The Gospel of Matthew.

Billman, Kadi ; Hendel, Kurt K. ; Swanson, Mark 等

The Gospel of Matthew will be the focus of attention of preachers and congregations during the new liturgical year. While its account of Jesus' life and ministry shares much with the other Synoptic Gospels, it also recounts and interprets Jesus' story in unique ways and thus makes its particular contributions to the church's interpretation of Christ and to its proclamation of the good news. Like the other Gospels, Matthew points believers to Christ and provides keen insights into the meaning of his ministry for the life and mission of the church in our time and place.

The contributors to the 2010 December issue of Currents in Theology and Mission offer a rich diversity of perspectives on the Gospel of Matthew. Bridget Illian explores church discipline in Matthew and notes that witnesses to a transgression, rebukes of a defender, and expulsion were integral aspects of the disciplinary practices within the Matthean community. Thus, this community dealt with conflict resolution in ways quite similar to those of contemporary Pharisees and Essenes. Illian stresses that the goal of discipline was repentance and forgiveness. However, disciplinary procedures were also implemented in order to protect the most vulnerable within the community by identifying and stopping behavior that harmed them.

Peter Perry illustrates the influence of I Enoch on the evangelist by noting how the meaning of angels, eating and drinking, marriage, the flood, and separation is nuanced in particular ways in light of the Enochic literature. As he addresses an audience familiar with and sympathetic to the message of 1 Enoch, Matthew urges his readers to avoid disputes over the identity of the wicked and their relationship to the righteous. Rather than disputing, they should focus on opportunities for service.

The essay by Anders Runesson also examines the context within which Matthew was written, but the author's interest lies particularly in the socio-religious setting of the Gospel. He illustrates that careful attention to that setting and the setting's evidence in the text confirms that the oral traditions that were recorded in this Gospel quite likely emanated from a group that had belonged to a Pharisaic association but had separated from that association. Pharisaic Judaism thus helped shape the character and message of the Gospel.

Richard Carlson explores the evangelist's portrayal of Judas and proposes that the apostle is transformed from a villain into a tragic figure in Matthew's theological narrative. Judas is a villain as he plots with the religious leaders to deliver Jesus to them. However, having done so, he becomes a tragic figure as he repents, confesses his sins, and longs to be forgiven. Unfortunately, instead of seeking God's forgiveness through Christ, he turns to the authorities who are neither inclined nor able to pardon him. Unable to mediate his own sins, he despairs and chooses to take his own life. In Matthew's account, the other eleven remain disciples of Christ, but Judas is excluded and is transformed from a villain into a tragic figure.

Margaret Lee approaches the Gospel of Matthew primarily from a hermeneutical perspective. She points out that scholars have not solved the interpretative challenges of Matthew, which are compounded by the selective nature of the common lectionary. However, a significant contribution of the lectionary is that it presents the Gospel to the gathered community in oral form, thereby recalling that Matthew is a collection of oral sources gathered together in a written manuscript. Like any work intended primarily for oral presentation or public performance, the Gospel of Matthew contains auditory clues. In a fascinating examination of the first narrative section and the Sermon on the Mount, Lee identifies those clues and offers interpretative suggestions.

Stories of Jesus the miracle-worker abound in Matthew, and they have traditionally been interpreted theologically, from the perspective of social boundaries or on the basis of rational criteria. However, in his essay Warren Carter calls attention to the material transformations that arc central to these stories, especially with regard to food supply. While in the Roman Empire the elites had access to food and non-elites did not, Jesus transforms that reality. His miracles attest to God's presence and rule, reject imperial claims of material blessing, and anticipate the material abundance of God's reign. Jesus' ministry was clearly a holistic one, addressing both body and spirit.

We hope that this collection of articles will provide you with helpful insights into the context, structure, and message of Matthew. May your faithful witness of the Gospel enrich you and God's people.

Kadi Billman

Kurt K. Hendel

Mark Swanson

Editors