Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Reference Codes

1. Sources and Abbreviations

2. Short Titles of Commentaries, Studies, and Articles Often Cited

Editor's Note

Commentary

I Prelude (1:1-4:22)--vol. 1

II Jesus' Activity in Israel in Word and Deed (4:23-11:30)--vol. 1

A The Sermon on the Mount (5-7)--vol. 1

B Jesus' Miracles in Israel (8:1-9:35)

1 Jesus Heals in Israel (8:1-17)

1.1 Jesus Heals a Leper (8:1-4)

1.2 The Faith of the Centurion of Capernaum (8:5-13)

1.3 Jesus Heals Peter's Mother-in-Law and Many Sick People (8:14-17)

2 To the other Side of the Lake (8:18-9:1)

2.1 Following Jesus into the Storm (8:18-27)

2.2 The Two Demoniacs in Gadara (8:28-9:1)

3 The Conflict with Israel's Leaders (9:2-17)

3.1 The Son of Man Forgives Sins (9:2-8)

3.2 Jesus' Mercy on the Tax Collectors (9:9-13)

3.3 The Bridegroom (9:14-17)

4 Concluding Miracles of Jesus (9:18-34)

4.1 The Ruler's Daughter and the Hemorrhaging Woman (9:18-26)

4.2 The Two Blind Men (9:27-31)

4.3 The Healing of a Dumb Demoniac (9:32-34)

Concluding Summary Report (9:35)

The Miracles of Israel's Messiah

On the Meaning of the Matthean Miracle Stories Today

C. The Disciples Discourse (9:36-11:1)

1 Introduction (9:36-10:5a)

1.1 The Task: the People's Suffering (9:36-38)

1.2 The Commissioned (10:1-5a)

2 Jesus sends the Disciples to Israel (10:5b-23)

2.1 The Mission (10:5b-15)

2.2 The Persecution of the Disciples (10:16-23)

3. The Suffering of the Disciples in Following Jesus (10:24-42)

3.1 As the Master, so the Disciples (10:24-25)

3.2 Proclamation without Fear (10:26-33)

3.3 Division of Families and Cross (10:34-39)

3.4 Hospitality for the Disciples (10:40-42)

4 Conclusion of the Disciples Discourse (11:1)

The Basic Message of the Disciples Discourse

Reflections on the Meaning of the Disciples Discourse Today

D Transition: Israel's Crisis Deepens (11:2-30)

1 Jesus and John the Baptist (11:2-19)

1.1 The Baptist's Inquiry (11:2-6)

1.2 Elijah Returned and His Call to Decision (11:7-15)

1.3 This Stubborn Generation (11:16-19)

2. The Appeal to Israel: Judgment and Invitation (11:20-30)

2.1 Woes on the Cities of Israel (11:20-24)

2.2 The Son's Invitation to the Toiling and Heavy-Laden (11:25-30)

III Jesus Withdraws from Israel (12:1-16:20)

A The Conflict with the Pharisees (12:1-50)

1 The Sabbath of Jesus (12:1-21)

1.1 The Disciples are Hungry on the Sabbath (12:1-8)

1.2 The Healing of a Disabled Man on the Sabbath (12:9-14)

1.3 The Healing Son of God (12:15-21)

2 The First Reckoning with the Pharisees (12:22-50)

2.1 Beelzebul and God's Spirit (12:22-37)

2.2 The Sign of Jonah and the Return of the Demons (12:38-45)

2.3 Jesus' True Family (12:46-50)

B The Parables Discourse (13:1-53)

