The mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven according to Matthew 13:10-17

Abstract

This article is a socio-rhetorical interpretation of Jesus' disclosure in Matt 13:10-17 that he had revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven exclusively to his disciples. It utilises the methodology of socio-rhetorical criticism to systematically analyse the inner, inter and ideological textures of Matt 13:10-17, in order to understand how Matthew used the symbolic media of privileged knowledge to aid his community's development from a Jewish faction, in the time of Jesus, into a distinct Jewish sect after his death. In Matthew, the exclusive revelation of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven to the followers of Jesus separates them from outsiders, emphasises the importance of understanding as a gracious gift from God, and attests to the inversion of honour brought about by God.