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GOSPELS STUDY

For my Gospels Study Assignment, I have chosen the Gospel of __Matthew ___.

I. Gospels Word Study

Each of the four Gospels includes at least one leitwort, or specific repeated terms, to
advance their unique focus and message. For example, the author of the Gospel of John
uses the word “believe” (Greek pisteuo) throughout his content to stress a particular
invitation to his audience. For this section, identify a leitwort within your chosen Gospel
and complete the following prompts. Use word study resources such as the New
International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis or Mounce's
Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, both available as
online texts within the Jerry Falwell Library online. Also sites such as BibleHub,
BibleStudyTools, and BlueLetterBible may also be consulted.

A. Word Choice: ____Kingdom

What is the leitwort you have identified in your chosen Gospel?

The leitwort in the Gospel of Matthew is “Kingdom of Heaven.”1

B. Original Language:

What are your word in the original Greek and its definition?

In Original Greek, Kingdom (of Heaven/God) translates to βασιλεία (Basileia)

1
The Gospel of Matthew aims to prove the Christ is the promised and long-awaited Messiah for Israel, and the King
of the earth. Besides, the Jews are the primary audience for the Gospel of Matthew and intends to explain to them
the program of the Kingdom of God. See Toussaint, Stanley D. Behold the King: A study of Matthew (Toussaint
n.d.). Multnomah Press, 1981. The Gospel explains mysteries about the Kingdom of Heaven not revealed in the Old
Testament.

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C. Number of References: _____54 times ___________

How many times does this word appear in your chosen Gospel?

The term “kingdom” of heaven (God)” occurs 54 times2 in the Gospel of

Matthew. However, the term is not common in the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and
John.3

D. List of References:

List the scripture references (chronological order) in which your leitwort

appears, noting the words surrounding it as well.

REFERENCE PHRASE

Example: John 1:12 “…who believed in his name…”

REFERENCE (NIV) PHRASE

Matthew 3:2 “…repent for the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 4:8 “…showed Him all kingdoms of the world….”
Matthew 4:17 “…repent, for the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 4:23 “…proclaiming the good news of the kingdom….”
Matthew 5:3 “…for theirs (the poor) is the kingdom….”
Matthew 5:10 “…for theirs (persecuted) is the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 5:19 “…will be called least in the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 5:19 “…will be called great in the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 5:20 “…not enter the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 6:10 “…thy kingdom come…”
2
The term “kingdom of heaven/God appears 32 times” whereas the leitwort appears 54 times.
3
See Nida, Eugene A. "Meaning and Translation." The Bible Translator 8, no. 3 (1957): 97-108.

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Matthew 6:33 “…but see ye the Kingdom of God….”

Matthew 7:21 “…not everyone…will enter the kingdom of heaven…”
Matthew 8:11 “…feast … in the kingdom of heaven…”
Matthew 8:12 “…subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside….”
Matthew 9:35 “…good news of the kingdom….”
Matthew 10:7 “…the Kingdom of Heaven has come near….”
Matthew 11:11 “…whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater….”
Matthew 11:12 “…the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence….”
Matthew 12:25 “…every kingdom divided…”
Matthew 12:26 “…how can this Kingdom stand? ...”
Matthew 12:28 “…the kingdom of God has come….”
Matthew 13:11 “…secrets of the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 13:19 “…message about the kingdom….”
Matthew 13:24 “…the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed seed….”
Matthew 13:31 “…the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed….”
Matthew 13:33 “…the Kingdom of God is like yeast….”
Matthew 13:38 “…people of the kingdom….”
Matthew 13:41 “…weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin….”
Matthew 13:43 “…sun in the kingdom of their Father….”
Matthew 13:44 “…the kingdom of Heaven is like treasure….”
Matthew 13:45 “…the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant….”
Matthew 13:47 “…the kingdom of heaven is like a net….”
Matthew 13:52 “…kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house….”
Matthew 16:19 “…keys of the Kingdom of Heaven….”
Matthew 16:28 “…Son of Man coming in His Kingdom….”
Matthew 18:1 “…greatest in the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 18:3 “…never enter the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 18:4 “…greatest in the kingdom of heaven….”
Matthew 18:23 “…kingdom of heaven is like a king….”

