Book introduction
The book of Matthew
Matthew tells the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus, showing him as the promised Messiah, the son of David. It quotes the Old Testament often and gathers Jesus’ teaching into five long talks, starting with the Sermon on the Mount.
Read Matthew 5Start at chapter 1
Who wrote Matthew?
The book is anonymous. From the early 100s, the church named the apostle Matthew, the tax collector. Many scholars think the writer was a Jewish Christian who used Mark’s Gospel and other sources, and doubt it was the apostle himself.
When was it written?
Most scholars date it to about AD 80–90; others to the 60s, before Jerusalem’s temple fell in AD 70.
Main themes
- Jesus the promised king
- His family line runs back to David and Abraham.
- Promises kept
- “So that the word spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled” comes again and again.
- The kingdom of heaven
- Jesus teaches what life under God’s rule looks like.
- Go to all nations
- The book ends with the Great Commission.
Outline of Matthew
Key verses
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Rather, make it your first aim to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you in addition.
Come to me, all of you who are worn out from toil and loaded with burdens, and I will give you rest.
Go, then, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep everything I have commanded you. And look, I am with you every day, until the end of the age.
Quoted from the Lumin Translation.
Where to start
Read the Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5–7. Then go back to chapter 1.
How well do you know Matthew?
Ten questions on the book of Matthew, from “In which town was Jesus born?” on. Each answer shows its verse.
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Questions about Matthew?
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