Matthew

The Good News. The term “gospel,” meaning “good news” in Greek, did not originate with Christianity. In the Greco-Roman context, it specifically referred to important announcements, especially those involving the emperor, that had a positive impact on the people. Early Christians started using the term in the singular to refer to the life-saving message brought by Jesus or to Jesus himself, thus linking the message directly to the messenger. Mark illustrates this connection by writing: “Those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the Gospel will save it” (8:35).
When the message was first written down, the singular term gradually shifted to plural in the four versions—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—and has come to us in that form. These four versions share the one good news of salvation or “remembrance of Jesus,” which is seen and experienced differently by various Christian communities, for whom each writer became a spokesperson and “evangelist.”

Literary Genre. The Gospels cannot be confined to any specific literary genre, either then or now. Although they are historical documents, they do not serve as a “history” of Jesus. They are neither a biography nor a hagiography nor a straightforward account of past deeds and events, even if they include elements of all these. They are unique and innovative, shaping and defining their own literary genre.
The remarkable aspect that distinguishes the gospels as “written documents” is that the hero of the stories, miracles, and sermons remains alive. His presence and words continue to resonate and hold a saving power within the Christian community and the world. In other words, they are, have been, and always will be the living Word of God until the end of time.
How can one consider the events of a life that ended in death, raised by the resurrection to an “eternal now,” which includes all of human history, surpasses it, and brings it to a glorious conclusion, as mere historical facts?
The evangelists write their stories from a perspective of faith. That is why, even after two thousand years, reading and reflecting on the gospels remains a way to remember the past and experience the saving power of the present, which allows us to live now with hope for the promised realities of the future.

What Was the Reason for Writing the Gospels? One evangelist, John, explains this reason at the end of his work: “This is the disciple who is testifying to these things, and we know that his testimony is true” (21:24). “These are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that through believing, you may have life in his name” (20:31). They were written to be read privately, proclaimed in liturgy, shared in the assemblies of believers, and declared to all people of every race and nation.

How Were the Gospels Formed? All four Gospels come from a single tradition—a unified oral Gospel that involved the proclamation and preaching of those who witnessed Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. This “word” was the main way of spreading the good news for a long time. The oral culture of that era highly valued both individual and collective memorization and did not depend on writing to keep Jesus’s message accurate. That’s exactly what the first followers did through their preaching, catechesis, prayers and hymns, liturgies, and Eucharistic celebrations.

First Written Traditions. However, it soon became necessary to record in Hebrew and Aramaic (the local languages) the main events and sayings of the Lord to assist with catechesis, preaching, and other community activities that were expanding and increasing.
Therefore, the earliest written documents were created. Possibly the most important events in Jesus’ life recorded are his passion, death, and resurrection. Later, summaries and compilations of Jesus’ miracles, parables, and speeches emerged. These comprehensive sources were ultimately passed down to our four evangelists.

The Four Gospels. The rapid expansion of Christian communities beyond Palestine’s religious, cultural, and linguistic borders required a new way to present Jesus’s message—one that was adapted to and respectful of contemporary culture and responsive to the new circumstances of local churches. This is where the literary genre of the gospel became important, highlighting the creativity of each of the four evangelists.
All of them wrote in the Greek language of that period, which served as the common language of the empire. Acculturation required significant effort from the three, since Greek was not their first language. Only Luke, who had a Hellenistic background, felt comfortable writing in his native tongue.
They were not simply compilers—limited to organizing, translating, and occasionally revising existing materials. As true “authors,” they left their mark—especially through their faith experiences, their vision of the Church, and their understanding of the needs and challenges faced by the Christian communities they served. This was clear in how they chose and adapted sources, expanding or condensing the “written” and “oral” traditions that inspired them. Although these communities shared a common faith, they were rooted in different cultures and contexts, separated by geography and time. Several decades passed between the first gospel, Mark’s, and the last, John’s.

The “Synoptic Gospels.” The term “synoptic” (in Greek, “joint vision”) has been used for a couple of centuries to describe the writings of Mark, Matthew, and Luke because of their significant similarities, which set them apart from the Gospel of John. When looked at together, they share many common features and basic elements. Today, they are generally called the synoptic Gospels.
There is a phenomenon among biblical scholars called “the synoptic problem or question.” This refers to the complicated task of identifying the sources that influenced these evangelists. It seems inevitable that the Gospel of Mark was written first and that it served as the foundation for Matthew and Luke, who not only included material from Mark in their own writings but also drew from the earliest written traditions (now lost) of the “sayings and deeds of Jesus,” referred to as “Q,” which comes from the German word “Quelle,” meaning “source.”
Along with his sources of information, Mark was clearly influenced by the same traditions. Still, because his writing was brief, he might not have used them as much. However, Matthew and Luke finished the work. Aside from those already mentioned, these two evangelists had access to other traditions known by their initials “M” and “L.”
This network of connections and mutual influences sustains the integrity of the transmitted word, which shaped the final writing of the Gospels. Preserving the deposit of revelation unchanged was the main goal of the early church. This is evident in many writings of the New Testament, especially the pastoral letters: “Entrust to reliable people everything you have learned from me in the presence of many witnesses that they may instruct others” (2 Tim 2:2).
The Gospel of John was the last of the Gospels written. The author was clearly familiar with the synoptic Gospels circulating among the communities. Therefore, he approached his work differently and used common traditions only when necessary.

