gospel bible

The Gospel of Matthew (Gk. Κατὰ Ματθαῖον εὐαγγέλιον, Kata Matthaion Euangelion or τὸ εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ματθαῖον, To Euangelion kata Matthaion, Matthæus") is one of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a synoptic gospel. It narrates an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It describes his genealogy, his miraculous birth and childhood, his baptism and temptation, his ministry of healing and preaching in Galilee, his trip to Jerusalem marked by an incident in the Temple, and finally his crucifixion and resurrection. The resurrected Jesus commissions his Apostles to "go and make disciples of all nations."

The Early Christian tradition attributes the Gospel to Matthew, one of Jesus' disciples. ^[1][2] Beginning in the 18th century scholars have increasingly questioned that traditional view, and today most scholars agree Matthew did not write the Gospel which bears his name.^[3] Most contemporary scholars describe the author as an anonymous Christian writing towards the end of the first century. ^[4] The consensus view of the contemporary New Testament scholars is that the Gospel was originally composed in Greek rather than being a translation from Aramaic or Hebrew.^[5] It is nearly universally agreed among scholars that Matthew (and Luke) used Mark's narrative of Jesus' life and death, plus the hypothetical Q document's record of Jesus' sayings while the minority argue that Matthew was the first, Luke expanded on Matthew and Mark is the conflation of Matthew and Luke.^[6][4]

Of the four canonical gospels, Matthew is most closely aligned with first century Judaism. Matthew repeatedly stresses how Jesus fulfilled Jewish prophecies.^[7] Most scholars hold that the author was a Jewish Christian rather than a Gentile. ^[8] The author arranged Jesus' teaching into five sermons: Sermon on the Mount (ch 5-7), the Mission discourse (ch 10), a collection of parables (ch 13), instructions for the community (ch 18) and finally teaching concerning the future (ch 24-25, also probably including the woes against the scribes and Pharisees in ch 23). Like the two other synoptic Gospels but in contrast with John, in Matthew Jesus talks more about the Kingdom of Heaven than himself, and teaches primarily using short parables or short sayings rather than extended speeches (as in John). ^[9] Matthew's birth narrative, with the homage of the Wise Men, the flight into Egypt and the massacre of the innocents, has no parallel in other gospels and is different from Luke's corresponding account.

The special commission given to Peter, found only in Matthew, has been highly influential.^[10] Matthew is also the only Gospel to mention the church (ecclesia). Jesus cites its authority and calls on his disciples to practice forgiveness (ch. 18).^[7] With its integration of Mark's narrative with Jesus' teachings and its emphasis on the church, Matthew was the most popular Gospel when they circulated separately.^[7] Matthew has a rhythmical and often poetical prose.^[11] Of the Synoptics, it is the Gospel best suited for public reading, and it has probably always been the best-known of them.^[10] Matthew provides a full and well-ordered account of teachings of Jesus; its Sermon on the Mount is widely respected and referred to, even by non-Christians. Modern readers may be puzzled, however, by the awkward use of the Old Testament as a set of proof texts, anti-Jewish statements and harsh comments on Judgment.^[12]

Date of gospel

The date of the gospel is not precisely known. The majority of scholars date the gospel between the years 70 and 100.^[13][14] The writings of Ignatius show "a strong case ... for [his] knowledge of four Pauline epistles and the Gospel of Matthew"^[15], which gives a terminus ad quem of c. 110. The author of the Didache (c 100) probably knew it as well.^[10] The argument has been made that since Jesus refers to the destruction of Jerusalem (e.g. Matthew 22:7) this gospel must have been written after the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by Romans in 70 CE.^[16]

Some significant conservative scholars argue for a pre-70 date, generally considering the gospel to be written by the apostle Matthew.^[17] In December 1994, Carsten Peter Thiede redated the Magdalen papyrus, which bears a fragment in Greek of the Gospel of Matthew, to the late 1st century on palaeographical grounds,^[18] although Thiede's re-dating has generally been viewed with skepticism by established Biblical scholars ^[19] In recent times, John Wenham, one of the biggest supporters of the Augustinian hypothesis, is among the more notable defenders of an early date for the Gospel of Matthew.

Authorship

The Early Christian tradition attributes the Gospel to Matthew, one of Jesus' disciples. This tradition of authorship dates from the writings of Papias in the first half of the second century AD. ^[1][2] Beginning in the 18th century, however, critical scholars have increasingly questioned whether Matthew wrote the Gospel which bears his name.^[3].

Most contemporary scholars describe the author as an anonymous Christian writing towards the end of the first century. ^[4] According to Howard Clark Kee, it appears that Jesus' teachings and sayings were handed down orally until they were eventually written down. This theory is partly based upon "the fact that other, later Christian writings include sayings attributed to Jesus that resemble those in the gospels, but for which there is no exact equivalent." ^[20]