The Torah in Matthew: still valid, yet to be interpreted alternatively

Abstract

It seems that Matthew intentionally emphasises the importance of the Torah for his community. He highlights Jesus' high regard for the continuing validity of the Torah. However, he demonstrates that Jesus interpreted the Torah differently from Judaist groups of those times. The intention of this article is to demonstrate this significant role of the Torah in the first Gospel. It is argued that the Torah holds a central position in Matthew and that the Torah continues to remain valid, but that Jesus teaches and enacts an alternative interpretation of the Torah.