Christology, Torah, and Ethics in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthias Konradt is without doubt one of the leading Matthean scholars today. The essays published in this volume allow English-speaking New Testament scholars easy access to his views on some of the most discussed issues in Matthean studies, such as the relationship of the Matthean community to Judaism, the role of circumcision in the mission to the gentiles, Matthean Christology, and Matthew’s view of the Torah. Conversant with a wide range of Jewish texts from the Hellenistic-Roman era and displaying remarkable exegetical skill, Konradt offers a series of insightful and thought-provoking studies that will be appreciated by anyone interested in understanding the Gospel of Matthew within its historical, literary, and theological context.

~Lidija Novakovic, Professor of New Testament, Baylor University

Matthias Konradt, internationally known for his many outstanding contributions to Matthean studies, impressively enriches our view with this outstanding volume. The seven main essays of the author, collected and translated in this book, explore with admirable rigor and clarity central issues on the First Gospel. Students and scholars will benefit much from Konradt’s analysis of the Gospel of Matthew.

~Uta Poplutz, Professor of Biblical Theology, University of Wuppertal

This valuable collection of essays is uniformly careful and judicious, unfailingly informed and to the point, and always fair when criticizing others. Konradt has a knack for unpacking assertions, exposing assumptions, and following arguments to their conclusion. The various subjects are of broad importance and so should be of interest not only to Matthean experts but all serious students of early Christianity.

~Dale C. Allison Jr., Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary

This book provides an excellent introduction to the major debates in recent Matthean scholarship. More important, this book has the potential to advance understanding of the historical context, theology, and ethics of the Gospel of Matthew in significant ways and even to settle long-standing debates about the relationship of the Matthean community to Judaism and Matthew’s view of the torah. All future work on these issues must engage the arguments detailed in this important volume.

~Charles L. Quarles, Review of Biblical Literature

Konradt’s intensive study of the Gospel of Matthew for over a decade has equipped him with keeninsights into the Christology, hermeneutics, and ethics of the Gospel of Matthew. His applicationof redaction criticism and narrative criticism and his appeals to lexicography, Greek syntax, andintertextuality consistently lead to persuasive exegetical conclusions. More important, this book has the potential to advance understanding of the historical context,theology, and ethics of the Gospel of Matthew in significant ways and even to settle long-standingdebates about the relationship of the Matthean community to Judaism and Matthew’s view of thetorah.

~Charles L. Quarles, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Society of Biblical Literature