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The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells the story of who the author believes is Israel's messiah (Christ), Jesus, his resurrection, and his mission to the world. The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy.
Matthew wishes to emphasize that the Jewish tradition should not be lost in an increasingly gentile church. The gospel reflects conflicts between Jewish Christians and other Jews, particularly with its criticism of the scribes and Pharisees, presenting the view that the Kingdom of Heaven has been taken away from them and given to the church. It emphasizes Jesus’s role as the Son of David, Son of Man, and Son of God, and frames his teachings, miracles, and parables to reflect both Jewish law and the Christian church. Structured around alternating narratives and discourses—including the Sermon on the Mount, parables, and instructions for discipleship—it culminates in the Passion, Resurrection, and the Great Commission.
The gospel was written in the last quarter of the first century by an anonymous Jew familiar with technical legal aspects of scripture, though the traditional attribution still has conservative defenders. Widely popular in the early church, it was likely used by John, attributed to the beloved disciple, as a source. It is possible the gospel incorporates a source written by the disciple. Most scholars believe Matthew used the Gospel of Mark and the Q source, though alternative hypotheses that posit use of Matthew by Luke or vice versa are growing. The Synoptics follow Mark closely compared to other ancient historians’ usage of sources, though the parallels and variations are typical of ancient historical biographies. The text is the product of the second generation of the Christian movement, although it draws on the memory of the first generation of the disciples of Jesus.
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