Tradition and Interpretation in Matthew

by Günther Bornkamm

'The book is written with all the completeness of scholarship we should expect in Professor Bornkamm and in pupils strongly influenced by him . . . It is an important discussion of views emphasized in the School of Matthew which future commentators and students of biblical theology will need to take into account. Christology, the Church, discipleship, faith, law and tradition are some of the main themes treated in this exhaustive and scholarly discussion'. (Vincent Taylor in The Expository Times) 'The reviewer is compelled to express admiration for the fine scholarship of the writers and their unity of aim, which draws the reader, through sharing in detailed critical study, into fresh understanding of the Christian revelation'. (Journal of Theological Studies) 'One of the most important books we have on the Gospel of Matthew'. (Floyd V. Filson in Theology Today) These close and detailed studies represent a real advance in the understanding of the purpose and theology of the first evangelist'. (Henry Chadwick in the Church of England Newspaper) This volume, first published in 1963, is a pioneering work in the practice of 'redaction criticism'.

308 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1963

About the author

Günther Bornkamm (1905 – 1990) was a German New Testament scholar and author.

He was the father of fellow scholar and author Aleida Assmann.

Reviews

[Joshua Dewald]

If you want to read the gospel of Matthew with a deeper understanding, this book will definitely help. Each author discusses different sets of Mark's redactional activity of Mark and Q in order to show how the evangelist considered Christology, the role of faith, the role and authority of disciples, and the parousia. Of course, one needs to accept the notion that redactional activity can be used to extract out the interpretation and theology of the author.

This is definitely a scholarly work in the sense that it can at times be somewhat dense, it is nonetheless quite readable and I found myself having many "ah ha" moments. The most benefit is certainly gained by following along the specific references to verses, especially if you have a Synoptic parallels book to really "see" the redaction in action. This will also help demonstrate that Bornkamm, Barth and Held are onto something and aren't just putting their own thoughts into the mind of Matthew.

Very thought-provoking and I also think it would be edifying for a believer to be able to get that deeper understanding.