Here’s Daniel Triestman’s response to my assertion that Matthew is a terrible book to open up the New Testament:
The Jewish compilation of the Tanach (OT) ends with Chronicles (a book of genealogical records), in the middle of a sentence, with a call to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Matthew begins with a genealogy of the Son of David, as the temple, fulfilling the OT story and completing the “sentence” and narrative. We have more OT quotations in Matt that any gospel. The word “fulfill” is used throughout this book as a link to the Torah, prophets and writings. Chronologically, Malachi was the last OT prophetic word (probably.) His final promise was of Elijah coming before the great and terrible Day of the LORD. Mark also begins with the ministry of John TB, but Matthew makes a much better case for John as the fulfillment of this promise.
Stuff Steve Says 