Charles H. Talbert, «Indicative and Imperative in Matthean Soteriology», Vol. 82 (2001) 515-538
It is usually thought that Matthew emphasizes the imperative at the expense of the indicative, demand over gift. Identifying Matthew’s indicative is difficult because in chapters 5–25, insofar as disciples are concerned, the narrative is told in terms of ‘omnipotence behind the scenes’. In Matt 5–25 four techniques appropriate to such a method of narration speak of the divine indicative in relation to the imperative. They are (1) I am with you/in your midst, (2) invoking the divine name, (3) it has been revealed to you/you have been given to know, and (4) being with Jesus. They show Matthew’s soteriology is by grace from start to finish.
of opinion. Since Mohrlang’s work is the more comprehensive we will focus on his views. He is concerned with the question of how the concept of grace enters into Matthew’s understanding of ethics. He summarizes:
Matthew does not exploit this assumed structure of grace, and does not build his ethics explicitly upon it (rarely is ethical behavior motivated by considerations of grace); for the most part, it remains in the background, simply taken for granted — the largely unspoken context in which the Gospel is set11.
Second and third summary statements add clarification. The first: ‘The concept of Jesus’ continuing presence with the community is as little explicitly integrated with the evangelist’s ethics as his view of the Spirit’12. The second: Matthew’s Gospel with its emphasis on demand and obedience results in a Gospel ‘almost totally devoid of explicit reference to God’s aid in the moral-ethical realm’13. For these scholars, only the imperative is explicit; the indicative is merely implicit.
Others believe both indicative and imperative are present in Matthew but that the link between them is not clearly spelled out. Luz is an example14. The indicative and imperative are there. The miracle stories, for example, have a central function of announcing salvation (= the indicative) in the earthly career of Jesus. It is not the kerygma of the death and resurrection of Jesus that conveys the indicative in Matthew, however; it is rather the abiding presence of Jesus in the community. Jesus’ ethics constitute the imperative15. Both components, indicative and imperative, stand together. Their relationship does not seem clearly defined, however. It is not clear how demand and gift belong together. This is a weakness in Matthew’s theology16.
Seeley argues that Matthew contains multiple perspectives that cannot be blended into a smooth unity17. On the one hand, there is the claim that Jesus’ atoning death provides salvation. Jesus is the one who brings salvation. On the other hand, there is a focus on Jesus as the spokesman who describes a way of life to be followed. Salvation in