The Gospel of Matthew and Its Readers is a biblical commentary with a                  difference. Howard Clarke first establishes contemporary scholarship's mainstream                  view of Matthew's Gospel, and then presents a sampling of the ways this text has                  been read, understood, and applied through two millennia. By referring forward to                  Matthew's readers (rather than back to the text's composers), the book exploits the                  tensions between what contemporary scholars understand to be the intent of the                  author of Matthew and the quite different, indeed often eccentric and bizarre ways                  this text has been understood, assimilated, and applied over the years. The                  commentary is a testament to the ambiguities and elasticity of the text and a cogent                  reminder that interpretations are not fixed, nor texts immutably relevant. And                  unlike other commentaries, this one gives space to those who have questioned,                  rejected, or even ridiculed Matthew's messages, since Bible-bashing, like                  Bible-thumping, is a historically significant part of the experience of reading the                  Bible.

The Gospel of Matthew and Its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel PDF

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