The Structure of Matthew | David L. Turner

Deep Dive into The Structure of Matthew by David L. TurnerThe provided text is an excerpt from David L. Turner's commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, which advocates for a narrative-critical approach rather than a source-critical one, emphasizing both the theological and historical value of the text for church ministry. Grasping the literary structure of Matthew is crucial, and scholars generally evaluate three main approaches. The first applies a chronological and geographical outline similar to the Gospel of Mark, which clarifies the biographical flow but artificially superimposes a structure that fails to engage Matthew's unique alternating patterns. The second method divides the Gospel into three sections based on the recurring phrase "From then on Jesus began," highlighting the preparation, proclamation, and passion of the Messiah. However, the preferred third approach centers on the recurring phrase "When Jesus had finished," which marks five distinct transitions from discourse back to narrative. This reveals a comprehensive structure consisting of a prologue, five alternating blocks of narrative and discourse, and a concluding epilogue.Regarding literary style, the Gospel exhibits aesthetically adequate Greek integrated with frequent Semitisms derived from the author's sources, the Hebrew Bible, and personal background. Furthermore, Matthew notably emphasizes the teachings of Jesus over his deeds by expanding on the discourses found in Mark while abbreviating the actions. The text also frequently employs structural devices and numerical patterns, such as sequences of sevens and fourteens, alongside threefold structures and chiasmus.Finally, the commentary addresses the Gospel's historical origins. Although technically anonymous like the other Gospels, historical customs suggest the traditional titles were likely original rather than added later. This supports the early patristic testimony that Matthew the apostle was the author, while internal grammatical and thematic evidence strongly points to a Jewish writer.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerSpotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdwhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730