Matthew's use of the Old Testament | Part 7

Summary

This video examines the Gospel of Matthew's unique portrayal of Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. It highlights Matthew’s use of invented events and misquoted scriptures to align Jesus’ life with Jewish prophecies, such as the virgin birth, the massacre of infants, and Judas' betrayal. The video discusses how Matthew’s Gospel diverges from others, emphasizing a narrative that aims to present Jesus as a new, better Israel. The analysis critiques Matthew's creative adjustments to historical events, suggesting that his priority was to convince Jews of Christ’s imminent return rather than strict historical accuracy.

Takeaways

• 😀 Matthew’s Gospel portrays Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, with a stronger emphasis on this than other Gospels.
• 😀 The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew draws parallels to the patriarch Jacob and Old Testament Joseph, highlighting symbolic connections between the two figures.
• 😀 Matthew’s narrative uniquely focuses on Jesus’s connection to Egypt, the 40 days in the wilderness, and parallels to Moses’ journey, which are not found in Luke.
• 😀 Matthew claims various Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled by events in Jesus' life, even though some of these passages were not originally Messianic.
• 😀 The Virgin Birth prophecy cited by Matthew (Isaiah 7:14) is argued to be misapplied, as it originally referred to events from 700 BC and not to Jesus.
• 😀 Matthew quotes a prophecy about Jesus being a Nazarene, but the source of this prophecy is unclear, raising questions about its authenticity.
• 😀 Matthew attributes the fulfillment of the prophecy about Judas’s betrayal to Jeremiah, but this is actually a misquote from Zechariah, leading to confusion.
• 😀 Matthew’s account of Judas’s betrayal for 30 pieces of silver is examined, with a focus on inconsistencies between the Gospel’s narrative and Old Testament sources.
• 😀 The video criticizes Matthew for changing names and details in biblical accounts, such as altering the genealogy and changing the name of Zachariah.
• 😀 Matthew is accused of altering or doubling events, such as changing the number of demon-possessed individuals in a story from Mark, to align with Old Testament themes.
• 😀 The video speculates that Matthew may have altered historical events and scripture to support the belief that Jesus is the imminent Messiah, aiming to convert Jews before Christ's return.

Q & A

What is the main argument presented in the video script regarding the Gospel of Matthew?

The main argument is that the Gospel of Matthew invents events and misquotes Old Testament prophecies to present Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish scriptures. The author of Matthew appears to have intentionally crafted a narrative that emphasizes Jesus as the new Israel and the culmination of Old Testament prophecies.

How does the genealogy in Matthew’s Gospel compare to the Old Testament, specifically with the figure of Joseph?

The genealogy in Matthew traces Jesus's lineage back to Abraham and includes Joseph as Jesus's father. This mirrors the Old Testament patriarch Jacob, who also had a son named Joseph. Matthew uses this parallel, along with other events, to emphasize that Jesus is the new Israel, drawing strong connections to significant figures and events from Jewish history.

What parallels are drawn between Jesus and the Old Testament Joseph?

Both Josephs (Old Testament and New Testament) have dreams, go to Egypt, and experience the killing of infants (in Egypt and Bethlehem, respectively). Additionally, both Josephs' stories feature a period of wandering, with Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness, paralleling Israel's 40 years in the desert. These connections are unique to Matthew's Gospel.

What is the controversy surrounding Matthew’s use of Old Testament prophecies?

Matthew quotes several Old Testament passages as prophecies that Jesus fulfills, but many of these quotations are taken out of context. For example, Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15, and Isaiah 7:14 are used in ways that are not originally Messianic. Critics argue that Matthew has misquoted or distorted these prophecies to fit his narrative of Jesus fulfilling Jewish expectations.

How does Matthew handle the Virgin birth prophecy in Isaiah 7:14?

Matthew uses Isaiah 7:14 to argue that the Virgin birth of Jesus fulfills prophecy. However, the passage in Isaiah originally referred to a historical event in 700 BC and was not about the Messiah. Matthew’s application of this prophecy to the birth of Jesus is considered by some scholars to be a misinterpretation.

What is the issue with the quote Matthew attributes to Jeremiah in the story of Judas's betrayal?

Matthew claims that the betrayal of Jesus by Judas fulfills a prophecy from Jeremiah. However, the quotation is actually from Zechariah. This discrepancy has raised questions about Matthew’s accuracy in sourcing Old Testament prophecies and his method of applying them to Jesus’s life.

Why does Matthew seem to mix up the names in the Old Testament genealogy and other references?

Matthew appears to alter or change names to align with more familiar biblical figures. For instance, he uses 'Amos' instead of 'Amon' and 'ASF' instead of 'Asa' in the genealogies. It seems that Matthew chose these names because they were more widely recognized due to their association with prophets, rather than adhering to the original Old Testament texts.

What is the significance of the double animal mention in Matthew’s account of the triumphal entry?

In Matthew’s account of the triumphal entry, Jesus is said to ride both a donkey and a colt, whereas Mark only mentions one animal. This doubling may be Matthew’s attempt to more literally fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah, which mentions both animals. However, the original Zechariah passage uses Hebrew parallelism, implying a single animal, not two.

Why does Matthew change the number of demon-possessed individuals in the story of the Gerasene demoniac?

In Mark’s account, there is one demon-possessed man, while Matthew includes two. The reason for this change is unclear, but some suggest that Matthew may have wanted to follow the Old Testament principle of needing two witnesses. However, this alteration does not seem to have a clear historical basis.

What might be Matthew’s motivation for inventing events and misquoting prophecies?

One possible motivation for Matthew’s alterations is his belief in the imminent return of Christ. Matthew may have prioritized converting Jews to Christianity over strict historical accuracy, aiming to fulfill Jewish scriptures in a way that would encourage Jewish acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah. His goal may have been to emphasize Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy to save souls before Christ’s expected return.