1. Portrayal of Jesus/Christology

Pick two of the following titles to concentrate your response upon. Who uses the title? In what circumstances? What does the content seem to be? How do Jesus actions and teachings also contribute to the overall portrait of Jesus in Matthew?

1. Christ (1:1, 16, 17, 18; 2:4; 11:2; 16:16, 20; 22:42; 23:10; 26:63,68; 27:17, 22)

2. Jesus (see especially 1:1, 16)

3. Son of Man (8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8,32,40; 13:37,41; 16:13,27,28; 17:9,12,22; 19:28; 20:18,28; 24:27, 30 [twice], 37,39,44; 25:31; 26:2,24[twice], 45,64)

4. Son of God (2:15; 3:17; 4:3,6; 8:29; 14:33; 16:16; 17:5; 26:63; 27:40,43,54)

5. King of the Jews (2:2; 27:11,29,37,42)

6. Rabbi [Teacher] (23:7,8; 26:25,49)

7. Lord (7:21-22; 8:2-8; 8:21; 8:25; 9:28, 38; 12:8; 14:28-30; 15:22-27; 16:22; 17: 4. 15; 18:21; 20:31-33; 21:3; 21:9; 22:43-45; 23:39; [24:42; 25:11, 37, 44 indirectly]; 26:22;).  Lord is also used of God in Matthew.

8. Son of David (1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30,31; 21:9,15; 22:45)

9. Son of Abraham (1:1) See also the genealogy in 1:1-18; 3:9; 8:11; and 22:32.

2. Comparison of Mark and Matthew

List the major sections of material that exist in Matthew and not in Mark. Compare and contrast the overall portraits of Jesus painted by Mark and Matthew. Cite key passages.

3. Matthew and Anti-Judaism

As Barr says Matthew is viewed both as the most Jewish and the most anti-Jewish of the gospels. Why? In Christian history people have sometimes used Matthew to justify anti-Semitism or anti-Judaism. Read Matthew Chapter 6, Chapter 23, Chapter 27:25, and Chapter 28:11-15. Matthew paints a particularly harsh picture of certain Jewish leaders and perhaps even of the Jewish people as a whole in 27:25. How should these passages be treated by modern interpreters? For interpreters who are Christians are there ethical obligations imposed because the historical context has changed from a situation in which Christians were deviant Jews to one in which Christians are a majority and have knowledge of the Holocaust ?

4. Disciples

Trace the characterization of the disciples throughout the gospel. Compare and contrast this characterization to the Markan characterization of the disciples.

5. Crowds

Trace the characterization of the crowds through the entire gospel. What role do the crowds play in the narrative?