Book Description

This book attempts a solution to the problems of the structure, christology, and Kingdom-theology of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The author contends that the broad structure of the Gospel consists of three main parts: the person of Jesus Messiah, the proclamation of Jesus Messiah, and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Messiah.This understanding of the broad structure of Matthew's Gospel opens the way to a proper understanding of his christology. That is, for Matthew Jesus is first and foremost the Messiah, the Son of God. Kingbury's analysis of the texts in which "Son of God" appears, and of the numerous other christological terms Matthew employs, confirms this conclusion.Professor Kingbury demonstrates how Matthew develops both the structure and the primary theological concept of his Gospel, "The Kingdom of Heaven," around the christological category of "the Son of God." A rigorous conclusion reached is that the focus of the Gospel of Matthew is revealed more in his christology than in his ecclesiology.