Matthew

The NIV Application Commentary, New Testament #1

by Michael J. Wilkins, Clinton E. Arnold

The importance of the Gospel of Matthew in church history cannot be overstated. For Jewish readers, it affirmed the Messiahship of Jesus, referring consistently to the Scriptures to establish his credentials. For Gentile disciples, it provided powerful and dramatic support of their inclusion in God’s kingdom. The cross of Christ had removed the division between Jew and non-Jew, and through Matthew’s writings, we see Israel’s God drawing the entire world to himself through Jesus.“The Gospel according to Matthew . . . Was the most widely read and frequently used of any of the four Gospels in the formative years of the church,” writes Michael Wilkins. In this volume of the NIV Application Commentary, Wilkins explains Matthew’s broad appeal not only to his ancient readers, but also to us today. Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, Wilkins shares perspectives on Matthew’s Gospel that reveal its enduring relevance for our twenty-first-century lives.Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But they leave us there, assuming that we can somehow make the return journey on our own. They focus on the original meaning of the passage but don’t discuss its contemporary application. The information they offer is valuable—but the job is only half done! The NIV Application Commentary Series helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together. This unique, award-winning series shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our present-day context. It explains not only what the Bible meant but also how it speaks powerfully today.“This series promises to become an indispensable tool for every pastor and teacher who seeks to make the Bible's timeless message speak to this generation.” Billy Graham“It takes more than interpretation of God's Word to change lives, it takes application. Application is the bottom line in preaching and teaching. Without it, we've missed the point of the Bible. The NIV Application Commentary is an outstanding resource for pastors and anyone else who is serious about developing ‘doers of the Word.’” Rick Warren, PastorSaddleback Valley Community Church

Genres: Reference, Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies, New Testament, Faith, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[John Hayward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, having started Michael Wilkins' NIV Application Commentary on Matthew back in 2018-19 (chs.1-9) and picked it back up for a spell in 2023 (chs. 10-12), I have finally finished (Dec'24), having gradually worked through it this past year or so. Strangely, Matthew's Gospel was the book of the Bible that I most wrestled over when I was writing my own chapter summaries too. Wilkins has some odd assertions (e.g. "James was the first martyr of the church (Acts 12:2)" (p.668); he presumably meant "the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred"; cf. Stephen (Acts 7)), but I've picked up the odd similar imprecise statement in my own Advent book too. If I had to pick out a single quote to capture the commentary's message, it would be "Intentional sojourning in the world requires us to be alert to the stark difference between our discipleship and the world's values and habits, and to live out the kingdom values summarized in the Beatitudes and revealed more fully in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount." (p.225 on Mt 5:3-16)

[Rev. Ben Clements · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great commentary for teachers, students and even those who love literature. Well researched! Written in a way that is easy to read! Flat out enjoyed the way the commentary read - it flows, and there's a sort of story format in the process as the research is laid out. Very informative to the new student/Christian! Very good reminder and a wonderful and fresh presentation for the experts. Awesome work all the way around!

[Jamie Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the NIV Application Commentary. It is the best. Some authors are better than others but I really enjoyed Wilkins and would consider him to be one of the best. Overall I really enjoyed this commentary which I digested as often as I could as part of my devotional time.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a long book, and sometimes I got kind of lost, but it contained a lot of things I needed to think about and consider as a Christian.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic commentary on Matthew.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Matthew" is a Bible commentary on the book of Matthew with a focus on the background context for the verses. The background information was cultural, historical, and geographical and much of it was based on ancient literature and archaeological discoveries. The actual ancient sources were quoted and their relevance explained, which I liked better than the vague summaries or paraphrases that I usually come across.

The commentary moved through Matthew in order. Sidebar articles supplemented the commentary in the main text. There were many full-color, easy-to-read and -understand maps, charts, and timelines. The many full-color pictures illustrated the commentary giving an excellent idea of what a thing, place, or activity was like at the time of Jesus.

The author usually gave the information and let the reader draw their own theological conclusions, which I appreciated. Overall, I found the information useful and interesting. Though written with a slightly more scholarly tone than some lay-level background commentaries, I'd still highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the background context of Jesus' life and teachings.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Matthew" is a well-written book to help the reader better understand the first book in the New Testament. The author takes verses of the first Book and explains the meaning. Maps, pictures of artifacts, photographs of the area, all help the reader better understand the book of Matthew. I hope to read the rest of the series in the future.