A literary-critical analysis is embarked to show how Matthew highlights the primacy, authority, and exclusivity of Jesus' role as the Teacher of God's will and how he features five long discourses in the narrative. Two cultural parallels, the Teacher of Righteousness and Epictetus, are studied for comparison. The ways in which they are remembered in the literature and in which they shape the lives of their followers provide proper historical perspectives and useful frames of reference. Finally, a social-historical reading of the three teachers and their followers, in the light of pertinent sociological theories (sociology of knowledge, group formation), indicates that Jesus the One Teacher serves four crucial functions for his readers in Matthew's church: polemic, apologetic, didactic, and pastoral.
Ph.D. dissertation (2003) under the supervision of Prof. Wayne Meeks, Yale University. John Yueh-Han Yieh is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va./USA.
"This book is highly recommended, not only for scholars interested in the first Gospel, but also for those working on early Christian communities, and Gospel narratives in general."
F P Viiljoen in: Theological Studies 2/2007
"Yieh's research is solid and meticulous, and his theses are judiciously argued and well grounded in supporting evidence. Yieh's comparative work offers fascinating outside perspectives from which to view the Matthean Jesus, and his conclusions [...] offer rich insight for ongoing consideration of the social location of Matthew's church."
Dorothy Jean Weaver in: The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 69/2007
"In many ways this is a helpful, well-constructed and clear presentation."
Peter M. Head in: Booklist 5/2006
