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It has long been recognized that the Gospel according to St Matthew has intensified the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. It has frequently been suggested that this intensification reflects the continuing struggle between the Church and the synagogue, a struggle which constitutes an important part of the Sitz im Leben of the First Gospel. One aspect of this matter which has seldom, if ever, received sustained and thorough treatment is the theme of Jewish persecution of Christians, a theme which occurs repeatedly in Matthew's gospel. The intention of the present study is to subject this Matthean theme to careful scrutiny, with two questions primarily in mind: (i) Has Matthew exaggerated the severity of the persecution? and (2) How has the persecution influenced Matthew's theology?
The first part of the study is consequently strictly historical. In view of many exaggerated and inaccurate statements concerning the suffering imposed upon Christians by Jews, there is a great need for a reappraisal of the historical data relating to this persecution, in order to establish as accurately as possible the nature and extent of the conflict. Chapter 1 prepares for this historical study by examining the sociological presuppositions of persecution as related to the Jewish community. In order to evaluate properly the Matthean portrayal of persecution, we must then, in chapter 11, examine the evidence found in sources other than Matthew. Here we shall be dependent primarily upon Christian sources, since they alone make explicit reference to the conflict. This is unfortunate, since the Christian accounts are clearly biased and consequently a poor foundation for an objective study.
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