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0:00/2:39
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0:00/4:03
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0:00/2:45
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0:00/3:19
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0:00/4:00
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06 - Feed My Sheep 4:000:00/4:00
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0:00/2:30
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0:00/3:00
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09 - Follow Me 3:400:00/3:40
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0:00/3:04
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0:00/2:25
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0:00/2:15
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0:00/3:13
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0:00/4:00
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0:00/3:35
Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew
Author:
Matthew (also called Levi), one of the original twelve apostles and a former tax collector (Matthew 9:9; 10:3). Early church tradition is unanimous that he is the author.
Date & Conditions:
Most scholars place the writing between AD 65–85, though some conservative scholars argue for as early as the late 50s. It was likely written after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70 (see Matthew 24:1–2), because the wording suggests the prophecy had already begun to be fulfilled.
Matthew appears to have used Mark’s Gospel (or a common source) plus additional material, writing in a time when Jewish Christians were being increasingly excluded from synagogues and needed strong encouragement to stand firm in their faith in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah.
Original Audience:
Primarily Jewish Christians (or Jews considering Jesus). The Gospel repeatedly shows Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (“that it might be fulfilled…” appears over a dozen times), explains Jewish customs, and presents Jesus as the new and greater Moses who gives the true interpretation of the Torah from the mountain (chs. 5–7).
Purpose in one sentence:
To prove to a Jewish audience that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-awaited Messiah-King promised in the Hebrew Scriptures and to instruct the church in the lifestyle of the kingdom He inaugurated.
Introduction to the Gospel of Mark
Author:
John Mark, a close associate of both Peter and Paul. He was not an apostle himself but a younger coworker in the missionary effort (Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37–39; Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11; 1 Pet 5:13). Virtually all early church testimony (Papias, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Jerome, etc.) says Mark wrote down what he heard from the apostle Peter.
Date & Conditions:
The earliest of the four Gospels, written around AD 60–68, most likely from Rome during (or just before) Nero’s persecution of Christians after the great fire of Rome in AD 64.
The abrupt ending at 16:8 in the oldest manuscripts, the urgency of the tone, and the persecution backdrop all point to a church under intense pressure.
Original Audience:
Gentile (probably Roman) Christians who were suffering or about to suffer severe persecution. Mark explains Jewish customs (7:3–4; 15:42), translates Aramaic phrases, and uses Latin terms more than the other Gospels—signs of a non-Jewish readership.
Purpose in one sentence:
To present Jesus as the powerful Son of God who suffered and died as a ransom for many, encouraging persecuted believers to take up their cross and follow the Suffering Servant who has already triumphed through the resurrection.
In short:
Matthew wrote for Jewish believers: “Jesus is the promised King.”
Mark wrote for Roman Christians under fire: “Jesus is the suffering Son of God—don’t be afraid to follow Him all the way to the cross.”
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