O Woman, Great is Your Faith!: Faith in the Gospel of Matthew

By Douglas Sean O'Donnell

The concept of "faith" holds a central position in New Testament and early Christian thought, yet this concept has not received the careful attention it deserves in the Synoptic Gospels. The present study offers a comprehensive analysis of "faith" as a key motif in the Gospel of Matthew, where it plays a major role in communicating this Gospel's vision for how readers should respond to the person and message of Jesus. The argument propounded is that Matthew's unique narrative portrayal of the Canaanite woman's faith (15:21-28) is used for pedagogical purposes, namely, that by comparing and contrasting her "great faith" with those characters expressing "no faith" and "little faith," Matthew uses Jesus's quantitative πίστ-terms to teach on the nature of true faith. She embodies Matthew's theological vision of faith! Even though she is a gentile outsider/enemy, she comprehends the universal scope and abundant blessings of Jesus's mission. Moreover, she acknowledges Jesus's messianic identity, correctly perceiving him to be both David's royal heir and David's Lord. Finally, based on who she perceives Jesus to be and the purpose of his mission, she demonstrates faith as trust manifested in action.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Release date: Aug 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781725295926

Douglas Sean O'Donnell

Douglas Sean O’Donnell (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is the senior vice president of Bible editorial at Crossway. Over the past twenty-five years he has helped train people around the world to read and teach the Bible clearly. He has pastored several churches, served as a professor, and authored or edited over twenty books, including commentaries, Bible studies, children’s books, and a children’s curriculum. He also wrote The Pastor’s Book with R. Kent Hughes and The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition with Leland Ryken.

Book preview

O Woman, Great Is Your Faith!

Faith in the Gospel of Matthew

Douglas Sean O’Donnell

O Woman, Great is Your Faith!

Faith in the Gospel of Matthew

Copyright © 2021 Douglas Sean O’Donnell. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Pickwick Publications

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3

Eugene, OR 97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-7252-9591-9

hardcover isbn: 978-1-7252-9590-2

ebook isbn: 978-1-7252-9592-6

Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Names: O’Donnell, Douglas Sean, author.

Title: O Woman, Great Is Your Faith! : Faith in the Gospel of Matthew / Douglas Sean O’Donnell.

Description: Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2021 | Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Identifiers: isbn 978-1-7252-9591-9 (paperback) | isbn 978-1-7252-9590-2 (hardcover) | isbn 978-1-7252-9592-6 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Matthew—Criticism, interpretation, etc. | Faith—Biblical teaching.

Classification: BS2575.2 O36 2021 (paperback) | BS2575.2 (ebook)

08/26/21

Table of Contents

Title Page

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

Part One: The Concept of Faith in and around Matthew’s Gospel

Chapter 1: The Language of Faith

Chapter 2: History of Research

Part Two: The Characteristics Of Faith

Chapter 3: Comprehending Jesus’s Mission

Chapter 4: Confessing Jesus as Son of David and Lord

Chapter 5: Faith in Action

Conclusion

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

This monograph constitutes a revised version of my doctoral dissertation submitted to and accepted by the University of Aberdeen in March 2019. I wish to thank Prof. Elizabeth Shively of the University of St. Andrews and Dr. Jamie Davies of Trinity College Bristol, who served on my committee as examiners. I am grateful for their encouragement to publish. Moreover, their helpful amendments, critiques, and suggestions much improved my work. I am also thankful for the privilege of working under the supervision of Professor John Nolland and President Nicholas Perrin. Professors Nolland and Perrin are scholar’s scholars, doctor-fathers who offered fatherly counsel and wise corrections. This book is a reflection of their labors of love.

I would like to thank my many friends who helped make this possible. For three years, I was honored to lecture alongside scholars who obtained doctorates from three prestigious universities on three different continents (Oxford, Yale, and University of Queensland)—Mark Baddeley, Andrew Bain, Doug Green, Gary Millar, and Wes Redgen—at Queensland Theological College in Brisbane, Australia. Without a call from QTC, and their generous funding, both my pursuit of a PhD and this final project would certainly not be possible. Furthermore, I extend thanks to Professors Frederick Dale Bruner, Daniel Doriani, Eric Eve, David Firth, Kent Hughes, Douglas Moo, Thomas Schreiner, Douglas Sweeney, Bruce Winter, and Robert Yarbrough for their various encouragements and efforts (e.g., interacting with ideas, offering critiques, suggesting books, reading drafts). I am especially grateful to my longtime friend and academic par excellence, Professor Michael Graves of Wheaton College, who spent countless hours brainstorming with me, offering counsel, and taking the time to carefully read through this whole tome. The staff at Trinity College Bristol were enormously helpful too, particularly Dr. Justin Stratis and Emma Crick de Boom. Thanks Mark Brucato (translating Italian), Emily Gerdts (final formatting), Aaron Lira (reviewing a section), Annette McGrath (librarian extraordinaire!), and Nick Swan (tracking down obscurities), for your help. I was delighted to work again with the eagle-eyed Karen Magnuson. Thank you for looking at so many words so carefully.

