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Head of Constantine's colossal statue at Musei Capitolini

The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, (272-337), sometimes considered the founder of the Byzantine Empire, had a great effect on modern Christianity. With his Edict of Milan in 313, Christians had more freedom and Church leadership took aggressive public stances. As a result, Church controversies now flared into public schisms, sometimes with violence. Constantine saw the quelling of religious disorder as the divinely-appointed emperor's duty and called the 314 Council of Arles against the Donatists and the first Ecumenical Council: the First Council of Nicaea (May 20 - July 25, 325), to settle some of the doctrinal problems seen as plaguing Early Christianity. A number of early Christian writings were lost or destroyed during this time. Image File history File links Stop_hand. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Head of Constantines colossal statue at Musei Capitolini Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1] (February 27, 272–May 22, 337), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic[2] Christians) Saint Constantine, was a Roman Emperor, proclaimed Augustus by his troops on... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (538x858, 224 KB) Summary Head of the colossal marble statue of Constantine I, Musei Capitolini, Rome Photographer: Markus Bernet Date: 07/10/2004 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Constantine I (emperor) Metadata This file contains additional... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (538x858, 224 KB) Summary Head of the colossal marble statue of Constantine I, Musei Capitolini, Rome Photographer: Markus Bernet Date: 07/10/2004 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Constantine I (emperor) Metadata This file contains additional... Michelangelos design for Capitoline Hill, now home to the Capitoline Museums. ... Roman Emperor is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the Roman Republic. ... Constantine. ... Byzantine Empire (Greek: Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... The Edict of Milan (AD 313) declared that the Roman Empire would be neutral with regard to religious worship, officially ending all government-sanctioned persecution, especially of Christianity. ... The word schism (IPA: or ), from the Greek σχισμα, schisma (from σχιζω, schizo, to split), means a division or a split, usually in an organization. ... The Donatists (founded by the Berber Christian Donatus Magnus) were followers of a belief considered a heresy by the broader Catholic community. ... In Christianity, an ecumenical council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... The First Council of Nicaea, convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325, was the first ecumenical[1] conference of bishops of the Christian Church. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... Events May 20 - First Council of Nicaea - first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church: The Nicene Creed is formulated, the date of Easter is discussed. ... Early Christian image of Christ as the Good Shepherd. ...

Background

Those who have written of this conspiracy state that early in the first century, a small group of Jews (and Jewish Proselytes) near Jerusalem started to claim that a young man named Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah. They said that the Romans had executed Jesus, and that their God Yahweh had raised him from the dead. Look up Conspiracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Conspiracy, as a legal term, is an agreement of two or more people either to commit a crime or to achieve a lawful end by unlawful means: see conspiracy (crime), and conspiracy (civil). ... (1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century - other centuries) The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 99. ... Proselyte, from the Greek proselytos, is used in the Septuagint for stranger (1 Chronicles 22:2), i. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: Yerushalayim; Arabic: al-Quds; Greek Ιεροσόλυμα; Latin Aelia Capitolina) is an ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of 650-840 meters. ... Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE– 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... The Jewish Messiah, (משיח) or Mashiah, Mashiach or Moshiach, has traditionally referred to a future Jewish king from the Davidic line who will be anointed (in Hebrew, mashiach -- משיח (messiah) means anointed with holy anointing oil) and inducted to rule the Jewish people. ... Entombment of Christ by Pieter Lastman The death of Jesus is an event described by the New Testament, as occurring after the Passion of Jesus, as a result of his crucifixion. ... The Tetragrammaton in Phoenician (1100 BC to 300 CE), Aramaic (10th Century BC to 0) and modern Hebrew scripts. ... According to the Trinitarian interpretation of the New Testament, Jesus was both human and God, so he had the power to lay his life down and to take it up again; thus after Jesus died, he came back to life. ...

In the year 62, Iudaea Province rose in revolt against the Romans. During this period of instability, temple priests loyal to Herod 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. Iudaea was the name of a Roman province, which extended over Judaea (Palestine). ... The first Jewish-Roman War (66–73 CE), sometimes called the Great Jewish Revolt, was the first of three major rebellions by the Jews of Iudaea Province against the Roman Empire (the second was the Kitos War in 115–117, the third was Bar Kokhbas revolt, 132–135). ... Herods Temple in Jerusalem was a massive expansion of the Second Temple along with renovations of the entire Temple Mount. ... Saint James the Just (יעקב Holder of the heel; supplanter; Standard Hebrew YaÊ¿aqov, Tiberian Hebrew Yaʿăqōḇ), also called James Adelphos or the Brother of the Lord and sometimes identified with James the Lesser, (died AD 62) was an important figure in Early Christianity. ...

