Matthew Introduction

Matthew - called "Levi" by Mark and Luke, was one of the 12 disciples called by our Lord. His home was probably Capernaum and he is believed to have been the brother of James, the son of Alphaeus.

Not to much is known of Matthew except he entered the service of Rome as a "despised" tax collector. It was from this lowly position that Jesus called him to become a disciple indicating the type of people to whom Jesus had come.

The Book of Matthew, though written later than Mark, was placed first in the assembling of the Gospels because it was early recognized as the authoritative and most comprehensive record of the life of Christ.

There are many "pros" and "cons" as to the author of this book. It was written originally in Greek and not Hebrew as one would expect Matthew to write. Also, it does not impress the reader as being written by an "eyewitness". However, we do give credit, at least in part, to Matthew and entirely to one Christian Jew and therefore it reflects a Jewish viewpoint.

  1. He explains how Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Christ
  2. He traces the ancestry of Jesus to David and Abraham.
  3. He notes the high regard Jesus had for the Laws of Moses.
  4. He notes the preferential treatment Jesus accorded the Jews. (Ch. 15:24)
  5. He notes the "Fatherhood" of God.

It is interesting to note the possible sources for the compiling of this book. The chief source was probably the Book of Mark. Matthew reproduces 90% of what Mark writes and follows remarkably the course of events in the life of Christ as recorded in Mark. A now lost source is believed to have been available to Matthew and Mark. This source is referred to by most writers as "Q" for lack of something better to establish its identity.

The Old Testament was obviously used in his effort to justify his belief that Jesus was the promissed Messiah and to rebuke the arguments of the Jews. It is believed an earlier collection of the prophecies of the "Promised Messiah", written in Hebrew and later translated into Greek, was also a source of help to Matthew.

The purpose of this Gospel and the special viewpoints it displays are linked to the fact that Matthew was a Christian Jew. His Gospel, unlike the others which are addressed to Gentiles, is written for Christians of Jewish origin. His favorite saying is, "that the scripture might be "fulfilled".

Three terms describing the types of scripture are widely used by Bible scholars and should be understood by all who study God's word. Matthew encompasses some of each of these three types of literature.

  1. ESCHATOLOGY (Es-cha-tol-o-gy) Last things, teachings or beliefs about the ultimate destiny of mankind.
  2. COSMOGONY (Cos-mog-o-ny) First things, information about "beginnings".
  3. APOCALYPTIC (A-poc-a-lyp-tic) Devinely inspired prophecy common at the beginning of the Christian era. Originating with the Prophets of the Old Testament and reaching its fullest expression in the Christian literature in the Book of Revelation.


Previous Chapter
Return to Outline
Ask Questions
Next Chapter