1. The Structure of the Gospel of Matthew

1.1. The Best Way to Structure the Gospel of Matthew

1.1.1. General Comments

A.  Matthew as Sharing the Literary Structure of Mark

Since the Gospel of Matthew contains 90% of Mark's material, mostly in the same order, it is not surprising that it shares the basic structure of the Gospel of Mark. That is, Matthew has a Galilean period of Jesus' ministry, followed by Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, his arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. In the Gospel of Matthew the major transition occurs in 19:1 (= Mark 10:1), when Jesus leaves Galilee for Judea. As in Mark, Jesus goes to Judea, in order to allow himself to be arrested and executed, which is made clear in 20:17-19 (= Mark 10:33). Also, as in Mark, Jesus foreshadows his decision to go to Judea by predicting that he will be put to death in 16:21 (= Mark 8:31) and 17:22-23 (= Mark 9:31).

    The section before the major transition can be divided into four sections, the last three of which have parallels in the Gospel of Mark. The Prologue (1:1-2:23); Preparation for Jesus' Ministry (3:1-4:11 = Mark 1:1-13); The First Phase of Jesus' Ministry in Galilee (4:12-13:58 = Mark 1:14-6:13); The Second Phase of Jesus' Galilean Ministry (14:1-20:34 = Mark 6:14-8:26).

    The section after the major transition can be broken down into two sub-sections, as in the gospel of Mark: The Judean Period of Jesus' Ministry (21:1-25:46 = Mark 11:1-13:37); The Passion and Resurrection Narratives (26:1-28:20 = Mark 14:1-16:8). (See A. H. McNeile, The Gospel According to St. Matthew [London: MacMillan, 1915].)

B. The Unique Literary Structure of Matthew

But with respect to its literary structure, the Gospel of Matthew cannot simply be understood as being a clone of the Gospel of Mark. Although it shares the geographical structure of the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Matthew exhibits a another literary structure, defined by genre (originally proposed by B. W. Bacon, "The `Five Books' of Matthew Against the Jews," The Expositor 15 (1918): 56-66; idem, Studies in Matthew [New York: Henry Holt, 1930]--Bacon argues that Matthew intends his gospel to be a new Torah, but this is questionable.) In the Gospel of Matthew, there are found five units of narrative and teaching material, clearly distinguished from one another. The teaching sections follow narrative sections, and conclude with very similar summary statements ("And it happened when Jesus finished..."). (This is not to say that there is no teaching material outside of these sections.) To these are joined the Prologue (1:1-2:23) and the Passion and Resurrection Narratives (26:1-28:20), producing a seven-part structure (See D. A. Carson, D. J. Moo and L. Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992] 63-65.) This structure is marked enough that one must conclude that it was intended by the author.

1.1.2.  Outline of the Gospel of Matthew

A. 1:1-2:23 The Prologue

1. 1:1-17 Jesus' genealogy

2. 1:18-25 Jesus' birth

3. 2:1-12 The visit of the Magi

4. 2:13-15 Joseph's flight to Egypt

5. 2:16-18 The slaying of the children in Bethlehem

6. 2:19-23 Joseph's return from Egypt and his settlement in Nazareth
 

B. 3:1-7:29 Unit One

1. 3:1-4:25 Narrative Section

a. 3:1-12 = Mark 1:1-8 John the Baptist

b. 3:13-17 = Mark 1:9-11 Jesus' baptism

c. 4:1-11 = Mark 1:12-13 Jesus' temptation

d. 4:12-17 = Mark 1:14-15 Beginning of Galilean Ministry

e. 4:18-22 = Mark 1:16-20 Calling of four fishermen

f. 4:23-25 Jesus' ministry to a great multitude

2. Teaching Section (The Sermon on the Mount)

a. 5:1-2 Introduction

b. 5:3-12 The beatitudes

c. 5:13-16 Teaching about being salt and light

d. 5:17-20 Teaching about the Law and the Kingdom of God

e. 5:21-26 Teaching about anger and how to handle conflict

f. 5:27-32 Teaching about adultery and divorce

g. 5:33-37 Teaching about taking oaths

h. 5:38-42 Teaching about revenge

i. 5:43-48 Teaching about loving enemies

j. 6:1-4 Teaching about giving alms

k. 6:5-15 Teaching about prayer, including Lord's prayer

l. 6:16-18 Teaching about fasting

m. 6:19-24 Three sayings about having treasure in heaven, the eye being the light of the body, and not being able to serve two masters.

