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Authentic Gospel of Matthew

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Poorman (talk | contribs) at 04:36, 12 July 2005 (→Two-Source Sypothesis: Canonical Matthew NOT written by Matthew.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This 11th-century portrait is one of many images of Jesus in which a halo with a cross is used. Such depictions are characteristic of Eastern Orthodox iconography. Characteristically, he is portrayed as similar in features and skin tone to the culture of the artist.

Traditionally, it was thought that Matthew wrote the Gospel of Matthew found in the Bible (Canonical Matthew). It was believed to be composed in Hebrew and to be the first Gospel written. Modern biblical research has shown that this is not the case. Therefore the origins of this Gospel are contested.

Two-Source Sypothesis

The two-source hypothesis is the most commonly accepted solution to the synoptic problem. It argues that Matthew borrowed from two Greek sources, the Gospel of Mark and a hypothetical sayings collection, known by scholars as Q. Therefore Canonical Matthew was composed in Greek at a later time than the Gospel of Mark. More importantly it was probably not written by Matthew!

M Source

Streeter argued that a third source, referred to as M and also hypothetical, lies behind the material in Matthew that has no parallel in Mark or Luke.

Through the remainder of the 20th century there were various challenges and refinements of Streeter's hypothesis. In 1953 Parker posited an early version of Matthew (proto-Matthew) as the primary source of both Matthew and Mark, and Q source used by Matthew. Parker's early version of Matthew is the source of ongoing debate.

The Church Fathers wrote of an early version of Matthew called the Gospel of the Hebrews which Jerome says most people maintain is the Authentic Gospel of Matthew. (Jerome's Commentary on Matthew ch. 2). This is a lost gospel that has been at least partially preserved in the works of some of the Church Fathers.

Eusebius of Caesarea

Eusebius of Caesarea was born in Palestine in 275, and became Bishop of Caesarea. He was an important early historian of the Christian faith and is best known for his Church History in which he chronicles what he believed were important events starting with the birth of Jesus up to his own era.

At the time of Eusebius there existed several different Christian writings recording the life of Jesus. Eusebius catalogued these writings and it is because of this catalogue that we know of those early works (many of which were subsequently lost). His catalogue (found in EH 3.3 and 3.25) consisted of three sections:

  • The Spurious Works (rejected books)
  • The Homologoumena (accepted books)
  • The Controversial Works (disputed books)


The Spurious Works (rejected books)

The "Spurious Works" were writings that the Church unanimously rejected as heretical. Eusebius lists them as follows:


The Homologoumena (accepted books)

These works were accepted as authentic. Eventually they would be included in what would be called the New Testament. Eusebius lists them as follows:

The Controversial Works (disputed books)

At the time of Eusebius there were also works that were controversial in the church. Although accepted by many, some early church leaders voiced concerns and rejected the:

Background

In the early first century, a small group of people in and about Jerusalem started to claim that a young man named Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah. They said that the Romans had executed Jesus, and Yahweh had raised him from the dead.

In the year 62, the province of Judaea rose in revolt against the Romans. According to some writers, during this period of instability, temple priests loyal to Agrippa II murdered the group’s leader, James the Just. In the suppression of the rebellion, Roman troops depopulated and destroyed much of Judaea, including the city of Jerusalem.

One account of the life and teachings of Jesus perhaps dating from this time was written by a person named Matthew. According to the Church Fathers, he was the same person as the apostle Matthew, and his account was written in Aramaic (EH3.39.14-16). Although circulated among Jewish followers of Jesus, this Gospel of the Hebrews was little known among the churches founded by Paul of Tarsus, for even among Paul's literate followers few were fluent in Aramaic written in Hebrew script.

The Hebrew Text

According to the Church Fathers, the Gospel of the Hebrews or the Hebrew Gospel was authoritative and apostolic in nature. For example, Papias quoted by Irenaeus tells us that the Apostle Matthew wrote it in "Hebrew letters."

Eusebius adds that the reason Matthew wrote his version was that he was about to leave the religious community he established, and therefore put together an account of the life of Jesus for the people he left behind.

Epiphanius confirms the aforementioned, and goes on to say that Matthew alone of the New Testament writers composed a gospel in Hebrew script.

Some modern scholars contest this, arguing that Matthew also wrote the Canonical Matthean Gospel in Hebrew script. However, Higher Criticism suggests to some that the Canonical Matthean Gospel as recorded in the Bible was composed in Greek many years after the time of Matthew by an unknown redactor.

