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Matthew 1:1–16:20 (Illuminations
An insightful commentary on the Gospel of Matthew that focuses on historical context and reception history
In this remarkable two-volume commentary, New Testament scholar Warren Carter situates the Gospel of Matthew within the context of Jewish traditions and negotiations of Roman imperialism after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. He positions the Gospel as illuminating how a community of Jesus-followers constantly navigates Roman power. He pays particular attention to Jesus’s strategies for dealing with Roman rule, showing how Jesus alternately replicates it, accommodates it, resists it, and develops a way of life committed to the empire of God. In addition to situating the Gospel of Matthew in its historical and social context, Carter shines new light on instances of the book’s reception, illustrating how scholars have interpreted it from the era of the early church up to the present. This fascinating commentary is an essential and distinctive resource for New Testament scholars and students of theology.
In this remarkable two-volume commentary, New Testament scholar Warren Carter situates the Gospel of Matthew within the context of Jewish traditions and negotiations of Roman imperialism after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. He positions the Gospel as illuminating how a community of Jesus-followers constantly navigates Roman power. He pays particular attention to Jesus’s strategies for dealing with Roman rule, showing how Jesus alternately replicates it, accommodates it, resists it, and develops a way of life committed to the empire of God. In addition to situating the Gospel of Matthew in its historical and social context, Carter shines new light on instances of the book’s reception, illustrating how scholars have interpreted it from the era of the early church up to the present. This fascinating commentary is an essential and distinctive resource for New Testament scholars and students of theology.
925 pages, Hardcover
Published November 20, 2025
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About the author
Warren Carter
39 books13 followersWarren Carter is Professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School. He came to Brite in 2007 after teaching for 17 years at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. His scholarly work has focused on the gospels of Matthew and John, and he has focused on the issue of the ways in which early Christians negotiated the Roman empire. In addition to numerous scholarly articles, he is the author of ten books including Matthew and the Margins (Orbis Books), Matthew and Empire (Trinity Press International/Continuum), The Roman Empire and the New Testament (Abingdon), John and Empire (T&T Clark/Continuum), and What Does Revelation Reveal? (Abingdon). He has also contributed to numerous church resources and publications such as contributing 15 studies on Matthew in The Pastors Bible Study Vol 1 (Abingdon). He is a frequent speaker at scholarly and ecclesial conferences.
Degrees
Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1991
Th.M., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1986
B.D., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1985
B.A., Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, 1976
Degrees
Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1991
Th.M., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1986
B.D., Melbourne College of Divinity, 1985
B.A., Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, 1976
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