This commentary carefully expounds the original Greek text and theology of Matthew. Dr. Gibbs employs a narrative approach that carefully attends to the literary structure of Matthew s unfolding message in his Gospel. He interprets the text in light of the original cultural and religious context in which Matthew wrote, as well as the audience for whom he wrote. Themes that receive particular emphasis include Jesus mission to save his people from their sins; the reign of God in Jesus; the Son of God s vicarious role as the substitute for Israel and for us; Jesus fulfillment of the OT; Jesus ministry of mighty word (preaching, calling disciples, teaching) and mighty deed (healing the sick, exorcizing, and raising the dead); how God s grace in Jesus now comes to us through the ministry of Word and Sacrament; and eschatology that the end times have begun already with Jesus ministry, and the Christian lives with joyful hope in the promises yet to be fulfilled on the Last Day.
About the Series:
The Concordia Commentary Series: A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture is written to enable pastors and teachers of the Word to proclaim the Gospel with greater insight, clarity, and faithfulness to the divine intent of the biblical text.
This landmark work will cover all the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments, interpreting Scripture as a harmonious unity centered in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Every passage bears witness to the Good News that God has reconciled the world to Himself through our Lord's life, death, and resurrection.
The commentary fully affirms the divine inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture as it emphasizes "that which promotes Christ" in each pericope.
Authors are sensitive to the rich treasury of language, imagery, and themes found throughout Scripture, including such dialectics as Law and Gospel, sin and grace, death and new life, folly and wisdom, demon possession and the arrival of the kingdom of God in Christ. Careful attention is given to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek. Further light is shed on the text from archaeology, history, and extra-biblical literature. Finally, Scripture's message is applied to the ongoing life of the church in terms of ministry, worship, proclamation of the Word, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, confession of the faith--all in joyful anticipation of the life of the world to come.