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The Structure of Matthew | David L. Turner · Reformed Thinking

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For 2000 years, I mean millions of people have read one of the
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most famous books in human history completely backward.
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Oh, without a doubt. Right.
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They pull out their favorite quotes, they memorize these
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isolated stories, and they entirely missed the hidden load
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bearing architecture that the author spent a lifetime
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building. Yeah, it's like they're looking
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at the paint color but ignoring the foundation.
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Yes, reading a historical ancient text without
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understanding its structural architecture is well, it's like
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moving into a house, painting the walls, ranging your
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furniture, and having absolutely no idea there is a massive sub
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basement right beneath your feet.
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Or a structurally engineered roof over your head, right?
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You appreciate the aesthetics of the living room, but you miss
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the grand, intentional design of the builder.
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So welcome to reformed thinking. Glad to be here.
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Today we are analyzing a highly detailed source text.
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We're looking at David L Turner's introduction to the
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Gospel of Matthew. And that's drawn from the Baker
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exegetical commentary on the New Testament, right?
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Spot on it is, and our mission for this deep dive is clear.
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We are going to uncover how the author of this ancient book
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systematically constructed his work.
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Which is a brilliant topic to tackle honestly.
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It really is. By uncovering this hidden
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architecture, you will be equipped to read it with far
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greater clarity, not as a, you know, a disjointed collection of
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moral sayings, but as a cohesive, highly structured
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theological argument. Yeah, a lot of people just don't
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read it that way. They don't.
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And joining me to do the analytical heavy lifting is our
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resident expert. I am ready to jump into this
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one. Me too.
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When we look at a text that has shaped so much of history, and
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particularly one that dictates so much of our theological
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understanding, we often take its construction for granted.
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Like we read it in fragments. We read a verse here, a
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paragraph there. But David L Turner brings a very
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specific, rigorous methodology to the table.
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Right, he doesn't just jump straight into the outline.
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No, he insists that before we even begin to map the
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architecture of the text, we have to establish the correct
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lens through which we are viewing it.
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OK, so the methodology, yeah. The first major debate in
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scholarly circles revolves around how we read the text in
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the first place. Do we use a source critical
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approach or do we use a narrative critical approach?
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OK, let's stop right there because those two terms, I mean,
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they sound like academic jargon you would hear in a seminary
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classroom. They do.
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But they represent two wildly different ways of interacting
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with the text. How do they actually differ in,
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you know, practical everyday terms?
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Well, they lead to completely different reading experiences.
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Source criticism is an approach where scholars try to dissect
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the text to find its prior sources.
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Like finding the rough drafts. Yeah, or earlier overlays.
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Think of the synoptic problem, where scholars spend decades
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trying to figure out if Matthew copied Mark or if if they both
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copied a lost cue document. Right.
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So it's very forensic. Highly forensic, the primary
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goal of a source critic is to figure out what earlier
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documents, oral traditions, or fragments the author patched
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together to create the final product.
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OK, but Turner doesn't like that approach.
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No, he makes a very compelling assertion against relying on
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this as our primary lens. He points out that ancient
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Christian communities simply did not read the Gospels as a jigsaw
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puzzle of previous documents. You weren't sitting around
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trying to reverse engineer it. No, that was not their mindset
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at all. So it is like taking a
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beautiful, fully restored classic car and instead of
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driving it you immediately disassemble the entire engine.
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To figure out where the spark plugs were manufactured.
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Yes, or which factory stamped the steel for the doors.
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You might learn a lot about 1st century supply chains, but you
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missed the entire point of the car.
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Right, because the car was built to be driven.
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Narrative criticism, on the other hand, is getting behind
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the wheel. It is driving the car to
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experience how it handles on the open Rd.
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That analogy hits the nail on the head.
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Narrative criticism reads the text as a unified, finished
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whole. It looks at the final product.
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Yeah, it asks how the final document functions as a complete
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literary work. Turner argues that narrative
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criticism fits best within a church context, and specifically
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within a framework that views the text as authoritative.
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Because of the genre. Right.
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It honors the specific genre of the Gospels.
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They're not random, haphazard collections of historical facts.
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They are. Well, the term is theologically
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interpreted history. They are a holy scripture.
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Yes. Yet while treating the text as a
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unified literary whole, a rigorous evangelical context
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ensures that the historical events described retain a high
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factual value. So they aren't just myths.
