GETTING READY: Why was the Gospel of Matthew written?

Every book has an intended audience - textbooks are written for students, manuals for users, and novels for bored people looking to escape daily life. So, who was the gospel of Matthew written for? And what does it tell us about this "Good News" that Matthew is talking about?

Matthew's gospel is clearly written for a Jewish Christian audience living within the immediate proximity of the homeland itself. Matthew's is the most Jewish of all the gospels. The community for which Matthew was written was a Jewish Christian community that was encountering some new tensions in the period of reconstruction after the first revolt. It would appear that they've been there for quite some time. They actually show a consciousness of an older legacy of Jesus' tradition, going back to before the war. But now they're experiencing new tensions and new problems in the aftermath of the revolt as a political and social reconstruction is taking place.

GETTING READY: Who wrote the Gospel of Matthew?

If you want to understand any written document, it is wise to start by learning a little something about it's author. A person writing about events they were close to, is much more likely to be speaking accurately about what actually happened. Matthew - the author of the Gospel of Matthew - was an apostle who walked with Jesus throughout his early ministry. This is a man who saw most of what he was writing about, first-hand!

Since the times of the early church fathers, the apostle Matthew has always been accredited with the authorship of the first gospel (canonically). Even the title “According to Matthew” is found in the earliest manuscripts, and was the most highly regarded and quoted of the gospels by the church fathers. Matthew is also called Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27), and was the son of Alphaeus (Luke 5:27). He was a tax collector, probably stationed on a main trade route near Capernaum where he would have collected tolls for Herod Antipas from commercial traffic. Additionally, being a tax collector might better qualify Matthew for his role as an official recorder of the life and actions of Christ. After the resurrection there is no other mention of him in the New Testament.

GETTING READY: Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew

Summer is here, which means it is time to start thinking about next year's Bible Quizzing.  No, you don't need to start studying!  But it is good to start familiarizing yourself with the material we'll be covering.  Let's start out with a brief introduction to the book, and there are few better tools for a "getting to know you" session in the New Testament than the NIV Study Bible Introdutions.

Although the first Gospel is anonymous, the early church fathers were unanimous in holding that Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, was its author...

Some have argued on the basis of its Jewish characteristics that Matthew’s Gospel was written in the early church period, possibly the early part of a.d. 50, when the church was largely Jewish and the gospel was preached to Jews only (Ac 11:19). However, those who have concluded that both Matthew and Luke drew extensively from Mark’s Gospel date it later—after the Gospel of Mark had been in circulation for a period of time.

Matthew’s main purpose is to prove to his Jewish readers that Jesus is their Messiah. He does this primarily by showing how Jesus in his life and ministry fulfilled the OT Scriptures. Although all the Gospel writers quote the OT, Matthew includes nine proof texts unique to his Gospel (1:22–23; 2:15; 2:17–18; 2:23; 4:14–16; 8:17; 12:17–21; 13:35; 27:9–10) to drive home his basic theme: Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT predictions of the Messiah. Matthew even finds the history of God’s people in the OT recapitulated in some aspects of Jesus’ life (see, e.g., his quotation of Hos 11:1 in 2:15). To accomplish his purpose Matthew also emphasizes Jesus’ Davidic lineage (see Recipients, p. 1945). 

Click on through for the whole entry.  It is worth reading! 

What can I do to prepare for Bible Quizzing?

Okay, you attended the Ministry Fair.  You've been reading the blog.  You're excited and ready to check out the Bible Quiz Team!  But it doesn't start until September.  So, you ask, what can you do to prepare for the Fall?  There are a few things you can do in the meantime!

• Get familiar with the Gospel of Matthew.  Read through it on your own or with your family in your daily devotions.
• Start by memorizing a few verses from the book that are meaningful to you.  (Matthew 10:38, Matthew 5:14, and Matthew 6:34 are good options)
• Find some friends who you enjoy hanging with and competing with.  Look for Bible-based games to play together to challenge your mind.

How long has Bible Quizzing been around?

While asking questions about the Bible has been going on since the books were first written, according to several sources, teen Bible quizzing began in 1946 as a way to encourage teens to study the Word of God. The first national Bible Quiz competition was held by Youth for Christ in 1950. And from there, it spread to many different organizations and denominations, including the EFCA.

Bible Quizzing has been going for 62 years now. Consider joining this tradition next year with Beacon Hill Church's Bible Quiz team!
 

What kind of time commitment does Bible Quizzing require?

We live in a busy world, and between school, church, sports, and extracurricular activities, teens are often the most busy people around. So, that raises the question of what kind of time commitment does the Bible Quiz Team demand? While the exact times may vary by person, our general guidelines are:

• At least 2 read-thrus of the assigned chapter per day.  (About 1/2 hour)
• Our 1 hour practice each Sunday between services (About 1 hour)
• Approximately monthly quiz meets (We usually leave the church by 7 AM and return about 3 PM)
• Twice a year, we'll have major quiz meets where we'll be staying overnight at host churches.  We leave on Friday night and return Saturday evening or Sunday noonish.  (Be watching for more details here as the season gets closer)

Studying, of course, is a highly personal affair.  Some teens can get by with the minimum read-thrus.  Others choose to incorporate it into their school study schedule, or set up get-togethers during the week to study and quiz with friends.  You get out of Bible Quiz Team, as with most things in life, what you put into it!

What other churches are involved in Bible Quizzing?

We've discussed that the Bible Quiz Team will be traveling to local churches on a monthly basis for Quiz Meets. That logically raises the question, "Where will be traveling to?" There are several local churches involved in Bible Quizzing - and we quiz with the Eastern District of the EFCA.

• Trumbull, CT  (Calvary Evangelical Free Church or check out the team blog)
• Cresskill, NJ  (Northern Valley Evangelical Free Church)
• Sparta, NJ (Sparta Evangelical Free Church)
• Dallas, PA (Fellowship Evangelical Free Church)
• Lititz, PA (Lancaster Evangelical Free Church)
• Hershey, PA (Evangelical Free Church of Hershey)

Most local meets will be with Trumbull, Cresskill, and Sparta since they are much closer to us.