Simmons TPT The Book of Matthew

12-Lesson Study Guide
1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4245-6440-8
Verlag: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 208 Seiten

Reihe: The Passionate Life Bible Study Series

The book of Matthew narrates the story of Jesus: descendant of Abraham, heir of David, and our eternal King. As the first book of the New Testament, Matthew connects the past with the present and the future. It reveals our majestic, loving King and his heavenly kingdom realm and teaches us how to live as citizens of that realm. This 12-lesson study guide on the book of Matthew provides a unique and welcoming opportunity to immerse yourself in God's precious Word as expressed in The Passion Translation®. Begin your journey with a thorough introduction that details Matthew's authorship, date of composition, first recipients, setting, purpose, central message, and key themes. Each lesson then walks you through a portion from the book and includes features such as notable verses, historical and cultural background information, definitions of words and language, cross references to other books of the Bible, maps, and character portraits of figures from the Bible and church history.  Enrich your biblical understanding of the book of Matthew, experience God's love for you, and share his heart with others.

DR. BRIAN SIMMONS is a passionate lover of God. After a dramatic conversion to Christ, Brian knew that God was calling him to go to the unreached people of the world and present the gospel of God's grace to all who would listen. With his wife, Candice, and their three children, he spent eight years in the tropical rain forest of the Darien Province of Panama as a church planter, translator, and consultant. Having been trained in linguistics and Bible translation principles, Brian assisted in the Paya-Kuna New Testament translation project. After his ministry overseas, Brian was instrumental in planting a thriving church in New England (U.S.) and currently travels full time as a speaker and Bible teacher. He is the lead translator of The Passion Translation®.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Simmons, Brian

Leseproben

LESSON 1

King Jesus

(Matthew 1–2)

Matthew’s Gospel begins the New Testament and leads the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). It is a fitting start to the second part of the Bible and serves well as a natural bridge between the Old and New Testaments. Why? Because Matthew’s Gospel clearly demonstrates that a new age is at hand, an age of the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Savior for his people.

The book of Matthew, then, is truly good news, what Jesus calls the “joyful message of God’s kingdom realm” (Matthew 9:35). Matthew, from the onset of his Gospel, establishes a clear purpose: the demonstration that the promised Messiah has arrived. Moreover, he reveals that Jesus is that Messiah—the loving King of that heavenly kingdom realm. And Matthew details throughout his writings that Jesus has prescribed something new for humanity, namely service to him, their loving King, by first loving God and then loving their neighbors.

From the miracles Jesus performs to the mysteries revealed through the parables he tells and the teachings he imparts, Matthew confidently shows his readers exactly who Jesus is. He is the Old Testament promise fulfilled, the one to whom our salvation is owed. Through Matthew’s detailed genealogy of Jesus and the descriptions of Jesus’ miraculous birth to his death and resurrection, Matthew records all that is necessary to secure the knowledge that Jesus is, truly, the “pioneer and perfecter faith” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

Authorship

Similar to the other four Gospels, Matthew lacks a true “about the author” section; like the other Gospels, this one does not specify who wrote it. However, church tradition names Matthew as the author. Eusebius of Caesarea, the famous church historian of the fourth century, quotes Papias, a church leader who knew and heard the apostle John say that Matthew wrote the Gospel attributed to him.2 And while little is known about Matthew the man, he is traditionally considered to be the famous tax collector, the one who became one of Jesus’ twelve apostles (Matthew 9:9–13; 10:3). Mark and Luke also refer to Matthew using the name Levi (Mark 2:13–17; Luke 5:27–31).

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Date and Audience

The book of Matthew is commonly dated between AD 55 to the mid-60s, though some scholars place the writing of Matthew after AD 70. The predominant modern theory of Matthew’s date of origin is known as the two-source theory, which expands upon the notion that the book of Matthew may have been penned within a few years after Jesus’ death and resurrection and relies upon two written sources in addition to Matthew’s own firsthand experiences as one of Jesus’ closest followers. These other two sources are the Gospel of Mark and a collection of sayings of Jesus known as “Q.”3 The significance here is that Matthew was a contemporary of the other Gospel authors and, even more significantly, one of Jesus’ closest followers.

Now, just as debate exists surrounding the actual date of composition, a debate also surrounds the book of Matthew’s language of origin, with most scholars citing church tradition and agreeing that the original language of the Gospel of Matthew was Hebrew. It certainly makes sense to hold this opinion as Matthew, a Jewish man, wrote with a Jewish audience in mind. The text itself reveals this in numerous ways; for example, Matthew repeatedly shows that Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17–20) and provide a new “law” or way (the Sermon on the Mount), which Jesus confirmed by his many miracles.

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Major Themes

Matthew’s Gospel has five major themes, which are detailed in the “Introduction” to Matthew in After reading about these themes, answer the questions that follow.

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EXPERIENCE GOD’S HEART

Take some time to read through the entire Gospel of Matthew. As you read through the story of Jesus in this book, reflect on your own hopes and dreams. Just as seeks to ignite your passion for reading the Bible, so Jesus seeks to win the passions of your heart. His mission? To seek and save the lost.

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SHARE GOD’S HEART

Good news should be shared! Matthew and the apostles gave up everything to follow Jesus. They left careers, homes, and family. Most gave up their very lives, including Matthew, who, according to Christian tradition, suffered a painful martyrdom, which may have included being tied to a cross, stoned, and then beheaded.4

We love to tell our family and friends about all the good things that happen in life. A quick phone call or text makes that so easy. And we often run to social media to post about everything that is happening in our lives: from a great party to an awesome gift to a major purchase. Matthew wasn’t that much different in that respect. He told others about Jesus and wrote down an account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

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Talking It Out

Since Christians grow in community, not just in solitude, here are some questions you may want to discuss...