Matthew

Jason K. Lee, William M. Marsh, Jason K. Lee, William M. Marsh

• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9780830880157
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

"As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.'"How should one interpret these words of Jesus?The sixteenth-century Reformers turned to Scripture to find the truth of God's Word, but that doesn't mean they always agreed on how to interpret it. For example, when approaching this passage from Matthew's gospel, Martin Luther read it literally, for "as he says in his own words, it is his body and his blood, " but Thomas Cranmer argued that "there must be some figure or mystery in this speech."In this Reformation Commentary on Scripture volume, scholars Jason K. Lee and William Marsh guide readers through a wealth of early modern commentary on the book of Matthew. Readers will hear from familiar voices and discover lesser-known figures from a diversity of theological traditions, including Lutherans, Reformed, Radicals, Anglicans and Roman Catholics.Drawing upon a variety of resources—including commentaries, sermons, treatises, and confessions—much of which appears here for the first time in English, this volume provides resources for contemporary preachers, enables scholars to better understand the depth and breadth of Reformation commentary, and seeks to encourage all those who desire to read the words of Scripture faithfully.

COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW

OVERVIEW: Reformation commentators continued the ancient and medieval practice of providing a “preface” on books of the Bible. These “prologues” aimed to orient readers to the central theological meaning or subject (i.e., argumentum) of a biblical book alongside establishing the distinctive contribution of the human author as an instrument through whom the Holy Spirit conveyed authoritative divine intention and truth. The Gospel of Matthew received such prefatory treatment, sometimes in prefaces submitted for all four Gospels as a whole and at other times in prologues devoted solely to Matthew’s Gospel. In general, Reformation writers were concerned that the Gospel genre not be mistaken for mere historical record. Although the Gospel of Matthew certainly presented a narrative or “story,” what made it “gospel” was its faithful proclamation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of David, according to the Old Testament (i.e., “the Law and the Prophets”) Scriptures for the forgiveness of our sins and our salvation. In fact, Christ was to be beheld properly in the Gospel accounts as in the rest of the New Testament writings rather than sought after in venerated relics. Here in the text of holy Scripture the crucified and risen Lord Jesus would be seen more clearly and truly than if he appeared bodily before one’s very eyes. The reformers are careful to indicate that it is the Spirit of Christ himself who is at work in a biblical author like Matthew, utilizing the human author’s own personality, style, and rhetoric to convey under divine inspiration and power the gospel’s promise of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Christ is the mediator of eternal salvation—that is, God’s bestowal of the truly blessed life.

Prolegomena

THE LIVING CHRIST BEHELD IN THE WRITTEN GOSPELS. DESIDERIUS ERASMUS: If someone exhibited a print made by the feet of Christ, how we Christians would prostrate ourselves, how we would adore! Why, then, do we not rather venerate his living and breathing image, preserved in these books? If someone displayed the tunic of Christ, would we not fly to the ends of the earth to kiss it? But even if you were to produce every possession he owned, there is nothing that would show Christ more clearly and more truly than the written Gospels. Through our love of Christ, we enrich a statue of wood or stone with jewels and gold. Why do we not rather adorn these books with gold and jewels and anything more precious, for they recall Christ to us more vividly than any little statue. A statue shows only the appearance of his body—if indeed it shows anything of that—but these books show you the living image of his holy mind and Christ himself, speaking, healing, dying, rising to life again. In short, they restore Christ to us so completely and so vividly that you would see him less clearly should you behold him standing before your very eyes. PARACLESIS.1

ONLY ONE GOSPEL. MARTIN LUTHER: The gospel is a story about Christ, God’s and David’s Son, who died and was raised and is established as Lord. This is the gospel in a nutshell. Just as there is no more than one Christ, so there is and may be no more than one gospel. Since Paul and Peter too teach nothing but Christ, in the way we have just described, so their epistles can be nothing but the gospel. Yes, even the teaching of the prophets, in those places where they speak of Christ, is nothing but the true, pure, and proper gospel—just as if Luke or Matthew had described it. For the prophets have proclaimed the gospel and spoken of Christ, as St. Paul here reports and as everyone indeed knows. Thus, when Isaiah in chapter 53 says how Christ should die for us and bear our sins, he has written the pure gospel. And I assure you, if a person fails to grasp this understanding of the gospel, they will never be able to be illuminated in the Scripture nor will they receive the right foundation. A BRIEF INSTRUCTION ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND EXPECT IN THE GOSPELS.2

THE GOSPELS ARE ABOUT CHRIST’S MEDIATORIAL OFFICE. JOHN CALVIN: Again, the four histories, which relate how Christ discharged the office of mediator, have with great propriety received this designation. As the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ contain the whole of our salvation, and are therefore the peculiar subject of the Gospel, the name of Evangelists is justly and suitably applied to those who place before our eyes Christ who has been sent by the Father, that our faith may acknowledge him to be the Author of a blessed life. THE ARGUMENT, COMMENTARY ON A HARMONY ON THE GOSPELS.3

