As part of the Course on the New Testament, Session 4 provides an overview of the writing of Matthew - His Gospel on the life of Christ. (This is part of the New Testament Survey Course taught at Harare Theological College - 2016)

3. Questions :
1. Who was Matthew ?
2. How do we know he wrote this gospel ?
3. What language was it written in ?
4. When was it written ?
5. Where was it written ?
6. To whom was it written ?
7. Why did Matthew write this Gospel ?
8. What part of Jesus did Matthew focus on ?
9. What did Matthew want to communicate ? (7 key issues)
10. What is the structure of his gospel ?

4. Question 1.
Who was Matthew ?
(often known as ‘Levi’)

5.  Matthew 9:9-13
 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew
sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he
rose and followed him.
 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax
collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his
disciples.
 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples,“Why
does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when
he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I
desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’
 For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

6.  Matthew the disciple of Jesus
 Also called ‘Levi’, son of Alpaeous
 A Jew (name ‘Levi’ suggests Matthew’s father was an orthodox Jew
possibly of the priestly line)
 Before Christ …
 A sinner - Corrupt Tax Collector for the Roman government. Employee of
the Roman authorities

7.  Despised by most Jews as one of the worst of
sinners.
 E.g. Parable: Luke 18:10-13: “Two men went up into
the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed
thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax
collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I
get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not
even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast,
saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
 Regarded as – corrupt – thief – traitor
 Traitor - worked for the occupying force,
taking money from the Jews to support the
Roman rule
 Corrupt – falsely inflated the value of the
goods so could take higher taxes from person
 Thief – Became rich from the extra money
they made charging higher taxes

8.  Educated – as a civil servant for the Roman Government
he had a good level of education to work in this business
 Rich – Matthew collected taxes near Capernaum on the
busiest road in Israel - huge revenues & profit to cheat
from
 Sacrifice – the richest of the apostles. Could never return
to his work of corrupt and rich living (would never have
been accepted back after a follower of the Messiah)
 The message : The LORD not only brought a corrupt
despised tax collector to salvation - but used him to
write the very gospel that speaks the message of Christ
to all Jews
 Evangelist – brought many fellow corrupt tax collectors
to come and meet the Messiah. Later Ireneous (early
church father) records – Matthew continued to preach
the gospel of salvation among the Hebrews / Jews.

10. Question 2.
How do we know He
wrote this gospel ?

11.  How do we know?
 Issue . .
 Not recorded in the gospel we have that Matthew wrote it
 But . .
 Early manuscripts title – “gospel according to Matthew”
 Papias, early church leader, 100 years after Christ –
affirmed Matthew the tax collector was author
 All early Church Fathers (major church leaders &
theologians in the first 300 years) unanimously agreed –
Matthew the tax collector was author

12. Question 3.
What language
and style
was it written in?

13.  The debate: Hebrew or Greek . .
 Possibly in Hebrew
 Papias mentioned – in Hebrew first
• But .. Greek version has no sign of being a translation
• Though .. No Hebrew or Aramaic version found
 Therefore ..
 The Greek edition was directly written by Matthew (even if in
Hebrew before)
 The Greek version is the inspired word of God (not just a translation)
 Many of Christ’s sayings were in Hebrew – for the benefit of the
Jewish readership

14. Question 4.
When was it written ?

15.  When ?
 Speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem as the future (AD 70)
 Reason for writing: once dispersed from Jerusalem – need for
gospels to be recorded in order to be communicated to all
believers
 Exact date is difficult to calculate
 Estimated date = between AD 40 - 70

16.  Debate : was Matthew copied from Mark ?
 Was Matthew’s material directly taken from Mark?
 Arguments for YES
• 91% of Mark’s gospel is contained in Matthew
• View: Mark’s gospel written 1st in 50s/60s – then both Mark’s and a
common source document ‘Q’ used for material in Matthew & Luke
 Arguments for NO
• All early church Fathers argued: NO
• View: Matthew’s gospel was the first written – because there first was
need for a gospel written to the first believers, Jewish believers about
the Jesus as being the Jewish Messiah, the fulfilment of the OT
prophecies
• View: (i) teachings & life of Jesus had been clarified first in clear oral
(verbal) messages (ii) early written fragments recording teachings &
events of life of Jesus – were used by all 3 gospel writers

