Catholic Bible Study – Matthew 1:1-25
Augustine Institute | Episode Date: November 7, 2025
Hosts: Dr. Tim Gray (“A”) and Dr. Michael Barber (“B”)
Episode Overview
This episode launches a deep dive Bible study on the Gospel of Matthew, focusing on Matthew 1:1-25. Dr. Tim Gray and Dr. Michael Barber, both Catholic biblical scholars, explore the opening of Matthew’s Gospel, placing special emphasis on its genealogy, theological structure, and the Jewish roots of Jesus Christ. The scholars intertwine art, history, theology, and Old Testament context to illuminate how Matthew’s account reveals Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s story and the bearer of good news for Jews and Gentiles alike.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Purpose and Structure of This Bible Study (00:00-02:15)
- The hosts aim to bring the fruit of academic study to the faithful, making Matthew’s Gospel more accessible and engaging.
- They encourage listeners to approach the text personally and visually, beginning with the figure of Matthew and his calling.
2. Art as a Window into Matthew’s Gospel (02:15-10:02)
Caravaggio’s Paintings—Calling and Inspiration of St. Matthew
- “If you go to Rome, there’s a wonderful church, San Luigi… The first is...the calling of Matthew...and then later...the inspiration of Matthew” (A, 01:16-06:36).
- Calling of Matthew: Caravaggio depicts Jesus calling Matthew out of darkness (black velvet) and materialism (surrounded by money), into conversion and divine mission.
- “Matthew is...captured by money, not following the Jewish ways, as an observant Jew, and certainly not even at this point, a disciple of Jesus.” (A, 02:41)
- Christ as New Adam: Jesus’ hand echoing God’s hand in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam – symbolizing new creation in Christ.
- “The way that Jesus is pointing to Matthew is evocative of Adam, of God’s hand, in the creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel...with the coming of Christ, we have a new creation.” (B, 04:58)
Inspiration of Matthew
- Paints a post-conversion Matthew “lit on fire for the Lord” (A, 07:20), emphasizing both human and divine aspects of scriptural inspiration.
- “It’s fully human, fully divine. And the way to look at this is analogous to the incarnation of our Lord.” (A, 10:08)
- “In the Gospel of Matthew, we’re going to get special emphases…that you don’t find in Mark and Luke and John.” (B, 08:35)
3. The Uniqueness and Jewish Roots of Matthew (10:02-14:51)
- Matthew is “hyper-organized…the Gospel will be extraordinarily well structured and engineered, like an engineer, because Matthew is an accounting engineer” (A, 11:38).
- Emphasis on both the divine and human authorship, comparing scriptural inspiration to the incarnation (fully human, fully divine).
- The need for Old Testament context: “To understand the Gospel of Matthew, we’re going to need to know a little bit of background.” (B, 12:27)
- “Christ” is a title, not Jesus’ last name — Christos means “Messiah.” (B, 13:12)
- Jesus fulfills and gives meaning to Israel's Scriptures, and vice versa.
4. Exploring the Genealogy (14:51-25:35)
Theological Meaning of the Opening Genealogy (14:51-21:13)
- The genealogy grounds Jesus firmly in the Jewish story—“Matthew’s a Jew…and he’s showing you that the story of Jesus is not a new story. It’s the story of Israel reaching its climax.” (A, 14:51)
- The odd order—“son of David, son of Abraham”—is intentional, revealing both royal and sacrificial dimensions of Jesus’ identity (17:01).
Political and Messianic Implications (18:39-21:13)
- Jesus as “son of David” means he is the true king—not Herod, not Caesar (A, 20:24).
- “The idea of someone...being of the royal Davidic bloods, is showing you that he, Herod, really isn’t the legitimate king of Judea, Jesus is, which is quite astonishing.” (A, 20:24)
- Importance of the promise: “David’s line didn’t get cut off—that’s part of the good news here, isn’t it?” (A, 20:24)
Inclusion of Gentile Women (21:13-23:43)
- Four women—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba—are included as ancestors of Jesus, highlighting God’s work among Gentiles and “outcasts.”
