Who was the author of the Gospel of Matthew? This question has intrigued scholars and theologians for centuries. The Gospel of Matthew, one of the four canonical Gospels in the New Testament, is believed to have been written by an anonymous author who is traditionally referred to as “Matthew the Evangelist.” However, the true identity of this individual remains a subject of debate and speculation.
The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and is widely considered to be the most Jewish of the four Gospels. It is believed to have been written in Greek, although the author may have been familiar with Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. The Gospel is thought to have been composed around the year 80 AD, making it one of the earliest written Gospels.
Scholars have proposed several candidates for the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew. The most prominent candidate is the apostle Matthew, who is mentioned in the New Testament as one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. According to tradition, Matthew was a tax collector before becoming a follower of Jesus. Some scholars argue that the Gospel was written by this apostle, based on the similarities between the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus, as well as the Jewish background of the author.
However, other scholars have questioned the apostolic authorship of the Gospel of Matthew. They argue that the style and content of the Gospel are too polished and sophisticated to have been written by an apostle who was illiterate in Greek. Instead, they suggest that the Gospel was written by a later Christian scribe who was familiar with the teachings of Jesus and the apostle Matthew.
One of the strongest arguments against apostolic authorship is the lack of evidence that the apostle Matthew ever wrote anything. The New Testament contains no writings attributed to him, and the references to him in the Gospels are sparse and often ambiguous. Furthermore, the Gospel of Matthew does not contain the “Q” source, which is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus that is thought to have been used by both Matthew and Luke.
In conclusion, while the traditional view holds that the apostle Matthew was the author of the Gospel of Matthew, there is no definitive evidence to support this claim. The true identity of the author remains a mystery, and the debate over the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew continues to be a subject of scholarly inquiry.