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Matthew 19:12 “…for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven….”

Matthew 19:14 “…kingdom of heaven belongs to such….”
Matthew 19:23 “…rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven….”
Matthew 19:24 “…than a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God….”
Matthew 20:1 “…kingdom of heaven is like a landowner….”
Matthew 20:21 “…at your left in your kingdom….”
Matthew 21:31 “…Kingdom of God before you….”
Matthew 21:43 “…Kingdom of God shall be taken from you….”
Matthew 22:2 “…Kingdom of God is like a king ….”
Matthew 23:13 “…shut the door of the Kingdom of heaven…
Matthew 24:7 “…kingdom against kingdom…”
Matthew 24:14 “...this gospel of the kingdom will be preached….”
Matthew 25:1 “…Kingdom of Heavens will be like ten virgins ….”
Matthew 25:34 “…the kingdom prepared for you….”
Matthew 26:29 “…with you in my Father’s Kingdom….”

E. Authorial Intention:

How do the repetition of this leitwort advance the purpose and particular
message of the author? Explain and demonstrate how in one paragraph (at
least 150 words).

In the Gospel of Matthew, “kingdom” is a metonymical illustration of God’s

presence in which He wields his sovereignty and intervenes in human history.4
The repetition of this leitwort advances the purpose of the Gospel of Matthew,
which includes expounding on the meaning of the “kingdom” as revealed in the
Old Testament. As aforementioned, the Jews are the main audience.5 The Jews
had been waiting for the promised Kingdom. The Old Testament had indicated

4
See Ramsdell, Thomas J. "The kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of Matthew." The Biblical World 4, no. 2 (1894):
124-133.
5
The Gospel of Matthew mostly uses “The kingdom of Heaven” rather than “kingdom of God” due to the sensitivity
of the subject to the Jews.

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that the Messiah would establish a utopian reign. However, the Jews could not
believe in Jesus as the Messiah since He did not lead a revolution against the
rulers. Therefore, the Gospel of Matthew reveals the mysteries about the
Kingdom that the Jews had not known from the Old Testament. The mysteries
include demonstrating that the Kingdom of Christ was different from the Davidic
Kingdom.6 The Gospel talks about the future time when Christ returns to earth to
establish His everlasting rule.7

II. Interview with a Gospel Writer

For this section, you will “interview” the author of your chosen Gospel, completing the
following prompts. For the first three sections, you will answer the prompts as if the
Gospel author were answering, thus in the 1st-person point-of-view from the writer.
For example, in answering the first prompt, you might say, “I was born in Galilee in a
region known as the Decapolis.” Likewise, please rely on the course texts and scholarly
sources for this section to support your content, citing all material utilized.

A. Observing the Gospel (2-4 sentences per prompt):

1. Tell me a little about yourself. What is your background?

My name is Apostle Matthew.8 I am a former tax collector9 and now a

follower of Christ.
6
See Toussaint’s “study of Matthew” pages 18 – 20.
7
See Evans, Craig A., ed. The Bible knowledge background commentary: Matthew-Luke. Vol. 1. David C Cook,
2003.
8
Matthew is the author of the first Gospel as demonstrated by Geisler, Norman L., and William E. Nix. A general
introduction to the Bible. Moody Press, 1986.
9
The Gospel of Matthew contains more terms for coins than any other Gospel. For example, Matthew 17:24, “…the
two-drachma tax…”, Matthew 17:27, “…a four-drachma coin…”, and Matthew 18:24, “…talents….” Additionally,
he refers himself as “Matthew the tax collector” and invites his friends for dinner when he starts following Jesus
(Matthew 9:9-10)

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2. Approximately when did you write your Gospel?

I wrote my Gospel between A.D. 37 to A.D. 70.10

3. What is the location of the events that take place?

My Gospel starts in the town of Bethlehem. The events also occur in

Jerusalem, Judea, Capernaum, and Galilee.11

4. Can you tell me a little about the main characters in your book?

The main characters in the Gospel include Jesus Christ, Mary and Joseph,
the disciples, John the Baptist, Caiaphas, Jewish religious leaders, Pilate,
and Mary Magdalene.

