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CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ALBERTA A Critical Consideration of Three Fulfillment Citations in the Gospel According to Matthew by Daniel Brister A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN BIBLICAL AND CHRISTIAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES EDMONTON, ALBERTA OCTOBER, 2012 © Daniel Brister 2012 Library and Archives Bibliothèque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-86270-4 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-86270-4 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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Abstract This paper will argue that the author of the Gospel According to Matthew employed the citations within Matt 1:18-25; 2:19-23 and 4:12-16 to demonstrate that Jesus was the messiah and the heir of David. He achieved this by using hermeneutical methods common in his day and culture, thus embedding in this new text the thematic heritage of the old. This formed the basis of his christology and it was a view unique to this Gospel in comparison to the other Synoptics. The results of this investigation are organized into five chapters. Chapter One serves to introduce the topic of investigation, present the thesis, describe the structure of the argument in general terms, and to establish the methodology used to support this inquiry. Chapter Two addresses two factors that may have influenced the evangelist in writing this Gospel. The development of Midrashic and Pesher exegesis in first century Judea and the meaning of “fulfillment.” Next, the scriptural background of the themes Matthew draws upon through the fulfillment citations considered are examined in Chapter Three. These two chapters together form the foundation for the argument that demonstrates the thesis of this study. Chapter Four examines the three citations identified above and briefly considers the parallel usage of these citations across the Synoptic Gospels in order to better understand what is unique about Matthew’s use of the text and the tradition that lay behind it. Chapter Five pulls together the findings of the previous chapters and considers what can be inferred about the Gospel’s original audience. Chapter Six summarizes the work as a whole and concludes the study. ii Table of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………………………..……… ii Table of Contents…………………………………………………………..………… iii CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION........................................................................... 1 Preliminary Remarks................................................................................................. 1 Point of Departure…………………………………………………………………. 1 Thesis......................................................................................................................... 8 Structure of Argument................................................................................................ 9 Methodology.............................................................................................................. 9 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………. 11 CHAPTER TWO – FACTORS BEHIND THE GOSPEL…………………………... 12 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 12 Midrashic Hermeneutic.............................................................................................. 12 Pesher Hermeneutic.................................................................................................... 19 “Fulfillment” Defined................................................................................................ 22 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 28 CHAPTER THREE – SELECTED BIBLICAL THEMES IN THE GOSPEL………. 29 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 29 Messiah...................................................................................................................... 30 Sovereignty of God..................................................................................................... 34 Universalism.............................................................................................................. 36 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 39 CHAPTER FOUR – ANALYSIS OF THREE FULFILLMENT CITATIONS………. 41 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………. 41 The Origin of Jesus Matt 1:18-25................................................................................ 42 The Return from Egypt Matt 2:19-23.......................................................................... 58 The Move to Capernaum Matt 4:12-16....................................................................... 75 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………… 86 CHAPTER FIVE – DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH.................................................................................................................... 89 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………. 89 The Message of the Gospel......................................................................................... 89 Matthew’s Community……………………………………………………………… 93 Conclusion................................................................................................................... 99 CHAPTER SIX – CONCLUSION…………………………………………………….. 100 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................... 104 iii CHAPTER ONE – INTRODUCTION Preliminary Remarks The thesis of this paper is that the author of the Gospel According to Matthew employed the citations within Matt 1:18-25; 2:19-23; and 4:12-16 to demonstrate that Jesus was the messiah and the heir of David. Some preliminary remarks may be helpful for understanding the argument. These remarks will establish the point of departure for this project, expand upon the thesis statement, describe the structure of the argument, and briefly touch upon the methodology employed. Point of Departure The author1 of the Gospel According to Matthew made extensive use of Hebrew texts in his presentation of the story of Jesus’ ministry. He used themes, events and personalities drawn from the books that now make up the Old Testament. He cited some passages directly, made numerous allusions, and he may have used material that already had allusions embedded within them. The author’s use of this material gives rise naturally to the question: What was his purpose in doing so? Although there is no common agreement among scholars, one explanation is that he intended to illuminate the story of Jesus and to connect it with the traditions of its original audience. 1 I shall refer to the author of this Gospel as “Matthew” as shorthand for “the person, or persons, who wrote this book.” In so doing I do not mean to imply a specific identity for this person(s), nor exclude the possibility that the author was the Apostle Matthew. 1 Anthony Apodaca argues that Matthew used such material to elaborate his christology, while also using it to demonstrate the continuity which he believed existed between the emerging Christian Church and the various strands of Jewish tradition portrayed in the Old Testament. He suggests that Matthew may have been engaged in a myth-building exercise using images that might have carried a polyvalent meaning. A polyvalent image is one that carries with it more than one valid interpretation. The interpretation endorsed by a community tells us about that community, as well as the image. So in identifying the polyvalent interpretation of an image in use by a specific community, that community is also recognizing something that distinguishes it from the other that holds a different understanding of the image in question. In using the term “myth” Apodaca does not use the term in a pejorative way, or in the rhetorical sense of invention