Matt Vol Ii

What was the original purpose of the Gospel of Matthew? For whom was it written? In this magisterial two-volume commentary, Walter Wilson interprets Matthew as a catechetical work that expresses the ideological and institutional concerns of a faction of disaffected Jewish followers of Jesus in the late first century CE. Wilson’s compelling thesis frames Matthew’s Gospel as not only a continuation of the biblical story but also as a didactic narrative intended to shape the commitments and identity of a particular group that saw itself as a beleaguered, dissident minority. Thus, the text clarifies Jesus’s essential Jewish character as the “Son of David” while also portraying him in opposition to prominent religious leaders of his day—most notably the Pharisees—and open to cordial association with non-Jews. Through meticulous engagement with the Greek text of the Gospel, as well as relevant primary sources and secondary literature, Wilson offers a wealth of insight into the first book of the New Testament. After an introduction exploring the background of the text, its genre and literary features, and its theological orientation, Wilson explicates each passage of the Gospel with thorough commentary on the intended message to first-century readers about topics like morality, liturgy, mission, group discipline, and eschatology. Scholars, students, pastors, and all readers interested in what makes the Gospel of Matthew distinctive among the Synoptics will appreciate and benefit from Wilson’s deep contextualization of the text, informed by his years of studying the New Testament and Christian origins.

Standford Rives seeks to provide the best approximation of the original Gospel of Matthew based upon Hebrew sources. There is no disputing Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew. In about 400 AD, Jerome translated it from a copy at the Library of Caesarea. It was quoted dozens of times by the earliest church commentators. Jerome explained that our Greek version of Matthew came from this Hebrew version. Jerome noted a score of variants that were interesting. The Shem-Tob version of Matthew is the best candidate to reflect the original Hebrew Matthew. Standford Rives, a Christian attorney, tries to meticulously assemble what likely was the original Matthew from all these sources. It is hoped that this will be edifying to the faithful. This first of three volumes collects all viable earliest variants for Matthew overlaid on the framework of the American Standard Version of Matthew from 1901. These variants are color coded for easy identification. The variants are footnoted so the reader can read its source and weigh its strength and viability. The second volume will collect important scholarly material on the validity of the early variants and the significance of the changes to the traditional text. Topics covered in volume two include whether the virgin birth was originally present, whether Yahweh's name was originally used, and on the aid to apologetics which the original Matthew variants provides. The third volume is intended for devotional reading. It attempts to represent the best estimate of what the entire original Gospel of Matthew contained. There is no commentary. It is simply a smooth flowing text with the best variants reflected in the text using color coding to signify the source of each variant. The same color codes are used in volume three as used in volume one. They will tell the reader the general source of the variant, but to know the precise citation for the variant, one must refer back to Volume I. The first and third volumes are separated to keep customer purchase costs down. This allows the readers to choose whether to purchase just volume one or also volume three to know the contents of the Original Gospel of Matthew.

Feasting on the Gospels is a new seven-volume series that follows up on the success of the Feasting on the Word series to provide another trusted preaching resource, this time on the most prominent and preached upon most preached upon books in the Bible: the four Gospels. With contributions from a diverse and respected group of scholars and pastors, Feasting on the Gospels includes completely new material that covers every single passage in the Gospels, making it suitable for both pastors who preach from the lectionary and pastors who do not. Moreover, these volumes incorporate the unique format of Feasting on the Word, giving preachers four perspectives to choose from for each Gospel passage: theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical. Feasting on the Gospels offers a unique resource for all who preach, either continuously or occasionally, on the Gospels.

This book is the second of two volumes which reflect on the trend in biblical scholarship that contrasts the vision of the historical Jesus with that of the apostle Paul, on the one hand, and the vision of Paul with that of the evangelist Matthew, on the other. It argues that Jesus replaced the concept of ‘politics of holiness’ with that of ‘politics of compassion’. This means that the church as a community of Jesus-followers forms a fictive family, replacing a soteriology grounded in the biological family. God’s adoption of people as ‘God’s children’ is based on the potential of people to absorb the divine into their humanity. This truism is to be found in the visions shared by the peasant Jesus, the apostle Paul and the rabbi Matthew, as well as in creedal Christianity. The book concludes with autobiographical reflective notes, analogous to the parabolic story of the travellers to Emmaus from Jerusalem (Luke 24) and that of the African eunuch (Acts 8) on his way back from Jerusalem to Africa. The notes serve to consolidate the two volumes on Jesus, Paul and Matthew and their messages of God’s wisdom, justice and mercy.

The Homilies of St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew were undoubtedly delivered at Antioch (see Hom. vii. p. 43) and probably in the latter part of the time during which he preached as a Presbyter. Montfaucon consideres his little mention of the sin of swearing a sign of his accomplished some reformation on that point by his previous exertions. In the Homilies delievered from 386 to 388, it is a constant topic; and the Homilies known to belong to that date are so numerous, as scarcely leave room for such a series as the present. These, however, contain very little to mark the period to which they belong. The argument from his reference to dissensions some time gone by, possible those between St. Meletius and Paulinus and Evagrius, in commenting on St. Matt. xxiii. 6. is not very conclusive. A modern reader must sometimes be struck with finding in St. Chrysostom a kind of criticism, which we are apt to thing belongs only to later times. Hist main object, however, is moral, and he searches out with diligence both the meaning and the applications of particular passages, usually concluding with an eloquent exhortation to some special virtue. Some of the most remarkable of these exhortations are on the subject of Alms-giving, which he seems to have pressed with some success at last. His calculation in Hom. lxvi as to what might be done, is somewhat curious. In the end of Hom. lxxxviii. he demands a reformation as the condition of his entering on the cntroversy with Infidels. In the next Homily he discusses the evidence of the Resurrection with nearly the same arguments as would still be used against an objector. This is volume two out of two, covering the homilies #XLII through #XC.

And he said to them, 'Follow me'. When Jesus called upon Matthew, as he sat in his office where he collected customs duty, Matthew got up and followed him and left everything behind him except one thing - his pen. Matthew was to become the great chronicler of Christ's life and teachings and, though it is now widely accepted that he did not write the gospel itself, the influence of Matthew's record is undeniably felt throughout. This first volume of William Barclay's thoughtful study of the Gospel of Matthew brings startling insights into Jesus' early life and teaching. Journey with Barclay and re-discover the baptism of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount and the challenges of discipleship. William Barclay's world-renowned down-to-earth New Daily Study Bible commentaries - including his own translations of the New Testament texts - have inspired millions of people across the generations 'to know better their Bible, their God and their Saviour'.