Charles Quarles has come out with his long-anticipated commentary on Matthew. He has written a book on the theology of Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount, a Greek exegetical guide to Matthew, and numerous articles.
Charles L. Quarles is research professor of New Testament and biblical theology and Charles Page Chair of Biblical Theology at SEBTS.
Quarles begins with a 44-page introduction and covers a lot of ground with the who/what/where questions. I’ll give you the brief deets and let you read all the in-depths parts yourself.
- Genre: Ancient biography.
- Author: Most likely Matthew, the former-tax-collector-turned-disciple of Jesus (Matt 9:9). He is referred to as Levi in Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27.
- Date: Quarles notes that internal evidence is usually believed to offer the most important evidence for the date of a book’s composition, it is also the most subjective, subject to the interpreter’s beliefs about a number of things. Quarles gives this a lengthy discussion and favors a pre-70 AD date.
- Purpose: As an ancient biography,
- Structure:
- Quarles doesn’t outline Matthew’s Gospel according to Jesus’ five discourse (a la Leithart). Doing so tends to treat Matt 1–4 as a long introduction and 26–28 as a long conclusion/epilogue (one that contains the crucifixion!). Quarles sees Matthew’s structure as being shaped according to geographic and chronological concerns, like Mark’s Gospel. I give only the main headings here:
- 1. Introduction (1:1–4:16);
- 2. Galilean Ministry (4:17-16:20);
- 3. Journey to Jerusalem (16:21-20:34);
- 4. Jerusalem Ministry (21:1-28:20).
- Quarles doesn’t outline Matthew’s Gospel according to Jesus’ five discourse (a la Leithart). Doing so tends to treat Matt 1–4 as a long introduction and 26–28 as a long conclusion/epilogue (one that contains the crucifixion!). Quarles sees Matthew’s structure as being shaped according to geographic and chronological concerns, like Mark’s Gospel. I give only the main headings here:
After the Introduction, Quarles moves on to Matthew’s Biblical-Theological Themes. This section is a highlight in this series as it aims to both highlight important themes in each of the respective books and setting them within the Bible’s story. Quarles surveys Christological titles like Son of Man, Lord, Son of God, Immanuel, Son of David, and Messiah. Rather than reading them all as synonymous, Quarles show each title’s nuance along with how they are related to one another. Other Christological descriptions of Jesus would be how he is a Prophet like Moses, the Isaianic Servant, and Jesus identifies himself with Wisdom (11:19, 25–30).
Other important topics in Matthew other than the person of Jesus would be the kingdom of heaven, the new covenant, new creation, fulfillment, and more (I can’t give them all away). This section allows Quarles to hone in on specific themes so that you can already have all of the important information in mind when you come across the important titles or themes. Not everything can be said here, and these biblical theological themes need to be read in random with the exegesis of the Gospel (such as with the section on fulfillment).
The CSB is the primary translation of Matthew given, and, as with the CSB, every direct quotation of the Old Testament is set in bold. Quarles doesn’t explain the text verse-by-verse but instead takes the section as a whole and guides you through the text. Quarles is careful to bring out the OT background in verses where there are no direct quotes to the OT. This of course shows that the OT texts pervaded everyone’s thoughts (for it was their Bible) and helps illuminate Jesus’ words and actions.
For each section (usually ranging from 3 to 10 verses), these volumes give the CSB translation, the context of what came before, the exegesis of the text, and a bridge. Quarles may connect this text with what comes next, with how Jesus fulfills the OT, or how we can be disciples who live more like Jesus (or all of these!). If Quarles makes a point about the text that is related to one of the Biblical-Theological themes, he will make a note about it.
Snapshots
- 5:27–30—Quarles connects Jesus’ command against adultery with his statement in 15:19 that adultery comes from the heart. Because Jesus is the new (and greater) Moses who leads his people in a new exodus, it is he who can give his people new pure hearts (5:8).
- 7:13–14—“The broad way likely refers to the path of the wicked described in the Old Testament (Prov 1:10–16; 4:14,19), a lifestyle characterized by immoral behavior” (206). The narrow way refers to the path of righteousness where “one does not deviate either to the left or right (Deut 5:32; 17:19-20; 28:14; Josh 1:7; 2 Kgs 22:2)” (206).
- 7:15–20—Qualres carefully draws the connections between these verses and Isaiah 5:1–7, and then later Matt 21:33–46. While Luke has a different grouping, in Matthew Jesus asks, “Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”
- In the LXX of Isa 5:2, 4, God “waited for it to make a bunch of grapes, but it produced thorns.” Just after this Isaiah explains that the grapes represent acts of justice and righteousness (5:7). So good trees produce good fruit, and as Matthew has been careful to show, disciples have good works (they confess Jesus as Lord, Matt 7:21) and they do good works. This is the fruit “a genuine follower of Christ will unfailingly produce (3:8, 10; 7:17–20; 12:33)” (207).
