GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Matthew's Gospel
As the ancient writers attest, not only was the Gospel of Matthew written first but it was originally composed in Hebrew by Matthew, the tax collector. We must remember that Matthew was an eyewitness during the ministry of Jesus Christ, and his Gospel is very reliable. Quite possibly, Mark and Luke borrowed from Matthew’s Gospel. The Gospel of Matthew is the Torah for the New Testament.
Because this Gospel was originally written to the Jewish nation, certain ideas are emphasized such as prophecy, kingship, etc. Even certain numbers such as 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 17, 26, and 40 dominate. Like the Temple Menorah, the Gospel of Matthew has seven parts, but five are discourses.
Arranged in a chiastic fashion, the central theme concerns Kingdom living.
A (Matthew 1:1 – 2:23) Presentation of the King
B (Matthew 3:1 – 8:1) Division I
C (Matthew 8:1 – 11:1) Division II
D (Matthew 11:2 – 13:53) Division III
C’ (Matthew 13:54 – 19:1) Division IV
B’ (Matthew 19:2 – 26:2) Division V
A’ (Matthew 26:3 – 28:20) Suffering of the King
Matthew's Biography
Matthew, also known as Levi, was the son of Alphaeus. James the Less, might have been his brother. Living in Capernaum, he made his living as a tax-collector. His friends were other tax-collectors and sinners.
He became a follower of Jesus, and was a witness of the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. He preached in Judea before moving outside of Israel. He wrote the Gospel in Hebrew/Aramaic, and later in Greek.
He is said to have ministered in Syria, Media, Persia, Parthia, and Asiatic Ethiopia. The latter place is where he was martyred.
BPV Translation
While keeping to a standard English word order, I strongly relied on the literal translation from the Greek. The purpose is to bring out the fullness of the Greek meanings, rather than make it English friendly. However, feel free to use your favorite version along with my BPV for a little fun. My definitions come from the Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon of 1889.