Who wrote Matthew, and when?
Matthew (Levi), the tax collector who became an apostle. About AD 55–70.
The Gospel does not name its author. The title “according to Matthew” was attached very early, and church tradition from the second century onward identifies him as Matthew, also called Levi, the tax collector whom Jesus called to follow him (see Matthew 9:9). Many modern scholars think the Gospel was written by an unnamed Jewish Christian who drew on Mark and on other early sources, and that Matthew's name was attached because of the apostle's connection to the material. The date is also debated. Some place it in the late 50s or 60s AD, before Jerusalem fell in AD 70; many others place it in the 70s or 80s. The book itself speaks with one clear voice regardless of who held the pen.
Who was Matthew written to?
Jewish Christians, and Jews weighing whether Jesus is the Christ.
Matthew writes for readers steeped in the Old Testament, which points to Jewish Christians as the first audience. Many scholars link the Gospel to a church in Syria, perhaps in Antioch, where Jewish and Gentile believers lived side by side, though this cannot be proved. These readers faced pressure from two directions. Their fellow Jews asked how a crucified man could be the Messiah, and why so many Jews had rejected him. At the same time, Gentiles were pouring into the church, raising questions about the law and about who really belonged to God's people. Matthew's audience needed to see that following Jesus was the true fulfilment of Israel's story rather than a break from it, and that the door was open to every nation.
What was happening at the time?
Matthew writes for readers who know the Old Testament. He opens with a genealogy from Abraham, quotes prophecy again and again with the words “that it might be fulfilled”, and arranges Jesus’ teaching into five great blocks that echo the five books of Moses. Jesus is the new and greater Moses, the true King of Israel, whose kingdom is open to all nations.
Why was Matthew written?
To show that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the King of a kingdom that reaches every nation.
Matthew was written to show that Jesus is the Messiah promised to Israel and the King whose kingdom reaches every nation. Again and again Matthew quotes the Old Testament to show that what Jesus did fulfilled what the prophets said. He gathers Jesus' teaching into five long sections, beginning with the Sermon on the Mount (see chapters 5 to 7), so that readers learn what life in the kingdom looks like. He is the only Gospel writer to use the word church, and he gives practical teaching on forgiveness and community (see chapter 18). The book ends with the risen Jesus sending his followers to make disciples of all nations. In the wider story of the Bible, Matthew is the bridge from the Old Testament to the New, opening with Abraham and David and closing with a mission to the world.
How to read Matthew today
Read the birth story in chapters 1 and 2 and then go straight to the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5 to 7, the best-known teaching of Jesus anywhere. After that, read the Gospel from the start in order, a few chapters a day. Watch for the phrase about Scripture being fulfilled; it is Matthew's signature. Notice the five big teaching blocks (chapters 5 to 7, 10, 13, 18, and 24 to 25) and the stories between them. Do not skip the genealogy; look for the surprising names in it. Do not force the parables into allegories where every detail stands for something; ask what the main point is. Matthew 28:18-20 is a good place to finish and reflect. As you read, pray that you would see Jesus as the King he claims to be, and ask what obeying him would look like this week.
The key verse in Matthew
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Passages worth knowing in Matthew
- Matthew 1–2
Birth of the King
Immanuel, God with us; the wise men worship.
- Matthew 5–7
The Sermon on the Mount
The Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer and life in the kingdom.
- Matthew 13
Parables of the kingdom
Sower, weeds, mustard seed, pearl.
- Matthew 16:13-20
Peter’s confession
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
- Matthew 25
The final judgment
Virgins, talents, sheep and goats.
- Matthew 26–28
Death and resurrection
The cross, the empty tomb and the Great Commission.
The main themes of Matthew
- Jesus the Messiah
- Fulfilment of Scripture
- The kingdom of heaven
- Discipleship
- The church
- Mission to all nations
An outline of Matthew
| Section | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Birth and preparation | 1–4 |
| Ministry in Galilee | 5–18 |
| Journey to Jerusalem | 19–20 |
| Passion week | 21–27 |
| Resurrection and commission | 28 |