n. 6:25-34 Teaching about not being anxious, but trusting God

o. 7:1-6 Teaching about judging others

p. 7:7-12 Teaching about asking for good things from God

q. 7:13-14 Teaching about the wide and narrow gate

r. 7:15-23 Teaching about the tree and its fruit

s. 7:24-27 Analogy of the wise and foolish builders

3. 7:28-29 Summary Statement:  “And it happened that, when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, for he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”
 

C. 8:1-11:1a Unit Two

1. 8:1-10:4 Narrative Section

a. 8:1-4 = Mark 1:40-45 Jesus' healing of a leper

b. 8:5-13 Jesus' healing of the centurion's servant

c. 8:14-17 = Mark 1:29-34 Healing of Peter’s mother-in-law

d. 8:18-22 Teaching about the cost of following Jesus

e. 8:23-27 = Mark 4:35-41 Calming of the storm

f. 8:28-34 = Mark 5:1-20 Exorcism of man in the region Gadarenes (Gerasenes?)

g. 9:1-8 = Mark 2:1-12 Jesus' healing of a paralyzed man

h. 9:9-13 = Mark 2:13-17 Jesus' calling of Matthew (Levi)

i. 9:14-17 = Mark 2:18-22 The question about fasting

j. 9:18-26 = Mark 5:21-43 Healing of the woman with bleeding problem and raising of Jairus' daughter

k. 9:27-31 Healing of two blind men

l. 9:32-34 Healing of a dumb man

m. 9:35-38 General statement about Jesus' itinerant preaching and healing, being motivated by compassion for the people, followed by request that his disciples pray for more harvesters

n. 10:1-4 = Mark 3:13-19 Calling of his twelve disciples

2. 10:5-42 Teaching Section

a. 10:5-15 (see Mark 6:7-13) Jesus' sending out of his disciples

b. 10:16-25 (see Mark 13:9-13) Jesus' prediction of coming persecutions

c. 10:26-31 Jesus' teaching about whom to fear

d. 10:32-33 Jesus' promise that whoever confesses him before men he will confess before the Father

e. 10:34-39 Jesus' statement that he has come not to bring peace

f. 10:40-42 (see Mark 9:41) Jesus teaching about rewards

3. 11:1a Summary Statement:  “And it happened that when Jesus had finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples…”
 

D. 11:1b-13:53a Unit Three

1. 11:1b-12:50 Narrative Section

a. 11:1 General statement that Jesus went to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee

b. 11:2-19 John the Baptist's emissaries asking Jesus whether he is the one who is to come and Jesus' response

c. 11:20-24 Jesus' woes to unrepentant cities

d. 11:25-30 Jesus' invitation to come unto him and he will give rest

e. 12:1-8 = Mark 2:23-28 Plucking grain on the Sabbath

f. 12:9-14 = Mark 3:1-6 Healing of man with withered hand

g. 12:15-21 Jesus as the servant

h. 12:22-32 = Mark 3:20-30 Jesus and Beelzebub

i. 12:33-37 Jesus analogy with a tree and its fruit

j. 12:38-43 see Mark 8:11-13 The Pharisees' demand for a sign

k. 12:43-45 Jesus' comparison of the fate of his generation to the man re-possessed

l. 12:46-50 = Mark 3:31-35 Jesus' true mother and brothers

2. 13:1-53a Teaching Section

a. 13:1-9 = Mark 4:1-9 Parable of the sower

b. 13:10-17 = Mark 4:10-12 Purpose of the parables

c. 13:18-23 = Mark 4:13-20 Explanation of parable of the sower

d. 13:24-30 Parable of the wheat and the weeds

e. 13:31-33 = Mark 4:30-32 Parables of the mustard seed and leaven

f. 13:34-35 = Mark 4:33-34 Statement about Jesus' use of parables

g. 13:36-43 Parable of the wheat and the weeds explained

h. 13:44-50 Three parables

i. 13:51-52 New and old treasures

3. 13:53b Summary statement:  “And it happened that when Jesus had finished these parables…
 