Most important of all, I am grateful for the patience and support of my family. Thank you, Emily, my faithful wife and great faith gentile mother of Sean, Lily, Evelyn, Simeon, and Charlotte. It is only fitting that this book on a great woman be dedicated to you.

Abbreviations

1QHa Hodayota or Thanksgiving Hymnsa

1QS Serek Hayaḥad or Rule of the Community

1QSa Rule of the Congregation (appendix a to 1QS)

1QM Milḥamah or War Scroll

1QpHab Pesher Habakkuk

4Q161 Pesher Isaiah

4QFlor Florilegium, also Midrash on Eschatologya

4QMMTa Miqṣat Ma‘aśê ha-Toraha

11Q5Psa Psalms Scrolla

1 Apol. First Apology (Justin)

1 En. 1 Enoch (Ethiopic Apocalypse)

1 Macc 1 Maccabees

2 Bar. 2 Baruch (Syriac Apocalypse)

4 Bar. 4 Baruch (Paraleipomena Jeremiou)

4 Ezra 4 Ezra

4 Macc 4 Maccabees

AB Anchor Bible

ABD The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992

Abraham On the Life of Abraham (Philo)

ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library

ACCS Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture

Acts Thom. Acts of Thomas

AD anno Domini (in the year of our Lord)

Ag. Ap. Against Apion (Josephus)

Agr. De Legeagraria (Cicero)

AJBI Annual of the Japanese Biblical Institute

Alleg. Interp. 1, 2, 3 Allegorical Interpretation, 1, 2, 3 (Philo)

AnBib Analecta Biblica

ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Romsim Spiegel der neueren Forschung. Part 2, Principat. Edited by Hildegard Temporini and Wolfgang Haase. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1972–

Ant. The Jewish Antiquities (Josephus)

ANTC Abingdon New Testament Commentaries

ApOTC Apollos Old Testament Commentary

ARC Journal of the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University

AThR Anglican Theological Review

ATJ Ashland Theological Journal

Aug Augustinianum

AYBD Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary

b. Babylonian Talmud

b. Šabb. Babylonian Talmud, Šabbat

b. Sanh. Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin

b. Soṭah Babylonian Talmud, Soṭah

BAGD Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Edited by Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, F. Wilbur Gingrich, and F. W. Danker. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979

Barn. Barnabas

BBR Bulletin for Biblical Research

BC before Christ

BCE before the Common Era

BDAG Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Edited by Frederick W. Danker, Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000

BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

BETL Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium

Bib Biblica

BibInt Biblical Interpretation Series

BibOr Biblica et Orientalia

BJS Brown Judaic Studies

BL Bibel and Liturgie

BLE Bulletin de literature ecclésiastique

BR Biblical Research

BSac Bibliotheca Sacra

BSC Bible Student’s Commentary

BST Bible Speaks Today

BTB Biblical TheologyBulletin

BTNT Biblical Theology of the New Testament

BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestament liche Wissenschaft

BZNW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestament liche Wissenschaft

C. Ap. Contra Apionem (Josephus)

CBC Cambridge Bible Commentary

CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly

CCC Crossway Classic Commentaries

CD Cairo Geniazh copy of the Damascus Document

Cels. Contra Celsum (Origen)

Chaer. De. Chaerea et Callirhoe (Chariton)

CE Common Era

CollMech Collectanea Mechliniensia

Comm Communio

Colloq Colloquium

ConcC Concordia Commentary

CBC Cornerstone Biblical Commentary

CurTM Currents in Theology and Mission

Bono mort. Death as a Good (Ambrose)

DBT Discovering Biblical Texts

Decalogue On the Decalogue (Philo)

Dial. Dialogue with Trypho (Justin Martyr)

DJG Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Edited by Joel B. Green, Jeannie K. Brown, and Nicholas Perrin. 2nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2013

DNTB Dictionary of New Testament Background. Edited by Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000

DRev Downside Review

EBC Expositor’s Bible Commentary

EDB Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Edited by David Noel Freedman. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000

EDNT Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider. ET. 3 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990–1993

Ep. Epistulae (Pliny the Younger)

Ep. Ad. Corot. Epistle against Coroticus (Patrick)

ESV English Standard Version

ET Eastern Text (of the Psalms)

ETL Ephemerides Theologicae Lovansienses

Eth. En. Ethiopic Enoch (see also 1 Enoch above)

ETR Études théologiques et religieuses

EvQ Evangelical Quarterly

ExpTim Expository Times

FC Fathers of the Church

FCI Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation

FoiVie Foi et vie

Gos. Thom. Gospel of Thomas

Haer. Against Heresies (Irenaeus)

HBT Horizons in Biblical Theology

Herm. Sim. Shepherd of Hermas, Similutudes

Hist. eccl. Ecclesiastical History (Eusebius)

