Book of Matthew, Background

Quick Rundown

     After 400 years of silence from any prophet, The Messiah had finally come! This was no occasion to forget so Matthew, who became one of Christ’s close followers summarized Christ’s life and ministry on earth. Matthew’s account is one of one of the four synoptic (or summaries) accounts of the life, ministry, and teachings of Christ. This was a galactic event, and a lot happened. Matthew captured the most significant and remarkable aspects of all Christ said and did. In fact, Christ did so much more than what could be recorded that John said, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31). He also says, “…not even the world would have space for the number of books that could be written” (John 21:25).

     For the people of Israel, Christ’s advent was a major political event as much as it was a spiritual event. They had been through a lot and during their time during the 400 years of silence there was transition from Persian rule to Greek rule, and finally to Roman rule. These times were filled with major and bloody conflict including Jewish revolt by the Maccabees against the Seleucids during the Hellenist Greek period. Rome’s rule and Israel’s position in this period, most notably King Herod in charge of the Israelites, were hard-won so any threat to stability would not be tolerated. That is why Matthew focused on his fellow Jews and the oppression they suffered including high taxation (Matthew being a tax collector himself) and persecution from the Romans and pro-Hellenists.

     So, Christ’s (& John the Baptizer’s) ministry and teaching were significant in Israel’s midst when He came to earth. Matthew begins most importantly with Christ’s lineage focusing on his family’s history all the way back to Abraham (the founder of Israel) through Israel’s dramatic political line which was divinely held together during the divided kingdoms and their deportations – up to the providential inclusion of Mary and Joseph in the virgin birth of Christ. This family tree which could not be disproven even today, established Christ’s rightful position and authority as The Priest, Prophet, and King of Israel and most markedly of the world (Matthew 4:23-25). Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each selectively captured for us different aspects of Christ’s ministry through their own lenses and impressions of their experience with the Lord. Matthew is one of the most detailed and Jewish-focused, concentrating on the judicial and religious authority of Christ and the opposition and rejection of Christ by Israel.

 

Title

     Matthew, meaning “gift of the Lord,” was the other name of Levi in 9:9, the tax collector who left everything to follow Christ (Luke 5:27-28). Matthew was one of the 12 apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). In his own list of the 12, he explicitly calls himself a “tax collector” in 10:3. Nowhere else in Scripture is the name Matthew associated with “tax collector”; the other evangelists always use his former name, Levi, when speaking about who he used to be. This is evidence of great humility on Matthew’s part. As with the other 3 gospels, this work is known by the name of its author.

 

Author and Date

     The canonicity and Matthew’s authorship of the gospel are largely unchallenged in the early church. Eusebius (ca. A.D. 265-339) quotes Origen (ca. 185-254):

 

            “Among the four Gospels, which are only indisputable ones in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the first was written by Matthew,   who was once a publican, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, and it was prepared for the converts of Judaism” (Ecclesiastical History 6:25).

     It is clear that Matthew’s gospel was written relatively early on prior to the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. Some scholars have proposed a date as early as A.D. 50. In fact, as a matter of further discussion some of the issues related to the authorship and dating of Matthew’s gospel, especially one known as “The Synoptic Problem,” is further discussed in the Interpretive Challenges section of the introduction to Mark’s gospel synopsis.

Palestine during Herod the Great and His sons.[1]

The Decapolis is the confederation of ten cities in Palestine east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee referred to in Matthew 4:25. [2]

Background and Setting

     Matthew’s Jewish flavor of the gospel is quite stunning, as it is made evident in the opening genealogy which Matthew traces all the way back to Abraham. Contrast this style to Luke who traced Christ’s lineage further back to Adam, aiming to show Christ as the Redeemer of all humanity. Matthew’s purpose was narrower with good reason: to demonstrate that Christ is, was, and always will be the King and Messiah of Israel. Matthew’s gospel quotes Old Testament prophecy more than 60 times, emphasizing how Christ is the fulfillment of all those promises.

