This volume gets us close to the completion of the Biblical Theology of the New Testament series. I’ve reviewed them all so far and there’s not a dud in the bunch. Matthew deserves one of the eight volumes in this series and Michael Wilkins does a phenomenal job. I’ve had an over 20 year fascination with reading everything I could get my hands on about this wonderful gospel. With that extensive background, I can tell you that this book lacks nothing.

I feel this book could hardly be better. If I had to split hairs, maybe it could’ve used a few more charts. It’s not only the depth of coverage, but the conclusions themselves that I love. I guess you couldn’t feel the need to judge a book by me liking its conclusions, but I suggest you give it a chance. What he concludes, he develops persuasively. He covered all these background issues, but in someway in so doing he has gotten to the heart of Matthew.

The book starts a bit slowly. That is because the first two chapters cover topics I find less interesting. If we have to endure such things, I’m at least glad to see that he has dispensed with some of the dumber things that have come down the path of the scholarly world. “Q” isn’t the spectacular book behind some dependent gospels, but a foray into limited imagination; but I digress.

Chapter 3 is a skillful summary of structure. It has taken several books to put together what he explains well in a few pages. The next chapter is a literary and theological reading of Matthew’s gospel. It’s not exactly a commentary, but think of it as a collection of nuggets. In other words, it’s really good.

The next part has several chapters on major themes in Matthew’s theology. What he discusses is easily the main topics that have been on the agenda of many people over the last few decades or even longer. I call your attention to his fantastic chapter on the kingdom of Heaven. I especially was enlightened by it.

He’s also fair to various groups within Christianity. For example, he is kind to those who follow dispensational theology, but at the same time, he probably doesn’t really offend any reformed thinkers either. In other words, he’s not writing for a specific team, but is just trying to do the scholar’s task. He does it well.

This book is so good that it can probably take the place of 10 other releases from the past. You will want this one. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.