A Fresh Approach to the Miracle Stories in Matthew 8-9: Literary Analysis Through the Literary Technique of Matthew's Three Stage Progression Pre-Supposedly Adopted by the First Evangelist

<p>The structure of Mt 8-9 is very complex, and there is no unanimous understanding. If we use Matthew's Three Stage Progression (MTSP), a writing technique that is found frequently in the gospel of Matthew, we can theologicaly explain the intention of Mt 8-9 more clearly than any other existing explanations. Matthew arranged the nine miracle stories progressively in three clusters (8:1-17; 8:23-9:8; 9:18-34). Those three clusters are divided by two intervening pericopae (8:18-22; 9:9-17). The first cluster describes Jesus as the merciful healing Messiah. Jesus heals every disease he encounters. In the second cluster, Jesus is the divine being who commands the nature and the demons. He even has the authority of forgiving sins. The third cluster closed the miracle narratives by emphasizing the spread of Jesus' news. Here we can conclude that Matthew 8-9 focuses on Christology, using the literary method of revealing Jesus' identity progressivly in three units.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Education

Year dc:date.available

2012

Author dc:creator

• Ryu, Gwan Seuk

• Matthew
• Matthew 8-9
• Miracle Story
• Redaction
• Structural Analysis
• Three Stage Progression
• Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Repository record dc:identifier

https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/390

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ecommons.luc.edu:luc_diss-1389