St. Jerome is most helpful in understanding the origins of the Gospel of the Hebrews. According to Jerome, the Gospel of the Hebrews was written in the Syriac language (Aramaic) and used Hebrew letters. Most people of Jerome’s day called it "Authentic Matthew", as they believed the Apostle of Jesus who was the tax collector composed it. The Aramaic original was preserved at the library in Caesarea, but copies existed in the Nazarene community in Beroea, Syria, as well as in the Ebionite community. The Nazarenes supposedly gave Jerome a copy that he translated into Greek.

Jerome believed the Gospel of the Hebrews was authoritative and wrote about it extensively, thus preserving much of the text.

The Gospel of Mark (40–70)

Eusebius, in his catalogue of ancient church writings, puts the Gospel of Mark in his Homologoumena or "accepted" category. It is perhaps the earliest canonical account of the life of Jesus. It is a primary source, incorporated into both the Canonical Matthean Gospel as well as Luke-Acts. While the Gospel of Mark was perhaps not written by any of the apostles, but by someone else in the Early Church, it was probably included in the accepted canon because the Church Fathers believed it was a reliable account of the life of Jesus.

The Church History of Eusebius records that the writer of this gospel was a man named Mark who was Peter’s interpreter (EH3.39.14-16). It was believed that Mark's accounts of Jesus were historically accurate, but that there was some chronological distortion. Some suppose that this gospel was originally composed in Koine Greek, near Rome.

The Canonical Matthean Gospel (70–100)

Because of a growing demand for material on the life of Jesus, someone composed a more complete and orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus than had previously been available. This new work was probably based on the Gospel of the Hebrews (Authentic Matthew), the Gospel of Mark (and possibly the Q document). This new Canonical Matthean work was called the Gospel of Matthew because of its heavy reliance on the Gospel of the Hebrews written by Matthew.

Having the Gospel of the Hebrews and the Canonical Matthean Gospel both called the Gospel of Matthew has caused confusion which has persisted to modern times. Yet most biblical scholars believe that Matthew did not write the Canonical Matthean Gospel, nor was it written in Hebrew, nor was it the first gospel to be written. Yet this topic is subject to ongoing debate.

Sources

GHeb –1 Clement of Rome (b. 31 C.E.)
The words of the Lord Jesus, which He spoke, “The measure you use, it will be measured against you.” (First Clement, 13.12)

GHeb-2 Clement of Rome
Remember the words of our Lord Jesus who said, “Woe to whoever causes my chosen to fall. It would be good for him not to have been born. It would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened about his neck and be cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of my chosen to miss the mark.” (First Clement, 46.14)

GHeb-3 Didache
The Lord commanded in his Gospel to pray like this: “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our bread for tomorrow and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the power and the glory, for ever.” (Didache, 8.2)

GHeb-4 Ignatius (b. 43 C.E.)
When He came to those with Peter, Jesus said to them, “Take hold of me, handle me, and see that I am not a bodiless demon.” (Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyrneans)

GHeb-5 Papias (b. 63 C.E.)
Matthew collected the teachings of Jesus (ta logia) in the Hebrew language and everyone translated them as best he could. [Papius also gives another story of a woman accused of many sins before the Lord, in the Gospel of the Hebrews.] (Eusebius, Church History. 3.39.16)

GHeb-6 Polycarp (b. 68 C.E.)
The Lord said in His teaching, “The measure you use, it will be measured against you.” (Polycarp to the Philippians, 2.18)

GHeb-7 Polycarp
The Lord said in His teaching, “Blessed are the poor and those who are persecuted after righteousness sake, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Polycarp to the Philippians)

GHeb-8 Barnabas
The Lord said, “Behold I make last things as the first.” (Barnabas, 6.13)

GHeb-9 Justin (b. 100 C.E.)
When Jesus went down into the water, fire was kindled in the Jordan, and when he came up from the water, the Holy Spirit came upon Him. The apostles of our Christ wrote this. (Justin, Dialogue, 88)

GHeb-10 Justin
The voice spoke to him, saying, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”. This is recorded in the Gospel of the Apostles. (Justin, Dialogue, 103)

