Word Pictures in the New Testament - Matthew Author(s): Robertson, A. T. (1863-1934) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: A. T. Robertson was a renowned Greek New Testament scholar. His work on the Greek language is still consulted today. Word Pictures in the New Testament is his insightful treatment of that book. In the Greek New Testament, there are a variety of meaningful pictorial nuances implicit in the Greek constructions. These nuances are often lost in trans- lation. Word Pictures in the New Testament explains them. Robertson examines Greek constructions from many different Testament passages. He provides background to many of the Greek words and their connotations in the original Greek, thereby shedding new light on the meaning of passages. Many readers have gained a new, richer understanding of the New Testament by studying Word Pictures in the New Testament. And although no technical knowledge is required to study this work, familiarity with the Greek language makes this work much easier to digest. Consequently, it is ideal for pastors, theologians, and students of the New Testament. Tim Perrine CCEL Staff Writer Subjects: The Bible New Testament Works about the New Testament i Contents Title Page 1 Introduction 2 Chapter 1 5 Chapter 2 11 Chapter 3 16 Chapter 4 20 Chapter 5 25 Chapter 6 33 Chapter 7 39 Chapter 8 42 Chapter 9 47 Chapter 10 51 Chapter 11 57 Chapter 12 62 Chapter 13 66 Chapter 14 74 Chapter 15 79 Chapter 16 83 Chapter 17 90 Chapter 18 94 Chapter 19 99 Chapter 20 103 Chapter 21 107 Chapter 22 112 Chapter 23 115 Chapter 24 120 ii Chapter 25 126 Chapter 26 130 Chapter 27 142 Chapter 28 153 Indexes 158 Index of Scripture References 159 Index of Scripture Commentary 165 Latin Words and Phrases 166 iii This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, Kindle, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/robertson_at/wp_matt.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/3751. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. iv Title Page Title Page Word Pictures in the New Testament Matthew A.T. Robertson 1 Introduction Introduction Introduction THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION The passing years do not make it any plainer who actually wrote our Greek Matthew. Papias records, as quoted by Eusebius, that Matthew wrote the Logia of Jesus in Hebrew (Aramaic). Is our present Matthew a translation of the Aramaic Logia along with Mark and other sources as most modern scholars think? If so, was the writer the Apostle Matthew or some other disciple? There is at present no way to reach a clear decision in the light of the known facts. There is no real reason why the Apostle Matthew could not have written both the Aramaic Logia and our Greek Matthew, unless one is unwilling to believe that he would make use of Mark’s work on a par with his own. But Mark’s book rests primarily on the preaching of Simon Peter. Scholfield has recently (1927) published An Old Hebrew Text of St. Matthew’s Gospel. We know quite too little of the origin of the Synoptic Gospels to say dogmatically that the Apostle Matthew was not in any real sense the author. If the book is genuine, as I believe, the date becomes a matter of interest. Here again there is nothing absolutely decisive save that it is later than the Gospel according to Mark which it apparently uses. If Mark is given an early date, between A.D. 50 to 60, then Matthew’s book may be between 60 and 70, though many would place it between 70 and 80. It is not certain whether Luke wrote after Matthew or not, though that is quite possible. There is no definite use of Matthew by Luke that has been shown. One guess is as good as another and each decides by his own predilections. My own guess is that A.D. 60 is as good as any. In the Gospel itself we find Matthew the publican (Mt 9:9; 10:3) though Mark (Mr 2:14) and Luke (Lu 5:27) call him Levi the publican. Evidently therefore he had two names like John Mark. It is significant that Jesus called this man from so disreputable a business to follow him. He was apparently not a disciple of John the Baptist. He was specially chosen by Jesus to be one of the Twelve Apostles, a business man called into the ministry as was true of the fishermen James and John, Andrew and Simon. In the lists of the Apostles he comes either seventh or eighth. There is nothing definite told about him in the Gospels apart from the circle of the Twelve after the feast which he gave to his fellow publicans in honor of Jesus. Matthew was in the habit of keeping accounts and it is quite possible that he took notes of the sayings of Jesus as he heard them. At any rate he gives much attention to the teachings of Jesus as, for instance, the Sermon on the Mount in chapters Mt 5-7, the parables in Mt 13, the denunciation of the Pharisees in Mt 23, the great eschatological discourse in Mt 24; 25. As a publican in Galilee he was not a narrow Jew and so we do not expect a book preju- diced in favor of the Jews and against the Gentiles. He does seem to show that Jesus is the Messiah of Jewish expectation and hope and so makes frequent quotations from the Old 2 Introduction Testament by way of confirmation and illustration. There is no narrow nationalism in Matthew. Jesus is both the Messiah of the Jews and the Saviour of the world. There are ten parables in Matthew not in the other Gospels: The Tares, the Hid Treasure, the Net, the Pearl of Great Price, the Unmerciful Servant, the Labourers in the Vineyard, the Two Sons, the Marriage of the King’s Son, the Ten Virgins, the Talents. The only miracles in Matthew alone are the Two Blind Men, the Coin in the Mouth of the Fish. But Matthew gives the narrative of the Birth of Jesus from the standpoint of Joseph while Luke tells that wonderful story from the standpoint of Mary. There are details of the Death and Resurrection given by Matthew alone. The book follows the same general chronological plan as that in Mark, but with various groups like the miracles in Mt 8; 9, the parables in Mt 13. The style is free from Hebraisms and has few individual peculiarities. The author is fond of the phrase the kingdom of heaven and pictures Jesus as the Son of man, but also as the Son of God. He sometimes abbreviates Mark’s statements and sometimes expands them to be more precise. Plummer shows the broad general plan of both Mark and Matthew to be the same as follows: Introduction to the Gospel: Mr 1:1-13; Mt 3:1-4:11. Ministry in Galilee: Mr 1:14-6:13; Mt 4:12-13:58. Ministry in the Neighborhood: Mr 6:14-9:50; Mt 14:1-18:35. Journey through Perea to Jerusalem: Mr 10:1-52; Mt 19:1-20:34. Last week in Jerusalem: Mr 11:1-16:8; Mt 21:1-28:8. The Gospel of Matthew comes first in the New Testament, though it is not so in all the Greek manuscripts. Because of its position it is the book most widely read in the New Testament and has exerted the greatest influence on the world. The book deserves this in- fluence though it is later in date than Mark, not so beautiful as Luke, nor so profound as John. Yet it is a wonderful book and gives a just and adequate portraiture of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. The author probably wrote primarily to per- suade Jews that Jesus is the fulfilment of their Messianic hopes as pictured in the Old Test- ament. It is thus a proper introduction to the New Testament story in comparison with the Old Testament prophecy. THE TITLE The Textus Receptus has “The Holy Gospel according to Matthew” [to kata Matthaion hagion Euaggelion], though the Elzevirs omit “holy,” not agreeing here with Stephanus, Griesbach, and Scholz. Only minuscules (cursive Greek manuscripts) and all late have the adjective. Other minuscules and nine uncials including W (the Washington Codex of the fifth century), C of the fifth century (the palimpsest manuscript) and Delta of the ninth to- gether with most Latin manuscripts have simply “Gospel according to Matthew” 3 Introduction [Euaggelion kata Matthaion].