Matthew's Gospel

This paper presents a text-oriented survey of some ongoing experimentation in translating the Bible poetically in the Chichewa language of Malawi and Zambia. An initial overview features a summary of ten important stylistic characteristics of the ndakatulo popular lyric genre along with illustrations of their use and comments on their varied communicative function, all selected from the publications of a number of well-known local poets. Certain aspects of this ndakatulo style are then applied in a creative poetic rendition of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) in Chichewa. This version is comparatively evaluated in relation to two existing translations of this same biblical text, one being very literal in nature, the other much more idiomatic. In conclusion, some wider implications and possible applications of this study are discussed, including several proposals for future research and testing in the field of translating sacred texts into the Bantu languages of south-central Africa.

Convocation Address at Bethel University, August 29, 2016 about recent troubles in Minnesota, particularly the shooting of Philando Castille, and our responsibility as followers of the Gospel. There is an audio link also available. After you click the link, it's the first one in the queue; fast-forward to 15:00:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/2016-2017-chapel-college-arts/id1148681753?mt=10

Este estudio se basa en el texto del evangelio de Mateo 20:26-27, particularmente la frase “entre vosotros no será así”. Esta presenta la antropología de Cristo que enfatiza su rol restaurador del modelo original de la creación según Gn 1 y 2, o sea previo a la caída. Por lo tanto, el artículo describe algunas características del liderazgo a la imagen de Dios propuesto en Gn 1:26-27, a los primeros seres humanos (varón y mujer). Luego compara el liderazgo que se estableció después de la caída. Y finalmente, hace una revisión de la propuesta de Cristo de una vuelta al original.

Questions about areas of controversy or conflict between the Christian faith and the academic discipline can (and sometimes do) assume an easy dichotomy between the two. One's dual commitments to "the Faith" and the guild are often seen as competing allegiances, each vying for possession of the Christian soul. The guild may even be perceived as intolerant or antagonistic toward the Christian faith. Would-be Ph.D. students of evangelical backgrounds, for example, are often warned not to be naïve, but to be suspicious of secular institutions of higher learning. Such was my experience, as I left Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.; Th.M.) for doctoral work in NT at Emory University. The problem with the aforementioned formulation, however, is the a priori "us versus them" mentality it fosters-a mentality that can foreclose genuine learning opportunities and undermine the very faith it seeks to defend. It also assumes a broad consensus among Christians on the identity and definition of those items of the faith in need of safeguarding vis-à-vis "the guild." Little did I know that upon returning to my alma mater, I would be the one suspected of having wavered from "the Faith."

يعالج القسم الأول من المقال المسائل الخاصة بالمكان والزمان وهوية كاتب الإنجيل؛ أما القسم الثاني، فيحلل بعض النماذج بناءً على مقارنة النصوص القانونية والتقاليد المسيحية الرسمية. في لائحة المراجع تجدون ذكرًا لأهم ما نُشر من الدراسات الحديثة حول هذا المخطوط.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus does not use the word “generation” primarily as an indication of a time period, but rather in a wider meaning. Similar usage can be often found in the NT has well as in the OT. Both expressions can have a qualitative meaning and describe a race, group, or type of people. Consequently, “this generation” can denote a people sharing a common characteristic throughout history.
Further, Jesus always used the expression “this generation” in a negative sense (such as adulterous, wicked, perverse or sinful “generation”) to describe those who, despite their pious  appearance,  clearly  opposed  God,  his  will  and  his  followers –  those  who  persecuted them and even killed them. In their blindness, they refused all of the ways God tried to reach them. People with this attitude will always exist. Therefore Jesus’ disciples should not be surprised by their hostility; they ought to endure “until all these things have happened”. However, “this generation” is not eternal, and when Jesus comes again, it will “pass away”.

The article examines the question of the Mariological interpretation of the eight beatitudes contained in Mt 5:3-10. Christian theologians of all ages, from Clement of Alexandria to the authors of contemporary biblical commentaries, have proposed various interpretations of this biblical text. Among the multitude of interpretations developed throughout history, the Mariological aspect appears quite rarely. Yet, as Pope Benedict XVI observes, the very biblical Marian title “Blessed” should direct the theological thought to the Mariological aspects of this issue. In modern times, a very deep reflection on the subject was conducted by two great theologians of the XX century, J. Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) and H.U. von Balthasar. On the Polish ground, the task was partly undertaken by J. Tischner, who elaborated the theme of eight beatitudes in the key of the Marian pilgrimage of the nation. The present work is meant to deepen the Mariological-biblical analysis of the eight beatitudes and revive the discussion regarding this subject in the perspective proposed by Benedict XVI, to understand the beatitudes as a program of life for a modern Christian.