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No, the historical realities are not cast aside as theological
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fiction or metaphor. They are treated as real,
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literal events that have been intentionally arranged by a
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master author to make a theological point.
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OK hold on, let's unpack this. I am struggling to buy that we
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just ignore the source material completely.
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Well we don't. Does focusing solely on the
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narrative mean we pretend the author didn't do any research?
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We just pretending this document fell out of the sky completely
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formed with no reference to the historical realities or the
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documents that came before. It not at all, and that is a
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critical distinction to make. Turner is careful to clarify
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this. OK, good.
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He advocates for what scholars W UD Davies and Dale Allison call
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methodological eclecticism. Wow, methodological eclecticism.
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Try saying that three times fast.
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Right. It sounds dense, but it
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basically means we do not have to be strict inflexible purists.
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We can note source critical matters occasionally.
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So we can peek under the hood of the car.
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Yeah, if it is helpful to acknowledge that the author
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might have referenced Mark's timeline or utilize the specific
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historical document, we can do that.
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But the primary focus? The main.
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Lens. The main lens through which we
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read remains the finished narrative.
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The final Polish story is what the author wanted to present
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under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
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So that is where we spend our analytical energy.
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OK, that makes a lot of sense. So if source criticism breaks
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the car apart, narrative criticism drives it.
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We're looking at the finished house, not the blueprints and
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the lumberyard receipts. But how do we know the route?
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Once we commit to looking at the finished narrative, how do we
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actually understand its layout? Well, scholars have tried a few
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different ways. The source material details a
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few different ways scholars have tried to map out the book of
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Matthew. Let's look at the first
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approach, which Turner calls the mark in outline.
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Yeah, this is a very popular. One, this seems to be the
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traditional way people map out the book, but I get the sense
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Turner isn't a fan. He is not, though it is the most
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common approach you will find in standard study Bibles.
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Oh, for sure. Many scholars borrow the
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geographical and chronological framework that works so well for
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the Gospel of Mark, and they simply try to lay that map over
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Matthew. Like tracing paper.
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Pretty much this approach divides the book into 7 distinct
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chronological and geographical stages based on where the
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central figure is standing on a map.
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Let's walk through those 7 stages so the listener can see
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how this map looks in their mind.
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Stage 1 is the infancy narrative, which covers chapters
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one and two, right? Stage 2 is the preparation for
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ministry, covering chapters 3 and 4.
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That's the baptism in the wilderness temptation.
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Yep. Then stage 3 brings us to the
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public ministry in Galilee, which is a massive chunk of
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text. It really is spanning from
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Chapter 4 all the way through Chapter 15.
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Right then, the map shifts geographically.
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Stage 4 is the public ministry outside Galilee from chapter 15
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through 18. Getting further out, yeah.
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Stage 5 is the journey to Jerusalem in chapters 19 and 20.
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The road trip phase. Exactly Stage 6 covers the final
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days in Jerusalem, spanning chapters 21 through 27.
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And then the end. Finally, stage 7 is the
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resurrection and the Greek Commission in chapter 28.
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I mean, it sounds very neat and tidy.
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You track where the central figure is on a map, and you
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track the timeline of his life. It seems logical.
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You move from childhood to preparation to his home region
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to a road trip, to the final city, to the conclusion.
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Why would Turner reject this outline?
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It seems perfectly logical for a biography.
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Well, if we connect this to the bigger picture, the theological
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issue becomes apparent. Some scholars like Stanley
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Toussame. Who is a very well respected
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dispensational scholar? He is, and he tries to salvage
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this geographic map by overlaying topical themes onto
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the different regions. Like what kind of themes?
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Toussaint assigns themes like the presentation of the King,
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the rejection of the Messiah, and the crucifixion of the King
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OK. Trying to give the geography
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some theological weight, right? But Turner points out that this
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entire structure is artificially superimposed upon the text.
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Because it's from Mark. Yeah, it is a framework borrowed
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from a different book and forced onto this.
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It might have some marginal value in clarifying the
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biographical flow, but it misses the specific unique rhythm of
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Matthew entirely. It is a map of the landscape,
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but it ignores the actual architecture the author build on
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that landscape. Well said.
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Matthew didn't just write a travel log, he wrote a
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theological treatise. So the geographic map is out.