- “Some people might assume, well, if you’re a Gentile, you have no part in God’s plan. We’re going to see…the Gospel is to go to all nations…God is working not just in Israel, but also even with Gentiles.” (B, 21:32)
- “Matthew highlighting four women...showing you…the story is going to get broader. This story, this good news is going to be for Gentiles.” (A, 22:53)
- Prepares the ground for the final message of Matthew—sending the Gospel to all nations.
Structure: Three Sets of Fourteen (23:43-26:16)
- Matthew structures the genealogy in three sets of 14 generations. The Hebrew letters in David’s name (D-V-D) add up to 14, underscoring Jesus as the true and ultimate “son of David.”
- “So David’s name would be the equivalent of just DVD…DVD is the number 14…Matthew’s highlighting Jesus’ role as the true son of David.” (B, 24:18)
- “Three times in Hebrew means absolute…this is the absolute David…This is the absolute Messiah.” (A, 25:42)
- Matthew’s love of structure and numbers derives from his background as an accountant.
St. Joseph—A New Joseph (26:14-28:29)
- The genealogy links Joseph to “Jacob,” intentionally evoking Old Testament Joseph—a dreamer, chaste, and a son of Jacob.
- “There’s many interesting parallels here, but even the genealogy gives us a slight allusion to preparing us for the character of Joseph, who will be the foster father for Jesus.” (A, 27:11)
5. Israel's Hope and the Exile's End (28:29-29:01)
- Matthew’s genealogy pointedly ends with the exile, subtly not declaring its conclusion—the expectation of true redemption is left open and fulfilled in Jesus.
- “He never announces that the deportation is over…In a sense, Israel [is] still looking for redemption. Even if the Jews return from Babylon, there’s a spiritual bondage that Jesus is going to come to save his people from.” (B, 28:29)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Art and New Creation:
- “What I love about that is it underscores the idea that with the coming of Christ, we have a new creation.” (B, 05:20)
- On Scriptural Inspiration:
- “It’s the mystery of inspiration that is 100% divine and 100% human, that God is the only agent, as St. Thomas Aquinas says, who can use a free agent freely.” (A, 10:17)
- On Matthew’s Jewish Roots:
- “He’s showing you that the story of Jesus is not a new story. It’s the story of Israel reaching its climax…a new chapter in an old story.” (A, 14:51)
- On the Gentile Women in the Genealogy:
- “God is already writing straight with crooked lines, even in history.” (B, 21:41)
- On Davidic Emphasis:
- “Three times the 14, this is the absolute David. There is many great kings…this is the one beyond all others. This is the absolute Messiah.” (A, 25:42)
- On Joseph:
- “He [Joseph] will be known for his dreams…and have heroic chastity. Even the genealogy gives us a slight allusion to preparing us for the character of Joseph…” (A, 27:08)
- On Israel’s Incomplete Exile:
- “He never announces that the deportation is over…there’s a spiritual bondage that Jesus is going to come to save his people from.” (B, 28:29)
Suggested Next Steps for Listeners
- Reading Assignment: “Read the rest of chapter one and chapter two for next time…we’d like to hear back from you in the comments.” (A, 27:51)
- Listener Participation: The hosts invite questions for upcoming episodes.
- Continued Study: Tune in weekly for further exploration of Matthew’s Gospel.
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00 — Introduction and study purpose
- 02:15 — Caravaggio’s art & theological symbolism
- 10:02 — Scriptural inspiration and Matthew’s structure
- 12:27 — The meaning of “Christ” and Jesus’ titles
- 14:51 — The genealogy’s structure and Jewish context
- 21:32 — Women in the genealogy and Gentile inclusion
- 23:43 — Symbolism of 14 & numerical artistry
- 26:14 — Parallels with Old Testament Joseph
- 28:29 — Exile, redemption, and messianic expectation
This episode offers a rich, multi-layered entry into the Gospel of Matthew, making clear the depth of both the text and tradition, and inviting deeper engagement with Scripture for scholars and faithful alike.