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This book from the time of the apostles has been placed first among New Testament books. Though it does not name its author, the earliest tradition of the church attributes it to be the handwork of Matthew; even several church fathers who were personally acquainted with the apostles specifically named Matthew as the author of the first gospel.
Matthew himself, though somewhat obscure during the lifetime of Christ was one of the twelve apostles, under the name Levi. He had once been a publican; that is a tax collector for Rome.
As a government official he would have been a person of considerable ability and training, probably fluent in both the native Aramaic (the dialect of Palestine) and the universal Greek language.
He would also most certainly have been a capable literate man, with skill in gathering and organizing material such as that, contained in this gospel.
His experience in civil service would have enabled him in the use of the pen. God anointed and inspired that pen so that a once hated publican gave the Jews and ultimately the world, a persuasive record of an all powerful, all loving king and redeemer.
Matthew obviously wrote for the Jewish mind. He endeavored to show that Christ was the fulfillment of the Jewish law, not a contradiction of it.
He also preached Christ as a king, and dwell so much upon the kingdom of heaven that the book is often called “the gospel of the kingdom” he opened his book by calling Jesus the son of David and the son of Abraham Matthew 1:1.
Matthew made fifty-three direct quotations from the Old Testament. He dwelt much on the teaching of Jesus, He showed the master as a great teacher of Israel.
Here are some of Jesus lengthy discourses.
- The Sermon on the Mount. (Chapter.5).
- Instruction to the apostles (Ch.10).
- Parable of the kingdom (Ch.13).
- On humility and forgiveness (Ch. 18)
- Discourse on the last days. Ch.24-25
Matthew ended his account of each of these great sermons with the same concluding phrase,
“And it came to pass when Jesus had finished all those saying…..”
Because of these five recorded discourses and the overall character of his work, Matthew’s gospel is sometimes called the Pentateuch of the New Testament. Levi the tax collector, the Jew who was sold out to the enemy of his people when Jesus found him, should have done no greater service to his people and his Lord than these.
