Holier Than Thou

Who wrote the books of the Bible and when?

Gospel of Matthew, a personal account of the life, teachings, miracles, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, was written some time between A.D. 60 and 65 (no later than A.D. 70) by Matthew the tax collector (also known as Levi in Mark 2:14) from Capernaum in Galilee, son of Alphaeus, a disciple of Jesus and one of the twelve apostles. This is the first gospel (proclamation of the good news) of the New Testament (though possibly not the first written), which was Christ crucified for the salvation of the world and the fulfillment of many of the Old Testament prophecies. The Passion of Christ begins with his prayers at Gesthemane and includes his arrest, trials, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The Gospel of Mathew, along with those of Mark and Luke, comprise the Synoptic Gospels due to the similarity of their material. It was thought to have been originally composed in Aramaic and directed at Jewish converts, then translated into Greek about a decade later.

The Gospel of Matthew includes accounts of the following events:

Genealogy of Jesus from Abraham through Joseph
The virgin birth
Escape to Egypt and Herod's hunt for the Messiah
John the Baptist prepares the way
Jesus is baptized and the Spirit descends upon him
Temptation of Jesus by Satan
The teachings and parables of Jesus
The miracles and healings performed by Jesus
Encounters with the Pharisees and Saducees
Invitations to follow Jesus and do his work
Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath
Sign of Jonah
A prophet without honor
John the Baptist beheaded by King Herod
Jesus walks on water
Feeding of the multitudes with a few loaves of bread and some fish
The transfiguration of Jesus before Moses and Elijah
Peter's confession of Christ
Predictions of Jesus' death
The triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey
Signs of the end of the age
The Lord's Supper
Judas betrays Jesus
Jesus arrested and tried before the Sanhedrin
Peter's denial of Jesus
Jesus before the Roman governor Pilate
The crucifixion and death of Jesus
Curtain of the temple torn and opening of the tombs of the dead
Resurrection of Jesus
The commission to spread the gospel

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters -- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. (Matthew 17:1-7)