HNT Handbuch zum Neuen Testament

HThKNT Herders theologischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament

HTR Harvard Theological Review

HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual

HvTSt Hervormde teologiese studies

IBD The Illustrated Bible. Edited by J. D. Douglas. 3 vols. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1986

IBS Irish Biblical Studies

IBT Interpreting Biblical Texts

ICC International Critical Commentary

IDB The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Edited by George A. Buttrick. 4 vols. New York: Abingdon, 1962

Int Interpretation

ISBE International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Edited by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979–1988

JANESCU Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society of Columbia University

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

Jdt Judith

JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

JFSR Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion

Joseph On the Life of Joseph (Philo)

JQR Jewish Quarterly Review

JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Periods

JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament

JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series

JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

JTS Journal of Theological Studies

Jub. Jubilees

J.W. Jewish War (Josephus)

Kairós Kairós

LCC Library of Christian Classics

LCL Loeb Classical Library

LEC Library of Early Christianity

List Listening: Journal of Religion and Culture

LNTS The Library of New Testament Studies

LTJ Lutheran Theological Journal

LXX Septuagint

m. Mishnah

m. Ḥag. Mishnah, Ḥagigah

m. Maas. Mishnah, Maaserot

m. Meg. Mishnah, Megillah

m. Pesaḥ. Mishnah, Pesaḥim

m. Soṭah Mishnah, Soṭah

m. Ṭehar. Mishnah, Ṭeharot

m. Yebam. Mishnah, Yebamot

Mek. Melilta de-Rabbi Ishmael

Mek. Exod. Melilta Exodus

Migr. De migration Abrahami (Philo)

Moses 1, 2 On the Life of Moses, 1, 2 (Philo)

MSJ The Master’s Seminary Journal

MT Masoretic Text

NA28 Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland, 28th ed.

NAC New American Commentary

NASB New American Standard Bible

NCB New Century Bible

NCBC New Cambridge Bible Commentary

NDBT New Dictionary of Biblical Theology

Neot Neotestamentica

NET New English Translation

NewDocs New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity. Edited by Greg H. R. Horsley and Stephen Llewelyn. North Ryde, NSW: Ancient History Documentary Research Centre, Macquarie University, 1981–

NIB New Interpreter’s Bible

NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament

NIDB The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Edited by Katharine Doob Sakenfeld. 5 vols. Nashville: Abingdon, 2006–2009

NIDNTT New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Edited by C. Brown. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975–1978

NIDOTTE New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Edited by Willem A. Van Gemeren. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997

NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary

NIV New International Version

NIVAC New International Version Application Commentary

NLT New Living Translation

NovT Novum Testamentum

NovTSup Supplements to Novum Testamentum

NRSV New Revised Standard Version

NRT La nouvelle revue théologique

NSBT New Studies in Biblical Theology

NT New Testament

NTAbh Neutestamentliche Abhandlungen

NTD Das Neue Testament Deutsch

NTL New Testament Library

NTOA Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus

NTS New Testament Studies

Odes. Sol. Odes of Solomon

OT Old Testament

OTS Old Testament Studies

P. Oxy Oxyrhynchus Papyri

PNTC Pillar New Testament Commentary

Ps.-Clem. Hom. Homililae (Pseduo-Clementines)

Pss. Sol. Psalms of Solomon

PTW Preaching the Word

REC Reformed Expository Commentary

RelSRev Religious Studies Review

RivB Rivista biblica italania

RNT Regensburger Neues Testament

Sacrifices On the Sacrifices of Cain and Abel (Philo)

SANT Studienzum Alten und Neuen Testament

Sat. Satires (Juvenal)

SBL Society of Biblical Literature

SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series

SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series

SBLSBS Society of Biblical Literature Sources for Biblical Study

SBLSymS Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Studies

SBS Stuttgarter Bibelstudien

SBT Studies in Biblical Theology

ScEs Science et esprit

SD Studies and Documents

SE Studia Evangelica I, II, III ( = TU 73 [1959], 87 [1964], 88 [1964], etc.)

SEÅ Svensk exegetisk årsbok

SEAJT Southeast Asia Journal of Theology

SEG Supplementum epigraphicum graecuåm. Edited by Wilhelm Dittenberger. 4 vols. 3rded. Leipzig: Hirzel, 1915–1924

Semeia Semeia

SHBC Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary

Sib. Or. Sibylline Oracles

Sir Sirach/Ecclesiasticus

SNTSMS Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series

SP Sacra Pagina

Spec. 1, 2, 3, 4 On the Special Laws 1, 2, 3, 4 (Philo)

Str-B Kommenntar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch. Edited by H. L. Strack and P. Billerbeck. 6 vols. Munich: Beck, 1922–1961

t. Tosefta

t. Ber. Tosefta, Berakot

t. Meg. Tosefta, Megillah

t. Soṭah Tosefta, Soṭah

T. 12 Patr. Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

T. Naph. Testament of Naphtali

T. 3 Patr. Testaments of the Three Patriarchs

T. Isaac Testament of Isaac

TNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentaries

TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964–1976

TDNTW The NIV Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words. Edited by Veryln D. Verbrugge. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren. Translated by John T. Willis et al. 8 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974–2006

