Understanding Matthew

by Stephen Westerholm

Stephen Westerholm provides an engaging guide to the gospel of Matthew. His goal is that readers "begin to understand how Matthew made sense of things, and to see how it makes sense to make sense of things that way."

Westerholm begins by introducing the idea of a worldview and considers what that might have looked like for early Jewish Christians. He surveys Matthew's account of God's dealings with Israel and Jesus's proclamation of the kingdom of God. He then considers Jesus's call to discipleship and illustrates it from the life and writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Westerholm's study is a broadly accessible work that will provide students and pastors with an excellent introduction to the gospel of Matthew.

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Sanjuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read Westerholm on Paul in the past, and absolutely loved his work. As Matthew is my wheelhouse, I was excited to read him on Matthew. My disappointment with the first 50 pages can not be overstated. I thought the first 50 pages, which is a full third of this short 150 page book, were absolutely boring and tedious. I almost gave up, but decided to push through, and I'm so glad I did. The final 100 pages of this book, in complete juxtaposition to the beginning, were absolutely excellent. After prodding his way through some rudimentary worldview discussions, Westerholm's actual discussion on Matthew, on the Gospel's worldview and the specifics of its content, was fantastic. Written for the popular audience, this book would be an immense help and encouragement to anyone starting out in Matthean studies.

[Don Henrikson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. I found that it presented more of what I would consider a biblical theology of Matthew than a worldview, but I was certainly not disappointed. The way in which Westerholm keeps the larger context of Matthew in mind as he discusses the various themes found in the book is very helpful. Using the life of Bonhoeffer as an illustration of a modern interpretation and application of Matthew could have made the book's intent confusing. Instead, Westerholm mixes this in in the right proportions and in the right places, making it quite beneficial. I recommend this book for laymen and scholar alike.

[Curly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this kind of book because it forces me to think about biblical context and how it shapes the way the biblical writer presents the gospel information to their audience. I enjoyed Westerholms' discussion of "worldview", and how our worldview helps us determine how we prioritize and emphasize the importance of ideas in our world.

Also, having read several works on and from Bonhoeffer, I find it fitting Westerholm's integration of his thoughts and ideas on the biblical ideas of Matthew. I thought it was both enlightening and encouraging to see the blend of ideas from two different historical times and situations.