E. 13:53b-19:1a Unit Four

1. 13:53b-17:27 Narrative Section

a. 13:53b-58 = Mark 6:1-6a Rejection at Nazareth

b. 14:1-12 = Mark 6:17-29 Death of John the Baptist

c. 14:13-21 = Mark 6:30-44 Feeding of five thousand

d. 14:22-33 = Mark 6:45-52 Jesus' walking on water

e. 14:34-36 = Mark 6:53-56 Jesus' healing of the sick at Gennessaret

f. 15:1-20 = Mark 7:1-23 The tradition of the elders

g. 15:21-28 = Mark 7:24-30 Exorcises of daughter of Syro-Phoenician woman

h. 15:29-31 Jesus' healing of many people

i. 15:32-39 = Mark 8:1-10 Feeding of four thousand

j. 16:1-4 = Mark 8:11-13 Demand for a sign

k. 16:5-12 = Mark 8:14-21 The leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod

l. 16:13-20 = Mark 8:27-30 Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi

m. 16:21-23 = Mark 8:31-33 Jesus' first prediction of his death

n. 16:24-28 = Mark 8:34-9:1 Sayings

o. 17:1-13 = Mark 9:2-13 Jesus' transfiguration

p. 17:14-21 = Mark 9:14-29 Exorcism of a boy

q. 17:22-23 = Mark 9:30-32 Jesus' second prediction of his death

r. 17:24-27 Jesus' teaching about payment of the temple tax

2. 18:1-18:35 Teaching Section

a. 18:1-5 = Mark 9:33-37 Teaching about greatness

b. 18:6-9 = Mark 9:42-48 Sayings

c. 18:10-14 Parable of lost sheep

d. 18:15-20 Jesus' teaching about the brother who sins

e. 18:21-35 The parable of the unforgiving servant

3. 19:1a Summary Statement:  “And it happened that when Jesus had finished these words…”
 

F. 19:1b-26:1a Unit Five

1. 19:1b-24:2 Narrative Section

a. 19:1b-12 = Mark 10:1-12 Teaching about divorce

b. 19:13-15 = Mark 10:13-16 Blessing of children

c. 19:16-30 = Mark 10:17-31 The rich, young ruler

d. 20:1-16 Parable of workers in the vineyard

e. 20:17-19 = Mark 10:32-34 Jesus' third prediction of his death

f. 20:20-28 = Mark 10:35-45 The request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee

g. 20:29-34 = Mark 10:46-52 Healing of blind Bartimaeus

h. 21:1-11 = Mark 11:1-11 Royal entry into Jerusalem

i. 21:12-17 = Mark 11:15-19 Clearing of the Temple

j. 21:18-22 = Mark 11:12-14, 20-24 Cursing of the fig tree; Teaching about faith based on cursing of the fig tree

k. 21:23-27 = Mark 11:27-33 Questioning of Jesus' authority

l. 21:28-32 Parable of the two sons

m. 21:33-46 = Mark 12:1-12 Parable of vineyard and the tenants

n. 22:1-14 Parable of the wedding feast

o. 22:15-22 = Mark 12:13-17 Paying taxes to Caesar

p. 22:23-33 = Mark 12:18-27 Question about the resurrection

q. 22:34-40 = Mark 12:28-34 The greatest commandment

r. 22:41-46 = Mark 12:35-37 David's son and the Messiah

s. 23:1-36 = Mark 12:38-40 Warnings about the scribes

(Problem:  It can be argued that 23:1-36 is a teaching section in it own right.)