TGST Tesi Gregoriana, Serie Teologia

THKNT Theologischer Handkommentar zum Neuen Testament

ThSt Theologische Studiën

ThTo Theology Today

TJ Trinity Journal

TNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentary

Tob Tobit

TRE Theologische Real enzyklopädie. Edited by Gerhard Krause and Gerhard Müller. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1997–

TS Theological Studies

TynBul Tyndale Bulletin

Vid Vidyajyoti

Virtues On the Virtues (Philo)

VT Vetus Testamentum

WBC The Women’s Bible Commentary. Edited by Carol A. Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley. 3rd ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2012

WBC Word Biblical Commentary

Wis. Wisdom of Solomon

WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament

WTJ Westminster Theological Journal

WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

WW Word and World

YNG Young’s Literal Translation

ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

ZECNT Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

ZKT Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie

ZNW Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche

ZTK Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirke

Introduction

At the conclusion of Christopher Marshall’s study Faith as a Theme in Mark’s Narrative, he rightly called for further study on the theme of faith, especially in Matthew and Luke. Nearly thirty years have passed and no such studies have been published. Such a striking absence perhaps reflects the ideological milieu of the last three decades in NT studies, where even scholarly commentaries and major works on Matthean theology fail to reflect on or wrestle with the question, What is the nature of faith according to Matthew’s Gospel?¹ Whatever the reason, this neglected theme will be neglected no more.² With stories like the Canaanite woman—not recorded in Luke and told without mention of faith in Mark—the Matthean voice on what constitutes great faith should finally be heard.³

The Need for This Study

An answer to the question, What is the nature of faith according to Matthew’s Gospel? is important not only because existing scholarly studies on the theme in the First Gospel have been insufficient or unsatisfactory, but because faith is a major motif in Matthew’s Gospel. This is highlighted in at least two ways. First, we have the repetition of the word group. While word-count statistics can be misleading, the relative frequency of πίστ-terminology is significant.⁴ Matthew uses the language of faith thirty-two times.⁵ Mark, the shortest Gospel, uses the word group eighteen times, and Luke, the longest, thirty-one times.⁶ Moreover, when the faith word group is compared to other key word groups, some of which have been the source of recent monographs, such as king (22x), nations/Gentiles (17x), fulfill (15x), wise (13x), the [Holy] Spirit (12x), authority (11x), mountain (10x), the Law (8x), church (3x)—alongside key theological words for the NT, namely love (13x), peace (4x), and hope (1x)—the significance of faith as a theme is further emphasized. Comparing faith usage to key Christological titles also highlights the theme (e.g., Son of Man [30x] and Son of David" [9x]).

Second, when we consider the number of pericopae that touch on the motif of faith, this topic’s importance becomes unquestionable. Whether we describe the literary structure of Matthew—according to Bacon’s Pentateuchal theory,⁷ Gooding’s concluding refrain division,⁸ Kingsbury’s repeated formula outline,⁹ Combrink’s complex chiastic structure,¹⁰ Evans’s simple geographical movement suggestion,¹¹ or Carter’s kernels and satellites design¹²—an expression of faith is found in every section of the Gospel. If we use Carter’s proposal, we can see how the theme of faith arises in both the kernels (major narrative blocks that are central to Matthew’s plot) and satellites (the remaining scenes that expand on the ideas of the kernels). For example, Carter believes 11:2—16:20 constitutes a narrative block.¹³ Whether or not that is the correct division, surely it is important to note in the immediate setting that the Canaanite woman’s great faith (15:28) comes in striking contrast to John the Baptist’s doubt (11:2–3), the Jewish cities’ rejection (11:16–24), the Jewish leaders’ plotting to kill Jesus (12:14), and even Jesus’s hometown’s refusal to believe in him (13:53–58). The kernel of 11:2–6 (summarized as: Jesus’ actions and preaching reveal his identity as God’s commissioned agent, necessitating a response of acceptance or rejection from human beings¹⁴) is apropos.¹⁵ The Canaanite woman’s response not only foreshadows the later command to worldwide mission,¹⁶ but it reinforces the fact that faith as a response to Jesus is an important and pervasive theme for Matthew.

The density of the faith theme found in 11:2—16:20 cannot be demonstrated in every section. Yet, it can be proved that once Jesus announced that the kingdom of heaven is at hand (4:17), his teaching on the nature of faith in his first sermon (6:30) and his commendation of those who exemplified faith on his first day of healing (8:10, 13) followed shortly thereafter. Moreover, from the time he saves the centurion’s servant to the time he gives his farewell discourse on Olivet, Jesus steadily and repeatedly gives instructions and admonishments on faith, along with affirmations of various people’s faith.¹⁷

Thus, along with its obvious importance to Christian theology and practice, it is clear that an exploration of Matthew’s unique contributions will add significantly to our understanding of the book’s narrative art and theology.

