cultural new-testament

Matthew Writes His Gospel

85 CE (approximate)

In the 80s CE, as Christianity increasingly separated from Judaism and needed to explain how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, the Gospel of Matthew appeared. Written for a Jewish-Christian audience, this Gospel presents Jesus as the Messiah promised in Scripture, the new Moses who brings God’s definitive teaching, and the King whose kingdom transcends ethnic and national boundaries. By placing Jesus’s story within Israel’s salvation history, Matthew created the bridge between the Old and New Testaments that would shape Christian theology for two millennia.

The author:

Church tradition from Papias (110 CE) onwards attributes this Gospel to Matthew (also called Levi), the tax collector Jesus called to follow him (Matthew 9:9). Tax collectors were despised by Jews for collaborating with Rome and extorting money, making Matthew’s calling a sign of Jesus’s radical grace.

Modern scholars debate authorship:

  • Traditional view: The apostle Matthew wrote it
  • Critical view: An unknown Jewish Christian composed it, perhaps using Matthew’s testimony or notes

Either way, the author was:

  • Fluent in Greek (not a translation from Aramaic, despite Papias’s claim)
  • Deeply knowledgeable in Jewish Scripture and tradition
  • Familiar with Mark’s Gospel (used as a source)
  • Connected to a Jewish-Christian community

Dating is generally 80-90 CE, after Mark (65-70 CE) but possibly before Luke. The Gospel reflects tension between church and synagogue, suggesting composition after the Jewish-Christian break accelerated following Jerusalem’s destruction (70 CE).

The audience and purpose:

Matthew writes for Jewish Christians wrestling with questions:

  • How can a crucified criminal be the Messiah?
  • Why did most Jews reject Jesus?
  • What is the relationship between Torah and Jesus’s teaching?
  • How do Gentiles fit into God’s plan?

Matthew answers by showing Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes, not their abandonment. Throughout, he emphasizes:

  • Fulfillment of prophecy: “This took place to fulfill what was spoken…”
  • Jesus as new Moses: Five teaching blocks echo the Torah’s five books
  • Jesus as King: Genealogy begins “son of David,” birth narrative features magi seeking “the king of the Jews”
  • Continuity with Israel’s story: From Abraham’s lineage to Messiah’s coming

The content and structure:

Matthew’s Gospel is the longest (28 chapters) and most systematically organized. Its structure:

Introduction (1-2): Genealogy, virgin birth, magi, flight to Egypt, return to Nazareth

Five teaching blocks (alternating narrative and discourse):

  1. Sermon on the Mount (5-7): Kingdom ethics, new righteousness
  2. Mission discourse (10): Instructions for the Twelve
  3. Parables of the Kingdom (13): Kingdom revealed in stories
  4. Community discourse (18): Church discipline and forgiveness
  5. Olivet Discourse (24-25): End times and judgment

Passion and resurrection (26-28): Arrest, trials, crucifixion, resurrection, Great Commission

Key distinctive features:

Genealogy: Begins with Abraham (unlike Luke’s going back to Adam), organized in three sets of 14 generations, highlighting David and the exile—showing Jesus as culmination of Israel’s history

Birth narrative: Magi from the east, Herod’s slaughter, Egypt refuge—echoing Moses (Pharaoh’s slaughter, Egypt deliverance)

Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7): Jesus’s most extensive teaching block

  • Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”
  • Fulfillment of Torah: “You have heard… but I say…”
  • Lord’s Prayer
  • Golden Rule
  • Warning about false prophets

Peter’s prominence: More Peter material than other Gospels, including “You are the rock” (16:18) and keys of the kingdom

Church emphasis: Only Gospel using the word “church” (ekklesia)—instructions for discipline (18:15-20) and authority (16:18-19)

Great Commission (28:18-20): “Go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”—Jesus’s authority extends to all peoples

Fulfillment formulas: Over 60 Old Testament citations, often with “to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet…”

Major theological themes:

Jesus as Messiah: The “son of David” who fulfills prophetic expectations—but redefines messiahship through suffering

Jesus as new Moses:

  • Five teaching blocks parallel Torah’s five books
  • Delivers new law from mountain (Sermon on the Mount)
  • Leads new exodus from sin
  • Establishes new covenant

