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Explorations in Biblical Theology
A Theology of Matthew: Jesus Revealed as Deliverer, King, and Incarnate Creator
Who is Jesus? Why should we worship him? This book answers those questions by surveying Matthew s primary theological themes and how they interconnect with the rest of the Bible. Quarles focuses on Matthew's portrait of Jesus as the Savior of sinners, the King of God s people, the founder of a new Israel, and the incarnation of the Creator.
- GenresTheologyBiblical Studies
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2013
16 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Charles L. Quarles
21 books8 followersCharles L. Quarles serves as the Director of Ph.D. Studies and Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
He has published research in numerous international journals including New Testament Studies, Novum Testamentum, the Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, and the Bulletin for Biblical Research. In additional to many Bible studies, articles in reference works, and reviews, he is the editor or author of six books including Buried Hope or Risen Savior: The Search for the Jesus Tomb; The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: A Comprehensive New Testament Introduction (with Andreas Kostenberger and Scott Kellum); The Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ's Message to the Modern Church; and The Illustrated Life of Paul (forthcoming). He is presently writing a Theology of the Gospel of Matthew (2013) and a commentary on the Greek text of Matthew (2017).
He has published research in numerous international journals including New Testament Studies, Novum Testamentum, the Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, and the Bulletin for Biblical Research. In additional to many Bible studies, articles in reference works, and reviews, he is the editor or author of six books including Buried Hope or Risen Savior: The Search for the Jesus Tomb; The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: A Comprehensive New Testament Introduction (with Andreas Kostenberger and Scott Kellum); The Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ's Message to the Modern Church; and The Illustrated Life of Paul (forthcoming). He is presently writing a Theology of the Gospel of Matthew (2013) and a commentary on the Greek text of Matthew (2017).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 17, 2014
A Theology of Matthew: Jesus Revealed As Deliverer, King, and Incarnate Creator was quite frankly one of the most well put together Biblical resource books I have read in a while. It was both thoughtful and thorough. I learned so much.
Written in such a way that it was simple and clear, while at the same time being scholarly, it presented extensive information on the person and deity of Jesus Christ. It was rich in scriptural details. It provided a considerate perspective on how Jesus was likely perceived in ancient times, as well as on how He is perceived now. It had a thematic and theological aspect. It also afforded me with a conclusive takeaway and challenge per revealed concept.
This book was serious but not so much that I got lost in the details. It captured my attention, held it, fed it, and had me wanting to learn more. The references were plentiful and the breakdown of the content was ideal. I found myself in student/researcher mode the entire time I read this book.
This is the type of book that must be savored. It must be read slowly and precisely. It will encourage deeper consideration and deeper study. It has earned the status of favorite for my personal library. A one-time reading will not be enough. I can unwaveringly say that I will revisit it again and again.
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Absolutely YES!
Relevant: Yes
Bookshelf Worthy: Yes
Audience: Bible students (formal and informal), Education ministers, Theologians, Teachers
Other: This would be an excellent book to feature for a Biblical education class in a church and/or in an academic setting.
Bonus Features Worth Mentioning: Questions for Study and Reflection, Index of Scriptures
A complimentary e-book copy of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own.
Written in such a way that it was simple and clear, while at the same time being scholarly, it presented extensive information on the person and deity of Jesus Christ. It was rich in scriptural details. It provided a considerate perspective on how Jesus was likely perceived in ancient times, as well as on how He is perceived now. It had a thematic and theological aspect. It also afforded me with a conclusive takeaway and challenge per revealed concept.
This book was serious but not so much that I got lost in the details. It captured my attention, held it, fed it, and had me wanting to learn more. The references were plentiful and the breakdown of the content was ideal. I found myself in student/researcher mode the entire time I read this book.
This is the type of book that must be savored. It must be read slowly and precisely. It will encourage deeper consideration and deeper study. It has earned the status of favorite for my personal library. A one-time reading will not be enough. I can unwaveringly say that I will revisit it again and again.
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Absolutely YES!
Relevant: Yes
Bookshelf Worthy: Yes
Audience: Bible students (formal and informal), Education ministers, Theologians, Teachers
Other: This would be an excellent book to feature for a Biblical education class in a church and/or in an academic setting.
