2005 Bible Reading

This page is not a commentary, nor an outline. It is something to bear in mind in this kind of reading. These materials I learnt from two books by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (How to Read the Bible for All Its worth; How to Read the Bible Book By Book). You could consult these books if you are interested.

(Pastor Raymond)

Matthew

Although this page is meant to be for the Gospel of Matthew, the following comments in this paragraph are applicable also to the other “synoptic” Gospels (because of their similarities, Matthew, Mark and Luke are sometimes known as the “Synoptic Gospels”). All three Gospels have no explicit claim for authorship. The names of Matthew, Mark and Luke were given by early traditions. All three Gospels pretty much describe in broad brushes the same movement of their central character—Jesus. His ministry began outside of Jerusalem with popularity amongst the crowd. He was then loyally followed by a small group of disciples but he was also rejected by an increasing opposition, leading to his death at the hands of the authorities in the city of Jerusalem. All three Gospels mention the “empty tomb” with Mark more enigmatic than the other two about Jesus’ resurrection. All three are surprisingly similar in describing Jesus’ ministry from a Jewish beginning that ultimately encompasses Gentiles. Even more remarkable is the fact that all three Gospels interpret Jesus’ ministry from the lens of the servant in Isaiah: his beginning is introduced by John the Baptist’s use of Isaiah 40; his death is described in words from Isaiah 52:13-53:12; the opposition of the Israelites to his message is seen as fulfillment of the hardening prophesized in Isaiah 6 (remember Acts is the part 2 of Luke and how Paul talks about the Jews towards the end); and the eventual inclusion of Gentiles is taken from the same theme in Isaiah (see Isa 56:6-8, 66:18-21).

In addition to the above, when we read Matthew, we probably realize the wisdom of placing Matthew in the Bible right after the end of the Old Testament. Matthew opens with ties to the Old Testament and has repeatedly pointed to Jesus’ life as evidence of the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Matthew has also structured Jesus’ teaching in this Gospel as if Jesus were the new Moses, explaining the true intentions of the Law and taking the people of God through a second exodus. There are 5 blocks of teaching (compare that to the 5 Books of Moses), each is marked off by a similar formula “when Jesus had finished” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). These teachings are preceded by some “incidents” so each block has an element of narratives and also a section of teaching. They all invariably have to do with the inception of God’s kingly rule—the kingdom of God brought in by the Messiah of God.

There is no doubt that there are significant amount of Jewish heritage that could be identified in this Gospel. Matthew introduces and concludes Jesus as the King of the Jews (2:2 and 27:37) and Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecies. But there is an equally strong strand running in the story-line that includes Gentiles. Right in the beginning of the Jesus’ genealogy, there are names of five women included (this in itself is a remarkable thing) of which four are Gentiles. Jesus’ ministry in Galilee is described as light to the Gentiles mentioned in Isaiah 9. When the story ends, Jesus’ Great Commission to the disciples is for them to make disciples of all nations. In this regard, it is proper to read Mt 28:19-20 in context and see the Gospel of Matthew intended to function as a “discipleship manual” for the early Christian communities.