Mathew

15 Pages 3675 Words

This chapter will include distinguishing characteristics of Matthew’s Gospel as well as major elements in Matthew’s Gospel which Mark does not have such as the Infancy Narrative and the Sermon on the Mount. In addition there will be a section on parables as Matthew contains so many.

Three historical factors contribute to the writing of Matthew’s gospel:

1. A delay in the parousia as indicated in Mt. 24:14 and 28:16-18, in which the disciples are told to go to all nations and into the whole world to teach and baptize, indicating an indefinite postponement.



2. The destruction of the temple in 70 C.E. (referred to in a parable in 22:7) caused the loss of temple worship. The Pharisees took over the leadership of Judaism and led to the re-expression of Jewish life through Rabbinic writings known as Mishna and Talmud. Pharisees helped to make Jewish life comprehensible without the Temple by focusing on the consecration of everyday activities.



While Pharisees were claiming that their lifestyle and teachings were the fulfillment of Jewish life, Matthew was claiming that Jesus was the fulfillment of Jewish life. Therefore, Matthew and the Pharisees were competing for the same audience for recruits.

Matthew connects Jesus repeatedly to Jewish prophecy throughout the text.

3. This is also the church’s book. Its stress on church authority may have contributed to its placement first in the New Testament. As the church grew, it developed regulations (18:15-20). Here, the gospel gives the church authority for settling disciplinary issues. In chapter 16 authority is given to Peter. In addition in Matthew (16:5-12, 14:33), the disciples look much better than in Mark (18:14-21, 6:52), preparing the way for the new church’s leaders to be respected. In Mark the disciples do not understand who Jesus is, but in Mark they not only understand that Jesus is Son of God but also worship him(Mt.14:33).

The establishment of c...