Faith Works Summer Devotions

Background of the Gospel of Matthew: 1. Matthew, while not chronologically the first written. Is the first gospel presented in the New Testament as it serves as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments. It was composed by Matthew the apostle in AD 60-65. The gospel was written by a Jew, about a Jew, for Jews. 2. Mark’s Kingdom of God is replaced with Kingdom of Heaven in the Jew’s deference to the name of God being unspoken. 3. Matthew’s key idea is Jesus as King, starting from the genealogy carrying through the entire text. Matthew’s key term is “fulfilled”, as Jesus’ life and ministry are shown as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies time and again. 4. Matthew’s Story: · While Mark was a deserter during Paul’s mission journeys, Matthew was even less popular: he was tax collector in Capernaum for the Roman government – essentially a traitor to his own people in many eyes. Tax collectors would extract extra money from their own people to fund a lavish lifestyle. · He responded quickly to Jesus’ call