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.
church discipline (18,20) and mission (28,20). On at least these two fronts the indicative is clearly prior to the imperative and God’s grace explicitly enables His people’s obedient response in the period subsequent to their entry into Jesus’ community. In the form in which it is presented, however, the proposed quilt is too small to cover the whole Matthean bed. Where, for example, is the indicative that covers ethical activity of the disciple? More work needs to be done in the direction these scholars are pointing.
It is usually thought, then, that Matthew emphasizes the imperative at the expense of the indicative, demand over gift. If one wanted to try to falsify this perception, what would be necessary? Two things at least! First, one would need to identify Matthew’s indicative, if there is one. Second, one would need to show how this indicative, if there is one, controls Matthew’s imperative. In the pages that follow these two points will be pursued. We begin with the first.
II. Identifying Matthew’s Indicative
How would one recognize Matthew’s indicative, if there is one? It seems obvious that Matthew does not operate in the Pauline conceptual world (e.g., divine indwelling). Could it be that there are other conceptual worlds besides those used by Paul for speaking about divine enablement of human activity? If so, then the failure to recognize Matthew’s indicative may be due to the reader’s failure to recognize the First Evangelist’s conceptual repertoire. It is my contention that Matthew has a strong indicative if one knows where to look. In attempting to clarify Matthew’s conceptual world we will need to indicate both (1) the type of narrative approach he uses and (2) at least some of the techniques employed in such a type of approach. We begin with the former: the type of narrative approach used.
Matthew begins and ends his Gospel with narratives that attest repeated divine inbreaks into human affairs. Here God very much has the initiative and humans respond. For example, the birth narratives begin with a miraculous conception of Jesus (1,18) about which Joseph is reassured by an angel of the Lord (1,20-21). The wise men from the East are directed to Jesus by a miraculous star (2,2) and are sent on their way by a warning in a dream (2,12). Joseph is warned by an angel of the Lord to flee to Egypt (2,13). After Herod’s death an angel tells Joseph it is safe to return to Israel (2,19-20). At the end of the Gospel, when Jesus dies the earth shakes, rocks are split, and many