Gospel of Matthew
book of the New Testament
The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, one of the four canonical Gospels, and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells of Jesus, recording his birth, his ministry from his baptism by John the Baptist, his crucifixion, his resurrection, and his mission to the world. It emphasizes that Jewish tradition should not be lost in an increasingly gentile church and presents Jesus as the Jewish Messiah who fulfills the prophecies written in the Jewish scriptures.
The gospel reflects conflicts between Jewish Christians and other Jews, particularly with its criticism of the scribes and Pharisees, presenting the view that the Kingdom of Heaven has been taken away from them and given to the church. It emphasizes Jesus’s role as the Son of David, Son of Man, and Son of God, and frames his teachings, miracles, and parables to reflect both Jewish law and the Christian church. It culminates in the Passion, Resurrection, and Great Commission, having been structured around alternating narratives and discourses.
The gospel was written in the last quarter of the first century anonymously by a Jewish author who was familiar with legal aspects of scripture and the Hebrew language. Papias of Hierapolis, a companion of the Elder and the daughters of Philip, provides the first attribution to Matthew. The text may incorporate a source from Matthew, and traditional authorship still has conservative defenders. The gospel was highly popular among early Christians; scholars increasingly contend that it was used by both Luke and John.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Gospel of Matthew” is book of the New Testament. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Gospel, Matthew and book, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “book of the New Testament” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q392302. The Library of Congress control number is n79056834. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Gospel of Matthew”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Gospel of Matthew primary sources, Gospel of Matthew archive and Gospel research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Gospel of Matthew”?
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- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
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This entry incorporates text from “Gospel of Matthew” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.