17. Question 5.
Where was it
written ?

18.  Where ?
 Impossible to give exact location of the writing
 In one of first locations of the Early Church
 Most likely:
 Antioch of Syria
 Otherwise:
 In Israel after the
dispersion

19. Question 6.
To whom did Matthew
write this to ?
(who was the audience?)

20.  Audience ?
 First audience: the Jewish people
 Second audience: all believers (great commission)
 Greek – speaking Jews
 Evidence:
– Focus on fulfilment of the Jewish OT prophecies
– Seeks to prove that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah
– Makes little effort to explain Jewish customs (because already known)
– Uses Jewish terms (e.g. Kingdom of Heaven)
– Focus on Jesus as ‘Son of David’

22. Question 7.
Why did Matthew write this gospel ?
(what was his purpose?)

23.  Purpose ?
1. To prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised
Messiah prophesied to come, the King of the Jews
2. By demonstrating that the prophecies of the OT were
fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth
3. In order - to bring Jews to come to believe in Jesus and
follow Him as their Messiah (Matthew’s purpose was
that of evangelism)
4. To form the connecting link between the writings of
the OT and the New Covenant message of the NT

24. Question 8.
What part of Jesus’ identity did
Matthew focus on ?

25.  The promised Messiah & King
 The Messiah promised as the ‘Son’ (descendant) of
King David
 The Messiah who will fulfil the Abrahamic covenant
 Matthew starts with this message in chapter 1:1 :
 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of
David, the son of Abraham…..

26. The descendancy of Jesus
 Matthew 1: the paternal line
 (Luke 4: the maternal line)
 Matthew: proves Jesus is the
Son of David, his Davidic origin
& the descendant of Abraham -
the covenant with the Jews
 (Luke 3: goes beyond to
emphasise Jesus’ human origin
as son of Adam, father of all
humanity)
Son of
Abraham
Son of
David
Son of
Adam

27.  Messiah Prophesied: 1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles 17:11-14
(11) When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I
will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own
sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
(12) He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish
his throne forever.
(13) I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my
love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor.
(14) I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his
throne will be established forever.‘”

28.  Messiah Prophesied: Psalms
Psalm 2:6-12
(6) "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."
(7) I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
(8) Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the
ends of the earth your possession.
(9) You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces
like a potter's vessel."
(10) Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the
earth.
(11) Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
(12) Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his
wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

29.  Messiah Prophesied: Psalms
Psalm 89: 3-4
(3) You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I
have sworn to David my servant:
(4) 'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for
all generations.'" Selah.

30.  Messiah Prophesied: Isaiah
Isaiah 9:6-7
(6) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
(7) Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on
David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and
righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will
accomplish this.
Isaiah 11:1-5
(1) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
(2) The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the
Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD--
(3) and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his
eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
(4) but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for
the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath
of his lips he will slay the wicked.
(5) Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

31.  Messiah Prophesied: Jeremiah
Jeremiah 23:5-6
(5) "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up for
David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what
is just and right in the land.
(6) In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is
the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.

32.  Messiah Prophesied: Daniel
Daniel 7:13-14
(13) "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son
of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient
of Days and was led into his presence.
(14) He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and
peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one
that will never be destroyed.
 In light of these prophecies ..
– we can see why many Jews at that time having seen Jesus’
miracles and teaching actually prove that He is the Messiah >
– expected Jesus to bring in the restoration of the powerful
nation of Israel – to rise up over the military rule of Rome

33.  The name of Jesus the Christ
 Many called Jesus in 1st century
 To explain which Jesus – called:
Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus ben (son of) Joseph
Jesus the Christ (Messiah) – not a surname – a title
Greek Hebrew Meaning
Jesus Yeshua / Joshua Anointed One
Christ Messiah
Yahweh is salvation
Yahweh saves

34. Question 9.
What did Matthew want to
communicate ?

35.  Focus of Matthew
1. Fulfilment of the Old Testament
2. Teachings of Jesus
3. Discipleship
4. Evangelism & Mission
5. Kingdom of God / Heaven
6. The Church
7. Crucifixion & Resurrection

36. 1. Fulfilment of the O.T.
 To prove that Jesus is the one prophesied to come as Messiah
 53 direct quotes of OT to prove Jesus fulfilled prophecies
 10 times stated “all this took place to fulfil what the Lord has
said through the prophet”
 OT predecessors shown as foreshadowings or “typologies” of
Christ.
– e.g. Jesus temptation in wilderness 40 days – recalls Israel’s 40 years in
the desert.
 Christ is fulfilment all 3 centralities of Jewish faith (Mt.12) :
– Israel’s kingly leadership – “one greater than Solomon” (Mt.12:42)
– Israel’s priestly worship – “one greater than the temple” (Mt.12:6)
– Israel’s prophetic guidance – “one greater than Jonah” (Mt.12:41)

37. Key Prophecies fulfilled : Birth
Birth
 Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and
give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
 Micah 5:2 - "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of
Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are
from of old, from ancient times.”
 Isaiah 9:6-7 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be
on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. (prophesied = 700-680 BC & fulfilled = 5 BC)
 Jeremiah 31:15 - This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and
great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because
they are no more.“
Preceded by John the Baptist
 Isaiah 40:3-5 - A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God…And the glory of the LORD will be
revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
(prophesied = 700-680 BC & fulfilled = AD 27)

38.  Key Prophecies fulfilled : Life
Miracles
 Isaiah 35:4-5 - Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of
the deaf unstopped. (prophesied = 700-680 BC & fulfilled = 27-31 AD)
Enter Jerusalem on a donkey
 Zechariah 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter
Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly
and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
(prophesied = 520-518 BC & fulfilled = 31 AD)
Despised & Rejected
 Isaiah 53:2-3 - He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root
out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised
and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like
one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him
in low esteem. (prophesied = 700-680 BC & fulfilled = 31 AD)

39.  Key Prophecies fulfilled : Crucifixion & Resurrection
 Isaiah 53:4-12 - Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered
him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us
peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone
astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the
iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he
was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so
he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet
who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for
the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any
deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and
prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After he has
suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous
servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a
portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he
poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he
bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
(prophesied = 700-680 BC & fulfilled = 31 AD)

40. 2. Teachings of Jesus
 More covered than any other gospel (60% gospel are teachings)
 Organised in 5 blocks each around a topic
– Chapters 5 – 7 : Discipleship
– Chapter 10 : Evangelism & Mission
– Chapter 13 : Kingdom of God / Heaven
– Chapter 18 : Church and Fellowship of Believers
– Chapters 24 – 25 : Future
 Each finishes with “when Jesus had finished saying these things”
 2 methods of teaching:
1. Discourses = sermons / lectures e.g. sermon on the mount
2. Parables = simple short stories using symbols of everyday life to
explain the abstract concepts about the Kingdom of God

41. 3. Discipleship
 Ch.5 - 7: Sermon on the Mount – not simply new teaching but in the process
corrections of Jew’s misinterpretations of the Torah, (the teachings & laws of
the OT) as Jesus fulfilled it (Mt.5:17).
 Took the OT teaching & law from the externals to the heart as Jeremiah
(31:33) prophecy: "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it
on their hearts” – the fulfilled Law through Christ
– Do not Murder -> Do not have hatred (Mt.5:21-26)
– Do not Adultery -> Do not Lust (Mt.5:27-30)
 2 forms of the Law (1) written (“it was written”) – 365 laws in OT
(2) oral (“it was said”) – Scribes explanation of the laws (later the Mishnah)
 Beatitudes: 8 eternal blessings which flow from true discipleship in the face
of: poverty, morning, persecution etc in this world. Disciples called to Jesus
criteria of success rather than those of the world (Mt.6:19-21).
 Prayer: a new level of relationship with God as ‘Abba’ – our personal intimate
father

