Reference: Matthew, Gospel According To
Easton
The author of this book was beyond a doubt the Matthew, an apostle of our Lord, whose name it bears. He wrote the Gospel of Christ according to his own plans and aims, and from his own point of view, as did also the other "evangelists."
As to the time of its composition, there is little in the Gospel itself to indicate. It was evidently written before the destruction of Jerusalem (MT 24), and some time after the events it records. The probability is that it was written between the years A.D. 60 and 65.
The cast of thought and the forms of expression employed by the writer show that this Gospel was written for Jewish Christians of Palestine. His great object is to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah, and that in him the ancient prophecies had their fulfilment. The Gospel is full of allusions to those passages of the Old Testament in which Christ is predicted and foreshadowed. The one aim prevading the whole book is to show that Jesus is he "of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write." This Gospel contains no fewer than sixty-five references to the Old Testament, forty-three of these being direct verbal citations, thus greatly outnumbering those found in the other Gospels. The main feature of this Gospel may be expressed in the motto, "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
As to the language in which this Gospel was written there is much controversy. Many hold, in accordance with old tradition, that it was originally written in Hebrew (i.e., the Aramaic or Syro-Chaldee dialect, then the vernacular of the inhabitants of Palestine), and afterwards translated into Greek, either by Matthew himself or by some person unknown. This theory, though earnestly maintained by able critics, we cannot see any ground for adopting. From the first this Gospel in Greek was received as of authority in the Church. There is nothing in it to show that it is a translation. Though Matthew wrote mainly for the Jews, yet they were everywhere familiar with the Greek language. The same reasons which would have suggested the necessity of a translation into Greek would have led the evangelist to write in Greek at first. It is confessed that this Gospel has never been found in any other form than that in which we now possess it.
The leading characteristic of this Gospel is that it sets forth the kingly glory of Christ, and shows him to be the true heir to David's throne. It is the Gospel of the kingdom. Matthew uses the expression "kingdom of heaven" (thirty-two times), while Luke uses the expression "kingdom of God" (thirty-three times). Some Latinized forms occur in this Gospel, as kodrantes (Mt 5:26), for the Latin quadrans, and phragello (Mt 27:26), for the Latin flagello. It must be remembered that Matthew was a tax-gatherer for the Roman government, and hence in contact with those using the Latin language.
As to the relation of the Gospels to each other, we must maintain that each writer of the synoptics (the first three) wrote independently of the other two, Matthew being probably first in point of time.
Out of a total of 1071 verses, Matthew has 387 in common with Mark and Luke, 130 with Mark, 184 with Luke; only 387 being peculiar to itself. (See Mark; Luke; Gospels.)
The book is fitly divided into these four parts: (1.) Containing the genealogy, the birth, and the infancy of Jesus (1; 2).
(2.) The discourses and actions of John the Baptist preparatory to Christ's public ministry (3; 4:11).
(3.) The discourses and actions of Christ in Galilee (4:12-20:16).
(4.) The sufferings, death and resurrection of our Lord (20:17-28).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Hastings
MATTHEW, GOSPEL ACCORDING TO.
1. The First Gospel in the Early Church.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
They put poison in my food, in my thirst they forced me to drink vinegar.
"When Israel was a young child I loved him, and from Egypt I called my son.
"Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; cry out, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you. He is righteous, and he is able to save. He is humble, and is riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Now all this happened to fulfill what was declared by the Lord through the prophet when he said,
He stayed there until Herod's death in order to fulfill what was declared by the Lord through the prophet when he said, "Out of Egypt I called my Son."
He stayed there until Herod's death in order to fulfill what was declared by the Lord through the prophet when he said, "Out of Egypt I called my Son."
and settled in a town called Nazareth in order to fulfill what was said by the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
in order to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn't come to destroy them, but to fulfill them,
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, the crowds were utterly amazed at his teaching,
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a centurion came up to him and begged him repeatedly,
I tell all of you, many will come from east and west and will feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom from heaven.
This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "It was he who took our illnesses away and removed our diseases."
As Jesus was traveling on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
As the men were going out, a man who couldn't talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him.
When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he left there to teach and preach in their home towns.
At that time, Jesus walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat.
This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to talk was brought to him. Jesus healed him so that the man could speak and see.
But he replied to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah,
This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet when he said, "I will open my mouth to speak in parables. I will declare what has been hidden since the creation of the world."
But Jesus told them, "A prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home." He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it's you, order me to come to you on the water."
Then he strictly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer a great deal because of the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised.
Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. His appearance was changed in front of them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. read more. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. Then Peter told Jesus, "Lord, it's good that we're here! If you want, I'll set up three shelters one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He was still speaking when a bright cloud suddenly overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him. Keep on listening to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came up to them and touched them, saying, "Get up, and stop being afraid." When they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus all by himself.
When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came up to Peter and asked, "Your teacher pays the temple tax, doesn't he?"
