The Gospel of Matthew has the distinction of being the only one of the four canonical gospels to use which word?

• A. Church
• B. Kingdom
• C. Temple
• D. Sacrament

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is the emergence of the church as a distinct community of Jesus’ followers. In Matthew, Jesus speaks of building his church and even gives the church a role in guiding discipline and resolve, using the term ecclesia (translated as “church”). This usage signals a gathered, organized body of believers under Jesus’ authority, which Matthew highlights more explicitly than the other gospels.

Why this is the best fit: the word church in Matthew marks a unique vocabulary that points to the community aspect of believers, not just a message about God’s kingdom or a physical place of worship. The other options don’t fit as neatly: “kingdom” is a central theme in all four gospels, not unique to Matthew; “temple” refers to a Jewish place of worship rather than the Christian community; and “sacrament” is a later term that does not appear in the gospel texts.