Summary of Part III

Summary

In this section we have tried to explain why Matthew adopted and promoted his particular apocalyptic-eschatological scheme. It was argued that the answer lies in the social setting of the community for whom he wrote. This sectarian Jewish group was experiencing an extremely critical situation in the aftermath of the Jewish war. It had departed from the Jewish parent body and was now in open conflict with it, and it felt extremely threatened by law-free Christianity which had now assumed an ascendant role after the destruction of the Jerusalem church. Relations between the gentile world and the Matthean community were also not amicable in view of past hostilities and expected future conflict. All these factors led to the withdrawal of the Matthean ekklesia from the wider world and the necessity to seek support only from within its own borders. It became, in short, an apocalyptic community. As the spokesperson for this group, the evangelist responded to this desperate situation in a tried and true manner which had well served both Jewish and Christian groups facing similar situations of crisis. He abandoned the symbolic universes of the opposing parties and constructed one of his own which validated his group's hopes and aspirations.