Bonus Features Worth Mentioning: Questions for Study and Reflection, Index of Scriptures
A complimentary e-book copy of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own.
April 6, 2017
I really enjoyed reading Dr. Quarles "Theology of the Matthew." Quarles reveals to his readers that Matthew is intent on showing Christ as the new Abraham, the new Moses, and the new David that ushers in a new Creation where he establishes a new Israel by the power of the Holy Spirit consisting of both Jew and Gentiles!
February 23, 2014
The following is a quote from this book that really hit home with me and puts into words something I have been thinking about for quite a while. I want to share it as part of my review.
“The modern church suffers from a tragic case of doctrinal anemia. The church has become weakened and sickened by a lack of clear and firm doctrinal convictions. For over a decade, many Christian leaders have sounded the alarm regarding the problem of Biblical illiteracy in contemporary Christianity. Although Biblical illiteracy is a serious concern, and the church must take steps to address it, doctrinal anemia is a far more frightening malady. Doctrinal anemia involves ignorance of fundamental truths of the Christian faith that are essential to the salvation of individuals or necessary for the spiritual health of God’s people.”
The author’s passion that all people come to understand these fundamental truths is evident throughout the book. He believes that a thorough understanding of Matthew will provide those essential truths.
“The Theology of Matthew” gave me a new insight as to the way Jews would have read the book of Matthew. It was an amazing experience. I will never read Matthew the same way again. I want to read, no I want to really study this book in depth when I have more time. I want to sit down and go verse by verse and spend lots of time going over everything the author shares in the book. He takes the reader through Matthew’s presentation of Jesus and shows what each element of the book of Matthew really says to anyone who has a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament. He shines a light on pathways that I didn’t realize were there.
The only issue I have with the book is the author’s belief that the Church today is the new Israel. He gives his evidence for that view, but I was not dissuaded from my literal belief that God will fulfill His promise to the Jewish race and the nation of Israel. However, our disagreement does not take away from the value of his book.
I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the fundamental truths of Christianity and the book of Matthew.
I was provided a free copy of this book for review from P & R Publishing. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.
“The modern church suffers from a tragic case of doctrinal anemia. The church has become weakened and sickened by a lack of clear and firm doctrinal convictions. For over a decade, many Christian leaders have sounded the alarm regarding the problem of Biblical illiteracy in contemporary Christianity. Although Biblical illiteracy is a serious concern, and the church must take steps to address it, doctrinal anemia is a far more frightening malady. Doctrinal anemia involves ignorance of fundamental truths of the Christian faith that are essential to the salvation of individuals or necessary for the spiritual health of God’s people.”
The author’s passion that all people come to understand these fundamental truths is evident throughout the book. He believes that a thorough understanding of Matthew will provide those essential truths.
“The Theology of Matthew” gave me a new insight as to the way Jews would have read the book of Matthew. It was an amazing experience. I will never read Matthew the same way again. I want to read, no I want to really study this book in depth when I have more time. I want to sit down and go verse by verse and spend lots of time going over everything the author shares in the book. He takes the reader through Matthew’s presentation of Jesus and shows what each element of the book of Matthew really says to anyone who has a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament. He shines a light on pathways that I didn’t realize were there.
The only issue I have with the book is the author’s belief that the Church today is the new Israel. He gives his evidence for that view, but I was not dissuaded from my literal belief that God will fulfill His promise to the Jewish race and the nation of Israel. However, our disagreement does not take away from the value of his book.
I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the fundamental truths of Christianity and the book of Matthew.
I was provided a free copy of this book for review from P & R Publishing. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.
May 7, 2020
Second time through: I enjoyed it even more, so I’m bumping this up to five stars. It’s amazing how accessible all the rich theology and insightful exegesis in this book is. Plenty to edify both academics and laypeople alike. This is biblical scholarship at its finest.
Original review: Really helpful at pointing out structures and themes in Matthew that I had never noticed before. A very worthwhile read.
Original review: Really helpful at pointing out structures and themes in Matthew that I had never noticed before. A very worthwhile read.
