Version: King James Version (public domain)
Matthew
The Gospel of the promised Messiah
Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah promised in Israel’s Scriptures, with five great discourses, including the Sermon on the Mount.
Historical context
Tradition attributes it to Matthew the tax collector. It quotes the Old Testament more than any other Gospel and opens the New Testament in Christian Bibles.
Explanation
Best-known passages
- The genealogy and birth of Jesus (ch. 1–2)
- The Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes (ch. 5–7)
- The Lord’s Prayer (ch. 6)
- The Great Commission (ch. 28)