Professor Kingsbury surveys Matthew's teachings about Christ, his Kingdom, and Christian discipleship in this concise yet scholarly textbook. Originally published as part of the "Proclamation" series of Bible commentaries, Matthew has earned wide respect in seminary classrooms as an essential text on the First Gospel. Kingsbury uses the method of composition criticism to examine why Matthew wrote this Gospel. Is it a biography, a manual of doctrine, an inspirational book, or "something else written for still a different purpose?" (p. 1). The writer's purpose is critical to understanding his message. With discerning care, Professor Kingsbury weighs various theories about the Gospel of Matthew to give the reader a well-informed understanding of what scholars have learned about this book.