At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Matthew the apostle (traditional); attributed by early church |
| Date | ~60-80 AD; possibly before AD 70 |
| Audience | Primarily Jewish-Christian readers |
| Genre | Gospel, theological biography |
| Purpose | Present Jesus as promised Davidic Messiah-King fulfilling OT |
| Chapters | 28 |
Outline
| Section | Chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Birth and ministry preparation | 1-4 | Genealogy, birth, John, baptism, temptation |
| Five discourses and narratives | 5-25 | Sermon on Mount; mission discourse; parables; community; eschatological |
| Passion and resurrection | 26-28 | Last week and crucifixion and resurrection and Great Commission |
Five major discourses
| Discourse | Chapters | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Sermon on the Mount | 5-7 | Kingdom ethics |
| Mission discourse | 10 | Sending the Twelve |
| Parables discourse | 13 | Kingdom parables |
| Community discourse | 18 | Church relationships |
| Olivet discourse | 23-25 | Eschatology and judgment |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Jesus as Davidic Messiah-King | Royal genealogy and Bethlehem and triumphal entry |
| Fulfillment of OT | "This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet" repeated |
| Kingdom of Heaven | Matthew's preferred phrase (~32x) |
| Five-discourse structure | Echoes Pentateuch, Jesus as new Moses |
| Great Commission | Matthew 28:18-20, mission to nations |
Key passages
- Matthew 1:1, "Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham"
- Matthew 1:18-25, virgin birth
- Matthew 5-7, Sermon on the Mount
- Matthew 16:13-20, Peter's confession and church-building promise
- Matthew 24-25, Olivet discourse
- Matthew 28:18-20, Great Commission