GHeb-11 Irenaeus, b. 114 C.E.
Those who are called Ebionites accept that God made the world. However their opinions with respect to the Lord are quite similar to those of Cerinthus and Carpocrates. They use the Gospel of Matthew only, and repudiate the Apostle Paul, maintaining that he was an apostate from the Law. As to the prophetical writings, they expound them in a singular manner. They practice circumcision, observe of those customs that are enjoined by the Law, and are so very Judaic in their customs, they even adore Jerusalem as if it were the house of God. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.26.2)

GHeb-12 Irenaeus
Matthew also issued a written Gospel of the Hebrews in their own language while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and laying the foundations of the Church. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.1)

GHeb-13 Irenaeus
For the Ebionites, who use only the Gospel of Matthew, are convicted out of that very book as not holding right views about the Lord. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.11.7)

GHeb-14 Pantaenus the Philosopher
Pantaenus was one of those, and is said to have gone to India. It is reported that among the Christians there that he had found the Gospel of Matthew. This had anticipated his own arrival, for Bartholomew, one of the apostles, had preached to them, and left with them the writings of Matthew in Hebrew, which they had preserved till that time. After many good deeds, Pantaenus finally became the head of the School in Alexandria, and expounded the treasures of divine doctrine both orally and in writing. (Eusebius, Church History. 5.10.3)

GHeb-15 Tertullian (b. 150 C.E.)
Jesus said, “When you have seen your brother, you have seen the Lord.” (Tertullian, On Prayer 26)

GHeb-16 Hegesippus
“… And from the Syriac Gospel of the Hebrews he quotes some passages in Hebrew …” (Eusebius, Church History. 3.22.6)

GHeb-17 Clement of Alexandria (b. 150 C.E.)
Jesus said, “When you have seen your brother, you have seen your Lord.” (Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis [Miscellanies] 1.19)

GHeb-18 Clement
Also in the Gospel of the Hebrews it is written, the saying, “He that is amazed will prevail, and he that prevails shall rest in peace.” (Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis [Miscellanies] 2.9)

GHeb-19 Clement
He who seeks will not give up until he finds; and having found he will be amazed; and having been amazed, he shall prevail and having prevailed, he shall rest in peace. (Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis [Miscellanies] 5.14)

GHeb-20 Origen (b. 184 C.E.)
The very first account to be written was by Matthew, once a tax collector but later an apostle of Jesus Christ. Matthew published it for the converts from Judaism and composed it in Hebrew letters. (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 6.25.4)

GHeb-21 Origen
And Jesus said, “Because of the weak, I was weak, and because of the hungry I was hungry, and because of the thirsty I was thirsty.” (Origen, Commentary on Matthew 13:2)

GHeb-22 Origen
It is written in a certain Gospel that is called of the Hebrews: The second rich youth said to him, “Rabbi, what good thing can I do and live?” Jesus replied, “Fulfill the law and the prophets.” “I have,” was the response Jesus said, “Go, sell all that you have and distribute to the poor; and come, follow me.” The youth began to fidget, for it did not please him. And the Lord said, “How can you say, I have fulfilled the law and the prophets, when it is written in the law: You shall love your neighbor as yourself and many of your brothers, sons of Abraham, are covered with filth, dying of hunger, and your house is full of many good things, none of which goes out to them?” And he turned and said to Simon, his disciple, who was sitting by Him, “Simon, son of Jonah, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Origen, Commentary on Matthew 15:14)

GHeb-23 Origen
And if any accept the Gospel of the Hebrews, in which the Savior says: “Even so did my mother, the Holy Spirit, take me by one of my hairs, and carry me to the great mountain Tabor.” The problem of explaining how it is possible for the “mother” of Christ to be the Holy Spirit, which came into existence through the Logos, must be dealt with. However, this is not difficult to explain, for if “whoever does the will of the Father in Heaven is brother and sister and mother”, and if the name “brother of Christ” applies not only to men, but also to beings of more divine rank, there is nothing wrong in the Holy Spirit being his mother, when anyone who does the will of the Father in Heaven is called “mother of Christ”. (Origen, Commentary on John 2:12) See also Origen’s Homily on Jeremiah 15.4, which says, “If anyone can accept this – ‘Even so did my mother the Holy Spirit take me up to the great mountain, Tabor’ – one can see she is his mother.”

