The Original Matthew 28:19 Restored

[Scott Pitta]

Eusebius said that Matthew originally was penned in Hebrew. If there are others from early Christianity who say the same thing, I have yet to read their testimony.

I don't think any of the early church fathers ever quoted from a Hebrew Matthew. IF they did, can we have the citation ??

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Eusebius said that Matthew originally was penned in Hebrew. If there are others from early Christianity who say the same thing, I have yet to read their testimony.

I don't think any of the early church fathers ever quoted from a Hebrew Matthew. IF they did, can we have the citation ??

I always thought it was Papias of Hierapolis who stated that "Matthew collected the oracles of or about Jesus in the Hebrew language." Εβραϊκά διάλεκτος could of meant Hebrew dialect, which could be like someone speaking English, but thinking in Spanish? Yet, we have no solid proof that any of the Gospel accounts were actually penned in Aramaic. Papias writing the word Εβραϊκά actually meant Aramaic.

The lingua franca during the first century Judea was Aramaic, not Hebrew. Aramaic was the language of the natives, while Hebrew remained as a liturgical language used in the temple services, and synagogues. Greek was used as a language of commerce, and the eastern half of the Roman Empire.
The western half and seat of the empire spoke Latin, and the aristocratic class patricians spoke Latin and Greek. Herod would of spoke Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. Pontius Pilate would of spoke tourist Aramaic, fluent Greek, and fluent Latin. Since the Empire occupied Judea, they would of insisted that Greek be used in commerce, judicial proceedings within the empire, and among the soldiers who were part of the east empire. While all Romans spoke Latin, some soldiers from occupied countries would of learned enough Greek and Latin to be able to function among the legions.

As far as a Aramaic first century A.D. Matthew there is no proof. But, please everyone proceed, I would like to see all the evidence for the Aramaic Matthew.

[Evang.Benincasa]

The Magdalen Fragments (portions of the book of Matthew) are probably the most important discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls since the 1940s. These fragments of papyrus were once thought to have been dated around the middle to late 2nd century A.D.. Yet, when German papyrologist Carsten Peter Thiede discovered that the Magdalen GR 17 papyrus was dated to about the middle of the first century A.D.. He came up with the assessment due to the style of the Greek handwriting.

The quote below is from German papyrologist Carsten Peter Thiede:

"The Magdalen fragment now appears to belong to a style of handwriting that was current in the 1st Century A.D., and that slowly petered out around the mid-1st Century. Even a hesitant approach to questions of dating would therefore seem to justify a date in the 1st Century, about 100 years earlier than previously thought"

This would place the writing of Matthew around 20 years after the crucifixion.
Showing the importance of the Greek language to the Gospel writers (especially Matthew) and the first century world. Writing the Gospels in Hebrew (especially since it was mainly a liturgical language) and then expecting the message to be published throughout the world would make little sense, yet putting the Gospel into the world wide language of the first century A.D. being Greek would insure it would be read throughout the known world.

http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/03854...tofgamonlco-20

http://www.amazon.com/The-Jesus-Papy...FRF8VWTHXGY7WH

[Evang.Benincasa]

The Greek word ὑποκριτής "hypocrite," what is its equivalent in Hebrew, or Aramaic?

[FlamingZword]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Eusebius said that Matthew originally was penned in Hebrew. If there are others from early Christianity who say the same thing, I have yet to read their testimony.

I don't think any of the early church fathers ever quoted from a Hebrew Matthew. IF they did, can we have the citation ??

Many of the early church fathers were greeks, who had no knowledge of Hebrew so how could they quote a language they did not know?

Papias 150-170 AD “Matthew composed the words in the Hebrew dialect, and each translated as he was able.”

Ireneus 170 AD “Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect.”

Clement of Alexandria 150 AD -215 AD “Which also is written in the gospel according to the Hebrews: He who marveled shall reign, and he who reigned shall rest.”

Origen 210 AD “The first [Gospel] is written according to Matthew, the same that was once a tax collector, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ who having published it for the Jewish believers, wrote it in Hebrew.”

Epiphanius 370 AD “They [The Nazarenes] have the Gospel according to Matthew quite complete in Hebrew, for this Gospel is certainly still preserved among them as it was first written, in Hebrew letters.”

Jerome 382 AD “Matthew, who is also Levi, and from a tax collector came to be an Apostle first of all evangelists composed a Gospel of Christ in Judea in the Hebrew language and letters, for the benefit of those of the circumcision who had believed, who translated it into Greek is not sufficiently ascertained. Furthermore, the Hebrew itself is preserved to this day in the library at Caesarea, which the martyr Pamphilus so diligently collected. I also was allowed by the Nazarenes who use this volume in the Syrian city of Borea to copy it. In which is to be remarked that, wherever the evangelist…. makes use of the testimonies of the Old Scripture, he does not follow the authority of the seventy translators, but that of the Hebrew.”

Hegesippus, Hippolytus, Ephrem the Syrian, John Chrysostom, Theodore of Cyrrhus, Mario Mercator, Annarikhus, Didymus (the blind), Philip Sidetes, Pantaenus and many others also mention this Hebrew Gospel. The Hebrew Gospel and the Development of the Synoptic Tradition (2009) by New Testament scholar James R. Edwards.

[FlamingZword]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Writing the Gospels in Hebrew (especially since it was mainly a liturgical language) and then expecting the message to be published throughout the world would make little sense, yet putting the Gospel into the world wide language of the first century A.D. being Greek would insure it would be read throughout the known world.

Matthew was not writing his gospel for the whole world, he was writing for a Jewish audience, many ancient writers assert that Matthew composed his gospel for the Jewish believers not for the whole world.

Jerome quite empathetically spoke of this gospel being written exclusively for the Jewish believers about 30 times.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by FlamingZword

Many of the early church fathers were greeks, who had no knowledge of Hebrew so how could they quote a language they did not know?

That is interesting, could you please show how Papias (we have close to absolutely no knowledge of this writer) had no knowledge of Aramaic? Also John Chrysostom had no knowledge of Aramaic, as well as Ireneus? That is surprising to me since their home base was the Middle East. But, I'm ready to read whatever information you have concerning these individuals. Please proceed.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by FlamingZword

Matthew was not writing his gospel for the whole world, he was writing for a Jewish audience, many ancient writers assert that Matthew composed his gospel for the Jewish believers not for the whole world.

Jerome quite empathetically spoke of this gospel being written exclusively for the Jewish believers about 30 times.

I understand that argument, but within Matthew itself you may have a few more issues than just Matthew 28:19. We will now proceed to Can O Worms.

[Scott Pitta]

Interesting posts.

I would like to see Hebrew manuscripts of Matthew. Having said that, how is the text of Mt. 28:19 affected by the language of the manuscript ?

[Sean]

Matthew was written in Greek(to get the gospel to the masses through the popular language)...Good luck!