Matthew is book 1 of the 27 books of the New Testament and belongs to the Gospels section. See how it fits with the rest in our guide to all 66 books of the Bible.
Quick facts
- Section
- New Testament · Gospels
- Genre
- Gospel: ancient biography of Jesus with extended teaching
- Author (traditional)
- Matthew (also called Levi), the tax collector who became one of the twelve apostles.
- Other views on authorship
- The Gospel is formally anonymous; many scholars think it was written by a Jewish-Christian teacher who used Mark and a collection of Jesus' sayings, while others accept the link to the apostle.
- Date (traditional)
- Often placed in the 50s or 60s AD, before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
- Other views on dating
- Most commonly dated about AD 80–90, possibly in Antioch of Syria.
- Chapters
- 28
- Verses
- 1,068
- Reading time
- About 111 minutes (22,194 words in the BSB)
What is Matthew about?
Matthew opens with a family tree that runs from Abraham through David to Jesus, signaling that Israel's whole story is reaching its goal. Again and again the narrator notes that something happened to fulfill what the prophets said. The book reads like a bridge between the Old and New Testaments, which is one reason it stands first in the New Testament.
Jesus' teaching is gathered into five major speeches: the Sermon on the Mount (5–7), the mission instructions (10), the parables of the kingdom (13), teaching on life in the community (18), and the warnings about the end of the age (24–25). Many readers see an echo of the five books of Moses: Jesus is a new and greater teacher who goes up a mountain to explain God's will.
Matthew's central theme is the kingdom of heaven — God's reign arriving in Jesus. It welcomes outsiders, from the magi at his birth to the Roman centurion, and it confronts religious leaders who resist it. The story climbs to the cross, where Jesus is mocked as 'King of the Jews,' and to the resurrection, after which the risen Jesus sends his followers to make disciples of all nations and promises to be with them always.
Outline of Matthew
| ChaptersCh. | Section |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Birth and childhood Genealogy, the birth of Jesus, the magi and the escape to Egypt. |
| 3–4 | Preparation John the Baptist, Jesus' baptism and temptation, the first disciples. |
| 5–7 | The Sermon on the Mount The Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer and the way of the kingdom. |
| 8–10 | Miracles and mission Healings and nature miracles, the calling of Matthew, and the sending of the twelve. |
| 11–13 | Growing opposition and parables Questions from John, conflict over the Sabbath and the parables of the kingdom. |
| 14–18 | Who is Jesus? Feeding of the crowds, walking on water, Peter's confession, the transfiguration and teaching on forgiveness. |
| 19–23 | Toward Jerusalem Teaching on the road, the triumphal entry, temple conflicts and woes on hypocrisy. |
| 24–25 | The end of the age Signs of the end and parables of readiness and final judgment. |
| 26–28 | Death and resurrection The Last Supper, arrest, trial, crucifixion, empty tomb and Great Commission. |
Key themes
- Fulfillment. Matthew quotes or alludes to the Old Testament more than any other Gospel to show that Jesus completes the story begun in Genesis.
- The kingdom of heaven. Matthew's preferred phrase for God's reign. It is present in Jesus' ministry and will be fully revealed at the end of the age.
- True righteousness. Jesus calls for a righteousness of the heart that goes beyond outward rule-keeping, shown in mercy, purity and love of enemies.
- God with us. The Gospel opens with Jesus as Immanuel, God with us (1:23), and ends with his promise to be with his followers always (28:20).
- Mission to all nations. What begins with Israel opens to the whole world in the Great Commission.
Key people and places
- Jesus — The Messiah, son of David and Son of God.
- Mary — Mother of Jesus.
- Joseph of Nazareth — Mary's husband, guided by dreams to protect the child.
- John the Baptist — Prepares the way and baptizes Jesus.
- Peter — Leading disciple who confesses Jesus as the Messiah.
- The twelve apostles — Jesus' inner circle of followers.
- Pontius Pilate — Roman governor who orders the crucifixion.
Places: Bethlehem, Egypt, Nazareth, Galilee, Capernaum, Caesarea Philippi, Jerusalem, Gethsemane, Golgotha.
Key verses in Matthew
Quoted from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB).
““Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).”
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.”
“Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.””
“Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
How Matthew fits the big story
Matthew picks up where Malachi left off: John the Baptist appears as the promised messenger, and Jesus arrives as the son of David whose kingdom the prophets announced. The genealogy compresses the Old Testament into three sets of fourteen generations, from Abraham to David, David to the exile, and the exile to the Messiah. Matthew shares much material with Mark and Luke, and together they are called the Synoptic Gospels, while John tells the story from a different angle. The Great Commission at the end launches the story of Acts, where the apostles carry the message to the nations. Test what you know with the Jesus quiz.
How to read Matthew
At 2 chapters a day you can read Matthew in 14 days. Read the five speeches (chapters 5–7, 10, 13, 18 and 24–25) as the book's pillars, and watch for the phrase 'to fulfill what was spoken' in the stories between them.