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, the apostle Matthew, wrote his account in Aramaic. 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 name Matthew comes from Hebrew מתי Mattay, (Matthias in Greek) a short form of Hebrew מת(נ)יהו Mattanyāhû/Mattayyāhû, which is itself a variation of Hebrew נתניהו , which means gift of the lord. Matthew (name) — as a given name, surname, and place name. ... The (Early) Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... Jewish Christians (sometimes called also Hebrew Christians or Christian Jews, but see below for differences) is a term which can have two meanings, an historical one and a contemporary one. ... Saul, also known as Paul, Paulus, and Saint Paul the Apostle, (AD 3 – 67) is widely considered to be central to the early development and spread of Christianity, particularly westward from Judea. ... The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ...

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 and Irenaeus wrote 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. The Gospel of the Hebrews (see About titles below), is a lost gospel that is only preserved in a few quotations in the Panarion of Epiphanius, a church writer who lived at the end of the 4th century AD, who goes on to say that. ... Alternate meaning: See Apostle (Mormonism) The Christian Apostles were Jewish men chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth (as indicated by the Greek word απόστολος apostolos= messenger), by Jesus to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, across the world. ... Papias (working in the 1st half of the 2nd century) was one of the early leaders of the Christian church, canonized as a saint. ... An engraving of Saint Irenaeus (ca. ... Eusebius is the name of several significant historical people: Pope Eusebius - Pope in AD 309 - 310. ...

Epiphanius confirms the aforementioned, and goes on to say that Matthew alone of the New Testament writers composed a gospel in Hebrew script. Epiphanius (clearly manifested) was the name of several early Christian scholars and ecclesiastics: Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, died 410, author of Panarion Epiphanius of Constantinople, died 535, Patriarch of Constantinople 520—535 Epiphanius Scholasticus, known only as the assistant of Cassiodorus who compiled the Historiae Ecclesiasticae... See New Covenant for the concept translated as New Testament in the KJV. The New Testament (Καινή Διαθήκη), sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures, and sometimes also New Covenant, is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written by various authors c. ...

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 the "true Gospel of 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 (ca. ... The Gospel of the Hebrews (see About titles below), is a lost gospel that is only preserved in a few quotations in the Panarion of Epiphanius, a church writer who lived at the end of the 4th century AD, who goes on to say that. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... Caesarea is the name of several Roman cities and towns, including: Caesarea Antiochia, properly Antioch in Pisidia, near modern Yalvaç, Turkey Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia, modern Kayseri, Turkey Caesarea Palaestina: modern Caesarea, in Israel Caesarea Philippi in the Golan Heights Iol Caesarea: modern Cherchell, in Algeria Caesarea Magna or Caesara... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Ebionites (from Hebrew; Ebionim, the poor ones) were a sect of Judean followers of John the Baptizer and later Jesus (Yeshua in Aramaic) which existed in Judea and Palestine during the early centuries of the Common Era. ... -1...

Jerome believed the Gospel of the Hebrews was authoritative and wrote about it extensively, thus preserving much of the text. In language, text is a broad term for something that contains words to express something. ...

Diverse views of the Early Church

Hebrew Christians

The Early Church at the time of Constantine had many diverse views. On one extreme were the so-called Judaizers. They were established by James the Just and believed that Judaism was the one true religion, and that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. They denied the virgin birth, believed that Jesus became one with God at his baptism but was not a god. The Ebionites, Nazarenes and other groups of Judaizers used only the Gospel of the Hebrews and rejected even Paul’s writings. They kept all the Hebrew rituals and did not believe in the Holy Trinity. The Early Christians is a term used to refer to the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth, before the emergence of established Christian orthodoxy. ... Judaizers is a term used by orthodox Christianity, particularly after the third century, to describe Jewish Christian groups like the Ebionites and Nazarenes who believed that followers of Jesus needed to keep the Law of Moses. ... For a discussion of Jews as an ethnicity or ethnic group see the article on Jew. ... The Virgin Birth is a key doctrine of the Christian faith, and is also held to be true by Muslims (Quran 3. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, one of the manifestations of the ultimate reality or God in Hinduism This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... The Ebionites (from Hebrew; Ebionim, the poor ones) were a sect of Judean followers of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth who existed in the Iudaea Province of the Roman Empire during the early centuries of the Common Era. ... This article concerns the holy Trinity of Christianity. ...

