The Significance of Interpersonal Forgiveness in the Gospel of Matthew
Foreword by Peter Oakes
Imprint: Pickwick Publications
Isaac Mbabazi makes a major contribution to the field of New Testament by arguing that the relevant Matthean theme of interpersonal forgiveness is quite central to the first Gospel. In The Significance of Interpersonal Forgiveness in the Gospel of Matthew, he delineates five sets of evidence in support of his argument. Beginning with a survey of all Matthean forgiveness and forgiveness-related texts, he then carries out an in-depth exegesis of two key Matthean texts in which the idea of interpersonal forgiveness is explicit. Discourse analysis informs his discussion, offering valuable insight into Matthew's point of view. Mbabazi notes that the forgiveness pattern that emerges from contemporary Greco-Roman literature differs remarkably from the pattern found in Matthew, where granting forgiveness appears not only as a reasonable act, but reluctance or failure to grant it makes the unforgiving person accountable to God.
Isaac K. Mbabazi (PhD, University of Manchester) is Professeur Associe of the New Testament. Former Dean of the School of Theology at Shalom University, Congo, he is presently Rector of Great Lakes School of Theology and Leadership, Burundi, and is adjunct Professor at International Leadership University-Burundi. He is the author of several articles, including "Christians as Members of a 'Royal Family' in Matthew's Gospel," AJET (2011).
"This wonderfully rich theological study of forgiveness in the Gospel of Matthew is thoroughly grounded in the context of Matthew's world and thoroughly integrated with the theology of the Gospel. Mbabazi's exploration of the theme of forgiveness is perceptive and illuminating. There is much here that is of practical value for a church and a world that are in desperate need of interpersonal forgiveness."
--Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary
"More than ever, our world is characterized by chaos, in the form of verbal or physical wars. Offense, whether actually committed or imagined, lies at the base of most of these situations. At a high level of scholarship and with pastoral passion, Mbabazi is here heard saying, 'If only we forgave more, we would have peace among ourselves and invoke God's blessings.' This is a message for the church and society in general. Africa and the world need this."
--Samuel Ngewa, Professor of New Testament Studies, Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology