), the many parables (Mt 13), and the Olivet discourse (Mt 24-25). It contains admonitions important to disciples of Christ, such as the importance of doing the Father's will (Mt 7:21-23) and observing all that Jesus commanded (Mt 28:20). In other words, this was a gospel designed for use by those in the early church. It is an evangelistic gospel. It is a preaching gospel, especially when compared with the apostles' preaching found in Acts. It expands upon the basic elements and points made in their sermons. Consider these themes in apostolic preaching: God's promises in the OT have been fulfilled - Ac 3:18,24. The long-awaited Messiah, born of David's line, has come - Ac 13:23. He is Jesus of Nazareth - Ac 13:23. He went about preaching and doing good through mighty works Ac 10:38. He was crucified according to the promise and will of God Ac 2: He was raised from the dead, and exalted at God's right hand Ac 2:24. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead Ac 3:20-21; 17: Therefore, all should heed His message, repent and be baptize - Ac 2: All of these points are expanded upon in the gospel of Matthew. Page 4 of 5

5 OUTLINE - (adapted from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary) 1. The birth and childhood of Jesus - Mt 1:1-2:23 2. The preparation for the ministry of Jesus - Mt 3:1-4:11 3. The ministry of Jesus in Galilee - Mt 4:12-18:35 4. The ministry of Jesus in Perea - Mt 19:1-20:16 5. The ministry of Jesus in Judea - Mt 20: The ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem - Mt 21:1-25:46 7. The suffering of Jesus - Mt 26:1-27:66 8. The resurrection of Jesus - Mt 28:1-20 Page 5 of 5