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The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
"It is a special pleasure to introduce R. T. (Dick) France's commentary to the pastoral and scholarly community, who should find it a truly exceptional -- and helpful -- volume." So says Gordon Fee in his preface to this work. France's masterful commentary on Matthew focuses on exegesis of Matthew's text as it stands rather than on the prehistory of the material or details of Synoptic comparison. The exegesis of each section is part of a planned literary whole supplemented, rather than controlled, by verse-by-verse commentary, allowing the text as a complete story to come into brilliant focus.
Rather than being a "commentary on commentaries," The Gospel of Matthew is concerned throughout with what Matthew himself meant to convey about Jesus and how he set about doing so within the cultural and historical context of first-century Palestine. France frequently draws attention to the distinctive nature of the province of Galilee and the social dynamics involved when a Galilean prophet presents himself in Jerusalem as the Messiah.
The English translation at the beginning of each section is France's own, designed to provide the basis for the commentary. This adept translation uses contemporary idioms and, where necessary, gives priority to clarity over literary elegance.
Amid the wide array of Matthew commentaries available today, France's world-class stature, his clear focus on Matthew and Jesus, his careful methodology, and his user-friendly style promise to make this volume an enduring standard for years to come.
Rather than being a "commentary on commentaries," The Gospel of Matthew is concerned throughout with what Matthew himself meant to convey about Jesus and how he set about doing so within the cultural and historical context of first-century Palestine. France frequently draws attention to the distinctive nature of the province of Galilee and the social dynamics involved when a Galilean prophet presents himself in Jerusalem as the Messiah.
The English translation at the beginning of each section is France's own, designed to provide the basis for the commentary. This adept translation uses contemporary idioms and, where necessary, gives priority to clarity over literary elegance.
Amid the wide array of Matthew commentaries available today, France's world-class stature, his clear focus on Matthew and Jesus, his careful methodology, and his user-friendly style promise to make this volume an enduring standard for years to come.
- GenresReferenceChristianity
1090 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2009
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88 people want to read
About the author
Craig S. Keener
146 books247 followersCraig S. Keener (PhD, Duke University) is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author of many books, including Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, the bestseller The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels, Gift and Giver, and commentaries on Matthew, John, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, and Revelation.
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November 6, 2015
Keener's much slimmer commentary from the IVP NTCommentary series alludes to this extensive follow up on the Gospel of Matthew. Perhaps the first question to answer is whether his Socio-Rhetorical commentary is necessary or worth it for those who have read his previous one, to which I would say an unequivocal yes. The amount of information that Keener is able to include in this 721 page exposition allows some of his working theories (on the surface) from "Matthew" to get fleshed out, leaving room to explore each side of competing assumptions and thought. The Socio-Rhetorical focus also lends it a particular interest to the Rabbinic history of both Jesus' time and the authorial audience (as well the Greco-Roman culture that surrounds it). I believe it was Warren Carter who notes in his own exposition the complicated process of exploring first century Palestine from what is a lack of intimate details regarding the culture itself (beyond what we gain from the Gospel traditions). He goes on to clarify that we do, however, have considerably more information regarding the surrounding cultures that interacted with first century Palestine Gospel traditions, something that Keener utilizes to bring us closer to the world of the text itself.
Keener keeps with some of the themes that he fleshes out in his original commentary (Jesus' identity, Kingdom language), but continues to explore other minor/major developments that surface in Matthews particularly Jewish (or re-Judeaized) take on the Gospel tradition. He utilizes his freedom to narrow in closer to individual verses and smaller portions of scripture, which both slows the pace and expands the process. For example, here we get more attention in the opening pages (on the first few chapters of Matthew's Gospel) as a bird's eye view of the text, allowing us to swoop in for a closer look at some of the intentional themes which arise from the genealogy (which draws us in to the Jewish history before startling us with the inclusion of four gentile wormen). From this vantage point we are able to see the relevant flow towards Matthew's subtle gentile concern (which continues in the story of the magi and is accentuated in later passages that use the most unlikely characters, such as the Roman centurion, to contrast Jewish assumptions/failures with the success of pagans/gentiles), Matthew's emphasis on providing a model for discipleship (which moves from the genealogy and out from the characters of Joseph and Mary to the disciples themselves, and then ultimately to Christ), and Matthew's consistent use of the Hebrew text, Jewish traditions/metaphors and themes (such as the wilderness theme that we find in the story of John the Baptist, the inclusion of mountains and geographical placement, the interest in texts such as Zechariah, and even further an intentional meandering through Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek translations/renderings of his sources.
Perhaps most beneficial is the opportunity that Keener affords us to see patterns and connecting points in the text. Where modern ears likely remain most removed (and limited) is in understanding the ancient form of storytelling that existed in the first century (and earlier). Understanding tendencies such as hyperbolic expansion of texts, the nature of midrash on storytelling, repetition and the use of symbolic numeric values opens up a mode of narrative that challenges our own assumptions of how stories should be told, something that is important (and necessary) to hold in full view as we engage Matthew's Gospel with our own assumptions.
While Keener also helps the reader with significant side trips down different lines of socio-rhetorical concern (such as an exploration of the use of the word "sinners" in the first century, the cultural understanding of traditions such as the virgin birth and resurrection from the dead, or helpful background information on Roman political/court structures, synagogue, Pharisaic and scribal cultures, or on the function of social classes and wealth of the day), perhaps one of the best uses of this commentary is in allowing it to immerse us in the mind of the author and audience as it pertains to first century traditions. Here Keener has taken a difficult text (for me Matthew's Gospel has always been the most difficult one to engage with) and opened up my eyes to a entirely different perspective. I was fascinated to explore different elements such as the strategic placement of the segments involving John the Baptist, or the Sermon on the Mount as a recognizable template (of 5 OT legal cases) for reading through the different discourses (if we accept the 5 discourse theory). It was also interesting to read Matthew's particular and developing resistance to the idea of revolution (at least in the terms of his active audience), and his use of "body" parts to engage with a first century understanding of metaphorical "heart" imagery (one of the areas that he shares with Paul).
Perhaps most helpful yet (for me) is understanding the author/audience relationship (as best as we can anyways). The scenario of a marginalized Judeo-Christian community with an increasingly strained relationship with the growing synagogue culture (in light of the temple's destruction) helps to frame much of Matthew's harsher language and concern (which is turned entirely inward towards some of the religious leaders in view... which it should be pointed out is not intended as a sweeping judgement on all of pharisaic culture). In fact, in our modern day this critique seems all the more familiar and recognizable in an age of distinct institutions, pastoral titles, mega churches and vastly competing ideologies. Once we get past confusing pictures of sinners and saints (which are projected on to Matthew's own determined picture of saints as sinners and sinners as saints reversal), we find a grace and mercy being slipped in underneath in to the places where (at least for those on the negative end of the polemic) it doesn't seem to belong. For Matthew this is about the refusal to allow Christ to centre us all on equal ground, and the refusal to accept that Jesus' own ministry challenged the assumptions of an exclusive approach to salvation, moving from "one nation" to "all nations". It is about those who make more of their saintliness and less of others by shifting the weight of their own responsibility/failures on to the shoulders and heads of others for the sake of ones own image. It is about the race to finish first in the coming kingdom (which for Matthew is as presently located as it is a recognizable future hope), and the unfortunate causalties this leaves in its wake (of those in need being rejected and removed from the consuming grace of Jesus... at least on human terms. For Matthew the greater truth is that God's plan moves forward regardless of human failures to recognize it. God pursues, God calls, God redeems through Christ those who have been rejected by others).
Matthew is a social Gospel. It is about social responsibilities, social needs and social dynamics. This is something I failed to grasp. I believe I get it now. Matthew is also a human Gospel. It is about the fight to be free of oppression not as a revolutionary but as a quiet influencer of culture that surpasses and embraces the persecuted nature of oppression. It is about being aware of our own responsibilities to live as Christ rather than concerning ourselves with the lives and actions of others. It is about erasing the lines that divide our Jewish/Gentile relations (however that lands to our modern ears) and about seeing all people's worth from a Christ down approach (as opposed to seeing our worth and Christ's worth through a human lineage that moves from Abraham/David upwards). It is about the messiness of the faith/doubt relationship that keeps faith an active process in our lives.
Matthew is also a practical Gospel. It is about the unique Jewish understanding of repentance (which accentuates the idea of "turning back" or "turning towards", a concept that is missing from similar words in other cultural settings). His focus on discipleship as something that actually transforms and changes us fits with his insistence that the accomplishment of Jesus' earthly ministry actually "does" something in our lives. What at first is an impossible picture of a call to "perfection" in regards to holiness, transforms in to a passionate love affair with seeing followers of Jesus actually positioned to continue to transform the world in Jesus' physical absence (through the spirit). There is an urgency in Matthew's Gospel that becomes increasingly apparent as we move towards the passion narrative, and interestingly where Matthew leaves us is with a picture of "far from perfect" disciples, and some who "believed" and some who "doubted". This should be the ultimate clue that Matthew is not interested in creating an impossible model for discipleship, but rather in elevating God's vision for what we should always be attaining towards (as imitators of Christ). And again, it should be noted that once we can part with our superficial notions of sin as simply the failure to follow the "law" perfectly, we can allow ourselves to recognize the foundation that Matthew is building for moving towards a concern for the "heart" of the law as a liberating force. The Gospel is not so much about outward expressions as it is about revealing what is on the inside and thus aligning our own vision of faith with the God's own vision of the kingdom (in which the least become great).
And finally, Matthew's Gospel is theologically rich. Where I struggled to see past his focus on the "law", I now recognize the incredible connection of Christ coming to fulfill the law in light of the Jewish history/tradition. This is what made Jesus so compelling to the communities of His early followers. Even as Jesus subtly infiltrates gentile territory, his message carries weight in those corners of the world partly "because" it is a part of a larger (Jewish) movement that has gone before Him. Keener is passionate about showing just how much Jesus ministry stands as a unique expression of a uniquely Jewish hope in an (ideologically) crowded ancient context. As he writes it is hard not to recognize this as at least somewhat compelling in terms of embracing the historical Christ. Jesus was not simply one choice of religion out of many, He embodied God's movement in to the world as part of an intentional plan. God with us. It is a statement that is as difficult for our modern (and skeptical) ears as it was heretical for ancient ears. And yet the writer of Matthew believes wholly in the person of whom he writes (Jesus the Christ), not as a human invention or religious symbol, but as a historical person who came in to the world at this point in history to bring hope and change and promise in the restored and redeemed world to come. And what Matthew reminds us of, from his intimately connected Jewish lens, is that this hope and this change throughout Jewish tradition has always been recognized as a downward movement from Heaven to earth, from privileged to underprivileged, from majority to minority. from master to slave. In all of these contexts it is about how we make this movement, either as the oppressor or as the servant, either abusing the power at the expense of the weak, or becoming the least to elevate the weak to the great. With Christ as the great model of discipleship this downward movement becomes our responsibility in his physical absence, and for Matthew this is a responsibility that must be taken seriously and urgently as a social obligation, for God's kingdom is not only at hand, it is presently here.
Keener keeps with some of the themes that he fleshes out in his original commentary (Jesus' identity, Kingdom language), but continues to explore other minor/major developments that surface in Matthews particularly Jewish (or re-Judeaized) take on the Gospel tradition. He utilizes his freedom to narrow in closer to individual verses and smaller portions of scripture, which both slows the pace and expands the process. For example, here we get more attention in the opening pages (on the first few chapters of Matthew's Gospel) as a bird's eye view of the text, allowing us to swoop in for a closer look at some of the intentional themes which arise from the genealogy (which draws us in to the Jewish history before startling us with the inclusion of four gentile wormen). From this vantage point we are able to see the relevant flow towards Matthew's subtle gentile concern (which continues in the story of the magi and is accentuated in later passages that use the most unlikely characters, such as the Roman centurion, to contrast Jewish assumptions/failures with the success of pagans/gentiles), Matthew's emphasis on providing a model for discipleship (which moves from the genealogy and out from the characters of Joseph and Mary to the disciples themselves, and then ultimately to Christ), and Matthew's consistent use of the Hebrew text, Jewish traditions/metaphors and themes (such as the wilderness theme that we find in the story of John the Baptist, the inclusion of mountains and geographical placement, the interest in texts such as Zechariah, and even further an intentional meandering through Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek translations/renderings of his sources.
Perhaps most beneficial is the opportunity that Keener affords us to see patterns and connecting points in the text. Where modern ears likely remain most removed (and limited) is in understanding the ancient form of storytelling that existed in the first century (and earlier). Understanding tendencies such as hyperbolic expansion of texts, the nature of midrash on storytelling, repetition and the use of symbolic numeric values opens up a mode of narrative that challenges our own assumptions of how stories should be told, something that is important (and necessary) to hold in full view as we engage Matthew's Gospel with our own assumptions.
While Keener also helps the reader with significant side trips down different lines of socio-rhetorical concern (such as an exploration of the use of the word "sinners" in the first century, the cultural understanding of traditions such as the virgin birth and resurrection from the dead, or helpful background information on Roman political/court structures, synagogue, Pharisaic and scribal cultures, or on the function of social classes and wealth of the day), perhaps one of the best uses of this commentary is in allowing it to immerse us in the mind of the author and audience as it pertains to first century traditions. Here Keener has taken a difficult text (for me Matthew's Gospel has always been the most difficult one to engage with) and opened up my eyes to a entirely different perspective. I was fascinated to explore different elements such as the strategic placement of the segments involving John the Baptist, or the Sermon on the Mount as a recognizable template (of 5 OT legal cases) for reading through the different discourses (if we accept the 5 discourse theory). It was also interesting to read Matthew's particular and developing resistance to the idea of revolution (at least in the terms of his active audience), and his use of "body" parts to engage with a first century understanding of metaphorical "heart" imagery (one of the areas that he shares with Paul).
Perhaps most helpful yet (for me) is understanding the author/audience relationship (as best as we can anyways). The scenario of a marginalized Judeo-Christian community with an increasingly strained relationship with the growing synagogue culture (in light of the temple's destruction) helps to frame much of Matthew's harsher language and concern (which is turned entirely inward towards some of the religious leaders in view... which it should be pointed out is not intended as a sweeping judgement on all of pharisaic culture). In fact, in our modern day this critique seems all the more familiar and recognizable in an age of distinct institutions, pastoral titles, mega churches and vastly competing ideologies. Once we get past confusing pictures of sinners and saints (which are projected on to Matthew's own determined picture of saints as sinners and sinners as saints reversal), we find a grace and mercy being slipped in underneath in to the places where (at least for those on the negative end of the polemic) it doesn't seem to belong. For Matthew this is about the refusal to allow Christ to centre us all on equal ground, and the refusal to accept that Jesus' own ministry challenged the assumptions of an exclusive approach to salvation, moving from "one nation" to "all nations". It is about those who make more of their saintliness and less of others by shifting the weight of their own responsibility/failures on to the shoulders and heads of others for the sake of ones own image. It is about the race to finish first in the coming kingdom (which for Matthew is as presently located as it is a recognizable future hope), and the unfortunate causalties this leaves in its wake (of those in need being rejected and removed from the consuming grace of Jesus... at least on human terms. For Matthew the greater truth is that God's plan moves forward regardless of human failures to recognize it. God pursues, God calls, God redeems through Christ those who have been rejected by others).
Matthew is a social Gospel. It is about social responsibilities, social needs and social dynamics. This is something I failed to grasp. I believe I get it now. Matthew is also a human Gospel. It is about the fight to be free of oppression not as a revolutionary but as a quiet influencer of culture that surpasses and embraces the persecuted nature of oppression. It is about being aware of our own responsibilities to live as Christ rather than concerning ourselves with the lives and actions of others. It is about erasing the lines that divide our Jewish/Gentile relations (however that lands to our modern ears) and about seeing all people's worth from a Christ down approach (as opposed to seeing our worth and Christ's worth through a human lineage that moves from Abraham/David upwards). It is about the messiness of the faith/doubt relationship that keeps faith an active process in our lives.
Matthew is also a practical Gospel. It is about the unique Jewish understanding of repentance (which accentuates the idea of "turning back" or "turning towards", a concept that is missing from similar words in other cultural settings). His focus on discipleship as something that actually transforms and changes us fits with his insistence that the accomplishment of Jesus' earthly ministry actually "does" something in our lives. What at first is an impossible picture of a call to "perfection" in regards to holiness, transforms in to a passionate love affair with seeing followers of Jesus actually positioned to continue to transform the world in Jesus' physical absence (through the spirit). There is an urgency in Matthew's Gospel that becomes increasingly apparent as we move towards the passion narrative, and interestingly where Matthew leaves us is with a picture of "far from perfect" disciples, and some who "believed" and some who "doubted". This should be the ultimate clue that Matthew is not interested in creating an impossible model for discipleship, but rather in elevating God's vision for what we should always be attaining towards (as imitators of Christ). And again, it should be noted that once we can part with our superficial notions of sin as simply the failure to follow the "law" perfectly, we can allow ourselves to recognize the foundation that Matthew is building for moving towards a concern for the "heart" of the law as a liberating force. The Gospel is not so much about outward expressions as it is about revealing what is on the inside and thus aligning our own vision of faith with the God's own vision of the kingdom (in which the least become great).
And finally, Matthew's Gospel is theologically rich. Where I struggled to see past his focus on the "law", I now recognize the incredible connection of Christ coming to fulfill the law in light of the Jewish history/tradition. This is what made Jesus so compelling to the communities of His early followers. Even as Jesus subtly infiltrates gentile territory, his message carries weight in those corners of the world partly "because" it is a part of a larger (Jewish) movement that has gone before Him. Keener is passionate about showing just how much Jesus ministry stands as a unique expression of a uniquely Jewish hope in an (ideologically) crowded ancient context. As he writes it is hard not to recognize this as at least somewhat compelling in terms of embracing the historical Christ. Jesus was not simply one choice of religion out of many, He embodied God's movement in to the world as part of an intentional plan. God with us. It is a statement that is as difficult for our modern (and skeptical) ears as it was heretical for ancient ears. And yet the writer of Matthew believes wholly in the person of whom he writes (Jesus the Christ), not as a human invention or religious symbol, but as a historical person who came in to the world at this point in history to bring hope and change and promise in the restored and redeemed world to come. And what Matthew reminds us of, from his intimately connected Jewish lens, is that this hope and this change throughout Jewish tradition has always been recognized as a downward movement from Heaven to earth, from privileged to underprivileged, from majority to minority. from master to slave. In all of these contexts it is about how we make this movement, either as the oppressor or as the servant, either abusing the power at the expense of the weak, or becoming the least to elevate the weak to the great. With Christ as the great model of discipleship this downward movement becomes our responsibility in his physical absence, and for Matthew this is a responsibility that must be taken seriously and urgently as a social obligation, for God's kingdom is not only at hand, it is presently here.
February 20, 2018
The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary is an New Testament commentary, written by Craig S. Keener and published by Eerdmands. Commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew can be either highly critical or devotional in nature. I therefore was pleasantly surprised when I read Keener work and found it to be more or less on the conservative side while still engaging with high criticism scholarship, mixed with application. It has been a long time since a scholarly mostly conservative work has been published on the Gospel of Matthew and France did not disappoint, weighing in at just under 1100 pages.
This commentary is a created along the line of of the famous A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary by Ben Witherington, a series which is synonymous with excellent exegesis and superior application, this volume not only continues this legacy, but truly propels it to new heights. Yet while Keener does answer these critical issues, something he does flawlessly by the way, he interacts with critical scholarship in a way most conservative commentators don’t. From this it is easy to see why Keener is a highly regarded scholar and superior exegete.
The Gospel of Matthew has two main sections the typical general introduction, and then followed by a insightful exegetical commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew. With regard to the general introduction it is the typical study into the introductory matters of the book and how they relate to the Bible as a whole. This is a serious scholarly work which dives into contextual as well as the as the different methodical approaches to study of this book Keener takes great care in carefully showing the original context of passage while applying it directly to the modern day reader. I do wish though that there was more application to some of the more difficult passages.
While I disagree with Keener on a few minor issues the arguments he makes are sound. Keener is innovate in his interpretation and application while staying stalwart in his commitment to orthodoxy. In the vein of recommending, The Gospel of Matthew, to others I would recommend this commentary to pastors and scholars, yet I would highly recommend pastors, such as myself, to pair this scholarly commentary with one that is one that has more of a pastoral tone. There are many commentaries about Gospel of Matthew available at this moment but The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary is a very scholarly works worthy of your time.
This book was provided to me free of charge from Eerdmans in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.
This commentary is a created along the line of of the famous A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary by Ben Witherington, a series which is synonymous with excellent exegesis and superior application, this volume not only continues this legacy, but truly propels it to new heights. Yet while Keener does answer these critical issues, something he does flawlessly by the way, he interacts with critical scholarship in a way most conservative commentators don’t. From this it is easy to see why Keener is a highly regarded scholar and superior exegete.
The Gospel of Matthew has two main sections the typical general introduction, and then followed by a insightful exegetical commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew. With regard to the general introduction it is the typical study into the introductory matters of the book and how they relate to the Bible as a whole. This is a serious scholarly work which dives into contextual as well as the as the different methodical approaches to study of this book Keener takes great care in carefully showing the original context of passage while applying it directly to the modern day reader. I do wish though that there was more application to some of the more difficult passages.
While I disagree with Keener on a few minor issues the arguments he makes are sound. Keener is innovate in his interpretation and application while staying stalwart in his commitment to orthodoxy. In the vein of recommending, The Gospel of Matthew, to others I would recommend this commentary to pastors and scholars, yet I would highly recommend pastors, such as myself, to pair this scholarly commentary with one that is one that has more of a pastoral tone. There are many commentaries about Gospel of Matthew available at this moment but The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary is a very scholarly works worthy of your time.
This book was provided to me free of charge from Eerdmans in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.
October 18, 2017
Out of the ordinary approach had good value in keeping the big picture of Matthew before me.
October 14, 2024
I actually read the Logos edition of this book; much easier for looking up cross-references.
May 11, 2015
Keener's "socio-rhetorical commentary" has become my reference book, my stand-by when Matthew serves as a co-text for Sunday morning sermon or Bible study. This season's brief Bible study on the Lord's Prayer and the rest of Mt 6 benefited from having this volume at my fingertips.
Keener provides a helpful survey of the historical context of each pericope of Mt. If you're looking for a literary treatment of the Gospel, look somewhere else. But if you want to check or challenge your assumptions about what the text must mean, Keener's volume is the book for you.
Keener emphasizes rabbinic co-texts (though he faithfully names any historical gaps between the rabbinic writings and the NT). I wish there was a bit more attention to the sociocultural conditions of average early first century Palestine. (However I suspect that this is absent in the commentary precisely because good historical evidence of that sort is also largely missing, leaving those who'd write it in to rely on theoretical reconstructions rather than solid evidence.)
I solidly good commentary/reference volume.
Keener provides a helpful survey of the historical context of each pericope of Mt. If you're looking for a literary treatment of the Gospel, look somewhere else. But if you want to check or challenge your assumptions about what the text must mean, Keener's volume is the book for you.
Keener emphasizes rabbinic co-texts (though he faithfully names any historical gaps between the rabbinic writings and the NT). I wish there was a bit more attention to the sociocultural conditions of average early first century Palestine. (However I suspect that this is absent in the commentary precisely because good historical evidence of that sort is also largely missing, leaving those who'd write it in to rely on theoretical reconstructions rather than solid evidence.)
I solidly good commentary/reference volume.
January 25, 2016
Excellent and highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews