Understanding Matthew: The Early Christian Worldview of the First Gospel

Stephen Westerholm provides an engaging guide to the gospel of Matthew. His goal is that readers "begin to understand how Matthew made sense of things, and to see how it makes sense to make sense of things that way."

Westerholm begins by introducing the idea of a worldview and considers what that might have looked like for early Jewish Christians. He surveys Matthew's account of God's dealings with Israel and Jesus's proclamation of the kingdom of God. He then considers Jesus's call to discipleship and illustrates it from the life and writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Westerholm's study is a broadly accessible work that will provide students and pastors with an excellent introduction to the gospel of Matthew.

Stephen Westerholm (DTheol, Lund University) is professor of early Christian studies emeritus at McMaster University. He is the author of Justification Reconsidered, Understanding Paul, Perspectives Old and New on Paul, and Jesus and Scribal Authority.