Listening Well to Matthew

Listening Well to Matthew is now available for free.

This 44 page book introduces you to a dynamic, multi-dimensional understanding of Matthew's Gospel.

Matthew’s purpose is to equip and encourage you for making disciples.

If we take Matthew's purpose seriously, we need to listen well to Matthew. I'm so convinced of this, that I'm giving a copy of this book as a gift to every subscriber of living theology.

If you are already a subscriber, today’s newsletter provides you with the link to download your free copy.

If you are not yet a subscriber to living theology, simply click here to download your FREE copy of Listening Well to Matthew.

What’s in it?

Outline

Chapter 1 introduces you to four general principles for understanding the Bible. 

Chapters 2-5 present the four dimensions of J.P.E.G. and illustrate each from the same text: Matthew 1:18-25. This enables you to compare how each dimension adds to a ‘thicker’ understanding. 

Chapter 6 then draws the discoveries of J.P.E.G. together to demonstrate how this multi-dimensional approach equips you to discover practical transforming initiatives for your life. 

Chapters 7 and 8 lead you through a J.P.E.G analysis of two more literary units of Matthew. One of these units is about Jesus (and Peter) walking on water.

What are these four J.P.E.G. dimensions? 

J.P.E.G.

‘J’ is for Jesus. Jesus Christ is the primary, foundational, and non-negotiable focus of the Gospels’ ‘story-line’.

‘P’ is for purpose. The focus for this dimension is on the disciples. What are they hearing, seeing, doing, and feeling?

‘E’ is for explicit quotations of the Old Testament. How can we understand how Matthew uses these quotations to inform how we live?

‘G’ is for genealogy. Some Bible scholars show how Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:2-17) is an agenda, cipher, or roadmap for the gospel.

How does this J.P.E.G. approach work? 

Short answer

The best solution is to download Listening Well to Matthew and enjoy working through the examples given.

After that, page 41 suggests three more units, or pericopes, for you to work on.

In the next few posts, we’ll be working through these pericopes together. So, let me know what your findings are so we can build them into the next posts.

Here’s one ‘bouquet’ I received from a teaching session earlier this year:

“… I went home hungry to dig into Matthew, and your book is a tool that has not been set down as I am desiring to become a disciple maker, due in large part to your sessions and example.”

Invitation

1.       Read Listening Well to Matthew. Read it completely. Read it critically.

2.       In reading critically, I am asking you to provide me with your honest and constructive criticisms. What do you think are its weaknesses, and its strengths? How can it be improved? How can it be more accessible, and effective, for equipping and encouraging you to make disciples?

3.       In reading Listening Well to Matthew completely, I am hoping that you will engage with the J.P.E.G. dimensions in the process of analysis and synthesis. See for yourself how rich and practical Matthew's Paradigm is.

4.       I’m also inviting you to keep going through Matthew. Choose another unit of text, or pericope, to analyze using J.P.E.G. (see page 41 for some suggestions and hints). What are your findings? Based on your findings, what do you identify as biblically-valid transforming initiatives that you can build into your life, and the lives of others?

Are you stuck – not knowing where to go next, or getting bogged down and losing momentum? Write me so I can work with you.

Again, if you haven't done so already, click here to get your free copy of Listening Well to Matthew.

If you want to write me, just click here and send me your message.

I'm looking forward to what you have to say.

PREVIOUS                NEXT

Photo via Visual hunt