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It is too artificial, too reliant on another book's
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structure. Right.
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If overlaying a map fails because it ignores the author's
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intent, scholars were forced to look inward.
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They had to ask, did the author leave his own structural Rd.
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signs in the Greek? And that led them to hunt for
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specific repeating phrases. The source material calls the
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second approach the From then on, Jesus began framework.
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Yes, this approach looks for internal literary markers.
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Scholars like Jack Kingsbury and Dave Bauer vigorously advocate
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for this method. What did they find?
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They identified a specific precise Greek phrase, apoptote
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or Sato hoi ayosus. Which translates to.
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It translates to. From then on, Jesus began, and
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it occurs at 2 highly pivotal points in the text.
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And these two occurrences essentially divide the entire
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book into three massive sections, right?
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The first pivot happens in chapter 4, verse 17, right after
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John the Baptist is arrested, the author writes.
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From then on, Jesus began to preach.
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And the second one. The second pivot happens much
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later in chapter 16, verse 21, right after Peter's major
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confession of identity, the author writes.
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From then on, Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that
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he would go to Jerusalem and be killed.
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So those two specific markers create a neat three-part
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structure. Almost like a three act play,
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Act one, act two, act three, yeah.
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Part 1 is the preparation from the beginning of chapter 1 up to
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chapter 4, verse 16. OK.
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Part 2 is the proclamation running from chapter 4, verse 17
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all the way to chapter 16, verse 20, the action, yes.
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And Part 3 is the Passion, focusing entirely on the
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suffering and death, running from chapter 16, verse 21 to the
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very end of the book. Kingsbury argues that these are
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the hinges upon which the entire gospel swings.
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Wait, isn't that just a massive assumption?
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How so? I am struggling to buy that an
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entire theological framework hinges on one common
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transitional phrase. Are we giving the author too
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much credit here? It's a fair question.
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Could this Greek phrase just be a casual time marker rather than
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a grand architectural design? Like someone writing a diary and
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saying and then the next day or from that point forward.
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Your skepticism is warranted, and Turner agrees with you
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completely. Oh, he does.
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He does. While it is certainly notable
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that the author inserts this specific phrase at 2 critical
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transitioning moments in the narrative, Turner concludes that
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it functions more as a biographical or chronological
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marker than a grand load bearing literary device.
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So it's just a transition. It is a signpost on the road,
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not the foundation of the house. The biggest problem with
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Kingsbury's three-part structure is that it forces massive,
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distinct theological blocks of text into broad categories that
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don't quite fit. They're too broad.
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Right. And most importantly, it
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completely fails to handle the most obvious, glaring structural
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element of the entire book. And that leads us to the third
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approach. This is the one Turner actually
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endorses. We have discarded the geographic
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map because it relies too much on Mark.
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We have discarded the three-part play based on chronological
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markers because it is too broad and superficial.
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Now we uncover the true load bearing walls of the text.
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Here we go. This is the Five Discourse
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masterpiece. This is where the structural
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brilliance of the text truly shines.
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Students of this book, dating all the way back to the early
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Church Fathers, have noticed a very unique juxtaposition.
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An alternating pattern. Right.
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The author constantly, predictably alternates between
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sections of active narrative and sections of long seated teaching
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known as discourse. Active narrative.
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Seated Teaching. Exactly, and the author marks
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every single transition from a teaching discourse back into the
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active narrative with a very specific, deliberate Greek
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phrase. Kayejin ET al ET Alesenho
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ayesus. OK, let me guess the translation
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when Jesus had finished. You have it when Jesus had
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finished. This specific transitional
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marker occurs exactly 5 times in the text.
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Five times. Let's list them sure at the end
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of Chapter 7, the beginning of Chapter 11, the end of Chapter
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13, the beginning of Chapter 19, and the beginning of Chapter 26.
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So those five markers reveal A deliberate, meticulously planned
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framework that organizes the entire theology of the book.
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They really do. Let's break down this framework
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in depth, because this is the core of how the book is meant to
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be read. Turner provides A condensed
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outline based on these five markers, and it is staggering
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when you see it laid out. It changes everything.
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It is not just arbitrary chapters, there's a distinct
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flow to it. It starts with a prologue in
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chapters 1 and 2. Right, the genealogy, the.
