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Matthew B.C.E. - Before Common Era C.E. - Common Era The first to put the good news about the Christ into writing was Matthew. Place Written -Palestine Writing Completed -c.41 C.E. Time Covered -2 B.C.E.-33 C.E. His name is probably a shortened form of the Hebrew -Mattithiah- meaning Gift of Jehovah. He was one of the 12 apostles chosen by Jesus. During the time the Master travelled through the land of Palestine preaching and teaching about Gods Kingdom, Matthew has a close, intimate relationship with Him. Before becoming a disciple of Jesus, Matthew was a tax collector, an occupation the Jews thoroughly loathed, since it was a constant reminder to them that they were not free but under domination of imperial Rome. Matthew was otherwise known as Levi and was the of Alphaeus. He readily responded to Jesus invitation to follow him. Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27-32. While the Gospel credited to Matthew does not name him as the writer, the overwhelming testimony of early church historians stamps him as such. Perhaps no ancient book has its writer more clearly and unanimously established than the book of Matthew. From as far back as Papia of Hierapolis(early 2nd century C.E.) onwards, we have a line of early witnesses to the fact that Matthew wrote this Gospel and that it is an authentic part of the Word of God. McClintock and Strongs Cyclopedia states -Passages from Matthew quoted by Justin Martyr, by the author of the letter to Diognetus(see in Ottos Justin Martyr, vol.ii), by Hegesipuus, Irenaeus, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, Clement, Tertulian and Origen. It is not merely from the matter, but the manner of the quotations, from the calm appeal as to a settled authority, from the absence of all hints of doubt, that we regard it as proved that the book we possess had not been the subject of any sudden change*- The fact that Matthew was an apostle and, as such, had Gods spirit upon him assures that what he wrote would be a faithful record. * 1981 Reprint, Vol. V, pg 895. Matthew wrote his account in Palestine. The exact year is not known, but subscriptions at the end of some manuscripts(all later than the tenth century C.E.) say that it was 41C.E.. There is evidence to indicate that Matthew originally wrote his Gospel in the popular Hebrew of the time and later translated it into Greek. In his work De viris inlustribus(Concerning Illustrious Men), chapter III, Jerome says -Matthew, who is also Levi, and who from a publican came to be an apostle, first of all composed a Gospel of Christ in Judaea in the Hebrew language and characters for the benefit of those of the circumcision who had believed.# Jerome adds that the Hebrew text of this Gospel was preserved in his day(4th & 5th century C.E.) in the library that Pamphilus had collected in Caesarea. # Translated from the Latin text edited by E.C. Richardson and published in the series -Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichenLiteratur, Leipzig, 1896, Vol. 14, pg 8,9. Early in the third century, Origen, in discussing the Gospels, is quoted by Eusebius as saying that the 'first was written.....according to Matthew....who published it for those who from Judaism came to believe, composed as it was in the Hebrew language.^ That it was written primarily with the Jews in mind is indicated by its genealogy, which shows jesus legal descent starting from Abraham, and by its many references to the Hebrew Scriptures, showing that they pointed forward to the coming Messiah. It is reasonable to believe that Matthew used the divine name Jehovah in the form of the Tetragrammaton when he quoted from parts of the Hebrew Scriptures that contained the name. That is why the book of Matthew in the New World Translation contains the name of Jehovah 18 times, as does the Hebrew version of Matthew originally produced by F. Delitzsh in the 19th century. Matthew would have had the same attitude as Jesus toward the divine name and would not have been restrained by a prevailing Jewish superstition about not using that name. ^ The Ecclesiastical History, VI, XXV, 3-6. Matthew 6:9, John 17:6, 26 Since Matthew had been a tax collector, it was natural that he would be explicit in his mention of money, figures, and values. He keenly appreciated Gods mercy in allowing him, a despised tax collector, to become a minister of the good news and an intimate associate of Jesus. Therefore, we find Matthew alone of the gospel writers giving us Jesus repeated insistence that mercy is required in addition to sacrifice. Matthew was greatly encouraged by Jehovahs undeserved kindness and appropriately records some of the most comforting words Jesus uttered -Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light. How refreshing were these tender words for this former tax collector, toward whom, no doubt, his fellow countrymen had directed little but insults! Matthew particularly stressed that the theme of Jesus teaching was -the kingdom of the heavens. To him, Jesus was the Preacher-King. He used the term -kingdom- so frequently(more than 50 times) that his Gospel might be called the Kingdom Gospel. Matthew was concerned more with a logical presentation of Jesus public discourses and sermons than with a strict chronological sequence. For the first 18 chapters, Matthews highlighting of the Kingdom theme led him to depart from a chronological arrangement. However, the last ten chapters, generally follow a chronological sequence as well as continue to stress the Kingdom. Matthew 17:27, 26:15, 27:3 Matthew 9:9-13, 12:Seven, 18:21-35 Matthew 11:28-30 Matthew 4:17 42% of Matthews Gospel account is not to be found in any of the other three Gospels.* This includes at least ten parables, or illustrations -The weeds in the field, the hidden treasure, the pearl of high value, the dragnet, the unmerciful slave, the workers and the denarius, the father and two , the marriage of the kings , the ten virgins and the talents. In all, the book gives the account from the birth of Jesus in 2 B.C.E until His meeting with His disciples just prior to His ascension in 33 C.E. *Introduction to the Study of the Gospels, 1996, B.F. Westcott. pg 201. Matthew 13:24-30, 13:44, 13:45+46, 13:47-50, 18:23-35, 20:1-16, 21:28-32, 22:1-14, 25:1-13, 25:14-30. Hope you enjoy this summary of a great book. Yours, Katidid. |
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