When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan.
"The kingdom from heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
When they came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples on ahead and
Now this happened to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet when he said,
"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad.
That is why I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit for it.
As Jesus left the Temple and was walking away, his disciples came up to him to point out to him the Temple buildings.
While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will these things take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
"At that time, the kingdom from heaven will be comparable to ten bridesmaids who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the groom.
"Similarly, it is like a man going on a trip, who called his servants and turned his money over to them.
Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said, "They took the 30 pieces of silver, the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelis,
While he was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message that said, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him."
Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Attend to that yourselves."
they offered him a drink of wine mixed with gall. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it.
Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Now John's disciples and the Pharisees would fast regularly. Some people came and asked Jesus, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast, but your disciples don't fast?"
The Pharisees asked him, "Look! Why are they doing what is not lawful on Sabbath days?"
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem kept repeating, "He has Beelzebul," and, "He drives out demons by the ruler of demons."
So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with unclean hands."
As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples told him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what beautiful buildings!" "Do you see these large buildings?" Jesus responded. "Not one stone here will be left on another that will not be torn down."
"Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign when these things will be put into effect?" Jesus began to say to them, "See to it that no one deceives you. read more. Many will come in my name and say, "I AM,' and they will deceive many people. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, stop being alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn't come yet, because nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes and famines in various places. These things are only the beginning of the birth pains." "As for yourselves, be on your guard! People will hand you over to local councils, and you will be beaten in their synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings to testify to them because of me. But first, the gospel must be proclaimed to all nations. When they take you away and hand you over for trial, don't worry ahead of time about what you will say. Instead, say whatever is given to you at that time, because it won't be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated continuously by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved." "So when you see the destructive desecration standing where it should not be (let the reader take note), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. The one who's on his housetop must not come down and go into his house to take anything out of it, and the one who's in the field must not turn back to get his coat. "How terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days! Pray that it may not be in winter, because those days will be a time of suffering, a kind that has not happened from the beginning of God's creation until now, and certainly will never happen again. If the Lord had not shortened those days, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days. "At that time, if anyone says to you, "Look! Here is the Messiah!', or, "Look! There he is!' don't believe it, because false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens to deceive, if possible, the elect. So be on your guard! I've told you everything before it happens." "But after the suffering of those days, "The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.' Then people will see "the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. He'll send out his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven." "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the Son of Man is near, right at the door. I tell all of you with certainty, this generation will not disappear until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear." "No one knows when that day or hour will come not the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father. Be careful! Watch out! Because you don't know when the time will come. It's like a man who went on a trip. As he left home, he put his servants in charge, each with his own work, and he ordered the doorkeeper to be alert. So keep on watching, because you don't know when the master of the house is coming whether in the evening, at three o'clock in the morning, or at dawn. Otherwise, he may come suddenly and find you asleep. I'm telling you what I'm telling everyone: Be alert!"
While Jesus was in Bethany sitting at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he wouldn't accept it.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Mister, your sins are forgiven."
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Mister, your sins are forgiven."
Then Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "How blessed are you who are destitute, because the kingdom of God is yours! How blessed are you who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied! How blessed are you who are crying now, because you will laugh! read more. "How blessed are you whenever people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because your reward in heaven is great! That's the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets. "But how terrible it will be for you who are rich, because you have had your comfort! How terrible it will be for you who are full now, because you will be hungry! How terrible it will be for you who are laughing now, because you will mourn and cry! "How terrible it will be for you when everyone says nice things about you, because that's the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets!" "But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who insult you. If someone strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one as well, and if someone takes your coat, don't keep back your shirt, either. Keep on giving to everyone who asks you for something, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not insist on getting it back. Whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them. "If you love those who love you, what thanks do you deserve? Why, even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners do that. If you lend to those from whom you expect to get something back, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back what they lend.
So he told them, "Whenever you pray you are to say, "Father, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come. Keep giving us every day our daily bread, read more. and forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone who sins against us. And never bring us into temptation.'"
Now as the crowds continued to throng around Jesus, he went on to say, "This people living today are an evil generation. It craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah,
Then Jesus told his disciples, "That's why I'm telling you to stop worrying about your life what you will eat or about your body what you will wear,
For example, when you go with your opponent in front of a ruler, do your best to settle with him on the way there. Otherwise, you will be dragged in front of the judge, and the judge will hand you over to an officer, and the officer will throw you into prison.
Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will these things take place, and what will be the sign that these things are about to take place?"
The Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father's unique Son, who is full of grace and truth.
The one who saw this has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows he is telling the truth so that you, too, may believe,
Jesus told him, "Feed my sheep. "Truly, I tell you emphatically, when you were young, you would fasten your belt and go wherever you liked. But when you get old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten your belt and take you where you don't want to go."
There are all kinds of advantages! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the utterances of God.