1606 | Introduction to Matthew
destruction of the temple and the holy city . In possible contrast to Mark ’ s more ambiguous relationship between Jesus ’ warning of the temple ’ s destruction and the promise of his return , Matthew seems to distinguish the two events ( compare 24:2 – 3 with Mk 13:2 – 4 ). ( Some also point to Mt 22:7 .) Such features could well suggest a post-70 date . Nevertheless , it seems clear from the earliest sources ( including some shared by and thus earlier than Matthew and Luke ) that Jesus himself did predict impending judgment on the temple ( 23:38 ; Mk 13:2,14 ; Lk 13:35 ; cf . Mk 11:15 – 17 ).
In the end , the specific question of date may be a moot point . ( Indeed , some scholars think that Matthew and / or his assistants expanded the Gospel in subsequent editions at different times .) Because the Gospels are primarily concerned with events that have already occurred in the past , the time they describe is more crucial than the time in which they wrote , although the latter is helpful for considering why the different writers emphasized some particular themes .
Background
Only rarely can scholars studying ancient documents pinpoint precise dates for those documents . One does not need to know exact dates or locations to reconstruct the general setting of such works , however .
As will be clear from the following study notes on Matthew ’ s Gospel , Matthew addresses an audience comfortable with traditional Jewish forms of speech . For example , one need only compare Mark ’ s pervasive “ kingdom of God ” with Matthew ’ s usual “ kingdom of heaven ” to see that Matthew prefers traditional ( and emphatically ) Jewish formulations .
Because Jewish thinking took many forms in different parts of the ancient world , it is valuable to be more precise in this case . Whereas Jewish people who liked apocalyptic literature would particularly appreciate Revelation , Jews in the Diaspora would appreciate Hebrews , and groups such as the Essenes might appreciate John ’ s Gospel , Matthew often moves in a more “ rabbinic ” world . That is , the views and arguments of teachers and interpreters of the law , who came to be called rabbis , are very relevant to Matthew ’ s Gospel . Most of the sources from which we know rabbinic thought are later , but they offer numerous parallels to Matthew ’ s ways of handling Scripture and intimate understanding of Pharisaic debates with Jesus ( e . g ., see notes on 19:3 ; 23:25 – 26 ). Because Jesus was himself a sage and engaged in discussion , and often debate , with Pharisaic teachers , Matthew continues to engage a world within which Jesus himself moved . ◆