GHeb-24 Eusebius, (b. 260 C.E.)
But the Gospel written in Hebrew script which has reached our hands turns the threat not against the man who had hid the talent, but against him who has lived dissolutely – for it told of three: one wasted his master’s possessions with harlots and flute-girls, one multiplied his gains, and one hid the talent. Accordingly, one was accepted, one was only rebuked, and one was shut up in prison. (Eusebius, Theophany on Matthew. 22)

GHeb-25 Eusebius
They (the Apostles) were led to write only under the pressure of necessity. Matthew, who had first preached the Gospel in Hebrew, when on the point of going to other nations, committed the Gospel to writing in his native language. Therefore he supplied the written word to make up for the lack of his own presence to those from whom he was sent. (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 3.24.6)

GHeb-26 Eusebius
“… which some reject, but which others class with the accepted books. And among these some have also placed the Gospel of the Hebrews, with which those Hebrews who accept Christ are especially delighted. All these may be reckoned among the disputed books. (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 3.25.5)

    • See also Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, who produced a catalogue of New Testament books, followed by that of the antilegomena (which contains the Revelation of John) and that of the apocrypha. Next to each book is the count of its stichoi (lines). The following is an excerpt.

New Testament (writings) the following are gainsaid: 1. The Revelation of John 1400 lines 2. The Revelation of Peter 300 lines 3. The Epistle of Barnabas 1360 lines 4. The Gospel of the Hebrews 2200 lines Apocrypha of the New Testament: 1. The Circuit of Paul 3600 lines 2. The Circuit of Peter 2750 lines 3. The Circuit of John 2500 lines 4. The Circuit of Thomas 1600 lines 5. The Gospel of Thomas 1300 lines 6. The Didache 200 lines 7. The 32 (books) of Clement 2600 lines It is important to note that the Gospel of the Hebrews is 2200 lines, 300 fewer than Greek Matthew. (Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, in his Stichometry)

GHeb-27 Eusebius
“These men thought that it was necessary to reject all the epistles of the apostle, whom they called an apostate from the Law and they used only the so-called Gospel of the Hebrews making little account of the others. The Sabbath and the rest of the Law of the Jews they observed just like them, but like us, they celebrated the Lord’s Day as a memorial of the resurrection of the Savior. Therefore, in consequence of such a course they received the name of Ebionites.” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3.27.4.)

GHeb-28 Eusebius
They went to all nations, teaching their message in the power of Christ, for He had commanded, saying, “Go and make disciples of all nations in My name.” (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist., 3.5.2.)

GHeb-29 Eusebius
Christ himself taught the reason for the separations of souls that take place in houses, as we have found in the Gospel that is spread among those of circumcision in Hebrew script in which He said, “I choose for Myself the most worthy. The most worthy are those My Father in Heaven has given Me.” (Eusebius, Theophania 4.12)

GHeb-30 Didymus
There are many people with two names. Scripture calls Matthew “Levi” in the Gospel of Luke, but they are not the same person. Rather Matthias who replaced Judas, and Levi are the same man with a double name. This is obvious in the Gospel of the Hebrews. (Didymus, Commentary on Psalm)

GHeb-31 Epiphanius (b. 309 C.E. - Bishop of Salamis)
They have the Gospel of Matthew complete in Hebrew, for this gospel was preserved among them as it was first written in Hebrew script. (Epiphanius, Panarion 29.9.4)


GHeb-32 Epiphanius
 They too accept the Gospel of Matthew, and like the followers of Cerinthus and Merinthus, they use it alone. They call it the Gospel of the Hebrews, for in truth Matthew alone in the New Testament expounded and declared the Gospel in Hebrew using Hebrew script. (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.3.7)


GHeb-33 Epiphanius
Their Gospel commences as follows: “In the days of King Herod of Judea, a certain man named John came baptizing with a baptism of repentance in the river Jordan. He was said to be of the family of Aaron the priest, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and all went out to him.” There is no genealogy [nor virgin birth] in their Gospel of Matthew, which commences as already stated: “In the days of King Herod of Judea, during the high-priesthood of Caiaphas.” Their gospel says, “This man named John came baptizing with a baptism of repentance in the Jordan River, et cetera.” (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.13.6)

GHeb-34 Epiphanius
In the Gospel called ‘of Matthew’ which they call the Hebrew Gospel is written the following: “There was a certain man named Jesus, about thirty years old, who chose us. Coming to Capernaum, He entered the house of Simon, who is called Peter, and said, ‘As I passed by the Sea of Galilee, I chose John and James, sons of Zebedee, and Simon, and Andrew, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas Iscariot; and you Matthew, sitting at the tax office, I called and you followed me. You therefore, I want to be the Twelve, to symbolize Israel.’” And “It so happened that John came baptizing, and Pharisees and all Jerusalem came out to him to get baptized. And John wore clothing made of camel hair and had a leather belt about his waist. His food,” it continues, “consisted of wild honey that tasted like manna, like sweet cake cooked in oil.” (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.13.2)