t. 23:37-39 Jesus' lament over Jerusalem

u. 24:1-2 = Mark 13:1-2 Destruction of the Temple foretold

2. 24:3-25:46 Teaching Section

a. 24:3-8 = Mark 13:3-8 Signs before the end

b. 24:9-14 = Mark 13:9-13 Persecutions foretold

c. 24:15-22 = Mark 13:14-20 Desolation of Jerusalem

d. 24:23-28 = Mark 13:21-23 Warnings about false Messiahs and prophets

e. 24:29-31 = Mark 13:24-27 Coming son of man

f. 24:32-35 = Mark 13:28-31 Time of the coming of the son of man:  Parable of the fig tree

g. 24:36-44 = Mark 13:32-37 Exhortation to be watchful

h. 24:45-51 Parable of the good and the wicked servants

i. 25:1-13 Parable of the ten unmarried women

j. 25:14-30 Parable of the talents

k. 25:31-46 Teaching about the eschatological separation of humanity as a shepherd separates sheep and goats

3. 26:1a Summary Statement:  “And it happened that when Jesus had finished all these words…”
 

G. 26:1-28:20 The Passion and Resurrection Narratives

1. 26:1-5 = Mark 14:1-2 Plot to kill Jesus

2. 26:6-13 = Mark 14:3-9 Anointing at Bethany

3. 26:14-16 = Mark 14:10-11 Judas' agreement to betray Jesus

4. 26:17-30 = Mark 14:12-26 Jesus' last Passover with his disciples

5. 26:31-35 = Mark 14:27-31 Jesus' prediction of Peter's betrayal

6. 26:36-46 = Mark 14:32-42 Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane

7. 26:47-56 = Mark 14:43-50 Jesus' arrest

8. 26:57-68 = Mark 14:53-65 Jesus' trial before the council

9. 26:69-75 = Mark 14:66-72 Peter's denial of Jesus

10. 27:1-2 = Mark 15:1 Jesus' appearance before Pilate

11. 27:3-10 The death of Judas

12. 27:11-14 = Mark 15:2-5 Jesus' being questioned by Pilate

13. 27:15-26 = Mark 15:6-15 Jesus' being sentenced to die

14. 27:27-56 = Mark 15:16-41 Jesus' death

15. 27:57-61 = Mark 15:42-47 Jesus' burial

16. 27:62-66 The stationing of a guard at Jesus' tomb

17. 28:1-10 = Mark 16:1-8 Jesus' resurrection

18. 28:11-15 The bribery of the guards

19. 28:16-20 = Mark 16:14-18 Jesus' commissioning of the disciples
 

1.2. Other Proposed Structures of the Gospel of Matthew

Two other proposed arrangements of the Gospel of Matthew warrant consideration:

1.2.1. S. McKnight proposes a structure that incorporates the five units of narrative and teaching material into a biographical or chronological framework (Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988]; idem, "Matthew, Gospel of," in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels [Leicester, England: Intervarsity, 1992] 526-41).

A Prologue 1:1-2:23
 

B. Introduction 3:1-4:11

(In his view, the author includes two introductions to his gospel.)
 

C. The Messiah Confronts Israel in His Galilean Ministry (4:12-11:1)

(According to McKnight, the unity of this section is signaled by 4:23 and 9:35, which are identical in wording and form and, therefore, function as an inclusio around the material between them. Matt 4:23 and 9:35 then serve to describe what the disciples are to do in the final section [see 10:1, 8].)

1. Narrative: Introduction (4:12-22)

2. Discourse: The Messiah's Call to Righteousness (5:1-7:29)

3. Narrative: The Messiah's Ministry (8:1-9:34) Summary 9:35; see 4:23-25)

4. Discourse: The Messiah Extends His Ministry (9:36-11:1)
 

D. The Responses to the Messiah: Rejection and Acceptance from Galilee to Jerusalem (11:2-20:34)

1. Narrative: The Messiah Is Rejected by Jewish Leaders but Accepted by the Disciples (11:2-12:50)

2. Discourse: The Messiah Teaches about the Kingdom (13:1-53)

3. Narrative: The Messiah Is Rejected by Jewish Leaders but Accepted by the Disciples: Responses Intensify (13:54-17:27)

4. Discourse: The Messiah Instructs on Community Life (18:1-19:1)

5. Narrative: The Messiah Instructs on the Way to Jerusalem (19:2-20:34)
 

E. The Messiah Inaugurates the Kingdom of Heaven through Rejection and Vindication: Jesus the Messiah Confronts Jerusalem (21:1-28:20)

1. Narrative: The Messiah Confronts Israel in Jerusalem (21:1-22:46)

2. Discourse: The Messiah Predicts the Judgment of Unbelieving Israel (23:1-26:2)

3. Narrative: The Messiah Is Rejected in Jerusalem but Vinidicated by God through Resurrection (26:3-28:20)

    Although McKnight is to be commended for looking for a structure unique to the Gospel of Matthew, it is not obvious that the material included in his divisions is uniform enough to be subsumed under common headings.