This is a paper I presented at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Homiletics Society.

Among expositional preachers and homileticians, it is often argued that truly expository sermons receive their structure from the text being preached. Many biblical texts, especially those in didactic passages, present such obvious structure that this rule is often the most natural approach to sermon structure. However, often the preacher encounters a text that either bears no obvious structure or is arranged in such a way that its structure is not helpful for presentation. This paper will demonstrate that certain types of biblical texts ought to be presented with an alternative arrangement than that found in the text. Three passages from the Gospel of Matthew will be examined as test cases: the dense text (Matthew 5:3-12), the circular text (Matthew 13:44-46), and the episodic text (Matthew 14:1-12).

No hay lugar a dudas de que, en estos tiempos, la ambigüedad ha tomado el pensamiento.
En aras de la Posmodernidad, disfrazando imposturas intelectuales, cualquier institución
se reduce a mera propuesta. Y así acontece con el matrimonio, fundamento de la
sociedad, y con la hermenéutica, fundamento de la comprensión. El silencio en la mirada
se rebela ante esta realidad y desea reconquistar los terrenos perdidos de la verdad.
Escoge, para ello, los primeros versículos del capítulo 24 de Deuteronomio, texto intimista
y misterioso (de aquellos misterios que anhelan ser descubiertos), indagando en
certezas.
El silencio en la mirada, a su vez, se revela dual, entre la iglesia y la academia, entre la
praxis y el método. Y así acontece con la Palabra que habita en diferentes niveles del
conocimiento. Esa es la grandeza de la Biblia, luz para el aigido y luz para el investigador.
Tras la lectura de este libro, el pensamiento, abandonando la genuexión a la que está
sometido, se atreverá a musitar eppur si muove.

Discussions of the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Mt. 20.1-16) tend to rely on two key assumptions: (1) the parable eliminates ‘merit’ and replaces it with ‘grace’. (2) The parable is the hermeneutical key to all of Matthew’s other discussions of rewards, if not the entire New Testament. This article challenges these assumptions and offers a reassessment of divine recompense in Matthew. Mt. 19.16-20.16 does not set aside ‘merit’ in place of ‘grace’ but contrasts generous wages faithfully repaid by God with even more generous wages. The Gospel as a whole emphasizes that disciples must earn treasure in heaven and forgive others their debts to enter the kingdom; those who refuse to work and who refuse to forgive will be damned. At the same time, however, God’s repayment of deeds is not according to strict desert, but goes far beyond what workers have earned.

Matthew 16:18 contains a favored linguistic point among preachers in that Peter’s name and the Greek word for “rock” sound similar. Unfortunately, that is usually where the discussion moves forward without geographical, cultural and religious considerations. The purpose of this paper is to take a closer look at the contexts of Matthew 16:18 and to have a more theologically sound conclusion on the interpretation of this verse.

With the parable of the Sower, the parable of the Tares is the only parable that is complemented by an explanation. While the former parable is found in all the synoptic Gospels, the latter is peculiar to Matthew.
Modern scholars almost universally assume that the explanation of the parable of the Tares is a secondary addition, mainly on a semantic and syntactic basis. This short study provides an original argument in favour of this thesis based on a literary analysis of the text narrative.

The episode of the Bethlehem massacre (Matt 2:16-18) uses many levels of intertextuality as a rhetorical device, to solicit an emotional response powerful enough to influence the reader's worldview. What effect do these intertexts have on Matthew's readers? How is this affective appeal concerning Rachel's tears intended to impact the reader's response to Matthew's story? Rachel weeping is an emotionally charged image that somehow merges two opposites: hope and sorrow. The intertextuality of this figure can influence readers encouraging them to criticize imperial ideologies that have used violence against innocent people in the past, and oppose those which do so currently.

