Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is especially rich in its presentation of the teaching of Jesus, including major sections such as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7) and the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24–25). Matthew organizes much of Jesus’ teaching into five major discourse sections, which contain some of the most extensive teaching material in the Synoptic Gospels, comparable in scope to the Upper Room Discourse in John.

These substantial teaching sections also give Matthew a distinctive emphasis on the church. It is the only Gospel that explicitly uses the term “church” (ἐκκλησία). Matthew includes instruction on discipleship within the life and relationships of the church, most notably in Matthew 18, where Jesus gives instruction concerning discipline, forgiveness, and restoration. The Gospel concludes with the Great Commission, which provides the church with its continuing mandate to make disciples, baptize, and teach all that Christ has commanded.

Who was Matthew?

Matthew was a tax collector in the town of Capernaum, serving under the administration of Herod Antipas. In first-century Jewish society, tax collectors were widely despised because they cooperated with the Roman occupation and were commonly associated with extortion and dishonesty. It is therefore striking that Jesus chose such a man to be one of his apostles. Jesus called Matthew while he was sitting at his tax booth collecting taxes. Without hesitation, Matthew left behind his lucrative occupation and followed Christ, demonstrating the radical nature of true discipleship (Matt 9:9 / Mark 2:14 / Luke 5:27–28).

Mark and Luke refer to him as “Levi,” whereas in his own Gospel he identifies himself simply as “Matthew,” suggesting that “Levi” was his original name and “Matthew” (“gift of Yahweh”) the name by which he was later known among the disciples.

Early Christian tradition further associates Matthew with the composition of the Gospel that bears his name. The second-century church father Papias wrote that Matthew “compiled the sayings [of Jesus] in the Hebrew language, and each interpreted them as he was able.” The precise meaning of this statement has long been debated. While it was traditionally understood as referring directly to the canonical Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel itself exhibits every indication of having been composed originally in Greek. Many scholars therefore conclude that Papias was referring instead to an earlier Hebrew or Aramaic collection of Jesus’ sayings that Matthew prepared and which may have served as one of the sources incorporated into the Greek Gospel.

Outline of Matthew

5-part structure. Each division concludes with the formula: “When Jesus had finished these sayings” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1).

1. Introduction (chs. 1-2): The Genealogy and Birth of the Messiah
2. Narrative 1 (chs. 3–4) & Discourse 1 (chs. 5–7)
3. Narrative 2 (chs. 8–9) & Discourse 2 (ch. 10)
4. Narrative 3 (chs. 11–12) & Discourse 3 (ch. 13)
5. Narrative 4 (chs. 14–17) & Discourse 4 (ch. 18)
6. Narrative 5 (chs. 19–22) & Discourse 5 (chs. 23–25)
7. Conclusion (chs. 26–28): The Passion and Resurrection of the Messiah

The Church and Its Mission

1. “On this rock I will build my church” (16:13-19)The rock = Peter in his role as one who confesses Christ to be the Son of GodV 15: “Who do you [pl] say that I am?” v 16 Peter answers for all the apostles. No mention of successors of Peter (i.e., popes)
2. The keys of the kingdom = church discipline (18:15-20)
3. What is the mission of the church? (28:18-20). To make disciples by baptizing and by teaching (imperative + two participles of means)
4. “All that I have commanded you” refers back to the 5 discourses
5. The source of our empowerment – presence of exalted Christ
6. Trinitarian baptismal formula: rudimentary outline that would later be expanded in the Apostles’ Creed; church fathers appealed to “the name” (sg) and fact that the Son and the Spirit are ranked as equal with the Father