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Genealogy, the virgin birth, the flight to Egypt.
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It establishes the origin story and the fulfillment of Old
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Testament prophecy. And following that prologue, we
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enter the first major structural block covering the early days of
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word and deed in chapters 3 through 7.
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And this block is split put perfectly in two, right?
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No. It is first you have narrative
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one which covers the action of chapters 3 and 4.
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This one involves the baptism, the temptation in the
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wilderness, and the calling of the first disciples.
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So he is establishing his authority through action.
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Yes. Then the narrative pauses and we
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transition into Discourse 1. The famous Sermon on the Mount.
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Right, taking up chapters 5-6 and seven, having established
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his authority in the narrative, he now sits on the mountain and
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delivers the ethical framework for the Kingdom of Heaven.
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So the narrative sets up the credibility for the discourse.
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Precisely. Then the pattern repeats.
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We move to the Galilean ministry in chapters 8 through 11.
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Right block 2. 1st narrative 2 gives us 3 distinct cycles of
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miracles in action. In chapters 8 and 9.
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He heals A leper, calms a storm, casts out demons, raises a dead
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girl. He is showing absolute
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sovereignty over disease, nature, demons and death.
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Then the action stops. Having demonstrated that
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sovereign authority, we get discourse 2IN chapter. 10, which
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focuses entirely on mission and suffering.
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He delegates that exact authority to his disciples and
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sends them out, warning them of the persecution to come.
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The structure is incredibly logical.
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It really is OK What about the third block?
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The third block covers the growing opposition, running from
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Chapter 11 through the end of Chapter 13.
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It starts with Narrative 3, showing cycles of unbelief and
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belief. Like John the Baptist doubting.
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Yeah, John the Baptist doubting in prison, the Pharisees
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plotting against him, and City's rejecting the miracles.
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So there's friction. Rising friction in the action
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and following that, we sit down for Discourse 3, which is an
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entire chapter dedicated to parables.
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And there is a a theological reason for that, right?
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Parables aren't just quaint stories, they are a judgement
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mechanism. Absolutely.
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Because the religious leaders in the narrative are rejecting him,
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the discourse shifts to parables to both reveal truth to the
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disciples and conceal it from the opposition.
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That is a phenomenal observation.
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The narrative dictates the nature of the discourse.
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Wow. OK, Block 4.
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The fourth block continues tracking this opposition.
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From chapter 13, verse 53 to the beginning of chapter 19, we get
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narrative 4 detailing various responses to the central figure.
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This is the feeding of the 5000. Yeah, the feeding of the 5000,
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The Walking on water, and Peter's massive confession that
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Jesus is the Christ. The church is actively being
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formed in the narrative. Yes, and then the motion halts
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for discourse. 4 This is a focus teaching on values, church,
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discipline, and relationships in the community.
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So since the Church has just been identified in the
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narrative, the discourse provides the rules for how that
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new community should live together.
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You're seeing the pattern. Now it's brilliant.
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OK? Finally, the fifth block brings
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the tension to a head in Judea, spanning Chapter 19 to the
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beginning of Chapter 26. We see Narrative 5.
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Right. Full of intense ministry and
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public confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees in the
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temple. This is followed by Discourse 5,
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known as the all of it Discourse the.
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End time stuff. Yeah, an intense apocalyptic
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teaching session concerning judgment, the destruction of the
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temple, and the coming of the end.
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And once that 5th discourse concludes with our marker
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phrase, the structure moves into the epilogue.
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Covering the Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection and
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final Commission in chapters 26 through 28.
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You know, here's where it gets really interesting.
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When you read the book with this five part structure in mind, It
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is like a breathing exercise. A breathing exercise.
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I like that. Yeah, the narrative sections are
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the inhale. You are taking in movement,
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miracles, action, crowds, rising, tension and travel.
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There is momentum, right? Then the discourse sections are
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the exhale. The movement stops.
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The central figure sits down. You release the tension of the
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narrative and settle into a long, sustained teaching of
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absolute truth. Inhale action exhale Teaching.
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Over and over. Five times.
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It is a stunt. Cunning literary rhythm.
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It is a remarkable achievement. Now it is worth noting a
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historical theory regarding the structure.
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Yeah, a scholar named BW Bacon famously argued in the early
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20th century that these five discourses were designed to map
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directly onto the Five Books of Moses.