42. 4. Evangelism & Mission
 Chapter 10: Disciples given not only the mission of Christ, but
also the authority of Christ to carry out the mission (Shaliah
principle)
 Replicated Jesus’ ministry in every detail
 Evidenced in: sick healed, dead raised, lepers cleansed,
demons driven out
 Chapter 28: The mission applies to all disciples “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit .. and surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age”
- note the calling to make disciples not simply converts.
- note in Acts the transfer of authority & ministry through the Holy Spirit

43. 5. Kingdom of God / Heaven
 Context: Under Roman occupation. Long for restoration of Kingdom
of God in Israel looking back to times of King David & recent
Maccabean rule
 Jews look for: Political, physical Kingdom of God – Israel
 Jesus offers: the true eternal (spiritual) Kingdom of God – the realm
and sovereign complete rule of God in every believers life – with its
effect across the community & society.
 Believers commanded to seek first the Kingdom of God (Mt.6:33)
 Reality of Kingdom of God seen visibly in lives & community
transformed:
– "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the
lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not
stumble on account of me." (Mt.11:3-6)

44. > Kingdom of God – Arrived but still coming
 Kingdom of God is both present and future – it has been inaugurated
but not fully consummated. Ongoing living reality: parables
seed+weeds+mustard seed+yeast (Mt.13).
 Present: Jesus brought the Kingdom of God fulfilling prophecy
– (Matthew 4:17) From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near.
– The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the
deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor
(Mt.11:3-6)
 Future: final completion of Kingdom of God with final judgement and
new heaven & earth.
– Commanded – pray for God’s Kingdom come (Mt.6:10)
– The final Kingdom: Parable of the final wedding feast (Mt.22)

45.  Central Focus >>
 The ‘Kingdom’ is central to Matthew = 55x
 ‘Life’ is central to John = 36x

46.  The Church and Fellowship of Believers
 Matthew = only gospel writer to refer to church (ekklesia)
 Not to the structure or organisation –> to the community of
believers & how they relate to each other (1st priority)
 Central chapters = Mt.18-20: central messages =
 Humility (Mt.18:1-4)
 Life of Service to one another (20:24-28)
 Forgiveness to one another (18:15-35)
 Church’s decisions of discipline based on scripture have
God’s authority when ‘binding’ (discipline) & ‘loosening’
(judging sin) (Mt.18:15-18).

47. Question 10.
What is the structure of this Gospel ?
How do we follow the direction of Matthew’s gospel?

48. Structure of Matthew’s Gospel

49. Direction
of
Matthew’s
Gospel
Public Ministry to
the multitudes
Mt.4:17 – from that time
Jesus began to preach ..”
Growing rejection &
attacks on Jesus esp.
Mt. 12:24 – accusing Jesus
of being Satan
Private Ministry to
equip the 12 apostles
to take his ministry to
the ends of the earth
Mt. 16:21 – “from that
time Jesus began to
show his disciples”

50.  References: Books to Read …
 Benware, Paul (1990) Survey of the New Testament.
 Berding, Kenneth and Matt Williams (2008) What the New
Testament Authors Really Cared About.
 Tenney, Merrill C. (1997) New Testament Survey.

51. Recap: Can you answer these 10 Questions :
1. Who was Matthew ?
2. How do we know he wrote this gospel ?
3. What language was it written in ?
4. When was it written ?
5. Where was it written ?
6. To whom was it written ?
7. Why did Matthew write this Gospel ?
8. What part of Jesus did Matthew focus on ?
9. What did Matthew want to communicate ? (7 areas)
10. What is the structure of his gospel ?

52.  Key Words to learn …
 Jesus (Yeshua) = Yahweh is salvation / Yahweh saves
 Christ (Messiah) = anointed one
 Immanuel = God with us
 Abba = Father (Aramaic)
 Parable = simple short stories using symbols of everyday life to
explain the abstract concepts about the Kingdom of God
 Kingdom of God / Heaven = the sovereign, complete rule of God
in people’s lives
 Beatitudes (latin) = a series of 8 blessings declared by Jesus in
the Sermon on the Mount
 Church (ekklesia) = community/assembly of believers united
into one body