GHeb-35 Epiphanius
After saying many things, this Gospel continues: “After the people were baptized, Jesus also came and was baptized by John. And as Jesus came up from the water, Heaven was opened, and He saw the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove and enter into Him. And a voice from Heaven said, ‘You are my beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.’ And again, ‘Today I have begotten You.’ “Immediately a great light shone around the place; and John, seeing it, said to Him, ‘Who are you, Lord? And again a voice from Heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’ Then John, falling down before Him, said, ‘I beseech You, Lord, baptize me!’ But He forbade him saying, ‘Let it be so; for thus it is fitting that all things be fulfilled.’” (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.13.7)

GHeb-36 Epiphanius
Moreover, they deny that He was a man, apparently on the basis of the word which the Savior spoke when it was announced to Him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside.” “Who are My mother and brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward his disciples He continued, “These who do the will of My Father are my brothers and sisters.” (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.14.5)

GHeb-37 Epiphanius
Jesus came and announced, as it says in the Gospel, the one called ‘of the Hebrews’, “I have come to destroy sacrifices; and if you do not stop making sacrifices, the wrath of God will not leave you.” (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.16.5)

GHeb-38 Epiphanius
The disciples said, “Where will You have us prepare for You to eat the Passover?” Jesus replies, “Have I earnestly desired to eat this Passover meat with you?” (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.22.4)

GHeb-39 Jerome ( b. 331 C.E.)
“In the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew it states, ‘Give us this day our bread for tomorrow.” (Jerome, On Psalm 135)

GHeb-40 Jerome
In the Gospel written in the Hebrew script that the Nazarenes read, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, for God is Spirit and where the Spirit resides, there is freedom. Further in the Gospel which we have just mentioned we find the following written: “When the Lord came up out of the water the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and rested on Him saying, ‘My Son, in all the prophets was I waiting for You that You should come and I might rest in You. For You are My rest. You are My first begotten Son that prevails forever.’ ” (Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah 4)

GHeb-41 Jerome
“My mother the Holy Spirit.” (Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah 11.9)

GHeb-42 Jerome
For when the apostles thought Him to be a spirit, or in the words of the Gospel of the Hebrews, which the Nazarenes read, “A bodiless demon” (Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah, Preface to Book 18)

GHeb-43 Jerome
In the Gospel of the Hebrews that the Nazarenes read, it says, “Even now my mother the Holy Spirit carried me away.” This should upset no one because “spirit” in Hebrew is feminine, while in our language it is masculine and in Greek it is neuter. In divinity there is no gender. (Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah 40.9)

GHeb-44 Jerome
In the Book of Judges we read “Deborah”, which means “honeybee”. Her prophecies are the sweetest honey and refer to the Holy Spirit, who is called in Hebrew by a feminine noun. In the Gospel of the Hebrews that the Nazarenes read, the Saviour indicates this by saying, “Even now my mother, the Holy Spirit, carried me away.” (Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel 16.3)

GHeb-45 Jerome
In the Gospel of the Hebrews that the Nazarenes read there is counted among the most serious offences, "He that has grieved the spirit of his brother." (Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel 6)

GHeb-46 Jerome
Whoever has read the Song of Songs knows that the Word of God is also the bridegroom of the soul. And whoever accepts the Gospel circulating under the title ‘Gospel of the Hebrews,’ which we most recently translated, in which it is said by the Saviour, “Even now my mother, the Holy Spirit, carried me away by one of my hairs,” will not hesitate to say that the Word of God proceeds from the Spirit, and that the soul, which is the bride of the Word, has the Holy Spirit (which in Hebrew is feminine in gender, RUA). (Jerome, Commentary on Micah 7.6)

GHeb-47 Jerome
In the so-called Gospel of the Hebrews, for “bread essential to existence,” I found “mahar”, which means “of tomorrow”; so the sense is: our bread for tomorrow, that is, of the future, give us this day. (Jerome, Commentary on Matthew 1)


