Talk:Hebrew Gospel hypothesis/Archive 2

Archive 1

Archive 2

The New Scholarship

At the turn of the Century, scholars started to take a second look at Papias and many historians are now taking the position that his testimony preserved by Eusebius may "be fairly trustworthy." Blackwell (2010) p 301

Indeed, there has been some serious pushback to "Critical studies showing Papias is untenable." Scholars agree that the Gospel of Matthew was not a translation of the Hebrew Gospel. However, they argue that the Papias note never stated that the Hebrew Gospel was translated into the canonical Gospel of Matthew. Indeed, to say that 'Hebrew Matthew' could not exist because it was never translated into 'canonical Matthew' is a "spurious intellectual argument". The "translation issue" does not call into question the existence of the Hebrew gospel. The Dead Sea Scrolls have shown that Hebrew and Aramaic texts did exist without ever having been translated into Koine Greek. Furthermore, the Dead sea Scrolls show Hebraidi dialecto, can refer to 'vocabulary', or 'vocabulary and style' but never should be translated as 'Koine Greek'. Some scholars have gone so far as to argue that the opposition to the Hebrew Gospel may have its roots in anti-Semitism.

In any event as leading British historian Maurice Casey points out, there can be little doubt as to what Papias meant! "It is genuinely true that the apostle Matthew" compiled the sayings/oracles in a Hebrew language, but each (person) translated/ interpreted them as he was able. There is every reason to believe this. Casey 2010 p 86

Bart Ehrman and James Edwards now support Casey and argue that the Papias tradition "is a testimony that explicitly and credibly traces its own lineage directly back to the disciples of Jesus themselves." Ehrman 2012 pp 98-101 (ie the apostolic fountainhead) "It is in any case very early, within living memory of the apostolic age." James R. Edwards, 2009. pp 2-3

Indeed there can be no denying the striking and incontestable fact that the Apostle Matthew wrote the Hebrew Gospel. The widespread agreement of early sources on a number of points is remarkable and cannot be brushed aside, particularly since discrepancies among these sources regarding other points strongly suggest that they are not, for the most part, simply copying one another. Blackwell (2009) p 602 In total there are more than 75 ancient witnesses who testified to the fact that this Hebrew Gospel was in wide circulation. Twelve of the Early Church Fathers testified that it was written by the Apostle Matthew. No ancient writer either Christian or Non Christian challenged these two facts. Edwards (2009) p 259, p 102 & p 117.

The external evidence re Papias
References adduced by Ret.Prof (talk · contribs)
Early MSS transcripts The most ancient manuscripts of Matthew's Gospel end with the following citation: "Here ends the copy of the Gospel of the apostle Matthew. He wrote it in the land of Palestine, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the Hebrew language, eight years after the bodily ascension of Jesus the Messiah into Heaven, in the first year of the reign of Claudius Caesar, Emperor of Rome." Also Theophylact and Euthymius do also assert this Gospel to have been written in the eighth year after Christ's Ascension. Irenaeus (b. 114 A.D.) Matthew composed a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and laying the foundations of the Church. Hippolytus (b 170 A.D.) Matthew, having composed a Gospel in Hebrew script, published it in Jerusalem, and slept in Hierae of Parthia. Origen (b. 185 A.D.) The first Gospel was composed by Matthew, who was once a tax collector, but afterwards an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and it was prepared for the converts from Judaism, and published in Hebrew script. Ephem the Syrian Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew script. Eusebius (b. 260 A.D.) They (the Apostles) were led to write only under the pressure of necessity. Matthew, who had at first preached to the Hebrews, when he was about to go to other nations, committed the Gospel according to himself to writing in his native dialect. Therefore he supplied the written word to make up for the lack of his own presence to those from whom he was sent. Epiphanius (b. 315 C.E. - Bishop of Salamis) The [Nazarenes] have Matthew's gospel complete in Hebrew. They have this preserved gospel as it was first written in Hebrew script. Epiphanius They only accept Matthew's gospel, 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 script. Epiphanius ...and Matthew's Gospel was actually composed in Hebrew script. Epiphanius Matthew was the first to become an Evangelist and was directed to compose the first Gospel. Epiphanius As I said, Matthew was privileged to be the first to compose a Gospel, and this was absolutely right because he had repented of many sins. Epiphanius Matthew composed his gospel in Hebrew script. Chrysostom Of Matthew, it is reported, that the Jews who believed came to him. They asked him to leave in writing those same things, which he had preached to them orally. Therefore Matthew composed the Gospel in Hebrew script. Jerome ( b. 345 A.D.) In the Gospel of the Hebrews, which was composed in the Syro-Chaldaic dialect (Aramaic) but in Hebrew script, that the Nazarenes make use of at this day, (I mean the Gospel of the Apostles, or, as it is generally maintained, Matthew's gospel, a copy of which is in the library at Caesarea), the following narrative is given. 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 (though by what author uncertain). Now this Hebrew original is preserved to this day in the library at Caesarea, which Pamphilus the Martyr so diligently collated. 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 Hebrew Scriptures, from which he quotes these two sayings: "Out of Egypt have I called my Son" and, "hence he shall be called a Nazarene.” Jerome The first to compose a gospel was Matthew, the tax collector named Levi who published the Gospel in Judea in Hebrew script, chiefly for the Jews who believed in Jesus. Jerome In the Gospel which the Nazarenes and the Ebionites use which I have recently translated from Hebrew to Greek, and which most people call the authentic Gospel of Matthew... Jerome In the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew it states, ‘Give us this day our bread for tomorrow.' Pope Damasus (To Jerome) To his most beloved son Jerome: DAMASUS, Bishop, sends greetings in the Lord. The orthodox Greek and Latin versions [of the Gospel of Matthew] put forth not only differing but mutually conflicting explanations of the saying 'Hosanna to the son of David'. I wish you would write...stating the true meaning of what is actually written in the Hebrew text. Jerome (Reply) “Matthew, who composed his Gospel in Hebrew script, wrote, 'Osanna Barrama', which means 'Hosanna in the Highest.’” Marius Mercator The followers of Ebion receive only the Gospel according to the Hebrews, they call the Apostle (Paul) an apostate . . .they make use of the Gospel according to Matthew alone. |

To those cynical of excavations of imaginary strata in an imaginary source document, the external evidence looks like a rock in a weary land. "And indeed, if we go back to the door of that library at Harvard and listen closely, we can hear a few voices insisting that the breadth, consistency and unanimity of the external evidence ought to be taken seriously!" Our challenge is to write an article on this topic from a NPOV - Ret.Prof (talk) 16:45, 19 July 2013 (UTC)

References

- Ret.Prof (talk) 16:45, 19 July 2013 (UTC)