Page 9 - Advanced New Testament Survey Student Textbook

2:14; Luke 5:27–29). Various features in Matthew reflect a writing style that is more Jewish than the
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other three Gospels. AD.

In the most primitive church writings about the composition of the book of Matthew, Papias, bishop of
Hierapolis (ca. AD 130), cited by Eusebius (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.39.16), Eusebius accounts
that Papias said, “So then Matthew arranged (συνετάξατο, synetaxato) the oracles (τὰ λόγια, ta logia) in
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the Hebrew language and everyone interpreted them as he was able.” Critics have questioned the
language, and style, even so, Matthew is the only name connected with the material. there is an early
tradition about Matthew composing a gospel account—which was assumed to be this text because of its
references to Matthew (9:9; 10:3)? Apart from Papias’ remark, there are no traces of the Gospel’s
author, and “Matthew” is the only name ever associated with it.
Date
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Some scholars suggest that “The Gospel of Matthew was likely composed between AD 70 and 110.”
They further argue that “The start of this range reflects the date (AD 65–70) typically given for the
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Gospel of Mark, which Matthew uses as a source.” They agree with the main stream of scholarship
that Since the Didache and the writings of Ignatius show familiarity with Matthew’s Gospel, it must have
been available by the time of these works (ca. AD 110). Barry underscores that within the range provided
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above, “it is difficult to be more precise, as clues from the text point toward both ends.” He proves
that, while some verses in Matthew imply that the Jerusalem temple was still standing, which would
indicate composition prior to AD. 70 (e.g., 5:23–24; 12:5–7; 17:24–27; 23:16–22; 26:60–61),” other
verses seem to reflect the temple’s destruction and suggest a post-70 date (e.g., 22:7). Another fact is
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observable in verses referring to the end times, which are portrayed as both near (e.g., 10:23) and far
(e.g., 24:14). A good number of phrases seem to show that a significant amount of time had elapsed
between the events of the story and the time of its writing (“until today,” 27:8; “until this very day,”
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28:15).

Scholars suggest that what could be more important is to consider the context in which Matthew was
written. The account’s emphasis on the trouble between Jesus and the Jewish leaders might reflect the
context of someone writing during a period of heightened struggle between Christian Jews and non-
Christian Jews over Jesus’ identity as Messiah. This sort of circumstance parallels well with the time after
the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, when the relationship between Christian communities and Jewish
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synagogues worsened.
Themes
Here Barry and colleagues mention that, “One of Matthew’s primary goals is to show that Jesus is the
Messiah—the fulfillment of Jewish hopes for salvation (1:18–25).” They observed that the book is filled
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7 Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife
Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
8 Ibid
9 Ibid
10 Ibid
11 Ibid
12 Ibid
13 Ibid
14 Barry, J. D. et al
15 Ibid

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