Gospel of Matthew Resources

Gospel of Matthew Bible Study Resources | WednesdayintheWord.com

Everything you need to kick start your study of the Gospel of Matthew: maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study.

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Gospel of Matthew 1-7: Behold the King!

Basics

Author: the Apostle Matthew (aka Levi).
See: Who was Matthew?
Matthew was a tax collector in Capernaum when Jesus called him.
Date Written: 58-68 AD
The early church fathers unanimously believed Matthew’s gospel was the first gospel written.
The view that Mark’s gospel was first (which is more popular today) did not arise until the first half of the 19thCentury. These scholars would date Matthew’s gospel around 80 AD.
Primary audience: Greek-speaking Jewish Christians, quite probably in Antioch, Syria.
Matthew’s gospel was placed first in the New Testament Canon by the early church because it’s opening forms a natural bridge between the Old and New Testaments.
Purpose: Convince Jewish readers that Jesus Christ is the culmination of the Old Testament promises and that Jesus is the Messiah.
Matthew often uses the phrase “that which was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled”. That phrase does not appear in Mark, Luke or John.
There are more quotations from the Old Testament in Matthew’s gospel than in the remaining three put together.

Structure

Matthew contains important transition markers in the text:

Literary: “When Jesus had finished saying these things…” (Mt 7:28-29; Mt 11:1; Mt 13:53; Mt 19:1; Mt 26:1); 5 blocks of teaching.
Temporal: “From that time Jesus began to preach” (Mt 4:17) and “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples” (Mt 16:21).
Theological: “This was to fulfill what was spoken…” (Mt 1:22; Mt 2:6; Mt 2:15; Mt 2:17; Mt 2:23; Mt 4:15-16; Mt 8:17; Mt 12:17-21; Mt 13:14; Mt 12:35; Mt 21:4; Mt 27:9-10).
inclusio (a device of using the same phrase to begin and end a section): “his name shall be called Immanuel which means ‘God with us'” (Mt 1:23) and “lo I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mat 28:20).

There are many different ways to outline the gospel of Matthew. Here are 2 examples:

Simple Outline

Prologue – Chapters 1-4
Galilee – Chapters 5-16:12; Jesus’ ministry in Galilee
Turning Point – Chapters 16:13-17; Jesus prepares to go to Jerusalem
Jerusalem – Chapters 18-28; Journey to Jerusalem, culminating in the passion week.

More detailed Outline

1:1-2:23 – Prologue
3:1-4:11 – Introduction to Jesus’s public ministry
4:12-11:1 – Galilean ministry
- Narrative: Introduction (4:12-22) & summary (4:23-25)
- Discourse: Sermon on the Mount; The Messiah’s call to righteousness (5:1-7:29)
- Narrative: The Messiah’s ministry (8:1-9:34) & summary (9:35)
- Discourse: Commissioning the 12; The Messiah extends his ministry (9:36-11:1)
11:2-20:34 – Rejection and acceptance from Galilee to Jerusalem
- Narrative: Rejected by Jewish Leaders; accepted by the disciples (11:2-12:50)
- Discourse: Parables of the Kingdom; The Messiah teaches about the Kingdom (13:1-53)
- Narrative: Rejected by Jewish Leaders; accepted by the disciples intensifies (13:54-17:27)
- Discourse: Talking of the church; The Messiah instructs about community life (18:1-19:1)
- Narrative: The Messiah instructs on the way to Jerusalem (19:2-20:34)
21:1-28:20 – Jesus confronts Jerusalem
- Narrative: The Messiah confronts Israel in Jerusalem (21:1-22:26)
- Discourse: The Olivet Discourse; The Messiah predicts the judgment of unbelieving Israel (23:1-26:2)
- Narrative: The Messiah is rejected in Jerusalem, but vindicated by God (26:3-28:20)

Genre: Understanding the Gospels

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Section 1: Background

Background & Outlines

Matthew NASB Study Text

Introduction to New Testament Jewish Groups

Blue Letter Bible: Matthew Overview

Bible Atlas: Nazareth

Bible Atlas: Galilee

Bible Atlas: Bethlehem

Bible Atlas: Jerusalem

Bible Atlas: Judea

Bible Atlas: Jordan River

Blue Letter Bible: Chronology of Acts/Epistles

Overview of the Book by Ray C Stedman

Author, Date, Background by John MacArthur

Ligonier: Introduction to the Gospels

Ligonier: Introduction to Matthew

Biblehub: Chronology of Matthew

ESV: Introduction to Matthew

ESV: The Global Message of Matthew

NIV: Introduction to Matthew

David Malick (Bible.org): An Introduction to Matthew

David Malick: An Argument of Matthew

James van dine: Introduction to Matthew

Comparison of Sermon on the Mount and Sermon on the Plain

List of the miracles of Jesus

List of the Parables of Jesus

Beattitudes Overview

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Section 2: Maps

Maps from Holman Bible Atlas

Rome’s Emergence as a World Power

Early Rome

Roman Expansion in the 3rd & 2nd centuries BCE

Civil Wars amidst Roman Expansion in 1st century BCE

Roman Empire in the Age of Augustus

Romans, Palestine, and Herod the Great

Roman Rule in Palestine 63-40 BCE

The K ingdom of Herod the Great

Herod’s Building Program

The World of Jesus

The Division of Herod’s Kingdom

Palestine under the Herods

Palestine in the Time of Jesus (1)

