The Structure of Mathew

Excerpt from Bible study "A better way" from Proverbs 31 Ministries

Matthew 5:2 (ESV) "And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying..."

It is important when studying the book of Matthew that we are aware of its structure. Matthew was not written in chronological order. This is why the events in Matthew don't all sync with the timeline of events in the other Gospels. Instead, Matthew wrote his Gospel in topical order; he chose stories and teachings that helped illuminate his main ideas.

Within the book of Matthew, we will find five groupings or topics leading up to the Passion narrative of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection in Matthew 26-28. Each grouping begins with narrative (story) and then moves into a section of teachings from Jesus. Each section then ends with a transition statement.

Five Groupings Within Matthew:

1. Matthew 1-7 answers the question: How are we to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God? The first four are narrative chapters, followed by two didactic (teaching) chapters and concluding with, "And when Jesus finished these sayings..." (Matthew 7:28).

2. Matthew 8-10 answers the question: How are traveling disciples to conduct themselves? The first two chapters are narrative, followed by one more chapter of Jesus' teachings and concluding with, "When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples..." (Matthew 11:1).

3. Matthew 11-13:52 answers the question: What parables did Jesus teach? The first two chapters consist of narrative, followed by one chapter of teaching and then this transition: "And when Jesus had finished these parables..." (Matthew 13:53).

4. Matthew 13:54-18 Matthew 13:54-18 answers the question: What warnings are there about unforgiveness and hindering someone from entering the Kingdom? After four narrative chapters and one teaching chapter, this section concludes: "Now when Jesus had finished these sayings..." (Matthew 19:1)

5. Matthew 19-25 answers the question: How will human history end? This section's five narrative chapters and two teaching chapters wrap up with Matthew 26:1: "When Jesus had finished all these sayings..."

Matthew records over 20 miracles performed by Jesus. However, 60% of the book is focused on the teachings of Jesus. These words of Jesus truly ring throughout the ages. Also within Matthew, there are many references to the Old Testament. Matthew's goal was to show his Jewish brothers and sisters that Jesus was the King promised from the line of David, the Messiah they had been looking for their entire lives. He frequently cited Old Testament prophecies to prove just that. Because of this, Matthew makes the perfect bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament (which is why we find Matthew listed as the first book of the New Testament instead of Mark, which is thought to be the first Gospel to have been written.)

By stepping back and seeing the overview of Matthew's structure, we are better prepared to understand the placement and significance of certain stories and teachings in his Gospel. The word "gospel" is translated from the Greek word euangelion, which means "good news." Praise God for sharing the Good News with us through this faithful disciple!