Jesus as Emmanuel (“God with us”):

  • Named in birth narrative (1:23)
  • Promised in conclusion: “I am with you always” (28:20)

Kingdom of heaven: Matthew’s preferred term (over 30 times)—God’s reign breaking into history through Jesus

Righteousness: Central concept—disciples must have righteousness “surpassing the scribes and Pharisees” (5:20), rooted in heart transformation, not mere external compliance

Judgment: Stark warnings about hypocrisy, fruitless faith, and final separation (sheep/goats, wheat/tares, wise/foolish virgins)

Universal mission: Though Jesus initially focused on Israel (10:5-6, 15:24), the Gospel ends with commissioning to “all nations” (28:19)

Jewish-Christian tensions:

Matthew reflects strained relations between church and synagogue:

  • Woes against scribes and Pharisees (chapter 23)
  • Controversies over Sabbath, ritual purity, divorce
  • Responsibility for Jesus’s death placed on Jewish leaders (27:25)
  • Transfer of kingdom to those producing fruit (21:43)

Yet Matthew also shows:

  • Jesus came to fulfill, not abolish Torah (5:17)
  • Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’s seat—do what they teach, not what they do (23:2-3)
  • Salvation is for “all nations”—not replacing Israel but expanding to include Gentiles

Relationship to Mark:

Matthew incorporated about 90% of Mark’s content but:

  • Added birth and resurrection appearance narratives
  • Inserted five major teaching blocks
  • Improved Mark’s Greek style
  • Softened harsh portrayals of disciples
  • Emphasized Jesus’s authority and dignity

Matthew “completed” Mark by providing the teachings Christians needed for communal life and mission.

Influence on other writings:

The early church favored Matthew:

  • Most quoted Gospel by church fathers
  • Placed first in New Testament canon
  • Used extensively in liturgy
  • Provided structure for catechesis (teaching new believers)

The Sermon on the Mount became foundational for Christian ethics. The Great Commission shaped missionary expansion. The Lord’s Prayer became universal Christian prayer.

Canonical status:

Matthew was universally accepted as apostolic and authoritative from the earliest period. Its systematic presentation and comprehensive scope made it ideal for teaching. For much of Christian history, it was considered the primary Gospel.

Historical reliability:

Matthew’s historical value is debated:

  • Strengths: Based on Mark’s early tradition; reflects Palestinian context; preserves authentic Jesus material
  • Questions: Birth narrative details differ from Luke; some events (like guard at tomb, Judas’s death) appear only here; apparent theological shaping of material

Most scholars agree Matthew preserves reliable historical core while organizing material thematically rather than strictly chronologically.

Significance:

Bridge between Testaments: Connected Jesus’s story to Israel’s Scripture, showing Christianity as fulfillment, not replacement

Teaching manual: Provided comprehensive collection of Jesus’s teachings, organized for memorization and instruction

Jewish-Christian identity: Helped Jewish Christians articulate their faith—remaining rooted in Torah while following Jesus

Missionary charter: Great Commission provided theological foundation for worldwide evangelism

Ethical guidance: Sermon on the Mount established kingdom ethics that challenged both legalism and antinomianism

Ecclesiology: Instructions about church discipline, authority, and forgiveness shaped Christian community practices

Legacy:

The Sermon on the Mount has influenced pacifist movements, social justice advocates, and spiritual seekers. The Lord’s Prayer unites Christians across denominations. The Great Commission drives missionary societies worldwide.

Matthew’s portrait of Jesus as authoritative teacher, fulfillment of prophecy, and sender of disciples shaped Christian identity. His emphasis on obedience (“teaching them to obey everything I have commanded”) prevented faith from becoming mere intellectual assent.

The tax collector who left everything to follow Jesus gave the church a Gospel that has taught countless disciples what it means to follow the Messiah who said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (11:28).

Matthew’s genius was showing that Jesus didn’t abolish Israel’s story but brought it to climax—the promises to Abraham reach “all nations,” the Torah finds fulfillment in heart transformation, and the Davidic kingdom expands to encompass earth and heaven. In Matthew’s hands, Jesus is simultaneously the most Jewish and the most universal figure—Emmanuel, God with us, the king whose reign knows no bounds.