1.2.2. J. D. Kingsbury proposes that the Gospel of Matthew be understood salvation-historically (Matthew: Structure, Christology, Kingdom [Philadelphia: Fortress, 1975]). In his view, there are three sections in the Gospel of Matthew, headed by superscriptions, corresponding to three phases in the appearance of "Jesus Messiah." These superscriptions are intended to indicate the broadest divisions of the gospel, functioning as major transitions and summaries of the content of the sections that follow. According to Kingsbury, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus (the) Messiah is first described in terms of his origin and significance as the son of God. Then follows Jesus' presentation of himself to Israel and his summons to it to the Kingdom of Heaven. The final section deals with the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus.

A.1. 1:1 Superscription: "The record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham"

A.2. 1:1-4:16 "The Person of Jesus Messiah" (The genesis and significance of Jesus as the Christ)
 

B.1. 4:17 Superscription: "From that time forward, Jesus began to preach and say, `Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near'."

B.2. 4:17-16:20 "The Proclamation of Jesus Messiah" (The nature and effect of Jesus' proclamation). Kingsbury divides this section into two sub-sections:

a. 4:18-11:1 Jesus summons Israel to the Kingdom of Heaven

b. 11:2-16:20 Jesus' message is rejected
 

C.1. 16:21 Superscription: "From that time forward Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

C.2. 16:21-28:20 "The Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Messiah"

    Kingsbury's outline recognizes the development in Matthew from proclamation to rejection and suffering, but it is doubtful that these superscriptions intentionally form the major structural divisions of the gospel. One can acknowledge 4:17 and 16:21 as markers in the narrative indicating the beginning of Jesus' proclamation and the beginning of Jesus' teaching that he must be rejected, executed and raised from the dead without holding that these have the significance that Kingsbury attributes to them. (In fact, the phrase "From that time forward, which introduces the second and third supersciptions, occurs in 26:16 without any break in the flow of the narrative.) The material in Matthew is much less carefully organized than Kingsbury claims. For example, from 16:21-19:1 Jesus remains in Galilee doing much the same things that he was doing before 16:21. Similarly, in 11:1-16:20 most of the material has nothing to do with Jesus' rejection.
 

2. Observations concerning the Composition of the Gospel of Matthew

2.1. The Gospel of Matthew in Relation to its Markan Source

2.1.1. With the exception of Mark 1:23-28, 35-39; 4:26-29; 6:14-16; 7:32-37; 8:22-26; 9:38-40; 12:41-44, the contents of the Gospel of Mark are found in the Gospel of Matthew. To this is added non-Markan material. The author of Matthew has characteristic ways of handling his Markan and non-Markan sources:

A. Although he generally follows it, in Matt 3:1-13:58 the author of Matthew sometimes re-arranges the Markan order of pericopes:

* = Material Added to Markan Pericope

Roman numerals = Non-Markan Material

Bolded = Markan Material out of Order in Matthew
 

Matthew has more material, some of which is parallel to material from the longer ending of Mark.

B. The author of Matthew tends to combine his non-Markan material with his Markan source in two ways:

1. The author of Matthew expands units of Markan material by the interpolation of non-Markan material (see above pericopes in Matthew with *) (** = Luke also interpolates same material into the Markan framework). In some cases (marked by +), Luke has no corresponding material, in whole or in part.
 

2. The author of Matthew intersperses variously-sized blocks of non-Markan material into the Markan framework at places he deems appropriate (see Roman numerals above):
 

C. The author of Matthew appends to the Markan outline a genealogy, a birth narrative, the visit of the magi, Jesus' flight to Egypt, the slaughter of the children in Bethlehem and Jesus' return from Egypt. These are unique to Matthew.