Paper exposes and details the usage of rhetoric & propaganda. Knowing this also exposes the purposes and motives involved in the creation of such texts. Which, in turn, leads us to information about the true authorship of these texts. Emphasis is upon the importance of recognizing literary devices.

Matthew 2:23 refers to a prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene: “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Scholars have long noted that there is no prophecy anywhere in the Old Testament that could associate Jesus with being called a Nazarene. Yet we can not just brush the mystery aside and say it is not worth looking for answers. There has to be an explanation for Matthew’s reference to a prophecy that Jesus will be called a Nazarene: one that makes good sense for Matthew’s author.

This paper examines discipleship in the light of the Great Commission. By studying the final words of Jesus within the context of Matthew's Gospel we can better understand Christ’s claim, command, and words of comfort as he sends his disciples into the world to make disciples.

Matthew 14 contains two famous feasts. In one, John the Baptist is beheaded by Herod at his birthday banquet and, in the other, Jesus feeds over five thousand people. Despite following one another, they are rarely read together. I argue that Matthew employs the rhetorical technique of synkrisis in his arrangement of the Markan material. In doing so, Matthew emphasises the comparative aspects of the two feasts to present contrasting portraits of two kingdoms.

SUMMARY: This study presents an analysis of Matthew 17, 24-27 concerning the tribute for the temple and the miracle of the stater. I discuss the pertinence of the different scholarly explanations proposed about the episode and the miracle and arrive at the conclusion that the instructions given to Peter by Jesus are certainly metaphorical and that we have here the situation before 70 A.D. I also show that to be better understood, the texts of the New Testament have to be confronted with others ancient sources, particularly with talmudic literature.

SOMMAIRE : Cet article présente une analyse de la péricope matthéenne (Matthieu 17, 24-27) relative à l'impôt du didrachme et au miracle du statère qui lui est directe-ment attaché. Après avoir discuté la pertinence des différentes explications savantes proposées jusqu'ici de l'épisode et du miracle, l'auteur arrive à la conclusion que les consignes données à Pierre par Jésus sont certainement métaphoriques et qu'elles s'intègrent manifestement dans une période anté-rieure à la destruction du Temple (70 apr. J.-C.). Il montre également que pour être mieux compris, les textes du Nouveau Testament doivent être confrontés avec d'autres sources antiques et, en particulier, avec la littérature talmudique.

The Hebraic Concept of Time is non-linear, made up of repeating types and patterns. As opposed to Western chronology, the Gospels are not written in chronological order, but were written to show how Jesus is the fulfillment of types revealed in the Torah. They used the various books of the Torah upon which to model their individual books. Their main structural elements were typological.

In every known translation of the book, Matthew, regarding Matthew 1:16, has Joseph the husband of Mary, while Luke appears to have Joseph, the husband of Mary. So, what is the problem? The problem is that both genealogies do not go back up to King David the same. There are apparent contradictions between both that have been pointed out for centuries. But two Hebrew manuscripts that were discovered show something different. One Hebrew manuscript is at Oxford, while the other is at NY Jewish Theological Seminary. These are two independent manuscript witnesses. Both Hebrew text has in Matthew 1:16, "Joseph, the father of Mary." That means Luke records Joseph the husband while Matthew records Mary's father. Both parents of Jesus go back to King David, making Jesus a direct blood descendant.

The faith of the Canaanite woman is an example to us;  it is ‘great’ in comparison to the disciples’ little faith.  The text as a whole echoes the Ruth’s encounter with Boaz, and hence resonates with John’s portrayal of Jesus as one who winnows a threshing floor.  The text encourages persistence, perseverance, and great confidence in Jesus’ goodness.

The Four Gospels present four distinct accounts of the life of Jesus based on the writer’s experience and his audience.  Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels based on their similarities though as we see their are distinctives of each book.  The Gospel of John stands alone as a unique gospel account as a later account that according to Eusebius,  “John set out to write a spiritual Gospel focusing on Jesus' transcendence as Lord and the very Word of God made manifest in the world” (Schaff & Wace (Eds.), 1890, Eusebius XIV:7).  The Four Gospels show us four distinct ways of presenting the gospel message based on different audiences with differing cultures, Biblical knowledge and relation to the Jewish People that can be instructive to us as we present the Gospel today to like the Gospel writers to present a message that is culturally relevant to our hearers.