Chapter 2 — The Backgrounds of Matthew and Luke Flashcards
Which statement about Matthew is based on biblical and historical evidence?
Matthew and Levi were one in the same person.
Which statement about the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew is true?
Papias stated that Matthew’s Gospel was a Greek translation and revision of an earlier Gospel Matthew wrote in Hebrew.
What is the date of the writing of the Gospel of Matthew?
Between AD 60 and AD 69
On what basis is the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew determined?
The uniform, positive testimony of the early church fathers.
What was the focus of Matthews Gospel text?
To prove to a Jewish audience that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament messianic promises and that Jesus is truly their long-awaited Messiah.
What biblical evidence supports Luke’s authorship of the third Gospel?
A close link between Luke and Acts, as well as the “we” sections in Acts, point to Luke as author.
What do the prefaces of Luke and Acts indicate?
That the same person wrote the Gospel of Luke first and then Acts.
Which statement concerning the date of the Gospel of Luke is true?
Luke appears to depend on Mark, who wrote his Gospel around AD 58-65, which is one reason we conclude that Luke wrote his Gospel between AD 60-69?
Name one of the characteristics of the Gospel of Luke.
Luke gives us more historical details than any other Gospel writer.
What are some unique characteristics of Luke’s Gospel in contrast to the other Synoptic Gospels?
Luke gives more details on the birth and boyhood of John the Baptist and Jesus than the other Gospel writers.
What does the biblical evidence reveal about Matthew’s name?
- Had two names (like John Mark)
- Matthew’s names were both Hebrew (unlike John Mark)
- The priestly name Levi suggests that Matthew’s father was an orthodox Jew, possibly of the priestly line.
- Jesus may have given the name Matthew to Levi when He called him to become one of His disciples, just as He gave Simon the name Peter.
- Alphaeus may have had the surname Levi, in which case Matthew would have had the surname Levi also.
On what basis do we assign authorship of the Gospel of Matthew to Matthew?
On the basis of the uniform positive testimony of the early church fathers
What date may we assign for the writing of Matthew’s Gospel?
Matthew appears to have written his account in the early AD 60’s, but tradition says it was translated into Greek and circulated a bit later, possibly in the late 60’s before the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70). For this study, we will conclude that Matthew wrote his Gospel
Based on our discussion and the prophecy in Isaiah 53, tell how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and why the Jews were so blind to the evidence.
- Jesus was despised and rejected.
- He bore grief and sorrow for us, and He suffered for our sins and sickness as our sinless Substitute.
3.He was oppressed and afflicted at His trial, yet He remained silent so we might have forgiveness and righteousness. - He was condemned to death with criminals (wicked) and buried in the grave of the rich (Joseph of Arimathaea.
- In these ways Jesus perfectly fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy.
List at least three things which show that Matthew’s Gospel has a strongly Jewish tone.
1. More than any other Synoptic writer, Matthew quotes from the Old Testament prophets.
2. Matthew frequently uses such phrases as the holy city, the holy place, and Son of David. These terms would appeal to the Jewish mind.
3. Matthew refers often to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
4. Matthew does not explain comments he makes in reference to Jewish religious acts and practices. This implies that his recipients had prior knowledge of these things.
5. Matthew emphasizes that Jesus did not come to destroy but to fulfill the Law. This too would appeal to the Jewish mind.
6. Matthew repeatedly condemns Jewish religious leaders for their evil ways. Gentiles would not be interested in such an emphasis.
7. Throughout his Gospel account, Matthew answers the questions Jews were prone to ask.
