Streetlights New Testament - Flipbook - Page 13
WHO
Who received it first?
THE GOSPEL OF
M AT T H E W
Who wrote it and why?
Matthew was a tax collector (a person in
society people typically did not like) whom
Jesus befriended and called to a life of justice
and obedience (Matthew 9:9). Matthew
became one of Jesus’ twelve apostles.
Matthew’s Gospel stresses Jesus’ call to men
and women to be baptized, to follow Him as
Unlike the letters of Paul or the
Revelation of John, the settings
of the Gospels must be inferred
from comments and emphases
within the books themselves
since direct evidence is unavailable (see the clues in Matthew
24:15, 27:46, and 28:15, for
example).
Matthew appears to have
been written at a time when
Christians and Jews were
fiercely debating lots of issues:
How should the law be obeyed?
Who is the Messiah? Who are
the true people of God—Israel
or the church (see Matthew
21:33-46)? Who are the rightful
leaders of God’s people? How
are the Gentiles related to the
church and to Israel? There is
serious debate as to whether
Matthew’s Gospel sprang from a
community that was still within
Judaism or one that was already
outside Judaism. (In discussing
this topic, scholars examine the
following passages: Matthew
2:1-12; 4:1216; 8:5-13; 10:56;
15:21-28; 17:24-27; 19:28;
21:43; 22:7; 23:1-39.)
disciples, to obey His teachings, and to enjoy
fellowship with Him (Matthew 28:19-20).
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