6,138
edits
Changes
m
no edit summary
{{Gospels}} [[Image:Lisdisfarnematthew.jpg|right|thumb|The opening page of the Gospel of Matthew from the eighth-century [[Lindisfarne Gospels]].]] The '''Gospel of Matthew''' (literally, "according to Matthew"; Greek, Κατα Μαθθαίον or Κατα Ματθαίον) is the first [[Gospels|Gospel]] in the [[New Testament]]. Traditionally, it was written by the [[Apostle Matthew]], a former tax-collector who became one of the twelve [[apostles]] who witnessed the earthly ministry, [[crucifixion]], and [[Resurrection]] of our Lord [[Jesus Christ]]. It is considered by some to be the earliest written gospel.
==Authorship and writing of the Gospel==
According to Tradition, after [[Pentecost]] St. Matthew preached the [[gospel|Good News]] of the Lord's Resurrection throughout Palestine. Then, "at the request of the Jewish converts at Jerusalem, the holy Apostle Matthew wrote his Gospel describing the earthly life of the Savior before leaving to preach the Gospel in faraway lands."<ref name="OCA">[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103313 Apostle and Evangelist Matthew] ([[OCA]])</ref> He then left to preach his Gospel in Syria, Media, Persia, Parthia, before being martyred in Ethiopia.
Because it was first recorded in Palestine, there is some speculation and evidence that Matthew's Gospel was originally written in [[Aramaic]], though the earliest surviving version now in existence is in Greek. According to the [[OCA]], "many of the linguistic and cultural-historical peculiarities of the Greek translation give indications of it [the Gospel's original Aramaic form]."<ref name="OCA" /> It was probably written somewhere from AD 60-65, though more liberal scholars put the date at 80-100.
==Contents==
For convenience, the book can be divided into its four structurally distinct sections: Two introductory sections; the main section, which can be further broken into five sections, each with a narrative component followed by a long discourse of Jesus; and finally, the Passion and Resurrection section.
#Containing the [[Genealogy of Christ|genealogy]], the birth, and the infancy of Jesus (Matt. 1-2).
#The discourses and actions of [[John the Baptist]] preparatory to Christ's public ministry (Matt. 3; 4:11).
#The discourses and actions of Christ in Galilee (Matt. 4:12–26:1).
*[http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chromatius_prologue_matthew_01.htm Chromatius of Aquileia: Sermons on the Gospel of Matthew - Prologue]
[[Category:Gospels]]
[[Category:New Testament]]
[[Category:Scripture]]
[[el:Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον]]
[[fr:Évangile selon saint Matthieu]]
[[ro:Evanghelia după Matei]]
