A Commentary On The Gospel Of Matthew
A COMMENTARY
ON THE GOSPEL
OF MATTHEW
CRAIG S. KEENER
In this volume Craig Keener focuses on two aspects of the interpretation of Matthew. First, he analyzes the social-historical-rhetorical contexts of both Matthew and his traditions. Second, he examines the nature of Matthew's exhortations to his Christian audience pericope by pericope. Since it is impossible to reconstruct the precise social situation of Matthew, Keener casts a wider net and considers the general eastern Mediterranean, perhaps Syrian, Jewish context of Matthew. A close comparison of the issues raised in the Gospel with what we know elsewhere of late first-century Jewish-Christian relations provides the basic picture of the issues faced by the Matthean community.
Furthermore, Keener's rereading of Jewish and Greco-Roman materials from Matthew's milieu leads to an abundance of fresh perspectives on the text, including many insights not found in any other Matthew commentary. Applying data from more than 10,000 primary references and 2,000 secondary sources, Keener goes beyond many other socio-historical approaches; his work is based more on social history anchored in concrete data, with less focus on theoretical models. As a result, like Matthew's Gospel itself, this commentary is an excellent teaching tool for scholars, seminarians, pastors, and serious students of the Bible.
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