Matthew’s anti-Paulinism : a neglected feature of Matthean studies

Abstract

Half a century ago, S G F Brandon argued that the Gospel of Matthew was an anti-Pauline text. Brandon’s case was not especially convincing and his hypothesis was quickly consigned to the scholarly scrap heap. But in recent times Matthean scholarship has been moving towards a position whereby Brandon’s basic insights can and should be resurrected. This study argues that the view that Matthew was an anti-Pauline text is completely in line with current understandings of this Gospel and its underlying community, and can be restated in a more detailed and much more convincing fashion.