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The Historic Present in Matthew’s Gospel: A Survey and Analysis Focused on Mathew 13.44

A satisfactory explanation of the Gospel writers’ use of the historic presenthas proved elusive. However, Matthew’s use of the form appears selective and deliberate. This article examines the cluster of historic presents that appear in Mt. 13.44—the parable of the hidden treasure. The context, structural position and use of important Matthaean key words support the hypothesis that this parable has a unique place in Matthew’s Gospel. The use of the historic presents highlights the crucial theme of the response to the discovery of the kingdom: it is received with joy as the finder’s eternal treasure. On the basis of this and other analysis it is proposed that Matthew has good reason for every instance of the historic present. He has used the form in a sophisticated way to highlight key turning points, themes and discourse structures at key stages throughout his Gospel.