- Later in Matt 21:33–46, Jesus tells a parable about the religious leaders and himself, where the leaders did not produce the good fruit God had commanded, and after they kill the Son they will come under judgment. Then the vineyard will be given to farmers who will produce fruit for the harvest (21:41).
- 7:21–23—Here, false prophets, known by their bad fruit, fail the Examiner’s test on the day of judgment. The double vocative “Lord, Lord” is used 18 times in the Old Testament, every time about Yahweh. This confession affirms Jesus’ divinity, as he is the Lord who will tell the false prophets/disciples to depart from him. It is not enough merely to confess Jesus’ deity. Jesus states, “only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” will enter the kingdom of heaven. The essential confession must be coupled with obedience to the Father’s will.
- 8:17—Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law, yet somehow that fulfills Isaiah 53:4, “He himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases”? While it appears that Matthew is proof-texting (read: making Jesus fulfill whatever verse he wants), Quarles writes that Jesus was the fulfillment of the entire Servant Song (Isa 52:13–53:12). This fulfillment identifies Jesus as Isaias’ suffering Servant who will be pierced and crushed for our rebellion and iniquity. Jesus’ healing miracles confirmed that he was the Savior who would save his people from their sins (Matt 1:21). Again, Quarles doesn’t go in depth here, but he is succinct is is able to explain enough for you to get a good idea of what is going on.
- 11:4–6: Jesus answers John’s disciples by showing how he has fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. Healing the blind, lame, deaf, and mute fulfilled Isaiah 35:5–6. However, Isaiah 35 doesn’t explicitly mention the Messiah. Instead, it speaks about the desert and wilderness seeing the glory of the coming Lord, who we see in the person of Jesus.
- 11:28–30—Jesus contrasts a yoke that is difficult to bear with one that is easy to bear. The scribes imposed heavy burdens on the people by adding the “traditions of the elders” on top of God’s law (15:2, 9; 23:4). On the other hand Jesus didn’t add burdensome requirements not intended in the Old Testament law, and he would later pour out the Spirit in connection with the new covenant so that his disciples would be compelled to live according to God’s law (1 Jn 5:3). Jesus’ comment about finding rest for your souls comes from Jer 6:16. Walking on “the way that is good” will lead you to rest.
- 13:23—The abundant fruitfulness does not represent massive amounts of people turning to the gospel through your evangelism. Instead it refers to the righteous fruitfulness of your own spiritual state. You have experienced an inner transformation through the world of God, and you will be “characterized by a righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees (5:20)” (318). Jesus is the most natural referent of the sower. While the parable can apply to use today, it was originally given to explain the varying responses to Jesus’ message.
- 24:29–31—Quarles does not avoid the unavoidable tension. Verse 29 reads, “Immediately after the distress of those days,” with “those days” referring to the fall of Jerusalem in verses 4–28. It’s hard to avoid the “immediately,” but it’s been almost 2,000 years since Jerusalem and the temple fell. Where is Jesus? How should we understand this text?
- The language of the darkened sun and moon and falling stars comes from Old Testament texts, particularly Isaiah 13:10, which speaks poetically of cataclysmic events that will happen when Babylon is overthrown.
- The Son of Man on the clouds of heaven alludes to Dan 7:13–14 when the Son of Man ascends to the Ancient of Days. Quarles writes, “Those culpable for Jesus’ torturous death see him glorified as the universal King and divine Judge” (632).
- The language of the elect comes from Zech 2:6 (LXX). Zech 12:11 speaks of nations joining themselves to the Lord. The gospel will spread throughout the world to the gentiles, to the elect who will be gathered in to the kingdom of the Son.
- According to Quarles, Matt 24:29–31 doesn’t refer to the second coming, but vv. 42–44 do.
Recommended?
All of the EBTC volumes I had read and reviewed have been outstanding, and Quarles fits right into there. Quarles is well-informed, his research meticulous, and has all the footnotes you could want to dive into (if you’re in to that sort of thing). If not, then you should know that he writes very clearly and was a pleasure to read. I am actually impressed over how clearly Quarles is able to make his 920 page(!) commentary.
He writes within the evangelical, Baptist, Reformed tradition, but if you’re in a different tradition there is still much you can gain from this volume. It is clear to see that Quarles has spent many good years in Matthew’s Gospel, and his commentary will help you immensely as you study Matthew for your own personal benefit as well as those you may teach. Highly recommended.
Lagniappe
- Series: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary
- Author: Charles L. Quarles
- Paperback: 920 pages
- Publisher: Lexham Academic (January 4, 2023)
Other EBTC Reviews
- Joshua — David Firth
- Job — Barry Webb
- Psalms (vols. 1&2) — James Hamilton
- Romans — David Peterson
- Galatians — Matthew Harmon
- 1–2 Timothy and Titus — Andreas Köstenberger
- Hebrews — Tom Schreiner
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