MATTHEW, FROM FRAUD TO FAITH. JOHANNES BRENZ: [He] also wanted to show in the character of the clerk^† the greatness of the power of the gospel of Christ, as well as the extent of the efficacy and power of true faith in Christ. Matthew was for sure a wicked man and a well-known fraud. But after he was gripped with love of the gospel and believed in Christ, it became so foreign to his character to continue perpetrating crimes and deceits that he preferred to abandon all of his own interests, and even his own life, rather than neglect Christ’s calling and lead a wicked life. Therefore, the one who once had been a fraud became through faith a righteous man. He who had once been wicked became through faith holy. He who once did not refrain from engaging in every type of sin became through faith a zealous adherent of every good work. A faith that is fraudulent and merely imagined permits a man to pursue his former sins. But true faith, as it regenerates a person in Christ, so also remakes them to pursue the calling of the Holy Spirit when the lusts of the flesh have been tamed. Therefore, let us strive after this goal, in keeping with Matthew’s example, to lay hold of and pursue true faith in Christ. But may we also receive and hold in mind with the greatest diligence what Matthew wrote: the verdict of the final judgment will not be rendered according to the laws of Solon, Lycurgus, Justinian, or the popes of Rome.^‡ No, it will be based upon this teaching of Matthew: he who has faith in Christ will be saved. He who does not have that faith will perish. Matthew is not the least of those of whom Christ himself testified. “Truly I say to you,” he said, “that you who have followed me will also sit upon twelve thrones—when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his majesty at the renewal—judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

This is the precise point when it comes to Matthew: that we know we are to listen to his account not as we usually do when someone describes mere secular histories. Rather, we must apply our ears to him as the one who proclaim the very oracles of heaven. PREFACE ON THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST, MATTHEW.4

MATTHEW’S GOSPEL ESTEEMED BY THE EARLY CHURCH. HEINRICH BULLINGER: The Gospel of Matthew had so much authority in the church of the Lord from the time of Christ that it was always placed among the foremost documents and in the first rank, and finally it was expounded by the very apostles of the Lord. St. Athanasius^† tells us that James, the brother of the Lord, expounded the Gospel According to Matthew to the church in Jerusalem. And he says that the histories provide evidence that the apostle Bartholomew expounded the same gospel to the Indians very faithfully. Therefore, dear readers, let us not be reluctant to apply our whole selves to it with the greatest rigor and fervent prayers, that we may understand the most holy Gospel of such an important apostle—a Gospel inspired by the Spirit of Christ our Lord and recorded with utmost scrupulousness by a most trustworthy apostle. May we understand it correctly, truly, and with devotion, and to the great benefit of our souls. The fruit that we should hope for from it is not at all typical but actually everlasting life. For the heavenly Father has offered the world life in his Son, and this Gospel proclaims that Christ is the Son of God, that whoever believes in him has everlasting life. ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, THE APOSTLE AND HIS WORK.5

A GOSPEL FOR AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. JOHANNES BUGENHAGEN: Matthew first writes that Christ the Son of God, promised in the Law and the Prophets, came in our flesh for both Jews and Gentiles. This means that he who saves his people from their sins was born of a virgin and the flesh of David according to God’s promises. Then in the third chapter Matthew begins from John’s preaching as do the other Gospel writers and shows us Christ, who reveals by his teaching of the gospel and amazing works that he is the Son of God in our flesh. But finally, he brings this God and man before us on the cross as our high priest, the sole sacrifice for our salvation, the eternal King rising from the dead, and the continual priest and mediator at the Father’s right hand. Afflicted consciences will not deny that this, moreover, is a description of Christ, that it is the true gospel. THE ARGUMENT.6

MATTHEW, A HUMBLE INSTRUMENT OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. HEINRICH BULLINGER: Now the actual construction or building of any narrative or historical account consists both in subjects and words.^† The subject is the actual deeds and words of Jesus Christ the Son of God as they were exemplified in his particular circumstances. Specifically, it is that blessed life which—in Christ, through faith, freely—is bestowed upon those who believe. It is promised in the gospel, but it is also that truly righteous life that both Christ’s words and actions exemplify and impress upon us. This is the argument of Matthew’s entire work.

In addition, the subjects are related by a twofold arrangement. I mean first that natural arrangement whereby events are described in the order in which they occurred. And second, there is the arrangement dependent upon the writer’s design [artificiali], whereby the natural order is not preserved in every detail, but events are explained as the writer thought fit and as the needs of his audience required. In the course of the narration and series of books, I will show that Matthew made use of both types. I have divided my commentaries on Matthew in two separate volumes for this reason especially, to make the Gospel storyline perfectly clear, to render it conspicuous, and to aid the readers’ memory. Matthew uses words that are suited to history, ones that are simple, straightforward, appropriate to the subject, and not at all recondite, and the diction moves along with a certain kind of consistent gentleness. Indeed, Matthew wastes no time in his treatment of subjects on laborious descriptions of events, persons, places, and things. And he takes the same approach to the complex discussions of causes and similar practices used here and there among secular histories with great pomp, as dec...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Praise for the Reformation Commentary on Scripture
• Title Page
• Dedication Page
• Reformation Commentary on Scripture
• InterVarsity Press
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• A Guide to Using this Commentary
• General Introduction
• Introduction to Matthew
• Commentary on Matthew
• Map of Europe at the Time of the Reformation
• Timeline of the Reformation
• Biographical Sketches of Reformation-Era Figures and Works
• Sources for Biographical Sketches
• Bibliography
• Author and Writings Index
• Subject Index
• Scripture Index
• Notes
• About the Author
• More Titles from InterVarsity Press
• Copyright