Exploration of the Theme

One could explore Matthew’s theme of faith in various ways. I have narrowed the scope to Matthew’s use of πίστις-language. This does not mean that I will neglect obvious attitudes and actions that are synonymous with faith (see esp. ch. 5). It simply means that πίστ-terms will be the objective control for this study. Also, I have chosen to filter narratives that feature faith language through the story of the Canaanite woman (15:21–28). Besides what was shown above (on the density of the faith theme in 11:2—16:20), my rationale is as follows.

As I sought to understand Matthew’s view of faith, I first studied the concept within its literary and religious context. Set against the backdrop of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and Second Temple literature, I saw that Matthew’s theological vision aligned with a number of Jewish perceptions and that it is especially built on the Scriptures’ multi-faceted conception of faith. I also noticed some unique features, the Evangelist’s own distinctive investments, namely, the ironic but accurate πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν (27:43) for Jesus, the corrective ὀλιγόπιστοι for the disciples (6:30; 8:26; 14:3; 16:8; 17:20), and the high commendation μεγάλησου ἡ πίστις (15:28) for the Canaanite woman. Deeming the term πέποιθεν beyond the linguistic scope and the debated topic of the faith/faithfulness of Jesus beyond the theological scope of this study,¹⁸ I focused my attention on Jesus as a teacher of faith—his commendations (e.g., μεγάλησου ἡ πίστις) and his corrections (ὀλιγόπιστοι), along with his condemnations (ἀπιστίαν). I wondered how the narratives that feature no faith and little faith related to the story of the Canaanite woman’s great faith.

From there, I researched the various narratives that featured πίστις and concluded that there are three reasons why filtering the faith-data through the Canaanite-woman narrative is the best way to answer the question, What does Matthew achieve by investing in these distinctive features of faith?

First, as Nancy Klancher shows in her study of the afterlife of the text, Christian commentators and preachers throughout church history have understood the Canaanite woman as a character who should encourage imitation (exemplum).¹⁹ This tradition of applauding and emulating her behavior follows what I believe to be Matthew’s intention,²⁰ since there are at least three reasons to view her as not only an exemplar of faith in Matthew, but the exemplar: (1) she alone receives Jesus’s unique great faith commendation,²¹ (2) she is the final face of faith,²² and (3) Matthew presents this climatic faith story surrounded by no or little faith episodes.²³

Second, because Matthew places this story near the center of his Gospel (8,924 Greek words before 15:21–28 and 9,242 until the Great Commission), such placement could be significant. Was Jesus’s command to make disciples of all nations (28:19) so central to his message that Matthew highlighted its significance by placing a story that portrays Israel’s Messiah as bringing God’s blessing to the Gentiles ahead of time (i.e., before his death, resurrection, and commission)?

Third, and most directly tied to the thesis and outline of my argument, she receives Jesus’s highest commendation because she exemplified three key characteristics of faith as presented throughout Matthew: comprehending the universal scope and abundant blessings of Jesus’s mission, acknowledging Jesus’s messianic identity, and demonstrating trust through action. In fact, as will be summarized below and shown in chapters 3, 4, and 5, for each characteristic the foils of no faith or little faith serve to impress on Matthew’s audience the greatness of her faith and the need for Jews and Gentiles alike to emulate her response to Jesus.

Methods for Exploring the Theme

Because this study is a text-driven, theological overview of the nature of faith in the Gospel of Matthew, my method for analysis falls under the rubric of composition criticism,²⁴ whereby the composition itself as a literary whole (in this case, the final form of Matthew as represented in NA)²⁸ is the focus of study rather than its likely (Mark)²⁵ and possible antecedents (Q) or the process by which the text was created. This study, however, will use some of the reading strategies of redaction criticism in seeking to discover why Matthew chose to include these stories of faith where and how he did.²⁶ Moreover, I will interact with related non-canonical literature (notably the MT, LXX, Second Temple Jewish literature, and the NT) and demonstrate an awareness of traditional grammatical-historical matters related to the Gospel’s authorial intent and socio-historical context.²⁷ This method of analysis is intended to provide a useful middle ground between bare literary criticism and purely historical analysis,²⁸ as well as a platform for further exploration on this relevant theme.

Beyond conventional grammatical-historical methods of exegesis, I will also employ narrative criticism. The value of incorporating this literary theory and practice—which includes narrative structure, plot development, irony, characters, and characterization—should be obvious, since Matthew develops his faith-theme not primarily through propositions but through stories within one progressively developing grand narrative. As the various characters in his carefully-shaped drama express faith in Jesus, the intended audience is guided in evaluating the episodes and applying the theme.²⁹ To the storyteller theologian Matthew, faith comes from hearing, namely, reading, understanding, and applying the story. The medium is not the message, but the medium mediates the message. How and where in the narrative Matthew communicates the faith theme is as vital as what is communicated.