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The Pentatuke. Yes, he viewed this as a
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deliberate attempt by the author to present Jesus as a new Moses,
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bringing a new Torah to the people.
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Wait, I have to push back on bacon here?
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Isn't that just a massive coincidence?
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Something so. Or maybe a modern scholar trying
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to be a little too clever with ancient texts?
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Are we sure Matthew was intentionally trying to be the
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new Moses? Or is 5 just a structural number
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that works for his material? Turner offers a very helpful
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caveat here that aligns with your skepticism.
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OK, good. He states that acknowledging the
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brilliance of this five part pattern does not necessitate
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accepting Bacon's strict allegorical parallel view.
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We don't have to go all the way. Right.
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We can appreciate the architecture without forcing a
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direct one to one mapping onto the pentaduke.
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The new Moses motif is certainly present in Matthew's saying
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like. The flight to Egypt.
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Yeah, we see it in the flight to Egypt and the teaching from the
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mountain, but making the entire five part structure a strict
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replacement for the Torah pushes the evidence too far.
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Are there any flaws in this structure?
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It seems almost too perfect when dealing with ancient texts.
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They rarely follow our rigid outlines perfectly.
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Does the text ever break its own rules?
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That's a great question, and yes, there is one notable
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structural anomaly that critical scholars always point out to
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challenge this five part theory. What is it Chapter 23 It is
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filled with intense discourse material, the famous 7 woes and
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warnings directed squarely at the scribes and Pharisees, but.
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It's in the wrong place. Exactly this heavy teaching
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block sits squarely inside a section designated as narrative
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right before the actual 5th discourse begins in Chapter 24.
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Oh, so it disrupts the perfect alternating pattern.
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It does. Some critics use this anomaly to
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argue against the Five Discourse Outline entirely.
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But Turner doesn't. No.
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Turner maintains that, all things things considered, this
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approach still has the most textual evidence to commend it.
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The overall architecture is undeniable, even with that one
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structural irregularity. OK, so we have established this
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meticulous load bearing architecture.
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The five Discourse structure reveals a master builder who
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knew exactly what he was doing. A master builder indeed.
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But the actual language used, the materials the builder chose
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reveal the specific background of the author.
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This brings us to the linguistic fingerprint of the text.
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Yes, the Greek style. Turn talks about the author's
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Greek style and the presence of semitisms.
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What is the Semitism anyway, and what does it tell us?
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It tells us a great deal about the mind behind the text.
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Scholars generally view the author's Greek style as
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aesthetically adequate. But not classical.
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Right, though perhaps not exceptional in a classical
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Athenian sense. However, the author was clearly
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fluent in Semitic languages, specifically Hebrew and Aramaic,
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in addition to Greek. So he was bilingual.
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Very much so, and this fluency bleeds into the Greek text,
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creating frequent semitisms. A Semitism is a phrase, idiom,
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or grammatical structure that essentially sounds like a Hebrew
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or Aramaic thought dressed up in Greek words.
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You mean an example? For example, using the phrase
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answered and said, that is a direct carryover from Hebrew
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narrative style. Where do these semitisms come
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from? Did the author just have a
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quirky, localized way of speaking?
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Well, they emanate from several sources.
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Some come directly from the historical sources the author
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utilized. Like the Old Testament?
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Yes, many come from the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint.
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Which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
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It's correct which heavily influenced the vocabulary of the
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early Church, and some simply come from the author's own
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personal writing style. But it doesn't read awkwardly.
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That's the thing. What makes the offer highly
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skilled is how these semitisms are incorporated into the
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syntax. They are blended in a way that
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avoids awkward or harsh expressions, retaining an
22:24
acceptable, readable Greek style.
22:26
It is a seamless blending of two linguistic worlds.
22:29
Yeah, which hints at an author trying to bridge the gap between
22:32
a Jewish heritage and a broader Greek speaking world.
22:35
That blending is a massive clue, but there is another stylistic
22:39
choice that stands out, especially when scholars compare
22:42
this text to the Gospel of Mark. The deeds versus words issue.
22:47
Yes. The source material notes that
22:49
this author regularly abbreviates the accounts of
22:53
deeds found in Mark, but dramatically expands the
22:56
accounts of words and speeches, so think about the implications
23:00
of that. It's very telling.
