Abstract:
As far as the origin of the Gospel of Matthew is concerned, most modern scholars
tend to discount the testimony of Papias. The major exception in this regard is R H Gundry, who
argues that the tradition transmitted by Papias was delivered to him by John the disciple of Jesus.
For Gundry the apostolic source of this tradition thereby guarantees its reliability, in which case
we can be confident that Matthew, the disciple of Jesus, was the author of the Gospel that bears his
name. Gundry's arguments are, however, not altogether convincing. It will be shown that not only is
his reading of the Papian tradition questionable, but also that he overstates the reliability of
Papias' source.