5. What is the basic structure, or plot line, from which you organized
your narrative?

I wrote the Gospel in large symmetrical units of paragraphs known as

Chiasms. The first paragraph is linked to the last paragraph. Hence, all
paragraphs are linked.12 In my Gospel, you can see a repetition of the
words son in Matthew 15:21 – 15:28 and 16.13 – 16.20, loaves in
Matthew 15:29 – 15:39, 16.1 – 16.4, and 16.5 – 16.12.

10
Scholars including Scofield (1917) refer to the dates since the Gospel of Matthew does not make reference to
Jerusalem’s destruction. See Scofield, Cyrus Ingerson, ed. The Scofield Reference Bible: The Holy Bible Containing
the Old and the New Testaments: Authorized Version: with a New System of Connected Topical References... No. 1.
Oxford University Press, 1917.
11
Bowden, David. The Gospel of Matthew.
12
This approach is known as parallelism and is characterized by repetition of phrases and words. For example, the
word treasures in Matthew 6:9 is repeated as pearls in Matthew 7:6. See VanderWeele, Tyler J. "Some observations
concerning the chiastic structure of the gospel of Matthew." The journal of theological studies 59, no. 2 (2008): 669-
673.

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B. Interpreting the Story (2-4 sentences per prompt):

1. What are some themes in your Gospel that you wanted your readers
to notice?

The Key Themes in My Gospel include the Kingdom of Heaven.13 I intend

to show that the Kingdom of God belongs to all nations. The second theme
is Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, a king from
David’s line, and Jesus as Abraham’s seed. The third theme is God
(King/Father) of Grace and Judgement.14

2. What are some of the primary methods you used to drive these
themes? For example, did you emphasize parables? The Socratic
method? Miracles? How does your material support the themes included
in your Gospel?

I have used the Historical-Critical Method as the primary approach to

drive the themes.15 This includes providing some history, identifying its
suitability, and its significance to the Gospel. To emphasize the Messianic
Jesus, I relate Christ’s life to the Old Testament prophecies. I also include
ecclesiastical affairs to support the themes.16

3. What are a couple of the primary genres you included in your

Gospel? Give examples.

My Gospel has three genres. First, theological, as I emphasize God’s

Kingdom.17 Secondly, it is biographical since I extensively explore the life

13
Matthew 28:16-20 
14
Indicated through the parables of the talents (25:14-30), parable of weeds (13:24-42), and workers in the vineyard.
15
See Hagner, Donald A., and Stephen E. Young. "The historical-critical method and the Gospel of
Matthew." Methods for Matthew (2009): 11-43.
16
See Keener, Craig S. A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999.
17
See Matthew 3:2

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of Jesus Christ. Lastly, it is historical, as demonstrated in the birth story of

Jesus.

4. If you could summarize your thesis in one succinct statement, what

would it be?

Jesus Christ is the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, a descendant of King David,

and a fulfillment of the great Davidic18 and Abrahamic19 covenants whose
Kingdom lasts all eternity.

C. Correlating the Content (2-4 sentences per prompt):

1. What role does the Old Testament play in your Gospel? Give some
examples.

The Old Testament in my Gospel affirms Jesus Christ as the Messiah and
Son of God. Since the audience is Jewish, the Gospel demonstrates that
Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecies.20

2. How does your Gospel relate to the other three Gospels?

My Gospels have similar stories and structure as the other gospels.21 The
objective of the Gospel is to help all people believe in Jesus Christ as the
Messiah and Son of God.

18
See 2Samuel 7
19
Genesis 12; 15.
20
See Chae, Young S. Jesus as the eschatological Davidic shepherd: Studies in the Old Testament, second temple
Judaism, and in the Gospel of Matthew. Vol. 216. Mohr Siebeck, 2006.
21
Known as the synoptic problem. See Cary, George Lovell. The Synoptic Gospels: Together with a Chapter on the
Text-criticism of the New Testament. Vol. 1. GP Putnam's Sons, 1900.

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3. Tell me about Jesus. What is important for the reader to understand

about his life, work, and person in your Gospel?

Readers should understand their life, work, and self to relate to the
Kingdom of God. Key themes in the Gospel are crucial in growing their
Christian lives.

D. Applying the Message (2-4 sentences per prompt):

For this section, imagine that the Gospel writer is asking the following
questions of you, the student of his Gospel. Please answer in the 1st-person
point-of-view from your perspective.

1. Why did you choose my book for this study?

I chose the Gospel because it acts as a bridge between the Old and New. It
assembles the prophecies and illustrates their fulfillment. As a student of
the Gospel, I learn about Jesus from both Testaments.22

2. What is one area you will apply what you have read in my Gospel to
your life with Jesus?

I will use the Gospel to learn about godly living and one fitting for the
Kingdom of God. The teachings of Jesus, including the parables, teach
people how to be Christ-like.

3. Would you want to share my book with a friend? If so, how would you
describe and recommend it to him or her?

Yes, I will share the Gospel with my friends.

22
See Barclay, William. The gospel of Matthew. Westminster John Knox Press, 1968.

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I will tell them that your Gospel teaches about the life of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth in all unity and fullness.23

III. Applying Gospels Genre

For this section, you will focus on applying genre analysis and creative writing in the
genre. Please rely on Ryken’s Jesus the Hero to support your content, citing all material
utilized.

A. Genre Analysis of Gospel Passage:

Depending on your chosen Gospel, you are provided a biblical passage to apply
genre analysis. If you chose…
The Gospel of Matthew: Matthew 14:13-21
The Gospel of Mark: Mark 6:30-44
The Gospel of Luke: Luke 9:10-17
The Gospel of John: John 6:1-15
Based on your passage, complete the following prompts.

Passage: Matthew 14:13-21

1. What genre(s) do you observe within this passage?

According to Jesus the Hero, this is a miracle story.24

2. According to Ryken, what is important to understand about the

particular genre(s)?

It helps the audience to know what to expect from a particular passage.

23
See Schnackenburg, Rudolf. The gospel of Matthew. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2002.
24
See Ryken, Leland. Jesus the hero: A guided literary study of the gospels. Lexham Press, 2021. A miracle story
has a beginning, complication, middle, and resolution.

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3. Examine the passage by completing the following points of narrative

analysis:

a) What is the setting of the narrative?

The setting is the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, in Bethsaida.25

It was before the Passover feast.26

b) What characters are present?

Jesus, the disciples, and the large crowd (5,000 people)

c) What is the overarching plot or action?

The story occurs after Jesus receives news about the beheading of
John the Baptist. He withdraws to a lonely place. However, the
crowd always anticipated where Christ was going. Therefore, they
walked along the Sea of Galilee's northern end and came to where
He was. Since the crowd is hungry, the disciples intend to send
them away. But Christ feeds the 5,000 to illustrate to them the kind
of ministry they would be doing. After dismissing the crowd, Jesus
goes to pray alone on the hill before walking on water.

d) Is dialogue present? If so, describe the nature of the

conversation.

There is a dialogue in Matthew 14:13-21.

The conversation is cooperative, simple, and straightforward.

25
The miracle occurs in Bethsaida as indicated in comments from Luke 9:10. In Matthew 14:22, Jesus lets the
disciples board a boat to the other side of the sea after dismissing the crowd.
26
See John 6:4. This miracle of Jesus is recorded in all the Gospels. It is the only one recorded in the Gospel of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

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e) What themes or controlling ideas are inherent within the

narrative?

Compassion.
This narrative illustrates Jesus’ compassion. He attends to the
crowd in all situations.27

f) What do we learn about Jesus from this narrative?

The lesson is that Jesus takes care of the needy.

B. Encounter Story

In this prompt, you will practice the art of creative writing within the Gospel
genres. In Chapter 3 of Jesus the Hero, Ryken discusses the prominence of
the “encounter story” employed by the Gospel writers. For this prompt, you
will write your encounter story, describing a moment you encountered Jesus
Christ. This can be a conversion moment, but it can also be any moment in
your journey with Jesus that fits the criteria as an encounter story. Practice
modeling the style of particular encounter stories we see within the Gospels,
such as the woman at the well (John 4), Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), or Peter
(John 21:15-23), etc. This section should be at least 300 words.

