Azzam N. Ahmed, M.D.
Annotated Bibliography for the study of Matthew 6:19-21
22 February 2000

  1. Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament. 1997. For the purpose of careful reading, one must recognize that sometimes the biblical authors did not write clearly, so that the original texts contain certain phrases that are ambiguous or difficult to understand. In some instances translators have to guess at meanings. To portray Jesus, it is helpful to keep distinct three portraits: the actual Jesus, the historical Jesus and the Gospel Jesus.

  2. O. Lamar Cope, Matthew, A Scribe Trained for the Kingdom of Heaven.. The Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series 5. 1976. The search for the special purposes and motifs which guided the gospel writers has now become one of the most important and exciting realms of New Testament studies. The initial step in analyzing any passage in the construction of an outline of the different blocks of material which make up the passage. The second step is a careful linear reading which can be done fruitfully only when it is carefully controlled. A linear reading seeks to ascertain the flow of thought which produces the connections and provides structure.

  3. Richard A. Edwards, Matthew’s Narrative Portrait of Disciples

  4. Douglas R. Hare, Matthew, Interpretation A Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching

  5. Kummel, Werner Georg. Introduction to the New Testament. Abingdon Press. 1975. Baur thought that the apostolic age was dominated by the opposition between the narrow-minded Jewish-Christianity of the original apostles and the law-free, universalistic gospel of Paul. Origin of Alexandria had determined for the first time (253-4) which scripture had general ecclesiastical authority, and on this basis it could be inferred how the different classes of ecclesiastical writings wcrc to be differentiated. (1) The first class is "those which are uncontested in the church". To this group belongs the four gospels, the 13 letters of Paul, 1 Peter, 1 John, Acts and Revelation. (2) The doubtful writings: 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Hebrew in addition to James and Jude. (3) The Gospel of the Egyptians, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Basilids, the Gospel of Mathias, which are rejected as heretical falsification.

  6. Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew. 1975. John Knox Press. Matthew's purpose is in fact to make not only Jesus' own words but also His actions authoritative for the Christian community. The whole of the evangelist's intent was theological rather than historical. Mat'thew must not be pictured as a modem scholar, copying Mark precisely and consciously considering every modification, his changes, which are often made unconsciously, exhibit a theological development.

  7. H L.Willmington, Willmington’s Guide to the Bible

  8. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Mahwah, N. J.: Prentice Hall, 1968.