23:01
If the author abbreviates actions and expands speeches,
23:04
does that mean he valued the teaching over the miracles?
23:08
From a narrative critical perspective, the answer is a
23:10
resounding yes. Wow, The author definitely
23:13
features the words of the central figure more prominently
23:16
than the deeds. The miracles and actions are
23:18
essential. They prove the divine authority,
23:20
but they often function as the setup.
23:22
The vehicle. Exactly the narrative vehicle to
23:25
deliver the teaching. The theological weight of the
23:27
book rests heavily on the Discourses.
23:30
Mark moves at a breakneck pace, focusing on action.
23:32
But Matthew slows down. He wants you to sit at the feet
23:36
of the teacher. Beyond the Greek and the
23:38
semitisms, the author also uses some very specific, highly
23:43
technical literary devices. He seems to love numbers.
23:47
Oh, he really does. We see a fondness for numerical
23:50
patterns all over the place. There are 7 petitions in the
23:54
Lord's Prayer. There are 7 parables in chapter
23:57
13. There are 7 woes in Chapter 23.
24:00
And don't forget the genealogy. Right, the genealogy at the very
24:03
beginning of the book is structured around 14
24:05
generations, which is essentially A-77 pattern.
24:08
The author is highly systematic. Alongside the numbers we see a
24:12
frequent use of three fold structures.
24:14
The text is also filled with repetition of contrast.
24:17
Like putting opposites together. Yeah, we're opposing ideas are
24:20
placed side by side for absolute clarity.
24:23
The narrow gate versus the wide gate.
24:25
The wise builder versus the foolish builder.
24:27
So clear. Turner also points out the
24:29
author's use of particularization, climax, and
24:32
inclusio. Let's define some of those
24:34
because they are brilliant when you spot them.
24:36
Inclusio is a literary technique where a section of text begins
24:41
and ends with the exact same theme or phrase.
24:44
Essentially bookending the thought.
24:46
Right. Do we see that in Matthew?
24:47
Oh yes, and Matthew features one of the most magnificent
24:51
inclusios in all of ancient literature.
24:53
What is it? In chapter 1, verse 23, the
24:56
narrative announces that the child will be called Emmanuel.
24:59
Which means God with us. Right then, at the very end of
25:04
the book, in chapter 28 verse 20, the final words of the
25:07
resurrected Christ are, I am with you always to the end of
25:11
the age. God with us too.
25:13
I am with you. It is a massive theological
25:15
inclusio that frames the entire gospel.
25:18
That is incredible. And what about chiasmus?
25:20
Chiasmus is a symmetrical structure where ideas are
25:23
presented and then repeated in reverse order, like an ABDA
25:26
pattern. You give an example of.
25:28
That you see this in Matthew 6.24.
25:30
One can serve 2 masters, for either he will hate the one and
25:33
love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise
25:37
the other. Hate, love, Devoted despise.
25:40
Right. All of these stylistic choices,
25:43
inclusios, chiasms, numerical patterns, point to an author who
25:47
was not just haphazardly jotting down historical notes, but
25:51
crafting a highly stylized, intentional piece of theological
25:54
literature. A book with this level of
25:57
specific Jewish Greek linguistic blending combined with this
26:00
intricate 5 part architectural design and all these stylized
26:04
literary devices points to a very specific, highly educated
26:08
mind. Which brings us to the
26:09
authorship. Right.
26:10
The final major question the origins Who actually wrote this
26:13
book? This is a debate that has
26:15
occupied scholars for centuries, and it is vital for establishing
26:19
the authority of the text. Technically speaking, the text
26:22
itself is anonymous. Wait, it is.
26:23
Yeah, the author never explicitly names himself in the
26:26
opening lines or the conclusion. However, another ancient text,
26:30
John 21.24, hints at how authorship concepts were
26:34
understood for the Gospels. How so?
26:36
It shows that the early Christian communities were
26:38
highly aware of exactly who was behind the text they were
26:40
reading. But if the text is technically
26:43
anonymous, how did we get the title according to Matthew?
26:48
When did people start associating it with that
26:50
specific name? What's fascinating here is an
26:52
argument put forward by Martin Hengel in his work on the early
26:55
Gospels. Hengel argues that the titles of
26:58
the Gospels are very early and perhaps even original to each
27:01
document. Original.
