The Teachings of MatthewThe Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and also serves as a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Gospel tells us about Jesus and his teachings. The Gospel is believed to have originated with Matthew, one of Jesus' disciples, and to have circulated anonymously (Harris 149). The message of this gospel was compiled to serve a Jewish and Judeo-Christian community when tensions between early Christians and postwar Jewish leaders escalated into a bitter controversy. The Gospel of Matthew was written to encourage Greek-speaking Jewish Christians and pagans who were, at least in part, Torah observant during the 80s CE, probably in Antioch in Syria (Harris 148). Matthew's teachings paid particular attention to presenting Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, in whom the Old Testament authors prophesied would be fulfilled (Matthew 1:21-22). Early on, Matthew established Jesus' messianic credentials by listing an account of his genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17. Matthew wanted to present the life of Jesus in the context of biblical law and prophecy (Harris 149). Throughout the entire Gospel, Matthew highlights Jesus' fulfillment of ancient predictions, frequently emphasizing the connection between Jesus and assurances made to Israel, for example to the royal dynasty of David. Matthew quoted, paraphrased, or alluded to the Hebrew Bible to demonstrate that Jesus' entire career, from conception to resurrection, was predicted centuries earlier by biblical writers from Moses to Malachi (Harris 149). Matthew used a literary formula in his teachings that linked the prophecy to specific events in the life of Jesus. For example, ...... middle of paper ...... and was resurrected on the third day to redeem men and bring them to the Kingdom of Heaven. In short, Matthew's teachings showed that Jesus fulfilled all of God's promises regarding a messianic king. Christ the King commanded: “Seek ye first the kingdom.” Life in the kingdom of heaven is a abandonment of the offerings of earth in order to enjoy the riches as a child of the King. In the biblical passages according to Matthew, the resurrected Jesus gave a “great commission” to “make disciples of all nations.” This commission is followed by many Christians today in their quest to lead lost souls to their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Works Cited Harris, Stephen L. The New Testament: A Student's Introduction. 4th ed. Sacramento, CA: McGraw Hill, 2002. The Zondervan Corporation. The new student Bible, new international version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1992.