Page 12 - Advanced New Testament Survey Student Textbook

be the more likely location. The close correspondence (at points) between Matthew and the Didache
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also might point to an audience in Syria (although the origin of the Didache remains debated).
Genre
The genre of the Gospels has not gone without debates. It is widely believed that Mark was the first
writing of this kind and received the description “Gospel” (εὐαγγέλιον, euangelion) from its opening
verse: “The beginning of the gospel (εὐαγγέλιον, euangelion) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1
ESV). Matthew largely follows the pattern of Mark, as well as Old Testament narratives like those about
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Moses, David, and Elijah.

Matthew and the other Gospels are selective and not biographies of Jesus as understood in modern
times. The Gospels do not intend to relate information about all periods of Jesus’ life. Instead, after the
infancy narrative (1:1–2:23), Matthew describes only Jesus’ public ministry and the end of His life,
especially emphasizing the days leading up to Jesus’ death (26:1–28:20). In many ways, Matthew’s
narrative functions as an apologetic biography, as it tells the story of Jesus in order to defend who He
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was and why He died.
Sources
Matthew’s Gospel is significantly dependent on Mark in terms of content, arrangement, and wording.
Matthew has 90 percent of Mark (all but four episodes: Mark 4:26–29; 7:32–36; 8:22–26; 14:51–52). In
some chapters, as much as 80 percent of Matthew’s wording is borrowed exactly from Mark. This
literary dependence on Mark is clear from Matthew’s tendency to polish some of Mark’s rough grammar
and problematic phrasing. At times, Matthew simplifies Mark’s content by reducing it; in other passages,
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Matthew enhances Mark’s content by adding clarifications or emphasizing certain aspects.

Special Features

Five Discourses in Matthew
1. Sermon on the Mount (5-7), or the Law of the Kingdom
2. Teaching the 12 apostles (chapter 10), or the Preaching of the Kingdom
3. Parables of the Kingdom (chapter 13), or the Growth of the Kingdom
4. Life in God’s Kingdom (chapter 18), or the Fellowship of the Kingdom
5. The end of the world (chapter 24-25), or the Consummation of the Kingdom

Each teaching section closes with the same statement, "When Jesus had finished saying these things," or
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a similar expression.

The Messianic Theme in Matthew
1. Fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah’s coming (1:1-4:11).
2. The teachings of the Messiah (4:12-7:29).
3. The Deity of the Messiah revealed through miracles (8:1-11:1).
4. The Kingdom of the Messiah revealed through parables (11:2-13:53).

27 Barry, J. D. et al
28 Cate, J. (2016). Matthew, Gospel of. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair
Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
29 Ibid
30 Ibid
31 Gospel of Matthew: The King has Come - Abide in Christwww.abideinchrist.com

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