     Gathering from several facts, it is highly probable Matthew’s audience was predominantly Jewish on purpose: first to consider is that Matthew usually cited Jewish customs without explaining them, in contrast to the other writers for example Mark 7:3 and John 19:40. Matthew constantly referred to Christ as “the Son of David” in 1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30, 21:9, 15, 22:42 and 45. Matthew even guarded the name of God with Jewish sensibilities, referring to “the kingdom of heaven” where the other synoptics speak of the “the kingdom of God.” Matthew’s major themes are rooted in the Old Testament and set in light of Israel’s Messianic expectations.

     Matthew’s use of the Greek language suggests he was writing as a Palestinian Jew to Hellenistic Jews throughout the diaspora. Matthew wrote as an eyewitness of many of the events he described, giving firsthand testimony about the words and works of Christ Jesus of Nazareth.

     Matthew’s purpose is clear: to demonstrate that Christ is the Jewish nation’s long-awaited and promised Messiah. The way Matthew quotes the volumes of Old Testament passages was specifically designed to show the ties between the Messiah of promise and the Christ of history. This purpose was never out of focus for Matthew, and he even presented many incidental details from the Old Testament prophecies as proofs of Christ’s messianic claims as found in 2:17, 18, 4:13-15, 13:35, 21:4,5, and 27:9 and 10.

Jesus Christ likely took his first steps in Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)

Historical and Theological Themes

     Since Matthew was focused on setting forth Christ Jesus as Messiah, King of Israel, an interest in the Old Testament kingdom promises runs throughout the gospel. As discussed, Matthew’s signature phrase “the kingdom of heaven” occurs over 30 times in his gospel compared to nowhere else in all Scripture.

     Matthew opened with Christ’s lineage by design to document Christ’s credentials as rightful king of Israel, and the rest of the book completes this theme. (It is important to note Israel started as a theocracy before the people demanded a human king, but this did not work out well for Israel – 1 Samuel 8:19-22). Their rightful King had returned, and Matthew demonstrated Christ is the heir of the kingly line. He further showed this through Christ’s dozens of Old Testament prophecies regarding the king who would come. Matthew offers evidence after evidence to establish Christ’s kingly right and privilege to do and say what He did. All other historical and theological themes revolve around this point.

     Matthew recorded 5 major discourses: 1) the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7; 2) the commissioning of the apostles in chapter 10; 3) the parables of the kingdom in chapter 13; 4) a discourse about the childlikeness of the believer in chapter 18; and 5) the discourse about His second Advent in chapters 24-25. Each discourse concludes with a variation of the phrase, “when Jesus had finished saying these words” and signals a new narrative portion (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). The rest of Matthew’s gospel is bracketed by a long opening section in chapters 1-4 and a short conclusion in chapter 28:16-20. It is therefore easy to see a stark parallel between these 5 sections and the 5 books of Moses in the Old Testament – otherwise known as the Torah in Judaism, or the Pentateuch in Christianity.

     Matthew also captured the conflict between Christ and the Pharisees and Sadducees which is another common theme. But Matthew was keen to show the error of the Pharisees for the benefit of his Jewish audience – not for personal or self-aggrandizing reasons. It is interesting to note Matthew omits the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector even though the parable may have put him in a favorable light.

     Matthew also mentions the Sadducees more than the other gospel writers. Both Pharisees and Sadducees are regularly portrayed negatively and were held up as warning beacons. John the Baptizer calls them a “brood of vipers” (3:7). Their doctrine is a leaven that must be avoided (16:11-12). Although these groups were doctrinally at odds with one another they were united in their opposition and hatred of Christ. To Matthew they epitomized all in Israel who rejected Christ as the King.

     The rejection of Israel’s Messiah is another constant theme in Matthew’s account. There is no other gospel where the attacks against Christ Jesus are so strong. From the flight into Egypt to the cross Matthew paints a more vivid portrayal of Christ’s rejection than his contemporaries. In Matthew’s account of the crucifixion, for example no thief repents, nor are Christ’s friends or loved ones seen at the foot of the cross. In Christ’s death He is forsaken even by God in 27:46. The shadow of rejection is never lifted from the story. Yet by the 28^th chapter Matthew portrays Christ as the victorious King who will one day return “on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (24:30. The best is yet to come!

The cataclysmic siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70[3]

Interpretive Challenges

     As noted, Matthew grouped his synopsis of Christ’s ministry and teaching around 5 great discourses. He made no attempt to follow a strict chronology compared to the other gospels. Matthew freely took events out of order and focused on capturing important concepts rather than laying them out in timeline format.