February 10, 2014
Review on my blog: http://wp.me/pf2RR-qK
May 25, 2020
Quarles expresses his appropriate concern of “doctrinal anemia” amongst professed believers in Jesus and then bursts forth into a doctrinal study of Jesus’ identity as revealed through Matthew’s gospel account.
He declares things both “old and new” as he proves Jesus’ identity as the new Moses, new David, new Abraham, and new Creator using Old Testament proofs.
It’s well written, an easy read, has relevant footnotes but not overwhelming nor distracting from the main thoughts. The reflection questions in the back of the book are useful.
The only downside is that Quarles obviously holds to the following Calvanistic, unscriptural doctrines which are sprinkled throughout his book: Unconditional election, total hereditary depravity, and Irresistible grace. These begin to be read about in his chapters covering the new Abraham.
Otherwise, I found the book helped to hardwire the structure of the book in my mind. He also overwhelmingly reaffirms the deity of Jesus and other the identities of Jesus as prophesied in the Old Testament.
He declares things both “old and new” as he proves Jesus’ identity as the new Moses, new David, new Abraham, and new Creator using Old Testament proofs.
It’s well written, an easy read, has relevant footnotes but not overwhelming nor distracting from the main thoughts. The reflection questions in the back of the book are useful.
The only downside is that Quarles obviously holds to the following Calvanistic, unscriptural doctrines which are sprinkled throughout his book: Unconditional election, total hereditary depravity, and Irresistible grace. These begin to be read about in his chapters covering the new Abraham.
Otherwise, I found the book helped to hardwire the structure of the book in my mind. He also overwhelmingly reaffirms the deity of Jesus and other the identities of Jesus as prophesied in the Old Testament.
January 13, 2018
The discipline of biblical theology at its best.
Quarles does a masterful job of showing you what you already know but couldn't articulate about the Who Jesus is in the Gospel of Matthew. In successive chapters he shows how Jesus is revealed as the New Moses (deliverer), New David (king), New Abraham (founder and promise-fulfiller), and New Creator (God incarnate) as well as how His amazing identity applies to us today.
Quarles has a knack for bringing out the subtleties that lie on top of the text--things that are demonstrable (not made up or merely speculative) yet not obvious to the casual reader. He turns Matthew from SD to HD for a careful reader.
Useful! I am going to use the scripture index in the back as I study for every single sermon in my current series on the Gospel of Matthew. Highly recommended.
Quarles does a masterful job of showing you what you already know but couldn't articulate about the Who Jesus is in the Gospel of Matthew. In successive chapters he shows how Jesus is revealed as the New Moses (deliverer), New David (king), New Abraham (founder and promise-fulfiller), and New Creator (God incarnate) as well as how His amazing identity applies to us today.
Quarles has a knack for bringing out the subtleties that lie on top of the text--things that are demonstrable (not made up or merely speculative) yet not obvious to the casual reader. He turns Matthew from SD to HD for a careful reader.
Useful! I am going to use the scripture index in the back as I study for every single sermon in my current series on the Gospel of Matthew. Highly recommended.
January 28, 2025
A helpful biblical-theological introduction to Matthew's Gospel, focussing on the identity of Jesus as fulfiller of Old Testament hopes and aspirations. Charles Quarles highlights how Matthew's Gospel presents Jesus as the New Moses, who leads a new spiritual exodus; the New David, who fulfils God's covenant with David; the new Abraham, who creates a new chosen people; and the new Creator, Immanuel, Yahweh in human flesh.
December 11, 2017
Quarles carefully examines Matthew reveals that the gospel writer has carefully written and arranged his biography in order to portray Jesus of Nazareth as a New David, a New Moses, a new Abraham and as the New Creator. More biblical theology than commentary, I found this book enlightening. I won't be able to read Matthew or look at Jesus in the same way again.
September 1, 2020
A little two much supersessionism for me but an overall useful and thought-provoking volume.
February 20, 2021
An accessible, deep-dive biblical theology of Matthew.
January 10, 2015
Review on my blog: http://mydigitalseminary.com/a-theolo...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews