Abstract:
Perspectives on the interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew. The article focuses on the
interconnectedness between the notion eschatology and the Jesus profile in the Gospel of
Matthew against the background of Donald Hagner and David Sim’s respective views. It
consists of a discussion of Matthew’s messianic interpretation of Jesus. The presumption is
that the concept ‘messiah’ conveys an eschatological connotation. The article argues that
Matthew’s messianism is an allusion to Second Baruch’s apocalyptic messianism. From the
perspective of this implied reference, the article demonstrates the correlation between
Matthew’s narration of Jesus’ genealogical list and Jesus’ commission commandment which
concludes the narration – however with an open-ended appeal to the Matthean ekklēsia to
overcome hypocrisy and doubt. In the article the Matthean community is located in Syria
Palestine in the midst of the parting of the ways between ‘Church’ and ‘Synagogue’. The
article’s thesis concludes with the view that the relatedness between Matthew’s eschatology to
Jesus’ life constitutes the narration’s plot formed by the two sequences of the pre-Paschal and
post-Paschal commissions and the connectedness between birth (genesis) and rebirth
(palingenesia), i.e. genealogy and resurrection.
Description:
Hierdie artikel is die tweede in ’n reeks. In die eerste artikel is aan ‘ensiklopediese eggo’s’ in die Evangelie van Matteus aandag gegee.
Die twee artikels is verwerkings van ’n voordrag gelewer tydens die Wim Weren Konferensie by die Universiteit van Pretoria, 28–29 Januarie
2015.
