The Kingdom of God in the Gospel of Matthew

Abstract

It would be entirely wrong to regard "kingdom of God" as the central motif of the New Testament. Matthew's kingdom depiction should be read against the backdrop of a (mainly) Jewish Christian community in the process of re-defining its own identity over against Jewish opposition, which was consolidating itself under Pharisaic-scribal leadership. The genitive "of God/of heaven" signifies the kingdom as God-determined, but God's transcendence is mitigated by Matthew's portrayal of him as the Father of believers. Kingdom of Godlheaven is a dynamic concept indicating God's active reign. The rule of God and righteousness, as its human correlate, are the key motifs in the Sermon on the Mount. Although the kingdom in Matthew involves a critical decision and the acceptance of strict entry requirements, it is not an entirely ethical concept, as is shown by the first beatitude. A growing correspondence between the kingdom motif and messiah christo logy can be traced. Modern churches in the process of losing their identity can benefit from a responsive reading of Matthew's kingdom message.

Matthew’s Perspective on Roman Political Authority

“…The statistics are well known: There are no less than 103 occurrences of βασιλεῖα τοῦ θεοῦ and its variants in the NT. Of these, 50 occur in Matthew,14 in Mark,and 39 in Luke (Luz, 1985(Luz, -2002Du Toit, 2000). 39 A significant number of scholars have argued that Matthew wanted to avoid naming God out of respect for Jewish traditions.…”