     Of all we read that Christ taught from Matthew’s synoptic the prophetic passages present challenges to reading and interpretation. For example, Christ’s Olivet discourse contains some details that evoke images of the violent destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Christ’s words in 24:34 are significant and have led some to conclude that all these things were literally fulfilled in the Roman conquest. This view is known as “preterism,” which is an end-times or eschatological view and belief that interprets some or all prophecies of the Bible’s events have already been fulfilled in history, when in fact what Christ is talking about is only just beginning. So, holding this view is cause for interpretive blunder because it forces an interpretation that spiritualizes what Christ is saying which should be remedied by normal reading and exegetical methods. Consider Israel’s attitude towards Christ during this time. The grammatical and historical approach to these passages is the approach to follow and yields a consistently futuristic interpretation of crucial prophecies (hermeneutics). 

Outline

I. (Prologue) The King’s Advent (1:1-4:25)

     A. The King’s Birth (1:1-2:23)

          1. His Ancestry (1:1-17)

          2. His Birth (1:18-25)

          3. His Adoration (2:1-12)

          4. His Adversaries (2:13-23)

     B. His Entry into Public Ministry (3:1-4:25)

          1. His Forerunner John the Baptizer (3:1-12)

          2. His Baptism (3:13-17)

          3. His Temptations (4:1-11)

          4. His earliest ministry (4:12-25)

II. The King’s Authority (5:1-9:38)

     A. Discourse 1: Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:29)

          1. Righteousness and happiness (5:1-12)

          2. Righteousness and discipleship (5:13-16)

          3. Righteousness and the scriptures (5:17-20)

          4. Righteousness and morality (5:21-48)

          5. Righteousness and practical religion (6:1-18)

          6. Righteousness and mundane things (6:19-34)

          7. Righteousness and human relations (7:1-12)

          8. Righteousness and salvation (7:13-29)

     B. Narrative 1: The Authenticating Miracles (8:1-9:38)

          1. A leper cleansed (8:1-4)

          2. Centurian’s servant healed (8:5-13)

          3. Peter’s mother-in-law healed (8:14-15)

          4. Multitudes healed (8:16-22)

          5. The winds and sea rebuked (8:23-27)

          6. Two demoniacs delivered (8:28-34)

          7. Paralytic pardoned and healed (9:1-8)

          8. Tax collector called (9:9-13)

          9. Questions about fasting answered (9:14-17)

          10. A girl raised from the dead (9:18-26)

          11. Two blind men given sight (9:27-31)

          12. Mute and demon-possessed man speaks (9:32-34)

          13. Multitudes viewed with compassion (9:35-38)

III. The King’s Mission & Agenda (10:1-12:50)

     A. Discourse 2: The Commissioning of the Twelve (10:1-42)

          1. The King’s men (10:1-4)

          2. Sending of the disciples (10:5-23)

          3. Hallmarks of discipleship (10:24-42)

     B. Narrative 2: The King’s Mission (11:1-12:50)

          1. Christ’s identity affirmed for John’s disciples (11:1-19)

          2. Woes pronounced on the impenitent (11:20-24)

          3. Rest offered to the weary (11:25-30)

          4. Lordship asserted over the Sabbath (12:1-13)

          5. Opposition fomented by the Jewish leaders (12:14-45)

          6. Eternal relationships defined by spiritual ancestry (12:46-50)

IV. The King’s Adversaries (13:1-17:27)

     A. Discourse 3: The Kingdom Parables (13:1-52)

          1. The soils (13:1-23)

          2. The wheat and tares (13:24-30, 34-43)

          3. The mustard seed (13:31-32)

          4. The leaven (13:33)

          5. The hidden treasure (13:44)

          6. The pearl of great price (13:45-46)

          7. The dragnet (13:47-50)

          8. The householder (13:51-52)

     B. Narrative 3: Conflict with the Kingdom (13:53-17:27)

          1. Nazareth rejects the King (13:53-58)

          2. Herod murders John the Baptizer (14:1-12)

          3. Christ feeds the 5,000 (14:13-21)

