Mathew Bomki Laghai: Forgiveness as a Hermeneutical Key to the Gospel of Matthew, Kartoniert / Broschiert

Klappentext

Mathew Bomki Laghai explores the concept of forgiveness in the Gospel of Matthew, focusing on the verb , and argues that it should not be understood as a uniform theme but rather as a complex and multi-faceted concept. The author contends that forgiveness serves as a theological model through which other central themes of Jesus' mission are illuminated, including sin, revelation, judgment, Christology, and eschatology. Forgiveness thus acts as a hermeneutical key, offering deeper insight into the central message of the gospel. A central aspect of this study is the close relationship between divine and interpersonal forgiveness, particularly in Matthew 6: 12 and 18: 35. Although these two forms of forgiveness can be distinguished, they cannot be separated; they are dialectically intertwined. This represents a departure from dominant perspectives of first-century Judaism, where forgiveness was closely associated with ritual acts conducted within the Temple. In contrast, the Gospel of Matthew presents a radical reconfiguration, where divine forgiveness is possible without the Temple yet contingent upon human forgiveness (Matt 6: 14-15). The author employs a multi-faceted methodology that integrates synchronic and diachronic approaches, and incorporates textual, intra-textual, inter-textual, linguistic, semantic, grammatical, structural, redactional, literary, and theological methods to analyze the logia. Key passages examined include Matthew 1: 21; 6: 9-13; 6: 14-15; 9: 1-8; 12: 22-32; 18: 15-35.