Evaluate the arguments for and against authorship by the apostle Matthew and against a late date of writing?

Answer 1

Arguments for authorship by the apostle Matthew include early church tradition attributing the Gospel to him, familiarity with Jewish customs and scripture evident in the text, and Matthew's background as a tax collector aligning with the detailed financial references in the Gospel. Against a late date of writing, arguments point to early manuscript evidence, linguistic similarities to Mark and Luke suggesting a timeframe closer to the events depicted, and lack of mention of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD which would likely have been included if written after that event.