GHeb-48 Jerome
 In the Gospel which the Nazarenes and the Ebionites use which we have recently translated from Hebrew to Greek, and which most people call The Authentic Gospel of Matthew, the man who had the withered hand is described as a mason who begged for help in the following words: “I was a mason, earning a living with my hands. I beg you, Jesus, restore my health to me, so that I need not beg for my food in shame.” (Jerome, Commentary on Matthew 2)


GHeb-49 Jerome
“Matthew, who wrote his Gospel in Hebrew speech, put it thus, ‘Osanna barrama.’” (Jerome’s Letter to Damascus 20 on Matthew 21.9)

GHeb-50 Jerome
In the Gospel that the Nazarenes use, for “son of Barachiah” we find written “son of Johoiada.” (Jerome, Commentary on Matthew 4) See also: And Zechariah the son of Johoiada said, “For he was of two names.” (Peter of Laodicea, Commentary on Matthew, ed. Heinrici, V. 267)

GHeb-51 Jerome
In the Gospel of the Hebrews, Barabbas is interpreted as “son of their master”. He was condemned because of insurrection and murder. (Jerome, Commentary on Matthew 4)

GHeb-52 Jerome
In the Gospel I so often mention we read, “A lintel of the Temple of immense size was broken.” (Jerome, On Matthew 27)

GHeb-53 Jerome
In the Gospel written in Hebrew script we read not that the curtain of the temple was torn, but that the astonishingly large lintel of the temple collapsed. (See also Epist. 20.5) (Jerome, Letter 120 to Hedibia)

GHeb-54 Jerome
As we have read in the Hebrew Gospel, the Lord says to his disciples: ”And never be you joyful, save when you behold your brother with love.” (Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 3)


GHeb-55 Jerome
 In the Gospel of the Hebrews, written in the Chaldee and Syriac language but in Hebrew script, and used by the Nazarenes to this day (I mean the Gospel of the Apostles, or, as it is generally maintained, the Gospel of Matthew, a copy of which is in the library at Caesarea), we find, “Behold the mother of the Lord and his brothers said to him, ‘John the Baptist baptizes for the forgiveness of sins. Let us go and be baptized by him.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘in what way have I sinned that I should go and be baptized by him? Unless perhaps, what I have just said is a sin of ignorance.’” And in the same volume, “ ‘If your brother sins against you in word, and makes amends, receive him seven times a day.’ Simon, His disciple, said to Him, ‘Seven times in a day!’ The Lord answered and said to him, ‘I say unto thee, until seventy times seven.’ ” (Jerome, Against Pelagius 3.2)


GHeb-56 Jerome
Also, the Gospel called of the Hebrews, recently translated by me into Greek and Latin, which Origen often uses, states, after the resurrection of the Saviour: “Now the Lord, after he had given His grave clothes to the servant of the priest, appeared to James, for James had sworn that he would not eat bread from that hour in which he had drunk the Lord’s cup until he should see Him risen from the dead.” And a little further on the Lord says, “‘bring a table and bread.’” And immediately it is added, “He took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to James the Just and said to him, ‘My brother, eat your bread, for the Son of Man is risen from the dead.’” (Jerome, On Illustrious Men, 2)


GHeb-57 Jerome
 Matthew, also called Levi, who used to be a tax collector and later an apostle, composed the Gospel of Christ, which was first published in Judea in Hebrew script for the sake of those of the circumcision who believed. This Gospel was afterwards translated into Greek (and the Greek has been lost) though by what author uncertain. The Hebrew original has been preserved to this present day in the library of Caesarea, which Pamphilus diligently gathered. I have also had the opportunity of having this volume transcribed for me by the Nazarenes of Beroea, Syria, who use it. It should be noted that wherever the Evangelist -- whether on his own account or in the person of our Lord and Saviour -- quotes the testimony of the Old Testament he does not follow the authority of the language of the Septuagint but the Hebrew. Therefore these two forms exist, “Out of Egypt have I called my Son,” and, “For He will be called a Nazarene.” (See also margin of codex 1424 – This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophets, “Out of Egypt have I called my Son.”) (Jerome, On Illustrious Men 3)


GHeb-58 Jerome
“In this last he bore witness to the Gospel which I have recently translated.” (Jerome, On Illustrious Men 16)

  • Burnett Hillman Streeter, The Four Gospels : A Study of Origins.
  • P. Parker, The Gospel Before Mark
  • R. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah.

Online translations of the Gospel of Matthew:

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