The Gospel of Matthew

by Rudolf Schnackenburg

Overview

From ancient times the Gospel of Matthew has been regarded as the "church Gospel" its aims are preeminently catechetical, pastoral, and missionary. But recent research raises many questionsregarding Matthew's creation, theological intentions, and shapingfor the circle of its first recipients. This highly original commentary by Rudolf Schnackenburgfollows Matthew chapter by chapter and verse by verse, carefullyexplaining and interpreting the text against both its primitive andcurrent horizons. Schnackenburg sees Matthew's purpose as simply"the proclamation of Christian salvation". His commentary givesextra attention to the great discourses of Jesus found in Matthew (such as the Sermon on the Mount), showing how Jesus' wordsand works have special currency for the self-understanding of thechurch and for the task of Christian living today. Written by a master exegete with a pastor's sensitivity, thiscommentary will fast become a classic study of Matthew's Gospel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802844385
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/03/2002
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.71(d)

Table of Contents

	Introduction
1.	Form and Construction	1
2.	Sources and Redactional Formation	4
3.	The "Place" of the Gospel of Matthew: Spiritual Milieu and Origin	5
4.	Time and Circumstances of the Composition: The Author	6
5.	Israel, Judaism, and the Church in the Gospel of Matthew	7
6.	Peter and His Meaning for the Gospel of Matthew	8
7.	Christology	8
8.	Old Law and New "Righteousness"	10
9.	Salvation History and Eschatological Fulfillment	10
10.	History of the Influence of Matthew's Gospel and Its Meaning Today	11
11.	The Second Part of the Gospel of Matthew (16:21-28:20)	12
12.	Some Special Matthean Concerns	12
	Commentary
	The Pre-Gospel (chaps. 1-2)	15
	A Catena of Narratives from the Early Childhood of the Messiah Jesus (chap. 2)	20
	Beginnings: John the Baptizer, Jesus' Baptism and Temptation, and Emergence in Galilee (3:1-4:16)	28
	Jesus' Proclamation and Works of Healing (4:17-9:34)	40
	The Sermon on the Mount (chaps. 5-7)	44
	The Beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (5:1-19)	45
	"Greater Righteousness": Antitheses (5:20-48)	53
	The Right Attitude before God the Father (6:1-18)	63
	Undivided Service to God and the Quest for His Reign (6:19-34)	70
	Instructions for a Community of Siblings (7:1-12)	73
	Concluding Admonitions (7:13-29)	76
	Jesus' Salvific Works, Especially in Cures and Deeds of Power (8:1-9:34)	80
	Return to Capernaum and Further Deeds of Healing (9:1-34)	86
	The Disciples as Jesus' Messengers: The Discourse at the Sending of the Disciples (9:35-11:1)	92
	Conversations and Confrontations (11:2-12:50)	103
	Jesus and John the Baptist (11:2-19)	103
	Cries of Woe, of Jubilee, and of the Savior (11:20-30)	107
	Confrontations with Opponents (12:1-21)	111
	Imputation of Complicity with the Devil, Demand for Signs--Jesus' Majesty and His New Family (12:22-50)	114
	The Parabolic Discourse (13:1-53)	121
	Parabolic Discourse before the People (13:1-35)	122
	Parabolic Discourse to the Disciples (13:36-53)	131
	Jesus' Further Activity, Amid Mounting Opposition (13:54-14:36)	136
	Confrontation with Jewish Governing Circles on the Occasion of Further Activity Among the People (15:1-16:12)	146
	The Confession of Peter: The Critical Point for the Faith-Understanding of the Community (16:13-20)	156
	The Way to Jerusalem (16:21-20:34)	161
	First Prediction of Jesus' Passion and Resurrection: Instructions for the Disciples (16:21-17:21)	161
	Second Prediction of Jesus' Passion and Resurrection (17:22-18:35)	169
	The Great Community Discourse (chap. 18)	170
	Important Community Themes, with the Third Prediction of Jesus' Suffering and Resurrection (19:1-20:34)	181
	The Days in Jerusalem (chaps. 21-25)	198
	The Entry into Jerusalem, the Cleansing of the Temple, and the Question of Authority (21:1-17)	199
	Three Polemical Parables (21:28-22:14)	207
	Four Significant Questions (Disputations) (22:15-46)	216
	Discourse against the Scribes and Pharisees (chap. 23)	225
	The Great Eschatological Discourse (chaps. 24-25)	235
	Jesus' Passion and Resurrection (26:1-28:20)	259
	From the Conspiracy of the High Council to the Hour in Gethsemane (26:1-46)	261
	From the Arrest of Jesus to His Delivery to Pilate (26:47-27:10)	272
	The Hearing before Pilate, the Mocking of Jesus, and His Crucifixion, Death, and Burial (27:11-66)	281
	The Resurrection and the Appearances of Jesus (28:1-20)	293
	Index of Subjects	301
	Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Literature	308