Short answer: From a classical evangelical Christian perspective, the most likely author of Matthew 20:17–19 is the apostle Matthew (also called Levi), the tax collector whom Jesus called to be one of the twelve. Evangelicals generally hold that Matthew either wrote the Gospel attributed to him or that his eyewitness testimony lies behind its composition.
Key points evangelicals typically emphasize
– Who Matthew was
– Matthew (Levi) was one of the twelve apostles (cf. Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27–28).
– He was a tax collector by trade, familiar with both Jewish and Gentile contacts, and called by Jesus to follow him.
– Why Matthew is regarded as the author
– Early church testimony: early Christian writers attribute the Gospel to Matthew (Papias as reported by Eusebius, Irenaeus, Origen, Jerome, etc.). Evangelicals treat this consistent patristic testimony as strong external support.
– Internal features: the Gospel shows close attention to Old Testament fulfillment, Jewish customs and law, and structures (five major teaching blocks), which fit the perspective of a Jewish follower of Jesus.
– Eyewitness credibility: evangelicals often stress that Matthew, as an eyewitness apostle, provides firsthand material (especially for events involving the disciples), lending confidence to the historicity of passages like the passion predictions (e.g., Matthew 20:17–19).
– Language and date (evangelical consensus tendencies)
– Most evangelicals accept that the canonical Gospel is a Greek composition (with Semitic coloring), though some take Papias’s report to suggest Matthew may have collected sayings in Hebrew/Aramaic earlier.
– Common datings among evangelicals range from the late 40s/50s up through the 60s–70s AD; many prefer a date before the destruction of the temple (70 AD) but a range of positions exists.
– Purpose and theological emphasis relevant to Matthew 20:17–19
– Matthew aims to present Jesus as the promised Messiah and King whose life fulfills the Old Testament—but who must suffer, die and rise again.
– Matthew 20:17–19 (one of the passion predictions) highlights Jesus’ foreknowledge, the necessity of suffering, and the resurrection — themes central to Matthew’s apologetic and pastoral purpose for a Jewish-Christian audience.
– The passage’s detail (the handing over to chief priests and scribes, crucifixion, death, resurrection on the third day) fits an author conveying authoritative, eyewitness-informed teaching about Jesus’ mission.
– Acknowledgement of alternate views
– While evangelicals broadly affirm Matthean authorship, some conservative scholars allow for editorial activity (a disciple or community writing under Matthew’s authority) or earlier Aramaic materials used in a Greek Gospel. These nuances do not, for most evangelicals, undermine the Gospel’s apostolic reliability.
For further evangelical study: commentaries by R. T. France, Craig Blomberg, and D. A. Carson are frequently recommended for Matthew.
