THE READERS FOR WHOM MATTHEW WROTE HIS GOSPEL. 195 



Where, 



To what intent, 

 With what circumstances, 

 Considering what goeth before, 

 And what followeth." 



We could not have better rules in pondering the Gospel before 

 us. Matthew was written specifically for Hebrew Christians, but 

 generally for all believers in Christ ; hence, while the Gospel leads 

 us back to David and Abraham in its commencement, its close has 

 its Gospel message to all nations. 



The message of Matthew is about the King and His Kingdom. 

 All the evangelists emphasize that Christ was crucified as " The 

 King of the Jews," but Matthew unfolds the character of the 

 Kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount, and the mysteries of the 

 Kingdom in the parables of Matthew xiii. 



There are several oustanding proofs that Matthew's Gospel was 

 written for Hebrew Christians. 



The opening words, " The Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ, 

 the son of David, the son of Abraham," connects the Gospel with 

 the Old Testament, where we find thirteen other generations 

 mentioned. 



Thirteen is an incomplete number, therefore we need the generation 

 of our Lord to make the double perfect number, namely, twice 

 seven. The peculiar thing is, Abraham's and David's generations 

 are not spoken of, but these several heads are linked up with Christ 

 in the New Testament. This fact would be of peculiar interest to 

 Hebrew Christians. 



The peculiar designation of the sphere of God's rule in " The 

 Kingdom of the Heavens " is confined to Matthew, and occurs 32 

 times. " The God of Heaven " is the One who rules, as all the 

 Jews believed. 



The definite sentence, " The end of the age," is peculiar to 

 Matthew, and refers to the end of the Jewish age (xiii. 39, 40, 49 ; 

 xxiv. 3; xxviii. 30), which has its consummation after the paren- 

 thetical period of the Church. 



Again, the formula — " That it might be fulfilled which was 

 spoken," or " written," " by means oi the prophet " — is exclusive 

 to Matthew, and also their equivalent, " That which was spoken," 

 or "it was spoken." These occur 32 times, and connect the two 

 Testaments. 



There are many other points which confirm the fact, that the 

 Gospel of Matthew was written to Hebrew Christians. The refer- 

 ence to the building of the Church in the future of Christ's time, 

 and His reference to the judgment of the nations because of their 

 treatment of His brethren according to the flesh, make it of special 

 import to the Hebrew Christians, although its application is to all 

 God's children. 