So, while a lexical analysis of the word faith within the historical-cultural context will be done and a synchronic assessment of its possible range of meaning within the writings of the NT especially (see ch. 1), the focus will fall on the analyses of faith—along with its synonymous words and actions—within the particular narratives of Matthew’s story. For our understanding of the faith pericopae will be enhanced only when our exegesis is not done in isolation from the narrative in which they occur and from which they derive their meaning. Without understanding something of the literary methods Matthew uses to communicate to his audience the concept of faith and how he integrates the theme in the whole of his unified story, we will fail to grasp a full understanding of this theme.

Particularly important is the readers’ perspective.³⁰ Kingsbury points out how Matthew (1) directly addresses the reader (24:15; 27:8; 28:15), (2) apprises the reader of the thoughts (21:25–27), feelings (2:10, 22), perceptions (21:45; 22:18), and intentions (21:46) of characters,³¹ and (3) portrays Jesus as periodically speak[ing] past [e.g., 5:11; 13:38; 18:15–20] his story-audience of crowds or disciples.³² To Kingsbury, Matthew’s real reader is anyone who has actually heard . . . or read the Gospel,³³ someone who lives between the resurrection and return of Jesus (27:8; 28:15), whom Matthew hopes will grasp his depiction of Jesus as the Son of God, who, in willing obedience to his Father, goes the way of the cross as to save humankind by shedding his blood for the atonement of sins (1:21; 20:28; 26:28).³⁴ I agree with these observations. I also agree, as Allison argues, that Matthew designed his Gospel to be read and heard again and again,³⁵ as his readers are sent backwards with the Great Commission’s charge to know and to propagate Christ’s commandments. The implied author intends and expects that his implied [or ‘ideal’] readers will grasp quotes from, allusions to, and paraphrases of the LXX, and that they will notice and appreciate intertextual allusions within the Gospel itself,³⁶ seeing the thematic threads that Matthew has woven throughout his Gospel.

Thus, these implied readers comprehend the fuller meaning of the story before the characters in the story do (notably the disciples). Reading and re-reading from a post-Easter perspective, and having the full Gospel narrative before them, they have the clearer view of each pericope. Thus, as it relates to the so-called ‘minor characters’ in Matthew, they grasp that these characters exert a major impact that is disproportional to their brevity of presentation.³⁷ The suppliants, many of whom express and are exemplars of faith, reveal the ideals that the Gospel’s author (Matthew) and its protagonist (Jesus) want the readers to adopt.

For example, Matthew’s Jewish Christian readers might at first be surprised by Jesus’s commendations of the faith of a Roman centurion and a Canaanite woman.³⁸ With their knowledge (or re-reading/re-hearing) of the OT, however, they are intended to eventually recognize a pattern: as the Queen of Sheba came to King Solomon and as Rahab and Ruth expressed faith in YHWH, so these Gentiles join their ancestors.³⁹ Moreover, with their awareness of possible intertextual correspondences, they strive to see how Jesus’s condemnations of no faith, corrections of little faith, and commendations of great faith fit together and, when comparisons, contrasts, and connections are made, seek to apply the pedagogical purposes of Matthew’s discipleship manual to their lives.⁴⁰ Put simply, these implied readers, per the implied author’s intention, use his faith narratives—the stories featuring no faith, little faith, and great faith—to increase their faith.

In summary, we might say that my investment is in a maximizing reading that focuses on how Christian readers engage with the texts in relation to their own existing and growing faith, a reading that is informed by the fullness of the faith that Matthew was ultimately intending to commend, not a more minimal reading that might be appropriate for the characters along the way at the particular stage of development of the story. Put differently, there are two levels of interpretation: the level of the individual story and its characters and then the level of the overall story of the Gospel and its readers. On the first level, it is likely that characters—like the centurion and Canaanite woman—speak and act better than they know or intend. On the second level, the informed audience takes what is said and done and moves beyond a character’s original intentions to greater meaning. They understand and apply each aspect of the narrative from a post-Easter perspective and with the full Gospel narrative in mind. They have the higher and broader view of what Matthew intends, and thus, with their knowledge of the full truth about Jesus, can fill in any gaps.⁴¹ This study will interpret the information at this second level.

Thesis

The thesis propounded is that Matthew’s unique narrative portrayal of the Canaanite woman’s faith (15:21–28) is used for pedagogical purposes, namely, that by comparing and contrasting her great faith (μεγάλησου ἡ πίστις) with those expressing no faith (ἀπιστίαν) and little faith (ὀλιγόπιστοι), Matthew uses Jesus’s quantitative πίστ- terms to instruct his audience on the nature of true faith. Put simply, in what follows, I will demonstrate that the Canaanite woman embodies much of Matthew’s theological vision of faith. Specifically, she expresses three traits: 1) even though she is a Gentile outsider and enemy,⁴² she comprehends the universal scope and abundant blessings of Jesus’s mission; 2) she acknowledges Jesus’s messianic identity, correctly perceiving him to be both David’s royal heir and David’s Lord; and 3) based on who she perceives Jesus to be and the purpose of his mission, she demonstrates faith in action.

