The Intended Audience and Structure of the Gospel of Matthew

Objective

I can explain the intended audience and structure of the Gospel of Matthew.

Prayer

Reflect prayerfully on the Scripture reading as you listen.

Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “

Matthew 10:1-7

Pray together the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father...

Warm Up

The Church constantly holds “that the four Gospels, whose historical character the Church unhesitatingly asserts, faithfully hand on what Jesus Christ, while living among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation.”

Dei Verbum 19

(Note: Dei Verbum, a document from Vatican II, is the official Magisterial teaching on Divine Revelation and Scripture.)

Discussion Questions

What does the Church unhesitatingly assert about the four Gospels? T
What does it mean to say that the four Gospels are historical?
Why did Jesus do what He did and teach what He taught during His earthly life?

The Intended Audience and Structure of the Gospel of Matthew

in order to better understand the Gospels, it is important for us as readers to understand the intended audience each Gospel writer was writing for, the arrangement or structure of the Gospel, and any important themes present in the Gospel. We will examine these things for each of the four Gospels.

Activity 1: The Gospel of Matthew

Read about the intended audience and structure of the Gospel of Matthew and how we should read it today. Then answer the focus and reflection questions.

The Gospel of Matthew.pdf

Activity 2: The Content of the Gospel According to Matthew

This chart provides a brief overview of the sections of Matthew’s Gospel and what happens in each section. Give yourself a few minutes to look over the chart.

A Glance at the Content of the Gospel according to Matthew.pdf

Discussion Questions

How many sections, or “books,” are there in Matthew’s Gospel?
In which section of the Gospel does Jesus enter into Jerusalem at the end of His public ministry and teach in the Temple?
In which section of the Gospel does Jesus tell parables about the Kingdom of God?
With what teaching of Jesus does the second section of the Gospel end?
With what teaching of Jesus does the seventh and final section of the Gospel end?
In which sections of the Gospel is Jesus challenged by the Pharisees?
Given that Matthew was writing to a primarily Jewish audience, why do you think it’s important that the first section of the Gospel begins with a genealogy, or family tree, of Jesus?

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