Matthew - Introduction

Matthew's is the first gospel in the New Testament, though probably not the first one written. Mark is generally assumed to be the first, and Matthew seems to use Mark, or at least use the same source material as Mark, for a  lot of his gospel.

The book does not state that Matthew was the author, but early tradition has identified him as such, and he is  Matthew the tax collector who was a disciple of Jesus (called Levi in Mark and Luke). The date of the gospel is taken to be some time prior to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

There are a number of distinctive features of Matthew, and it is the most Jewish of the gospels. This is why it is aptly placed as the bridge between the Old and New Testaments. Matthew uses more quotations from the Old Testament, and makes more allusions to the Old Testament, than the other gospels. Matthew is at pains to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

Matthew usually refers to the Kingdom of Heaven, rather than the Kingdom of God. In this he is following the Jewish habit of considering God's name to be too holy even to mention.

There is an emphasis on ethics, with the Sermon on the Mount being the most famous example of this. There is also an emphasis on eschatology, or the last days, both in the parables and the Olivet discourse.

Then, as with all the gospels, the gospel finishes with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Keys to understanding Matthew include (i) looking out for references and allusions to the Old Testament; and (ii) teaching on the kingdom of God.