Gospel According to Matthew Bible Study
Facilitator notes
- I am a Catholic Christian so many of the extra resources that I share will reflect that. If something sounds “different” than what your faith tradition teaches, then feel free to share that. Remember (self-included) that far more unites us as Christians (praying, reading Scripture, trying to follow The Word, etc.) than separates our various Christian faith traditions.
- The most important thing you can do to prepare for our Friday study sessions is to read the sections of Matthew that we will be dicussing that week. If there is another resource that I encourage you to read beforehand, I will add it to the links in the “Primary Resources” section; I will try to keep those few and brief. Links that I include in the “Secondary Resources” section (including the Bible in a Year and Daily Gospel Exegesis podcasts) are completely optional; they are resources that I have found helpful in my reading and understanding of Matthew or in finding background to the questions that I offer to the group before and during our study.
- If I reference a scripture verse during this study with no book notation, I’m referring to Matthew (and I will try to include it first if there are multiple verses). For example,
The Great Commision is included in some form in all four Gospels (28:18-20; Mk 16:15-20; Lk 24:44-49; Jn 20:21-23).
Introduction & Chapter 1
Questions
- “Exegesis”: sounds like “Jesus”, but is not. What is it? Does exegesis make sense as our method to approach our reading of Matthew? Are there other ways that the group is familiar with or would suggest?
- The intro pdf covers different theories from scholars about authorship and date of Matthew. Does any one theory resonate with you? Does your Bible commentary offer anything different? Does any one theory resonate with you? Does this matter?
- Even if precise authorship or exact date of writing is debated my scholars, it is widely agreed that it is very Jewish in outlook. Reflect on this quote attributed to Saint Augustine … “The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.”. What does this mean for our approach to reading Matthew?
- In the into pdf section titled “Structure” (and in the outline on the last page of the pdf), we are given a structure for Matthew. Did you look up the transition phrases in Matthew? Have you noticed this before? What do the intro authors (Hahn and Mitch) say this literary technique should draw our attention to? What is the “step farther” that they say some scholars suggest?
- In Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (1:1-17), he introduces Jesus with his full title “Jesus Christ”. “Christ” is not his last name; what does it mean? Why identify him here as “son of David” and “son of Abraham” (hint: Look back at the promises that God made to Abraham (Gen 17:6) and David (2 Sam 7:16; Ps 89:3-4))
- There are 4 women (prior to Mary) listed in the genealogy. It’s unusual to list women in Jewish genealogies; they are also Gentiles. Do you remember anything about their stories? Why do you think Matthew includes them?
- Matthew calls out 3 sets of 14 generations in the genealogy? (6 sets of 7) Jesus represents the 7th Seven - was Matthew just having fun with numbers or is he telling us something with this?
- The genealogy follows a formula ..
___ the father of ____ .. until Joseph, who Matthew identifies as the husband of Mary - why did he change the formula?
- There are different theories according to my Bible commentary on why Joseph resolved to end his betrothal to Mary differing opinion on whether he knew that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit BEFORE the angel’s visit to him. How did you read this passage and why did you consider Joseph just or righteous for ending the betrothal?
- Joseph is instructed by the angel to name Jesus .. “Jesus”. This Greek name is equivalent to the Hebrew name Joshua and means “Yahweh saves”. The Joshua of the OT led Israel into the Promised Land. Where will Jesus lead his people?
- Emmanual means “God with us” (1:23). This was true during Jesus’ lifetime; how does it remain true in the present age?
Primary Resources
Secondary Resources
The Bible in a Year Podcast (Fr. Mike)
Logical Daily Gospel Exegesis (Hayden)