          4. Christ walks on water (14:22-33)

          5. Multitudes seek healing (14:34-36)

          6. Scribes and Pharisees challenge Christ (15:1-20)

          7. Canaanite woman believes (15:21-28)

          8. Christ heals multitudes (15:29-31)

          9. Christ feeds the 4,000 (15:32-39)

          10. Pharisees and Sadducees seek a sign (16:1-12)

          11. Peter confesses Christ (16:13-20)

          12. Christ predicts His death (16:21-28)

          13. Christ reveals His glory (17:1-13)

          14. Christ heals a child (17:14-21)

          15. Christ foretells His betrayal (17:22,23)

          16. Christ pays temple tax (17:24-27)

V. The King’s Administration (18:1-23:39)

     A. Discourse 4: Childlikeness of the Believer (18:1-35)

          1. The call for childlike faith (18:1-6)

          2. Warning against offenses (18:7-9)

          3. Parable about the lost sheep (18:10-14)

          4. Pattern for church discipline (18:15-20)

          5. Lesson about forgiveness (18:21-35)

     B. Narrative 4: Jerusalem Ministry (19:1-23:39)

          1. Kingly lessons (19:1-20:28)

               a. Divorce (19:1-10)

               b. Celibacy (19:11-12)

               c. Children (19:13-15)

               d. Surrender (19:16-22)

               e. Who may be saved (19:23-30)

               f. Equality in the Kingdom (20:1-16)

               g. On His betrayal and death (20:17-19)

               h. True greatness (20:20-28)

          2. Kingly deeds (20:29-21:27)

               a. Healing two blind men (20:29-34)

               b. Receiving adoration (21:1-11)

               c. Cleansing of the temple (21:12-17)

               d. Cursing the fig tree (21:18-22)

               e. Answering a challenge (21:23-27)

          3. Kingly parables (21:28-22:14)

               a. The two sons (21:28-32)

               b. The wicked vine-growers (21:33-46)

               c. The wedding feast (22:1-14)

          4. Kingly answers (22:15-46)

               a. Herodians: on paying taxes (22:15-22)

               b. Sadducees: on the resurrection (22:23-33)

               c. Scribes: on the first and greatest commandment (22:34-40)

               d. Pharisees: on David’s greater Son (22:41-46)

          5. Kingly pronouncements (23:1-39)

               a. Woe to scribes and Pharisees (23:1-36)

               b. Woe to Jerusalem (23:37-39)

VI. The King’s Atonement (24:1-28:15)

     A. Discourse 5: The Olivet Discourse (24:1-25:46)

          1. Destruction of the temple (24:1-2)

          2. Signs of the times (24:3-31)

          3. Parable of the fig tree (24:32-35)

          4. Lesson of Noah (24:36-44)

          5. Parable of the two slaves (24:45-51)

          6. Parable of the ten virgins (25:1-13)

          7. Parable of the talents (25:14-30)

          8. Judgment of the nations (25:31-46)

     B. Narrative 5: Crucifixion and Resurrection (26:1-28:15)

          1. Plot to kill the King (26:1-5)

          2. Mary anoints Christ (26:6-13) (John 11:2; 12:3)

          3. Judas betrays Christ (26:14-16)

          4. Passover (26:17-30)

          5. Prophecy of Peter’s denial (26:31-35)

          6. Christ’s agony (26:36-46)

          7. Christ arrested (26:47-56)

          8. Trial before the Sanhedrin (26:57-68)

          9. Peter’s denial (26:69-75)

          10. Judas’ sorrow and suicide (27:1-10)

          11. Trial before Pilate (27:11-26)

          12. Soldier’s mock Christ (27:27-31)

          13. Christ’s crucifixion (27:32-56)

          14. Christ’s burial (27:57-66)

          15. Christ’s resurrection (28:1-15)

VII. Epilogue: The King’s Assignment

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[1] https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Roman-Palestine-during-the-First-Century-AD-Galilee-shown-in-orange-on-the-map_fig1_339615676

[2] https://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Geography-Decapolis.htm

[3] https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/siege-of-jerusalem-ad-70/

⁴ MacArthur Study Bible, NASB, Updated Edition. 2006. Nelson Bibles, Thomas Nelson. La Habra, CA.