The Outline of the Argument

This study is divided into two parts. Part One is titled The Concept of ‘Faith’ in and around the Gospel of Matthew. The first chapter is a word study on faith. Seeking to provide a linguistic, historical, and theological setting in which to grasp Matthew’s use and understanding of faith, this chapter first surveys the language of faith in its Jewish and early Christian theological and literary milieus. Then it reviews Matthew’s use of πιστεύω, πίστις, and πιστός, along with all other πίστ- cognates. After considering each usage within Matthew’s narrative context as set within the broader context of the word’s semantic range in the rest of the NT and other early Christian literature, I contend (as stated earlier) that Matthew’s three expressions—πέποιθεν for Jesus, ὀλιγόπιστοι for the disciples, and μεγάλησου ἡ πίστις for a suppliant—showcase his distinctive perspective on, and contribution to, the theme of faith. These unique features, notably the final two, lay the foundation for the rest of the study.

Chapter 2 is a history of research on the theme of faith in Matthew. In this chapter, we will discover that surprisingly little has been written on the theme, despite the consistent academic admission that faith is a major, central, and important theme in Matthew.⁴³ Moreover, we will see how Matthew’s characteristic faith expressions have never been explained together, or even separately at any great length. Matthean scholars have answered the question, What does Matthew mean by these words? but they have left untouched the questions, What role do they play in his narrative? and How do they contribute to or reflect his theology?

Part Two, The Characteristics of Faith, builds on the discoveries unearthed and explained in chapters 1 and 2. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 cover three features of the Canaanite woman’s faith, seeking to show how Matthew 15:21–28, on its own terms and set in the context of Matthew’s πίστις language, contributes to early Christian reflections on faith. I hope to promote a great appreciation by NT scholars of Matthew’s perspective on πίστις and the crucial role it plays in his retelling of the Jesus story.

In chapter 3, I argue that even though the Canaanite woman is a Gentile outsider and enemy, she comprehends the universal scope and abundant blessings of Jesus’s mission. Furthermore, I show how her understanding differs from the little faith disciples who fail to comprehend that Jesus’s mission would include Gentiles; and that faith—not ethnicity or law-keeping—gains entrance into the kingdom and unlocks its present and future blessings. The surprise of 15:21–28 is that even a Canaanite from Tyre and Sidon seeks to partake in the messianic banquet. She understands what Israel should have—namely, what is written in the Law and the Prophets and recapitulated in Matthew’s depiction of Jesus—that the mission of the Son of David is to fulfill both the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants.

Chapter 4 explores the relationship between her confessions and her faith. I argue that her acknowledgment of Jesus’s messianic identity, correctly perceiving him to be both David’s royal heir (Son of David) and David’s Lord, is an important aspect of faith to Matthew. I demonstrate this in part by showing how her confessions differ from the willful rejection of the faithless generation (17:17) of Jews—including the unbelieving Jewish leaders and Jesus’s hometown, both of whom fail to recognize Jesus’s true identity.

Chapter 5 covers the prominent Matthean feature of faith as a trust manifest in action. After surveying the whole Gospel and demonstrating how Matthew ties this theme to various characters, I argue once again that the Canaanite woman stands out. She stands out in that she showcases nearly all the actions associated with faith in Matthew. Based on who she perceives Jesus to be (see ch. 4) and the purpose of his mission (see ch. 3) she moves toward (she came out, 15:22; came, v. 25), and with her humble posture (knelt before him, v. 25) and courageous persistence (was crying, v. 22; she is crying out, v. 23) petitions Jesus for help (Have mercy on me, O Lord, v. 22; Lord, help me, v. 25), trusting that Jesus, like God the Father (6:13b), has the comprehensive power to provide deliverance from evil (in her case the evil of a demon within her daughter, 15:22).

Finally, the conclusion provides a synthesis of the study, showing how both the positive and negative responses to Jesus contribute to promote faith in the reader.⁴⁴ As the Evangelist details everything from Jesus’s hometown rejection to the Canaanite woman’s great faith, each character is intended to repel or compel the reader.⁴⁵ By these characters, and their intertwining relationships with each other, Matthew promotes his unique theological and pastoral vision of Christian faith. Here, I will answer the question, In light of the three characteristics of the Canaanite woman’s great faith, what lessons did Matthew intend to teach his audience about the nature of Christian faith? I will suggest specific lessons that Matthew intended his readers to learn, and thereby to use to grow in their faith. Moreover, I will not only showcase some important implications for ecclesial life, but also highlight how my findings contribute to the fields of biblical studies and systematic theology and clear uncharted terrain for further scholarly exploration.

