The Sheep and the Goats: A Matthean Teaching in Historical Context

Chad Venters argues that Psalm 80 is an important source for the composition of Matthew 25:31–46, providing a religio-political background for understanding the devastation facing Israel at the hands of the Romans. He suggests that the story is not focused on world-ending judgment but a cataclysmic shift in which Yahweh's vineyard has been taken from Israel and given to the church and the nations. Venters' reading of the Sheep and the Goats contends that the story is not focused on world-ending judgment but a cataclysmic shift in which Yahweh's vineyard has been taken from Israel and given to the church and the nations. This book augments the larger corpus of Matthean studies, contributing to the less prominent research of Psalm 80 as an influential text for multiple passages in the New Testament and other first-century literature.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Chad Venters contends that Psalm 80 (Psalm 79 LXX) holds significant importance in shaping the composition of Matthew 25:31-46. Psalm 80 offers a religious and political backdrop that helps in comprehending the devastating consequences Israel faced at the hands of the Romans. By considering Psalm 80 as a source for Matthew 25:31-46, we can account for the diverse imagery present in the Sheep and the Goats, providing further insight into the meaning of the passage. Venters' interpretation of the Sheep and the Goats suggests that the story revolves around a catastrophic shift rather than a world-ending judgment. In this shift, Yahweh's vineyard, which belonged to Israel, has been taken away and given to the church and the nations.

This book contributes to the broader field of Matthean studies, enriching the less explored research of Psalm 80 as a influential text in multiple passages of the New Testament and other first-century literature. Various studies have proposed the prevalence of Psalm 80 through scriptural "echoes" and "allusions" in the New Testament. Venters aims to strengthen these hypotheses in favor of Psalm 80 as a crucial background text for the New Testament Gospels.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978708075