Lord's Prayer

THE LORD’S PRAYER : M. M. NINAN
person to have two names, whether both Semitic. The obvious example is Simon/Cephas = Peter,
(John 1:42). Another example is the Greek Aramaic of Judas the twin as Thomas/Didymus, John
11:16, both meaning "twin" . Some assume that Matthew was the brother of the Apostle James the
Less, or, James, son of Alphaeus, but there is no specific mention of this anywhere.
Matthew, the son of Alpheus (Mark 2:14) was a Galilean, although Eusebius informs us that he was a
Syrian. As tax-gatherer at Capharnaum, he collected custom duties for Herod Antipas, and, although a
Jew, was despised by the Pharisees, who hated all publicans. When summoned by Jesus, Matthew
Levi arose and followed Him and tendered Him a feast in his house, where tax-gatherers and sinners
sat at table with Christ and His disciples. As a disciple of Jesus he took the name Matthew which
means “Gift of God” and he followed Jesus for at least three years. He heard this teaching directly
from the mouth of Jesus at the Sermon on the mount. So we can be assured that Matthew was
repeating what he heard several years later. If he reported short we can understand. As one who is
literate, he has probably taken down notes on the sermons and teachings of Jesus. These later came
to be known by the modern Bible scholars as Q source. There may have been others who did the
same thing. Later when the time came he collected his notes, took help from other sources and wrote
the gospel in a readable way. This is the two source hypothesis of the gospels of which Mark was the
first. Q must have been Matthew’s jottings.
Most scholars believe the Gospel of Matthew was composed between 80 and 90 CE; yet some puts a
pre-70 date.I suppose must have been between 60 -75 AD within 45 years of the Pentecost. Both
Matthean and Lukan events took place in the period approximately A.D. 27-29, during the Galilean
ministry of Jesus Christ.
The Church historian Eusebius says: "Matthew composed the sayings (ta logia) in the Hebrew
language, and each translated them (epmeneusen as best they could." (Hist. Eccl. 3.39.16)
4