# Intro to the Gospels # Gospel of Matthew Introduction: HG Bishop Youssef
[His Grace Bishop Youssef ~ عظات نيافة الانبا يوسف](https://soundcloud.com/his-grace-bishop-youssef "His Grace Bishop Youssef ~ عظات نيافة الانبا يوسف") · [MATTHEW - Intro & Ch 1 ~ Bible Study](https://soundcloud.com/his-grace-bishop-youssef/matthew-introduction-chapter-1-bible-study "MATTHEW - Intro & Ch 1 ~ Bible Study")
#### Introduction to the Gospel of St. Matthew 00:00-20:00 - The Gospel of St Matthew has always occupied a position of high esteem in the faith and life of the Early Church - Most of the Early Church Fathers frequently quoted the Gospel of St Matthew - Gospel of St Matthew was the most read gospel during the first two centuries of Christianity - Author: St. Matthew - All the Church Fathers agree that the author is St Matthew, himself - Matthew means "Gift of the Lord" - Also called Levi - He was a tax-collector before being called to be one of the disciples of Christ - One of the Lord's earliest disciples - Because he followed the Lord Jesus Christ so closely, his account is considered a first-hand eyewitness account (contrast with St Luke who depended on others to write his gospel) - Timing: - Irenaeus said it was written while St Peter and St Paul were preaching in Rome - Eusebius, the Church Historian, said it was written after St Matthew left Palestine and started to preach outside Palestine - Clement of Alexandria said that the first two gospels written were the Gospel of St Matthew and the Gospel of St Luke - Two Versions - Hebrew/Aramaic Version (39-42 AD) - All of the Church Fathers reference this, but this work is lost - Possibly lost when Jerusalem was destroyed; or destroyed by the Judaizers - Greek Version (60-67 AD) - The version that we are using now - There is no consensus among scholars as to whether the Greek version is a translation of the Hebrew/Aramaic version, or if it is a different gospel - Regardless, the Gospel was written by St Matthew - Audience: Jews who believed in Christ and became Christian - Gives details of Jewish Religious Observances - Uses Jewish style of argument - Starts with a Genealogy to show that Jesus is Son of Abraham and Son of David - Prophetic Formula - St Matthew Mentions many evidences that Christ rose from the dead - Purpose - St Matthew wants to prove to them that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messianic King of the Old Testament whom they are waiting for - He refers many times to prophecies from the Old Testament to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and in Him the prophecies are fulfilled - To make clear that the New Testament is a continuation of the Old Testament - - Christ came to fulfill the Law not to destroy it - To show that Christ was sent to the Jews (Matthew 15:24 - "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel") - Theme: Jesus is the King of the Jews - Sections - Matthew 1-4:11 - The Advent of the Messiah - Christ is the Son of David - Christ was born of a Virgin at Bethlehem - His way was prepared by John the Baptist - His Baptism - The Temptation on the Mountain - Matthew 4:12-16:12 - The Public Proclamation of the Messiah's Kingdom - He chose His first disciples and started His ministry in Galilee - Sermon on the Mount - Many miracles performed by Christ - Matthew 16:13-Matthew 23 - Distinct and Public Claim of the Messiahship - Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? - Account of the Transfiguration - Entering Jerusalem as the Son of David - Assuming Messianic Authority in the Temple - Matthew 24-27 - Sacrifice of the Messiah, the High Priest, on the Cross - Prepared His Disciples for His Sacrificial Death - The Crucifixion - Matthew 28 - Victory of the Messiah, the Savior and the King - The Resurrection - Numerology - In Scripture in general, numbers usually have more significance than just a quantity - e.g. 7 is a symbol of perfection - Gematria - Each letter has a corresponding number - So a name or a word has a number - D = 4 V = 6 DVD = 14 (in Hebrew, there aren't any vowels so the name David is DVD) - St Matthew uses numerology a lot - 14 = King David's Number - St Matthew wants to establish the link between Christ and King David - Three sets of 14 in the Genealogy in Ch 1 - Total 42 - 42 is 6x7 - 6 is the number of man (since man was made on the 6th day) - 7 is the number of God (perfect number) - So 42 is the conflict between man and God - Man rebelled against God - But God sent His Son to reconcile man with God - 7 is a perfect number - 7 Beautitudes (Matthew 5) - 7 Repetitions in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6) - 7 Parables (Matthew 13) - 7 Woes (Matthew 23) # Gospel of St. Luke: Portrayal of St. Mary ##### Mary as the Ark of Covenant in the Scene of the Visitation Luke 1 [https://www.academia.edu/36729282/Mary\_as\_the\_Ark\_of\_the\_Covenant\_in\_the\_Scene\_of\_the\_Visitation\_Luke\_1\_39\_56\_Reconsidered\_in\_Warszawskie\_Studia\_Teologiczne\_31\_1\_2018\_pp\_109\_116](https://www.academia.edu/36729282/Mary_as_the_Ark_of_the_Covenant_in_the_Scene_of_the_Visitation_Luke_1_39_56_Reconsidered_in_Warszawskie_Studia_Teologiczne_31_1_2018_pp_109_116) Comparing 2 Samuel 6:2-11 (The Entrance of the Ark into Jerusalem) with Luke 1:39-56 (The Visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth) - In both, the journey takes place in the land of Judah - The ark is carried "into the house of Obed-Edom" (2 Samuel 6:10) and Mary enters "the house of Zechariah" (Luke 1:40) - Both are focused on the "ascending" - David's Cry: "How can the Ark of the Lord ever come to me?!" and Elizabeth's cry: "Why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?!" - The meaning (sacred respect and feeling of being unworthy before the place of Presence) is analogous - "The Ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom **three months**" and "Mary remained with her about **three months**" - In both cases, the stay lasts for three months in a house that is blessed by it - "David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with **shouting**, and with the sound of a trumpet" (2 Samuel 6:15) and "Then she **spoke out with a loud voice** and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!'" (Luke 1:42) - Greek in 2 Samuel: κραυγή - Greek in Luke: ἀνεφώνησεν κραυγῇ - ἀνεφώνησεν (she cried out) - In the NT it is a hapax legomenon - In the OT (LXX), it is used in exclusively for liturgical exclamations accompanying the transport of the Ark of the Covenant - 1 Chronicles 15:28 - "And all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with **shouting** and with the sound of a horn, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, playing loudly on lutes and harps." - 1 Chronicles 16:4 - "And he appointed before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, Levites to minister and **lift up the voice**, and to give thanks and praise the Lord God of Israel" - 1 Chronicles 16:5 - "Asaph was the chief and next to him Zacharias, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel **sounding** with musical instruments, lutes and harps, and Asaph with cymbals:" - 1 Chronicles 16:42 - "And with them there were trumpets and cymbals to **sound aloud**, and musical instruments for the songs of God: and the sons of Idithun were at the gate." - 2 Chronicles 5:13 - "And there was one voice in the trumpeting and in the psalm singing, and in the **loud utterance** with one voice to give thanks and praise the Lord; and when they raised their voice together with trumpets and cymbals, and instruments of music, and said, Give thanks to the Lord for it is good, for His mercy endures forever - then the house was filled with the cloud of the glory of the Lord." - κραυγῇ (with a voice) - 2 Samuel 6:15 - "David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with **shouting**, and with the sound of a trumpet" - "Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David **leaping and whirling** before the Lord" (2 Samuel 6:16) and "The babe **leaped** in my womb for joy" (Luke 1:44)