1. That is not to say that the topic of faith is not touched on in commentaries and other monographs. It is to say, however, that there is no book, theological dictionary entry, journal article, or dissertation to date that covers in-depth the question. To solidify, then, this thesis’s contribution to Matthean scholarship by answering the question above, an overview of what work has been done on this theme is in place. Such a detailed overview, which became the basis of my work and original contributions, can be found in chapter 2.

2. No patristic or medieval manuscript is without mention of Matthew, undoubtedly a reference to the apostle Matthew. Thus, to honor Christian tradition, reflected in various manuscripts which include headings such as Gospel according to Matthew (D K W et al.) and Holy Gospel according to Matthew (f ¹ [boms]), I will call the author of the First Gospel Matthew throughout.

3. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

4. Moreover, see chapter 5 where I survey and summarize the pervasive theme of faith in action. There I demonstrate how Matthew consistently uses πίστις language, with certain synonyms, to describe actions commonly and repeatedly associated with faith.

5. Matthew uses the following πιστ-terms: πιστεύω, 11x; πίστις, 8x; πιστός, 5x; ὀλιγόπιστοι, 5x; ἀπιστία, 1x; ἄπιστος, 1x. In this word count, I also include πειθώ in the perfect from 27:43 (πέποιθεν [he trusts] ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν).

6. It is common to cite word-count statistics—with the uses of the verb πιστεύω and the noun πίστις—to show that the theme of faith is far more prevalent in John and Paul compared to the Synoptics. That is a valid approach insofar as both John and Paul contribute much to this theme. Yet such numbers can blur the full picture of the NT, as both John and Paul often use the word in concentrated form, namely, repeating the word in one dialogue, discourse, explanation, or exhortation (e.g., John 11:25–27; Rom 10:9–11, 14, 16). Moreover, the explanatory force of a faith narrative found in Matthew, for example, can add a greater understanding to the nature of faith than an exhortation in Paul. As we will see, the use of πίστις once in Matthew 15:21–28 does not mean that this short narrative teaches us less on the nature of faith than Galatians 3:23–25, where πίστις is used five times. In fact, like Habakkuk 2:4 LXX (ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται), which is arguably the most important verse in the OT on the nature of faith, one word (πίστεώς), set within a two-chapter story, helps define the nature of faith perhaps better than any narrative in the OT (see Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38), with perhaps the exception of Abraham in Genesis (Gen 12–25, esp. 15:6 LXX; cf. Rom 4).

7. First advocated in Bacon, Five Books, 56–66.

8. Gooding, Structure Littéraire de Matthieu, 227–52.

9. Kingsbury, Matthew: Structure, 8. See also Kingsbury, Matthew as Story, 1–39.

10. Combrink, Structure, 61–90.

11. Evans, Matthew, 9.

12. Carter, Matthew: Storyteller, 40–153.

13. This division is common. See, e.g., Brown, Gospel of Matthew, 571; Gibbs, Matthew 11:2—20:34, 551–52.

14. Carter, Matthew: Storyteller, 140. Konradt, who advocates the same division, summaries 11:2—16:30 in this way: Between opposition and confession as Messiah. Responses to Jesus’ work in Israel and consequences (Matthew, 4–5).

15. Matthew 11:2—16:30 contains a number of negative and positive responses to Jesus’s words and works. On the negative end are the Jews. While some Jews have positive responses to his ministry (12:22–23; 13:16–17, 23; 16:16), most of their responses are negative (11:16–19; 20–24; 12:2, 14, 24, 38; 13:19–22, 53–58; 16:1). Overall, it is the Gentiles who are not offended [σκανδαλισθῇ] by him" (11:6). See 14:34–35; 15:21–28, 29–31, esp. in light of 12:21.

16. Carter, Matthew: Storyteller, 147.

17. See 8:26; 9:2, 22, 28–29; 14:31; 15:28; 16:8; 17:17, 20; 18:6; 21:21–22, 25, 32; 23:23; 24:23, 26, 45; 25:21, 23.

18. The Pauline term πίστις Χριστοῦ (translated either as faithfulness of Christ or faith in Christ) is not used by Matthew. That said, I agree with Bolt that the stories of Jesus recorded in the Gospels provide a foundation upon which Paul builds (Faith of Jesus Christ, 209–37) .

19. Klancher, Taming, 1.

20. On authorial intent, see note 24.

21. In Mark’s version of this story (7:24–30) he makes no mention of faith. In Matthew, while Jesus was amazed by the centurion’s faith and claims that with no one in Israel has he found such faith (8:10), the phrase is τοσαύτην πίστιν not μεγάλη σου ἡ πίστις. Obviously, in both stories Jesus is praising their exceptional faith. But I do not take the two commendations to be the conceptual equivalent (so Davies and Allison, Matthew, 2:556). Jesus’s praise of the Canaanite woman differs from his praise of the centurion in at least two