The Gospel of Matthew presents several interpretive challenges. For example, it uses the expression "kingdom of heaven" 33 times. That expression does not appear anywhere else in the Bible. However, parallel passages in Mark and Luke use "the kingdom of God" rather than "the kingdom of heaven." To complicate matters, Matthew uses the phrase "the kingdom of God" five times. The question is, "Is the kingdom of heaven another name for the kingdom of God, or are those two different things?

A second interpretive challenge is how to interpret the Sermon on the Mount. It has been interpreted in as many as 36 different ways. These interpretations primarily grapple with the central question of how literally to apply the Sermon's high ethical standards to everyday life. Is the Sermon on the Mount intended for unbelievers to convict them of sin so that they will repent, for Christians in the church, for people living during the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth, for all believers at all times, etc?

A third interpretive challenge is the expression "the mysteries of the kingdom" in Matthew 13. Are the mysteries about the kingdom given to correct a misunderstanding of the kingdom, to introduce a new form of the kingdom, or to reveal new truths concerning the kingdom?

In The Mysteries of the Kingdom, G. Michael Cocoris explains in detail the interpretations of the three significant challenges in interpreting the Gospel of Matthew. This book will help you think through the possible interpretations of Matthew so that you can come to your own conclusion.