2.1.2. As already indicated in the discussion of the synoptic question, the author of Matthew tends to shorten his Markan material. One further example will suffice:
 

2.2. More than the other synoptic gospels, the Gospel of Matthew stresses the fulfillment nature of Jesus' ministry. The author explicitly cites Old Testament messianic prophecies as having been fulfilled by Jesus, often with a formula using the verb "to fulfill."  The following are those instances that are unique to the Gospel of Matthew.

1. Matt 1:22 Jesus' virginal birth is said to be the fulfillment of Isa 7:14: "All of this happened in order to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken the prophet."

2. Matt 2:6 Jesus' birth in Bethlehem is said to be the fulfillment of Micah 5:2: "For thus is it written through the prophet."

3. Matt 2:15 Jesus' return from Egypt is said to fulfill Hosea 11:1: "...in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through the prophet."

4. Matt 2:17-18 The massacre of the children in Bethlehem by Herod is said to be the fulfillment of Jer 31:15: "Then was fulfilled the word spoken through the prophet Jeremiah."

5. Matt 2:23 The fact that Jesus took up residence in Nazareth in Galilee is said to be a fulfillment that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene (Isa 11:1?): "Thus the word through the prophet was fulfilled..."

6. Matt 4:14-16 Jesus' ministry in Galilee is interpreted as fulfilling Isa 9:1-2: "...in order that the word spoken through the prophet Isaiah be fulfilled."

7. Matt 8:17 Jesus' healings are said to be the fulfillment of Isa 53:4: "Thus was fulfilled the word spoken through Isaiah the prophet."

8. Matt 12:17-21 Jesus is interpreted as the Isaian servant (Isa 42:1-4): "...in order to fulfil the word spoken through Isaiah the prophet."

9. Matt 13:35 Jesus' speaking to the crowds exclusively in parables is said to be a fulfillment of Ps 78:2: "Thus was fulfilled the word spoken the prophet."

10. Matt 21:4-5 Jesus' royal entry into Jerusalem is said to fulfill Zech 9:9: "This happened in order that the word spoken by the prophet be fulfilled."

11. Matt 27:8-10 Judas' death is interpreted as fulfilling Zech 11:12-13: "Then was fulfilled the word spoken through the prophet."

2.3. The phrase "the Kingdom of God" tends to be avoided in the Gospel of Matthew, occurring only in 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43. Instead, the term "the Kingdom of Heaven" (literally: "the Kingdom of the Heavens") is preferred (Matt 3:2; 4:17; 5:3, 10, 19, 20; 7:21; 8:11; 10:7; 11:11, 12; 13:11, 24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47, 52; 16:19; 18:1, 3, 4; 19:12, 14, 23, 24; 20:1; 22:2; 23:13; 25:1). In some of these, Matthew has changed his Markan source. The best explanation of this phenomenon is that the author of Matthew prefers to avoid use of the word "God," using the circumlocution "Heavens" instead.
 

3. The Conditions of the Production of the Gospel of Matthew

3.1.Authorship

3.1.1. Internal Evidence

The Gospel of Matthew is anonymous; there is no internal, direct evidence for authorship. Sometime early in the second-century the Gospel of Matthew was designated as such. This at least offers prima facie evidence that the apostle Matthew wrote this work. As far as internal, indirect evidence is concerned, three data should be noted.

A. The fact that much of the teaching material unique to Gospel of Matthew is only fully understandable by and of interest to a Jewish readership suggests that the author was a Jew.
 

B. The fact that he author, more than the other synoptic writers, explicitly cites Old Testament messianic prophecies as having been fulfilled by Jesus suggests that the author was a Jew, since a Jew would be concerned to understand Jesus as such (see above).

C. Only the Gospel of Matthew refers to "Matthew the tax collector" in the list of the disciples (10:3; see 9:9-13). It is possible that this is an attempt at a sort of self-depreciating self-identification on the part of the author. (Being a tax-collector was not something in which to take pride, although it could be a lucrative occupation.)