Before joining the Bible school, I had no foundation in life. I struggled to

understand many events in life, including having fun in life. However, I became
exposed to consistent Bible reading and encountered many stories indicating how
human beings succumbed to their weaknesses when trying to live without God.
For example, in my first days in school, I read about Uzziah from 2 Chronicles
26, who was regarded as one of the better kings of Judah. Even though he became
a king at 16, his life is decorated with many military victories. Additionally, his
reign was one of the longest. I learned that this success could only be attributed to

27
Jesus had just received news about the death of John the Baptist and He wished to be in a solitary place. However,
when the crowds follow Him, he does not send them away but instead feeds them.

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his relationship with God. Other kings of Judah and Israel had failed in their
reigns after abandoning the instructions of God and embracing foreign gods.
However, Uzziah quickly forgot that God had sustained him on the throne. He
became arrogant and drowned in pride in his power and might in the Kingdom.
Due to his unfaithfulness, he was struck by leprosy. Such an encounter has shaped
my walk in the Lord. I have learned that my financial, social, academic, and
spiritual growth can only be assured by God. I am convinced that Jesus helped me
encounter Uzziah’s story so that I can shape my livelihood according to His will.
For this reason, I have been eager and zealous in sharing His word with all
colleagues, family, and friends. Witnessing my encounter with Uzziah’s story can
be a life-transforming event for people. While we are keen to preach about
salvation and related encounters that include coming to Christ, encounters that
strengthen our positions in God are invaluable. I am convinced that the scriptures
we encounter daily are direct messages from God regarding our life. When
meditated, they can contribute to robust growth in our spiritual growth.

C. Parable of the Kingdom

In this prompt, you will practice the art of creative writing within the Gospel
genres. In Chapter 7 of Jesus the Hero, Ryken discusses the literary nature of the
parables—"kingdom stories” woven by Jesus and recorded by the Gospel writers.
These parables were meant to teach the audience something about the reality and
nature of the Kingdom of God. For this prompt, you will write your kingdom
parable, creatively describing an aspect of the Kingdom of God you observed in
the Gospels. Your parable should be concise, approximately 3-5 sentences.

Begin your “parable” with these words:

“What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?” (Luke
13:18, ESV).

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Do you think there are different ways to invest in the Kingdom of God? And in
what ways do you think you can invest? Our Heavenly Father has allowed
everyone to invest in His Kingdom, using talents and gifts. Gifts and talents are
the best investments you can make in the Father’s service! You will be rewarded
massively.

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IV. Bibliography

Barclay, William. 1968. "The gospel of Matthew." Westminster John Knox Press,.
Bowden, David. n.d. "The Gospel of Matthew. ."
Cary, George Lovell. 1900. "The Synoptic Gospels: Together with a Chapter on the Text-
criticism of the New Testament. ." Vol. 1. GP Putnam's Sons.
Chae, Young S. 2006. "Jesus as the eschatological Davidic shepherd: Studies in the Old
Testament, second temple Judaism, and in the Gospel of Matthew. ." Vol. 216. Mohr
Siebeck, .
Evans, Craig A. 2003. "The Bible knowledge background commentary: Matthew-Luke. ." Vol. 1.
David C Cook, .
Geisler, Norman L., and William E. Nix. 1986. "A general introduction to the Bible. ." Moody
Press.
Hagner, Donald A., and Stephen E. Young. 2009. ""The historical-critical method and the
Gospel of Matthew."." Methods for Matthew 11-43.
Keener, Craig S. 1999. "A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. ." Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing.
Nida, Eugene A. 1957. ""Meaning and Translation." ." The Bible Translator 8, no. 3: 97-108.
Ramsdell, Thomas J. 1894. ""The kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of Matthew." ." The Biblical
World 4, no. 2 : 124-133.
Ryken, Leland. 2021. "Jesus the hero: A guided literary study of the gospels. ." Lexham Press,.
Schnackenburg, Rudolf. 200. "The gospel of Matthew. ." Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing,.
Scofield, Cyrus Ingerson, ed. 1917. "The Scofield Reference Bible: The Holy Bible Containing
the Old and the New Testaments: Authorized Version: with a New System of Connected
Topical References... ." No. 1. Oxford University Press.
Toussaint, Stanley. n.d. "Behold the King: A study of Matthew."
VanderWeele, Tyler J. 2008. ""Some observations concerning the chiastic structure of the gospel
of Matthew."." The journal of theological studies 59, no. 2 669-673.

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