27:02
That's a bold claim. He shows that ancient customs
27:06
strongly tended to identify books by their authors
27:08
immediately. In the ancient world, you did
27:11
not just circulate a massive, highly valuable scroll detailing
27:16
the foundational events of your faith without attaching a name
27:18
to it. Right.
27:19
So people knew its origin and Apostolic authority.
27:21
Exactly. So Hengel is directly
27:24
challenging the critical scholars who think the titles
27:26
were slapped on decades later by a church trying to invent
27:30
authority. Yes, specifically scholars like
27:32
Donald Hagner, who assumed the Gospels originally circulated
27:35
completely anonymously. And that their titles were only
27:38
added much later in the 2nd century to give them false
27:41
weight. Right.
27:42
Hengel points out that this theory is logistically and
27:45
historically incredibly weak because by the year 150 CE,
27:49
there is nearly unanimous attribution of these texts to
27:52
their traditional authors across widely scattered Christian
27:56
communities. Scattered everywhere.
27:58
You have churches in Rome, Alexandria and Antioch all
28:01
calling it according to Matthew. For all these geographical
28:05
isolated groups to independently decide on the exact same author
28:08
name by 100 and 50-CE without a central communication hub is
28:13
highly improbable. Yeah.
28:15
The Internet didn't exist. They couldn't just coordinate
28:16
that. No, the much better, more
28:19
logical explanation is that the titles were original and
28:22
traveled with the documents from the very beginning.
28:25
That makes perfect historical sense.
28:27
The early church wasn't just guessing, they knew.
28:29
So we have that external evidence, the early titles and
28:32
the patristic testimony of the early church fathers like Papias
28:35
and Irenaeus, who specifically named the apostle, the former
28:38
tax collector, as the author. Right?
28:41
But does the internal evidence of the book, the actual words on
28:43
the page, match that historical claim?
28:46
The internal evidence aligns perfectly the grammar, the
28:49
syntax, the highly structured literary style, the heavy use of
28:54
semitisms, the deep, pervasive fluency in the Hebrew Bible.
28:58
And the distinctive focus on Jewish themes.
29:01
All of it leads most conservative scholars to the
29:03
undeniable conclusion that the author was a Jewish Christian
29:06
with a meticulous mind. A tax collector like Matthew
29:10
would have been bilingual, highly literate and accustomed
29:14
to keeping detailed, orderly records.
29:16
The internal linguistic fingerprint.
29:18
Florida State matches the external historical testimony.
29:21
So what does this all mean for you, the listener?
29:23
Why does knowing the architecture of a 1st century
29:26
text matter to you today? It's a great question to ask at
29:29
the end of all this. Why spend an hour dissecting
29:32
narrative criticism, 5 part discourse structures and Greek
29:35
Semitism? Because it completely alters how
29:37
you consume the material. It really does.
29:39
If you understand the blueprint, you stop wandering the house
29:41
blindfolded. Instead of reading isolated,
29:44
disconnected verses for a quick thought of the day, you can now
29:46
read the text as a masterfully constructed, cohesive
29:50
theological argument. You start to see the intention
29:53
behind every paragraph. You can feel the inhale of the
29:56
narrative action and the exhale of the seated discourse.
29:59
You can recognize that this book was designed not just to report
30:02
history, but to systematically instruct, shape, and challenge
30:07
your entire worldview, bringing you under the authority of the
30:10
King at this wrongs. And as you think about that
30:12
masterful construction, I want to leave you with one final
30:15
thought to Mull over. OK, what is it?
30:17
Earlier, we noted that Chapter 23 is a structural anomaly.
30:22
It breaks the perfect narrative discourse pattern, putting heavy
30:25
judgmental teaching material into a section meant for
30:29
narrative action. Right, the seven woes.
30:31
Consider this what if that breakdown in literary structure
30:35
is not an accident or an oversight by the author?
30:38
Oh, wait, are you saying whoa? What if Matthew intentionally
30:41
fractured his own perfect literary framework in chapter 23
30:44
to literally mirror the total fracture and breakdown of the
30:48
corrupt religious system he was pronouncing judgement upon?
30:51
Wow, that is something to chew on.
30:54
Taking off the blindfold changes everything.
30:56
Thank you for joining us for this deep dive on Reformed
30:58
thinking. We will catch you next time.