The Authorized Biography of Jesus Christ: A new interpretation of the Gospel of St. Matthew

by Mano Govindaraj

Overview

The author describes how as a high school student, he first met the “scientific approach to the study of the Gospels” and learned that the Gospel of St. Matthew was copied from an “older” document called “Q.” The question arose: if Matthew was a disciple of Jesus, why would he need another document to write about Jesus?

A life-long struggle to answer that question resulted in the development of this new Interpretation. Matthew was a trained tax accountant. Taxation is all about keeping records and diaries. Jesus called Matthew to be a disciple. Matthew did what he knew best—keeping records and diaries as directed by Jesus.

Analyzing its contents using principles of information assurance, Mano concludes that this gospel is in two parts. The first nine chapters happened before the call of Matthew, and the source of data is Jesus. After chapter ten, Matthew is the source of data. He recorded events as indicated by Jesus, including events after the arrest. This is the justification for calling it an authorized biography of Jesus Christ.

The Ascension is omitted. That significant omission proves that this gospel was not written by a later Christian believer or organization, but happened because Matthew ceased his diaries before the Ascension. These diaries were obtained by Christians many years later and recognized as a gospel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449763237
Publisher:	WestBow Press
Publication date:	09/26/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	180
File size:	211 KB

Editorial Reviews

2013-10-01
An earnest effort to solve several controversies surrounding the Gospel of Matthew posits Matthew as an authorized chronicler of Jesus' daily life. For centuries, religious scholars have debated several vital points related to the Gospel of Matthew. These issues really boil down to two questions: When was the Gospel of Matthew written? And why is it similar in language to the gospels of Luke and Mark? Govindaraj (The Matriverse and Other Essays, 2010) proposes a simple explanation: Jesus authorized Matthew to write a diary at the time about his ministry and life, which was later read by both Luke and Mark while they were writing their accounts. Govindaraj cites evidence to support his claim that Matthew had first-hand knowledge of Jesus, which was recounted in the Gospel, including specific, intimate knowledge about Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, and intimate knowledge of Jesus' birth. One glaring omission in the Gospel of Matthew requires further analysis--the absence of Jesus' Ascension into heaven following the Resurrection. Govindaraj leans heavily on information about the time period to support his claims about Matthew's own life and probable motivations, but the historical suppositions lack crucial references. Furthermore, claims about motivation occasionally stretch credulity while not considering other, more obvious explanations. For example, Govindaraj credits Matthew's willingness to leave his job and follow Jesus as a miracle, rather than suggesting Matthew may have been swayed by a charismatic and persuasive young leader whose message spoke directly to Matthew's own heart. The main arguments in the book rely heavily on rather circular logic. Despite these unsettling problems with the text, the bulk of the book provides an incomplete but intimate look at the world of Matthew and Jesus Christ, and will give even those with little prior knowledge of the deep questions it examines a riveting look at the tumultuous and emotional biblical world. An in-depth analysis of several perplexing questions about the Gospel of Matthew that reaches entirely reasonable conclusions with flawed logic.

Kirkus Reviews