Most studies of Matthew have been oriented toward a recovery of the portrait of Jesus or toward strengthening faith in him in our time. I have chosen a different orientation. The focus of my attention is on the work of the Evangelist as a teacher and on his intended audience in the churches of the first century--men and women who, like many of us, were charged with basic educational work among adult believers in Jesus Christ. I hope that such an orientation may strengthen your sense of kinship both with the Evangelist, who was a teacher, and with his first readers, who also were teachers. From the Preface This insightful commentary on the Gospel of Matthew will help readers better understand the importance of this book of the New Testament. Paul S. Minear focuses on Matthew as a teacher in the early Christian church, assesses Matthew's impact on Christians in the first century, and examines the fascinating array of literary forms found in this Gospel. Throughout, the book aims at increasing comprehension of the distinctive and constructive theological stance of Matthew.
