Study of Matthew Small Group Handout

1. When did Matthew most likely write his Gospel?

Matthew most likely wrote his Gospel AD 50’s or 60”s.

2. Why is an early date significant?

An early date is significant for two reasons:

1. An early date is more consistent with Matthean authorship than a first-century date. If the date was first-century Matthew would not have been the author.

2. An early date tends to confirm the historical reliability of the Gospel content. If the accounts of Jesus’s life and ministry were orally transmitted for several generations before being written down details might have been changed during the time of oral transmission.

2. What are the primary and secondary purposes of Matthew’s Gospel?

Primary focus was Jesus’s identity as the Messiah, the new Abraham, founder of a new spiritual Israel, the new Moses, the deliver and instructor of God’s people and Jesus as Immanuel, the virgin born Son of God who fulfills the promises of the Old Testament.

Secondary purpose is the Gospel was written to serve as a manual for discipleship.

3. What are the chapters in Matthew that correspond to the Sermon on the Mount and the final eschatological discourse?

Moses ascends the mountain and instructs his followers in the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7. His final eschatological discourse was in chapter 24 - 25 with the destruction of the temple and the coming woes.

4. What literary and theological feature is particularly prominent in ?

The fulfillment quotations showing that Jesus is the Messiah.

5. What are some texts that demonstrate Matthew’s concern for the “Great Commission”?

The book of Matthew is the Gospel of fulfillment. Jesus is the true Israel and thus those who belong to Jesus Christ whether Jews are Gentiles, are members of the true Israel. Matthew displays a tension and balance between the promise being for the Jews and the good news being extended to the Gentiles.