3.1.2. External Evidence

The earliest piece of external, direct evidence for the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew derives from Papias (60-130), as quoted in Eusebius. Papias makes the following obscure statement about the origin of the gospel (H.E. 3. 39. 16):

"Matthew composed the sayings in the Hebrew language and everyone interpreted as he was able."

Although this is the probably the best translation of Papias' statement, there are other possibilities. The following are legitimate questions:

A. Does the verb translated above as "composed" (suneta,xeto) mean that or "compiled" or "arranged"?

B. Does the word translated above as "sayings" (lo,gia) mean that or "gospel"? That it could mean the latter is implied by Papias' use of the word in the title of his work, Interpretation of the Lord's Logia (logiw,n kuriakw/n evxhgh,sewj). It is arguable that Papias means "gospels" by logia. This is strengthened by the fact that Papias claims (as quoted previously) that Mark made an arrangement of the logia of the Lord, the result of which is the Gospel of Mark. Clearly, the logia includes not only what Jesus said but also what he did ("the things said or done by the Lord") (H.E. 3.39.15).

C. Does the phrase translated as "in the Hebrew language" (Ebrai,di diale,ktw|) mean that or "in the Aramaic language," or "in Hebrew or Aramaic style.

D. Does the word translated as "interpreted" (h`mh,rneusen) mean that or "translated"?

These other translation possibilities render an understanding of Papias' statement even more difficult.

    Other early sources also claim that Matthew wrote a gospel in Hebrew/Aramaic:

A. Irenaeus (130-c.200) (Adv. Haer. 3.1.1; also quoted in Eusebius, H.E. 5.8.2): "Now Matthew brought forth among the Hebrews a written gospel in their language, while Peter and Paul were preaching in Rome and founding the church."

B. Origen (185-254) (Comm. in Matth I as quoted by Eusebius, H.E. 6. 25.3-4): "As having learnt by tradition concerning the four Gospels, which alone are unquestionable in the Church of God under heaven, that a first was written that according to Matthew, who was once a tax-collector but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, who published it for those who from Judaism came to believe, composed as it was in the Hebrew language."

C. There is a tradition cited by Eusebius, alleged to have originated with a man named Pantaenos (c. 190), who was associated with the church in Alexandria, to the effect that there once existed a Gospel of Matthew written "in Hebrew letters" (H.E. 5.10.1-4: "One of these was Pantaenos, and it is said that he went to the Indians, and the tradition is that he found there among some of those there who had known Christ the Gospel of Matthew had preceded his coming; for Bartholomew, one of the apostles, had preached to them and had left the writing of Matthew in Hebrew letters, which was preserved until the time mentioned" (See also H.E. 3.24.5-6).

    If Papias means by logia "gospel," then there exist four early testimonies to the fact that Matthew the tax collector wrote a gospel in Hebrew/Aramaic. The Gospel of Matthew admitted into the canon of the church, however, is written in Greek. This means that, if one accepts the testimony of these four sources, one must assume that at some point the original Hebrew/Aramaic Gospel of Matthew was translated into Greek (see B. L. Butler, The Originality of St. Matthew; L. Vaganay, Le probleme synoptique). But to hold this view is possible only if one rejects the priority of Mark. If one assumes that the author of the Gospel of Matthew used the Gospel of Mark as a source (rather than assuming that Mark is an abbreviation of Matthew or that they are literarily independent), it is impossible to hold that the Greek Gospel of Matthew is a translation of an Aramaic or Hebrew original. This has led some who accept the hypothesis of Markan priority to suppose that the logia that, according to Papias, Matthew composed, probably refers to something other than the Aramaic or Hebrew equivalent of the Greek Gospel of Matthew, but may nonetheless have some connection to it.  It has been suggested that what Matthew wrote was an Aramaic collection of the sayings (logia) of Jesus, which later were translated into Greek and were incorporated into the framework supplied by the Gospel of Mark (see W. C. Allen, St. Matthew), perhaps by Matthew himself. Some even claim that the logia that Matthew was the so-called Q source (T.W. Manson, The Sayings of Jesus).  In addition, the tradition that Matthew wrote a "gospel" in Aramaic/Hebrew may also refer to this sayings collection. 

