The Fourfold Gospel, Lecture 2 Matthew: Jesus the Jew The Fourfold Gospel Lecture 2 Durham University, U.K. Lecture 2 26 September, 2014

(1)MATTHEW IN EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITION (2)MATTHEW’S TWO BEGINNINGS (3)THE BIRTH OF JESUS AND THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL (4)MATTHEW ON PAPYRUS Matthew: Jesus the Jew

(1)MATTHEW IN EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITION (2)MATTHEW’S TWO BEGINNINGS (3)THE BIRTH OF JESUS AND THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL (4)MATTHEW ON PAPYRUS Matthew: Jesus the Jew

Matthew in Early Christian Tradition

Q1 Why is there an image of an angel above the evangelist’s head? Q2 Why was the evangelist identified as “Matthew”? Q3 Who is the man behind the curtain? Q4 What is the significance of the curtain itself? Q5 What is the other book?

Q1 Irenaeus (late 2 nd century): “Matthew tells of his human origin, saying: ‘The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham’ [MATT.1.1] and, ‘The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way’ [MATT.1.18]. This, then, is the Gospel of his humanity.” (Against Heresies, )

Q2, Q3 Papias (early 2 nd century): “Matthew wrote the sayings [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and everyone translated them as far as they were able.” (quoted by Eusebius [4 th century], Church History, )

Q4 The curtain or veil: 2 Corinthians “... Until this day a veil lies over the reading of the old covenant, which is not removed unless Christ takes it away. To this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. But when a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed.”

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4... Q5?

(1)MATTHEW IN EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITION (2)MATTHEW’S TWO BEGINNINGS (3)THE BIRTH OF JESUS AND THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL (4)MATTHEW ON PAPYRUS Matthew: Jesus the Jew

Matthew’s Two Beginnings Matthew 1.1: The book of the genealogy [genesis] of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1.18: Now the birth [genesis] of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit...

Lindisfarne Gospels: Matthew’s first beginning LIBER GENERATI ONIS IhU [= IESU] XPI... [= CHRISTI]

Lindisfarne Gospels: Matthew’s second beginning XPI [= CHRISTI] AUTEM GENE- RATIO SIC ERAT CUM ESSET DESPONSATA MATER EIUS MARIA IOSEPH

Matthew: two beginnings, two books? “Here begins the Gospel according to Matthew” “The beginning of the Gospel: Genealogy of Matthew”

Q5: 2 books composed by Matthew? (1)The smaller book, already completed: the Genealogy? (2)The larger book, not yet complete but eagerly awaited: the Gospel

(1)MATTHEW IN EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITION (2)MATTHEW’S TWO BEGINNINGS (3)THE BIRTH OF JESUS AND THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL (4)MATTHEW ON PAPYRUS Matthew: Jesus the Jew

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,the son of David, the son of Abraham. 1 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, 3 and Isaac the father of Jacob, 4 and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 5 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, 6 and Perez the father of Hezron, 7 and Hezron the father of Ram, 8 and Ram the father of Amminadab 9 and Amminadab the father of Nahshon 10 and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 11 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab 12 and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth 13 and Obed the father of Jesse, 14 and Jesse the father of David the king.

Jesus’ foremothers 1 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, 3 and Isaac the father of Jacob, 4 and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 5 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, 6 and Perez the father of Hezron, 7 and Hezron the father of Ram, 8 and Ram the father of Amminadab 9 and Amminadab the father of Nahshon 10 and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 11 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab 12 and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth 13 and Obed the father of Jesse, 14 and Jesse the father of David the king. 15 and David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah

David: from adultery to legitimate marriage? [Thus says the Lord:] “The sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (1 Sam ) “The Lord struck the child that Uriah the Hittite’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill...” (1 Sam.12.15) “Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba and went to her and lay with her, and she bore a son and he named him Solomon.” (1 Sam.12.24)

(1)MATTHEW IN EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITION (2)MATTHEW’S TWO BEGINNINGS (3)THE BIRTH OF JESUS AND THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL (4)MATTHEW ON PAPYRUS Matthew: Jesus the Jew

Digging for papyri at Oxyrhynchus

P 1 : Matthew’s opening on papyrus, 3 rd century