Students will be required to write an 8–10-page exegesis paper (+/– 0.5 page, 12

Students will be required to write an 8–10-page exegesis paper (+/– 0.5 page, 12-pt. font, Times New
Roman or Garamond, double-spaced, 1” margins) on a passage (no more that 15 verses) in Matthew.
The goal of an exegesis paper is to closely analyze a passage in its historical, literary, and theological
contexts in order state what the passage means. You should use and cite at least 5 academic resources
(see my list below of good academic journals and commentary series) and interact with those
resources throughout your paper, discussing the major debates about your passage and stating which
views you find most convincing. Your paper is due by 11:59pm ET on 10/1. Your paper should
consist of the following five sections:
1. Introduction (roughly 0.5–1 page)
a. Introduce your passage
b. State what you think the passage means
c. Summarize the flow of your paper
2. Historical background (roughly 1–2 pages): What was happening historically, socially, and/or
culturally in the first century that helps us understand the passage?
3. Literary features (roughly 5–6 pages): What comes before and after the passage? What is the
literary structure of the passage? How does this passage connect to other parts of the book?
What key words and phrases appear in the passage? Does the author cite or allude to the
OT? What is the author communicating to his readers? If the passage is in an epistle, what
kind of argument does the author make? If the passage is in a narrative, how does the
episode begin and end? What characters are involved? How does the story develop?
Jesus and the Gospels (Anderson University, Fall 2023)
4. Theological claims (roughly 1–2 pages): What explicit or implicit theological claims does the
author make? What other theological topics does the passage touch on? What are the
theological implications of what the author says?
5. Conclusion (roughly 0.5–1 page)
a. Summarize what you’ve covered
b. Explain how your passage speaks to the church today
Good Journals to Use (Abbreviation) Good Commentaries to Use (Abbreviation)
Biblica (Bib) Baker Exegetical Commentary of the NT (BECNT)
Biblica Sacra (BSac) Hermeneia
Bulletin for Biblical Research (BBR) International Critical Commentary (ICC)
Catholic Biblical Quarterly (CBQ) New American Commentary (NAC)
Journal for the Study of the NT (JSNT) New International Commentary of the NT (NICNT)
Journal of Biblical Literature (JBL) Pillar New Testament Commentary (PiNTC)
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS) Sacra Pagina (SP)
Novum Testamentum (NovT) Word Biblical Commentary (WBC)
NT Studies (NTS) Zondervan Exegetical Commentary of the NT (ZECNT)
Students can expect the instructor to respond to emails within 24 hours during the week. Students
can expect the instructor to grade an assignment, at times provide feedback comments, and update
the Canvas gradebook within 7–10 days after the due date (this will depend on the scope and nature
of the assignment as well as length of course). Students can access grades by logging into Canvas.