Judgment and the wrath of God are prominent themes in Matthews Gospelthemes that have often been read in terms of Gods rejection of Israel. Anders Runesson sets out to show, through careful study of Matthews composition and comparison with contemporary Jewish literature, that the theme of divine judgment plays very different and distinct roles regarding diverse groups of Jews (including Jesus disciples) and non-Jews in this Gospel, and that the criteria of judgment are not always what Christian readers have assumed.

Anders Runessonis associate professor of religious studies at McMaster University, Ontario. He has authored a number of studies on New Testament and theology in Danish and in English including The Origins of the Synagogue: A Socio-Historical Study (2001). He has also co-edited The Ancient Synagogue: A Sourcebook (2008) and Mark and Matthew: Comparative Readings I: Understanding the Earliest Gospels in their First Century Settings (2011).