Matthew (ACNT)
Overview
Matthew’s Gospel has been cherished as “the ecclesiastical Gospel” and as “the teaching Gospel.” The only use of the word church in the four Gospels, for example, is found in Matthew, and the rhythm of the Lord’s Prayer and the organization of Jesus’ words in discourses evokes liturgical imagery. Matthew’s Gospel certainly is a treasure of the words of Jesus which are marked by stunning practicality and have proved perennially useful for ordering Christian community. But what else does the organization and substance of the Gospel of Matthew reveal?
In this commentary, Robert H. Smith examines the structure of the Gospel and the words of Jesus to uncover the meaning and purpose of Matthew. In addition to chapter-by-chapter commentary on the entire Gospel of Matthew, this volume also contains an outline of the entire book and a lengthy bibliography.
- Discussion of historical issues, such as authorship, dating, and location
- Textual and literary notes
- Bibliographies and suggestions for further reading and study
- Scripture references linked to your Greek New Testament or English translation
Top Highlights
“Jesus is of course the most complex and rounded of the characters in Matthew’s narrative, and he functions at many levels in the dialog between Matthew and Matthew’s readers. He is a positive model of the use of authority, and all his opponents (and sometimes the disciples) in various ways exhibit abuses of power and authority. The conflict between Jesus’ authority and other authorities propels the story toward its climax in Jerusalem.” (Page 16)
“That final word has three parts: (a) Jesus begins with a declaration of his own supreme and unbounded authority, (b) centers on the task of creating a community of disciples utterly dedicated to performing ‘all that I have commanded,’ and (c) closes with the assurance of his own unending presence in the community.” (Page 15)
“A. Matthew five times concludes collections of the words of Jesus with the phrase, ‘When Jesus had finished these sayings.’” (Page 13)
“Jesus’ first and last words in Matthew’s Gospel are unique, not paralleled in the other Gospels, and they have the look of words designed to guide readers to correct perceptions.” (Page 15)
“The first syllables from his lips focus on God’s project, described as making the world ‘all right,’ and on Jesus’ own commitment to that program.” (Page 15)
- Title: Matthew
- Author: Robert H. Smith
- Editors: Roy A. Harrisville, Jack Dean Kingsbury, and Gerhard A. Krodel
- Publisher: Augsburg
- Series: Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament
- Publication Date: 1989
- Pages: 351