THL 237 Day 17: Matthew - Jesus as Rabbi who Interprets the Torah

How do we explain the extensive verbal (word-for-word) parallels between the synoptic Gospels? (2 questions asked)

- Step 1: Who's first?

- Step 2: How do we explain the parallels between the other two?

One copies the other

They share a second source (Two-source solution)

Mystery source = Q

Q=Hypothetical Source

- There are no manuscripts in existence

- How could we reconstruct it? Sayings Gospel, no crucifixion account

- The material that Matthew and Luke have in common that is not in Mark

Did the early church produce texts like Q?

- Yes

- Gospel of Thomas

- Earliest manuscript evidence is in Greek from the 2nd century CE

- Sayings Gospel

- No crucifixion account

Relevance of Gospel of Thomas to two-source solution

- the Gospel of Thomas proves that something like Q could exist.

- The two-source solution is a good hypothesis to explain step 2 of the Synoptic Problem

- Most, but not all, NT scholars find this convincing.

In 2026... Jews vs Christians

Jews

• follow laws of Moses and don't believe that Jesus is the Messiah

Christians

• don't follow the laws of Moses and believe that Jesus is the Messiah

• this is not what Matthew's Gospel says

In Matthew's Gosepl, we encounter a Jesus who... (3 things)

1. claims that He is the Messiah

2. has disciples (students) obey Law of Moses

3. interprets the Law of Moses and how to follow it (like other rabbis do)

MESSIAH, HAS OBEY, INTERPRETS AND FOLLOWS

Background 1: Most Characters in Matthew's Gospel are Jews

- Jews

- Most of Jesus's followers

- Crowds to whom Jesus speaks

- Ex: "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do ... (Matthew 6:7)

Background 2: How Jews Thought about the Torah

- Not as a burden, but as a gift

- Not how one "gets in" with God but what one does because they are already "in" the covenant

Jesus's stance on the Law of Moses in Matthew

In the sermon on the mount in Matthew

Matthew 5:17

- "fulfill" meaning to "make fully known" or "proclaim fully"

- source criticism: what is matthew's source for 5:17?

- why might Matthew include this material?

Matthew 7:12

- Golden rule and claim that it "is the law and the prophets"

- Source criticism: what is Matthew's source?

- Redaction criticism: How does Matthew shape his sources? (compare Matthew's version to Luke's version)

Matthew 5:21-48

- Hyperthese = increasing the rigor of the command and get to the root intention

- Source criticism: what are Matthew's sources?

- Redaction criticism: how does Matthew shape his sources?

When and where was gospel of Thomas discovered

Discovered in 1945 in Nag Hammadi, Egypt

Hyperthese

Tighten the instruction to clearly uncover what really matters.