Westminster Bible Companion: Matthew

by Thomas G. Long

Publisher:

Westminster John Knox

, 1997

Overview

The original audience for the Gospel of Matthew included converts from Judaism who wrestled with how to be faithful to Jesus Christ under difficult circumstances in a changing world. The Gospel of Matthew became a first-aid manual for this church in the midst of a struggle.

Thomas Long identifies this first audience and its faith within the social and religious context of the day and clarifies the structure of the Gospel. Providing examples of contemporary relevance, Long helps today's reader discern the significance of this guide for faithful living in today's church.

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Key Features

• Provides a powerful interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew
• Unfolds the various contexts and principles found in Scripture
• Helps prepare pastors, students, and laity relay the Bible's teaching in a clear way

Contents

• The Identity of Jesus the Christ
• Jesus’ Identity Is Confirmed and Tested
• Jesus’ Ministry Begins
• The Sermon on the Mount
• Three Sets of Mighty Works
• Laborers for the Plentiful Harvest
• The Road Becomes Hard
• Jesus Teaches in Parables
• Forming the New Community
• The Cross Looms Ahead
• Living Together as the Church
• Who Is Able? The Narrow Gate to the Kingdom
• Somethign Greater than the Temple Is Here
• Jesus Teaches about the Future Judgment
• The Death of Jesus the Messiah
• The Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah

Top Highlights

“Peter was shocked and offended by the thought that the cross was God’s will for Jesus (Matt. 16:21–23), and now Jesus deepens the offense by reminding the disciples that the cross is God’s will for them, too (Matt. 16:24–26).” (Page 190)

“We can see examples of this in the Gospel of Matthew itself. Take the sabbath commandment, for instance. Later in Matthew, Jesus and his disciples will get into trouble with the religious officials, because, on the sabbath day, the disciples eat grain and Jesus heals a man, both technical violations of the commandment. Behind the sabbath commandment, however, stands a God who wills that human society be just and merciful, that human life be nourished and restored. This is the heart of the sabbath commandment. Jesus argues with the officials that, by violating the commandment’s surface requirements, he and his disciples have, in fact, fulfilled its depths (see Matt. 12:1–14).” (Pages 53–54)

“Indeed, the church is always in the desert, the place where it cannot rely upon its own resources, which are few. The church is hungry itself and is surrounded by a world of deep cravings, people who are lonely, disoriented, and poor in many different ways. Against the savage realities of human need, the church sees only small numbers on the membership roles and even smaller ones in the mission budget. It is no wonder, then, that the church joins the disciples in crying, ‘This is a desert. Send the crowds away to fend for themselves’ (see Matt. 14:15).” (Page 165)

“‘those who were ready’ (Matt. 25:10). Ready for what? The bridegroom? No, the foolish bridesmaids were eager for the groom to arrive, too; the wise bridesmaids are distinctive not because they were ready for the groom but because they were ready for the groom’s delay.” (Pages 280–281)

Praise for the Print Edition

This is a commentary that dares to wonder what Matthew was trying to tell his audience about God, and what, in turn, that means for what we might tell our audiences about God today. I continually find myself amazed by the richness of this relatively slim little volume. Here is a book that I turn to again and again when I am getting ready to stare into the faces of a community of faith and try to tell them something about God.

—Rev. Bill Pinches, Mason First Presbyterian Church, Mason, MI

Product Details

• Title: Matthew
• Author: Thomas G. Long
• Series: Westminster Bible Companion
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Print Publication Date: 1997
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 348
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. Matthew › Commentaries
• Resource ID: LLS:WBCS61MT
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-09-24T16:45:37Z

About Thomas G. Long

Thomas G. Long is Bandy Professor Emeritus of Preaching at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He has taught preaching for over forty years, and his introductory textbook, The Witness of Preaching, has been translated into a number of languages and is widely used in theological schools around the world. Long has served as the president of the Academy of Homiletics and as senior homiletics editor of the New Interpreter's Bible. He has been editor of Theology Today and serves as an editor-at-large at The Christian Century. Long has been honored with the distinction of delivering the Lyman Beecher Lectures in Preaching at Yale Divinity School and was also named by Time magazine as one of the most effective preachers in the English language. A Presbyterian minister, Long has served churches in Georgia and New Jersey.