Following Matthew

""With catchy and to the point headings for every section and chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, William Loader takes us on a fascinating tour through the first Gospel of the New Testament toward its groundbreaking end. With his special talent of making decades of research understandable for the modern reader, the author makes this ancient book relevant for today. Like his previous books on the Gospels, this guide is a must read for every modern believer, whether inside or outside of the church, who seeks a deeper understanding of the Christian faith."" --Gerbern S. Oegema, Professor of Biblical Studies, McGill University ""This concise commentary invites us into the logic and beauty of Matthew's story of Jesus. Loader gives a fresh and vivid translation of each passage, then takes us with him on a journey following Matthew, noting religious, cultural, and literary features on the way. We are helped to notice Matthew's distinctive qualities, in comparison and contrast with Mark's and Luke's Gospel accounts. With characteristic scholarly depth, and avoiding easy answers, Loader presents a pithy, wise, and thought-provoking guide to following Matthew's Jesus."" --Vicky Balabanski, Professor of New Testament, University of Divinity, Australia ""Professor Loader, an internationally known biblical scholar, helpfully renders Matthew's Gospel accessible to modern readers and interpreters by including a new translation and commentary on the text and a suggestion for further reflection and discussion on each chapter. This approach makes the book a good basis for personal reading and group study of Matthew's Gospel."" --Dierdre Good, Professor Emerita of New Testament, The General Theological Seminary, New York ""With his eyes fixed constantly on the central method and meaning of the Gospel of Matthew, Bill Loader skillfully leads readers through that gospel to bring out its vital insights--both old and new. This, his fourth and final commentary in the series on Gospel writings, exemplifies all the strengths of previous volumes. It is written with stunning literary verve yet in a highly accessible manner, it is attentive to the requirements of those who will preach on the text of Matthew, and it strives to be guided by the fundamental message of the evangelist. Here one finds sure-footed guidance following the text of Matthew, combined with deep reflective perspectives that enable the message of the gospel to speak afresh to new generations of readers. This is a book that will repay close and repeated study."" --Paul Foster, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh ""A lifetime of careful, critical biblical scholarship undergirds William Loader's commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Here that scholarship is articulated in palatable language and accompanied by a pastoral ethos to address modern concerns. In this commentary Loader seeks to shed light on the Jesus tradition as it is formed and used within an early community of Jesus's followers. A distinctive feature of this approach is Loader's willingness to identify violent and vindictive ideas within that tradition and to challenge those negative strains through the message that persists through the larger tradition of the community--God's love and forgiveness for those who need it most. This attention to the development of the Jesus tradition within an early community sets the stage to ask how modern readers might engage these claims. Loader argues that the ancient message is available to concerned readers of the present and that it is relevant for the challenges of contemporary life. His work is a part of the fulfillment of that promise."" --Edwin Broadhead, Professor of General Studies, Berea Co