    In conclusion, the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew is something of a puzzle.  It is probably safe to say that the apostle Matthew (Matthew/Levi [Mark 2:13-17; Matt 9:9-13]) wrote something that has some connection to the canonical Gospel of Matthew.  But what exactly that text was and its connection to the canonical Matthew is difficult to determine.

3.2. Intended Readership

Internal, indirect evidence for the intended readership of the Gospel of Matthew is the decidedly Jewish nature of the material unique to the gospel and the concern of the author to present the fulfillment nature of Jesus' ministry (see above). This implies that the intended readers were Jews. This conclusion is confirmed if the external, direct evidence that Matthew wrote a gospel in Hebrew/Aramaic for Jews is correct and that Matthew’s original gospel has some connection to the canonical Gospel of Matthew.

3.3. Date

3.3.1. Internal Evidence

There is no internal, direct evidence for dating the composition of the Gospel of Matthew. There is, however, a piece of internal, indirect evidence to consider. Matthew transmits several sayings of Jesus--without parallels in the other synoptic gospels--that concern the role of the Temple in the life of the Jewish people:

A. 5:23-24
 

B. 12:5-7
 

C. 17:24-27
 

D. 23:16-22
 

On the assumption that Matthew would not include sayings of Jesus that were not longer relevant to his readers, it might be argued that the Gospel of Matthew was written before the destruction of the temple (70 CE). But this is a weak basis on which to base a conclusion of a post-70 date, since Jews may be as interested (or even more) in the Temple after its destruction as before its destruction..

3.3.2. External Evidence

A. Evidence exists by with which to determine a terminus ad quem for the Gospel of Matthew.

1. The Gospel of Matthew was used by Ignatius of Antioch who wrote c. 100

a. Eph 19:1-3 = Matt 2 (Elements of Matthew’s birth narrative are cited.)

b. Smyr 1:1 = Matt 3:15 (The phrase "to fulfil all righteousness" in Matt 3:15 is used in discussing Jesus' baptism)

c. Polyc 2:2 = Matt 10:16 (Jesus’ saying only found in Matt 10:16 is quoted.)

2. The Didache (c. 110) quotes Matthew's version of the Lord's prayer in Did 8:1-3.

3. Even earlier, Clement of Rome c. 90 in 1 Clem 13:1-2 uses sections of Matt in a conflated quotation (Matt 5:7; 6:14-15; 7:1-2, 12; also Luke 6:31, 36-38).

The fact that c. 90 Clement of Rome quotes from the Gospel of Matthew means that the latter must have been written before 90 (How much before 90, however, is not known.) This is the terminus ad quem of the Gospel of Matthew.

B. Dating the composition of the Gospel of Matthew depends on one's conclusions about the nature of the literary relationship between Matthew and Mark and Matthew and Luke. On the assumption of the priority of Mark, the Gospel of Matthew must be dated after the Gospel of Mark. On the assumption that the author of the Gospel of Matthew used the Gospel of Luke as a source, the former must be later than the latter. But if the author of Luke used Matthew as a source, then Matthew antedates Luke.

    It is probable that the author of the canonical Gospel of Matthew used Mark as a source, so that the former must be dated after the latter; the Gospel of Mark was written in the mid-60’s. This is the terminus a quo of the Gospel of Matthew. (An earlier version of Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew or Aramaic, however, to which the canonical Matthew has some connection may pre-exist the Gospel of Mark.)

3.4. Provenance

Although it is commonly asserted that the Gospel of Matthew was composed in Antioch in Syria, there is no evidence to conclude definitively where the Gospel of Matthew was written, although there is no shortage of suggestions. As already indicated, the Gospel of Matthew may have evolved, so that it may have several places of composition.

3.5. Purpose

There is no internal, direct evidence concerning the purpose of the Gospel of Matthew. Neither is there any external, direct evidence. Thus, one must attempt to infer the author’s purpose indirectly from the contents of the gospel. It is safe to say that the author aimed to bring together gospel material in order to write a more comprehensive gospel than the Gospel of Mark. The author emphasis on fulfillment and his inclusion of distinctly Jewish material seems to indicate that he aimed to write a gospel for a Jewish readership, rather than a gentile one.