Although the Gospel of Matthew was not the first gospel written, it is generally regarded as the most important and was placed first in the collection of writings that constitute the New Testament. In addition to materials found in the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Matthew contains a large number of Jesus' sayings and discourses and also a group of stories not found in any of the other Gospels. Matthew contains an extensive account of Jesus' teachings and as such is considered the most authentic and fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion. Readers of the gospel are impressed with certain general characteristics that distinguish it from other writings in the New Testament, one of which is the systematic way in which the contents of the gospel have been arranged. For example, the document as a whole falls into five distinct divisions, with an introductory section preceding the first division and a concluding section following the last. Each of the five divisions is composed of a portion of the narrative concerning Jesus' activities, together with a group of his teachings. The words "When Jesus had finished saying these things" end each division. This five-fold division of the Gospel of Matthew corresponds in a general way to the divisions found in various parts of the Old Testament.
The sayings and discourses of Jesus are apparently taken in large part from an older document known as "The Sayings of Jesus," or the Q source, and are combined with the narrative found in Mark in the following manner: The author of Matthew uses the same sequence of events that are recorded in Mark, but at appropriate intervals he interrupts the narrative and inserts a group of sayings. One example of this kind is usually referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. The materials included in this sermon also can be found in the Gospel of Luke, but they are scattered throughout Luke instead of being grouped together. When Matthew reaches that place in the Marcan narrative where Jesus teaches the people, he inserts this group of sayings. The organization of these sayings into a single sermon thus appears to be the result of Matthew's arrangement.