Historical Context. Matthew’s writing places us in the second generation of Christians. For several decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection, his followers formed another group—the “Nazarenes”—within the larger Jewish community, which included the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Essenes, and others. They coexisted with these groups amid tensions, tolerance, indifference, or suspicion. There were frequent threats and outbreaks of persecution. This situation continued until 70 AD, when disaster struck Judea and Jerusalem with the destruction of the Temple during the Jewish war against the Romans.
From the material ruins and spiritual crisis, a Pharisee group emerged that strongly unified religiosity under a strict, normative Judaism, excluding religious diversity. In this way, the rejection of Christians or Nazarenes grew more intense until it became official at the Jewish synod of Jamnia (between 85 and 90 A.D.). Christian Jews were formally barred from the synagogue and had to begin walking alone.

Recipients. Matthew mainly writes for these communities, who already know their identities. He also affirms, like “a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old” (13:52), that Jesus’ message combines both continuity and novelty regarding his Jewish roots. Continuity because, in him—the Messiah—the prophecies are fulfilled, and the Law reaches its completion. Novelty because the “Good News,” the “Gospel,” surpasses all expectations: “new wine is poured into new wineskins” (9:17). For this reason, among others, he often quotes passages from the Old Testament that are fulfilled in many of Jesus’ life events, and he connects Jesus to the genealogies of David and Abraham (1:1).
Jesus, who is greater than Moses, approves the commandments of Jewish law but also corrects and fulfills them by presenting his beatitudes (5:3-10). After the eschatological moment of his death, empowered through the resurrection, he leaves his teachings as commandments to his disciples (28:16-20). Instead of the nations converging toward Israel, as the prophets announced, he promotes the spread of the Good News to the entire world. Instead of circumcision, he establishes baptism as the sign and reality of belonging to the new people of God.

Author, Date, and Place of Composition. A very old tradition attributes this gospel to Matthew, the tax-collector apostle (9:9). However, today, several convincing reasons suggest that its author was a second-generation Christian from the Jewish diaspora. He wrote his work in Greek, using materials from Mark— the first gospel to be written—and from another, now lost, tradition known as the “Q document.”
Regarding the date of its composition, the author is aware of the destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.) and personally experienced the separation of Christians from the Jewish synagogue (85-90 A.D.); for this reason, many biblical scholars suggest the 80s as the likely date.
As for the place, Antioch, the capital of Syria, is the most widely accepted hypothesis.

A Gospel for a Church That Is Starting to Walk. Matthew is the most well-known, most favored, and most quoted gospel in the ancient Christian tradition (St. Ignatius of Antioch, around 110, already quotes it in his letters), and over time, it has become the “ecclesiastical gospel” par excellence.
Among the reasons backing up this assertion, we find:
Its literary style is sober and didactic, emphasizing clarity in composition and the development of events. The stories are carefully crafted, making them a gospel to be proclaimed in assembly.
Its doctrinal nature. Although it’s not a treatise or a catechism, Matthew describes the events and miracles of Jesus’ life for a second-generation Christian community—one that is starting to organize and needs guidance in the “new law” brought by the Lord.
The Jesus he presents. It is not the Jesus seen with the spontaneity of Mark’s Gospel, but the Jesus whom the community’s faith lives and expresses in its liturgical celebrations: full of dignity, majestic, and in whom the promises of Scripture are fulfilled.
The apostles. Unlike the fearful, stubborn, and slow-to-understand group that Mark presents to us without mitigation, Matthew’s depiction of the apostles reflects a community that is beginning to organize and needs the example, prestige, and authority of its leaders. According to Matthew, despite their faults, the apostles eventually understand the Master’s teachings and parables (16:12) and recognize him as the Son of God (14:33). When Jesus talks to them about the kingdom of God and asks if they have understood everything, they answer, “Yes.” He then compares them to expert scholars (13:51ff). Later, he equates them with prophets, teachers, and scholars (23:34). Matthew is also the only synoptic Gospel to tell the story in which Jesus confers his authority and power on Peter, making him the foundation and rock of the Church (16:18ff).
The kingdom of God. Second-generation communities already understand that the full establishment of God’s reign is not imminent; instead, they face a long journey ahead.
The Church. This reign of God, moving toward its ultimate fulfillment, has taken shape in the Christian community, which Matthew calls the “Church,” the rightful continuation of historical Israel. It is the faithful Israel that has already reached its final stage. The community does not need to long for the past or abandon it. Instead, it is now united in its loyalty to Jesus, Messiah and Teacher, new Moses and Son of David. It is a conscious and organized community that develops norms of conduct, sacramental and liturgical practices, and even a judicial system. It is a community that is open to sharing its message with both Jews and pagans.

Synopsis. The Gospel starts with a grand introduction: “the Gospel of childhood,” which acts as a foundational account of Moses’ escape from Egypt and specific prophetic prophecies (1f). After the baptism (3), the main part of the work is divided geographically between the ministry in Galilee (4–13) and in Jerusalem (14–25), where Jesus delivers his well-known five discourses—like a new Pentateuch—: the Sermon on the Mount (5–7), as a counterpoint to the law of Moses; the current mission of the apostles (10), which foreshadows the future; the parables (13), which describe what the kingdom of God is like; the instructions to the community (18); and the eschatological discourse (24ff). This is followed by the account of the passion, death, and resurrection (26–28), based on Psalm 22 and other Old Testament texts.