1 Introduction (13:1-3a)

2 The Discourse to the People (13:3b-35)

2.1 The Seed in the Fourfold Field: on Understanding the Parables (13:3b-23)

2.2 The Tares in the Wheat Field (13:24-30)

2.3 Mustard Seed and Leaven (13:31-33)

2.4 Conclusion of the Public Discourse (13:34-35)

3 The Discourse to the Disciples (13:36-52)

3.1 The Interpretation of the Story of the Tares (13:36-43)

3.2 Of the Treasure in the Field and of the Pearl (13:44-46)

3.3 On the Dragnet (13:47-50)

3.4 Conclusion: On the Understanding Scribe (13:51-52)

Basic Message of the Parables Discourse

On the Meaning of the Parables Discourse Today

C Jesus' Withdrawal from Israel and the Origin of the Church (13:53-16:20)

1 The Murder of John and the First Withdrawal of Jesus (13:53-14:33)

1.1 Jesus Teaches in Nazareth (13:53-58)

1.2 The Death of John the Baptist (14:1-12)

1.3 The Feeding of the Five Thousand (14:13-21)

1.4 Jesus and Peter on the Lake. The First Confession of the Son of God (14:22-33)

2 The Controversy on True Purity and the Withdrawal to Phoenicia (14:34-15:39)

2.1 Healings in Gennesaret (14:34-36)

2.2 The Controversy on Clean and Unclean (15:1-20)

2.3 The Encounter with the Canaanite Woman (15:21-28)

2.4 Healings and the Second Feeding (15:29-39)

3 The Second Demand for a Sign and the Withdrawal to Caesarea Philippi (16:1-20)

3.1 Second Demand for a Sign and Jesus' Withdrawal (16:1-4)

3.2 Warning against the Teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (16:5-12)

3.3 The Second Son of God Confession and the Promise to Peter (16:13-20)

IV Jesus' Activity in the Church (16:21-20:34)

A Experiences of the Disciples on the Way to Suffering (16:21-17:27)

1 The Way of Suffering (16:21-28)

2 The Transfiguration of the Son of God and the Suffering of the Son of Man (17:1-13)

3 The Power of Faith that Moves Mountains (17:14-20)

4 Jesus Announces his Suffering (17:22-23)

5 The Temple Tax (17:24-27)

B The Community Discourse (18:1-35)

1 Humility and Solidarity with the Little Ones (18:1-20)

1.1 The Fundamental Principle: A Return to Humbleness (18:1-5)

1.2 Warning against the "Snares" (18:6-9)

1.3 The Search for the Lost (18:10-14)

1.4 On Brotherly Admonition and on Prayer (18:15-20)

2 Forgiveness (18:21-35)

2.1 Unlimited Forgiveness (18:21-22)

2.2 The Unmerciful Debtor (18:23-35)

The Basic Message of the Community Discourse

On the Meaning of the Community Discourse Today

C On the Way to Jerusalem (19:1-20:34)

1 Divorce and Celibacy (19:1-12)

2 Jesus and the Children (19:13-15)

3 Jesus and the Rich Young Man (19:16-30)

4 The Laborers in the Vineyard (20:1-16)

5 Again Jesus Announces His Passion (20:17-19)

6 Suffering and Service (20:20-28)

7 The Two Blind Men (20:29-34)

Indices

1. Passages

a / Old Testament and Apocrypha

b / Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

c / Qumran and Related Texts

d / Other Jewish Literature

e / Rabbinic Literature

f / New Testament

g / Early Christian Literature and the Ancient Church

h / Greek and Latin Authors

2. Greek and Hebrew Words

3. Subjects

4. Medieval Commentators and Modern Authors

Designer's Notes

About the Author

James E. Crouch is the author of The Origin and Intention of the Colossian Haustafel (FRLANT 109; 1972). He is also the translator of both volumes on Matthew in the Hermeneia commentary series.

Helmut Koester is John H. Morison Research Professor of Divinity and Winn Research Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Chair of the New Testament Board of the Hermeneia commentary series. He is editor of numerous volumes in the Hermeneia series as well as Cities of Paul: Images and Interpretations from the Harvard New Testament and Archaeology Project on CD-ROM (2004, 978-0-8006-3673-9) and author of Paul and His World: Interpreting the New Testament in Its Context (2007, 978-0-8006-3890-0).