Palestine in the Time of Jesus (2)

Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Life and Ministry of Jesus

Jesus’ Birth and Early Childhood

The Birth, Childhood, and Baptism of Jesus

John the Baptist

Galilee in the Time of Jesus

Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee and Journey to Jerusalem

The Ministry of Jesus around the Sea of Galilee

The Ministry of Jesus beyond Galilee

Jesus’ M i nistry according to John

Jesus’ Journeys from Galilee to Judea

Jesus in Judea and Jerusalem

Jerusale m in the New Testament Period

The Pas si on Week in Jerusalem

Maps from Bible-History.com

New Testament World

Israel in New Testament Times

Herod the Great’s Kingdom

Herod’s Kingdom Divided

Herod’s Temple

Je rusalem at the time of Jesus

Jesus’ Early Ministry

Jesus in Galilee

Nazareth-Galilee

New Testament Jerusalem

Apostles’ Journeys

World of the New Testament

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Section 3: Key Words

Key Words in Matthew

Occurrences are based on New American Standard Text. “4x/3v” means the word appears 4 times in 3 verses. “3x” means the word appears 3 times in 3 verses.

Son (72x) – Strong’s G5207; G5043 in 9:2; Son of Man – 30x; Son of God – 8x

Kingdom (53x) -Strong’s 6932; Kingdom of heaven (Strong’s G3772) – 31x; Kingdom of God (Strong’s G2316) – 4x

King (19x) – Strong’s G935 in Mat 1:6; Mat 2:1; Mat 2:2; Mat 2:3; Mat 2:9; Mat 5:35; Mat 14:9; Mat 18:23; Mat 21:5; Mat 22:7; Mat 22:11; Mat 22:13; Mat 25:34; Mat 25:40; Mat 27:11; Mat 27:29; Mat 27:37; Mat 27:42; Strong’s G444 in Mat 22:2;

Blessed (17x) – Strong’s G3017 in Mat 5:3; Mat 5:4; Mat 5:5; Mat 5:6; Mat 5:7; Mat 5:8; Mat 5:9; Mat 5:10; Mat 5:11; Mat 11:6; Mat 13:16; Mat 16:17; Mat 24:46; Strong’s G2127 in Mat 14:19; Mat 21:9; Mat 23:39; Mat 25:34.

fulfill (12x) – Strong’s G1437 in Mat 1:22; Mat 2:15; Mat 2:23; Mat 3:15; Mat 4:14; Mat 5:17; Mat 5:33; Mat 8:17; Mat 12:17; Mat 13:35; Mat 21:4; Mat 26:56; fulfilled (4x) in Mat 2:17; Mat 26:54; Mat 27:9; Strong’s G378 in Mat 13:14.

Spirit (16x); Holy Spirit (5x); Spirit of God (2x) – Strong’s G4151 in Mat 1:18; Mat 1:20; Mat 3:11; Mat 3:16; Mat 4:1; Mat 5:3; Mat 10:20; Mat 12:18; Mat 12:28; Mat 12:31; Mat 12:32; Mat 12:43; Mat 22:43; Mat 26:41; Mat 27:50; Mat 28:19.

Truly (31x) – Strong’s G281 in Mat 5:18; Mat 5:26; Mat 6:2; Mat 6:5; Mat 6:16; Mat 8:10; Mat 10:15; Mat 10:23; Mat 10:42; Mat 11:11; Mat 13:17; Mat 16:28; Mat 17:20; Mat 18:3; Mat 18:13; Mat 18:18; Mat 19:23; Mat 19:28; Mat 21:21; Mat 21:31; Mat 23:36; Mat 24:2; Mat 24:34; Mat 24:47; Mat 25:12; Mat 25:40; Mat 25:45; Mat 26:13; Mat 26:21; Mat 26:34; Mat 27:54.

Pharisees (29x) – Strong’s G5330 in Mat 3:7; Mat 5:20; Mat 9:11; Mat 9:14; Mat 9:34; Mat 12:2; Mat 12:14; Mat 12:24; Mat 12:38; Mat 15:1; Mat 15:12; Mat 16:1; Mat 16:6; Mat 16:11; Mat 16:12; Mat 19:3; Mat 21:45; Mat 22:15; Mat 22:34; Mat 22:41; Mat 23:2; Mat 23:13; Mat 23:14; Mat 23:15; Mat 23:23; Mat 23:25; Mat 23:27; Mat 23:29; Mat 27:62.

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Section 5: Commentaries