The Gospel of Matthew Holy Cross College 2016 The Shape of the Day • 10:30 Session 1 – The Shape of a Gospel • 11:50 Session 2 – God With Us – Emmanuel -----LUNCH----• 2:00 Session 3 - Kingdom Blessedness • 3:10 Session 4 – Kingdom Stories Map of Palestine at the Time of Jesus Judaism at the time of Jesus • • • • • • • Jerusalem Temple Synagogue Sadducees Samaritans Pharisees Zealots Essenes • A broad spectrum of messianic hopes and expectations • Apocalyptic perspective expressed in certain movements and literature The Development of the New Testament • The New Testament is a collection of writings that witness to the faith of the early Church in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. • It came about as a result of a process that began with the public life of Jesus and ended with the last of the Gospels, probably John The Public Life of Jesus 30 -33ad The Preaching of the Apostles The Letters of Paul 50-62ad The Written Gospels 70-90ad What a “historian” may say about Jesus • Grew up in Galilee in a family of modest means • Was a Jew but his place on the spectrum is unclear • Was baptized by John and was linked with his movement for a while • Called disciples to share in his mission • Was a teacher and preacher • Message focussed on the present and coming “Kingdom of God” • Jesus was crucified by the Roman governor of Judea The Sources of the Gospels • Individual Memory – doubtless an influence but does not account for the texts of the gospels as we have them. • Community tradition: the link between Jesus and the Gospels is the Christian community that collected, preserved and interpreted these materials as the expression of a vibrant faith. Types of material from and about Jesus • Individual stories and sayings circulated as separate units and where then combined in various ways in the process of tradition and redaction - like stringing beads! • Narrative traditions Miracle stories, Historical stories, Sayings, Parables The Synoptic Gospels Mark Q M L Matthew Luke • Q is a source that Luke and Matthew used that contained sayings of Jesus not found in Mark. M and L are sources unique to each evangelist. The Evangelist • Matthew the Apostle? (9:9) • Why rely on Mark? • Perhaps a signature in 13:52, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.“ Matthew • A Jewish Scribe (expert in the Torah) who has become a Christian. • Well versed in the Jewish tradition yet steeped in a resurrection faith • Understands Jesus as the fulfilment of Jewish Messianic hopes and more. (infancy narrative) • Uses Mark, “Q” and “M” as sources. • Writes a “ bios” – a biography of Jesus according to classical norms. Gospel as Biography bios • In the ancient world biography did not attempt a detailed and comprehensive presentation of the subject. • Readers expected a narrative account of the career and contribution of a notable figure usually spanning from birth to death. • Alexander the Great, Caesar Augustus, etc. Function of the bios The ancient audience expected a bios • To present the figure’s life and teaching as a possible model for its own living. • To legitimate or discredit important community values and practices. • To shape the identity and guide the audience’s way of life. Matthew’s audience • A minority community in Antioch a large and culturally diverse city in the Roman Empire. • Recently separated from the synagogue • Seeking to secure an identity and lifestyle with words of legitimation, explanation and direction. • On the margins both in relation to Empire and synagogue. What the Gospel of Matthew tells us about its readers They recognise: 1. The central importance of the Jewish heritage and the Scriptures, seen in the genealogy and the frequent use of “fulfilment” formulae. (1:22, 2:5-6, 8:17, 12:17-20) 1. Jesus as Lord – they have heard and accepted the Easter message. In the Gospel people “approach” Jesus (51x proserchomai). In Greek used for approaching God or the temple for worship. (4:11, 5:1, 8:2, 15:30, 18:1) The Shape of Matthew (1) • Birth Narrative 1:1-2:23 • Narrative: preparation for ministry: 3:1-4:17 Discourse: Sermon on the Mount 4:18-7:29 • Narrative: Signs of the Kingdom 8:1-9:38 Discourse on Mission 10:1-11:1 • Narrative: A Divided Response 11:2-12:50 Discourse: Parables of the Kingdom 13:113:53 The Shape of Matthew (2) • Narrative: Preparation for the Church 13:54- 17:23 • Discourse: The Community 17:24-19:2 • Narrative: Preparation for the Passion 19:3-24:2 • Discourse: The Last Judgment 24:3-25:46 • Death and Resurrection 26:1-28:20 Five Discourses – Five Books of Torah!