The Anti-Jewish Christians

On the other extreme was Marcion. He came to Rome a rich man and made a large donation to the church, the Catholic Encyclopedia attributes these funds possibly to purchase the bishopric of Rome after Hyginus died about in 143 and before Pius I was appointed successor. He and his followers were vehemently anti-Jewish in their beliefs. They rejected the Gospel of the Hebrews and all the other Gospels with the exception of the Gospel of Luke. The Catholic Encyclopedia (also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia today) is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 by the The Encyclopedia Press, designed to give authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine. // History The writing of the encyclopedia began on January 11... Simony is the ecclesiastical crime and personal sin of paying for offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus, who appears in the Acts of the Apostles 8:18-24. ... Hyginus can refer to: Gaius Julius Hyginus (c. ... Pius I was pope, perhaps from 158 to 167, though the Vaticans Annuario Pontificio (2003) lists 142 or 146 to 157 or 161. ... The Gospel of Luke is the third of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, which tell the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. ...

Marcion argued that Christianity should be solely based on the gospel of love. The Old Testament writings should be totally ignored. He went so far as to say that Jesus’ mission was to overthrow Demiurge -- the fickle, cruel, despotic God of the Old Testament -- and replace Him with the Supreme God of Love whom Jesus came to reveal. This position, he said, was supported by the ten Epistles of St. Paul that Marcion also accepted. His writing had a profound effect upon the development of Christianity and the canon. Marcion of Sinope (ca. ... The Chinese character for love —its parts indicating (top to bottom): That which gives breath (ie. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh, but not Old Testament, because it does not recognize the concept of a New Testament. ... It has been suggested that Nebro be merged into this article or section. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh, but not Old Testament, because it does not recognize the concept of a New Testament. ... Look up supreme in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Supreme may mean: Supreme (comics), a comic book superhero Supreme (rapper), a member of rap group Looptroop Supreme (single), a single by Robbie Williams Supreme (wrestler), a wrestler in Xtreme Pro Wrestling Any member of the singing group The Supremes This is... The word epistle is from the Greek word epistolos which means a written letter addressed to a recipient or recipients, perhaps part of exchanged correspondence. ... The Biblical canon is an exclusive list of books written during the formative period of the Jewish or Christian faiths; the leaders of these communities believed these books to be inspired by God or to express the authoritative history of the relationship between God and his people (although there may...

The Gnostics

A third major group in the Early Church were the Gnostics. Gnosticism has as a basis gnosis, the secret, revealed knowledge of God. If the Gospel of the Hebrews was the basis of the Judaisers, and the Gospel of Luke the foundation of Marcion, then the Gospel of Thomas was the Gnostic Gospel. The most prominant Christian gnostic was Valentinius, who had even been a candidate for Bishop of Rome according to Tertullian, however as he was later, after his death, declared heretical, few of his writings have survived. Gnosticism is a blanket term for various religions and sects most prominent in the first few centuries A.D. General characteristics The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (γνῶσις), referring to the idea that there is special, hidden mysticism (esoteric knowledge) that only a few possess. ... Wiktionary has related dictionary definitions, such as: gnosis The word gnosis (from the Greek word for knowledge, γνώσις) has several uses. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... -Quevedo Valentinius, also called Valentinus (c. ... Christ Giving the Keys to Peter, fresco by Pietro Perugino, 1481–82, commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, Sistine Chapel, Rome: the act upon which papal authority depends The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See and is more commonly referred to as the Pope. ... Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicized as Tertullian, (ca. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ...

The Apostle Thomas probably did not write the Gospel of Thomas, and Eusebius in his catalogue of Early Church writings put this work in his ‘spurious’ category of rejected works. Thomas was not a Biblical given name, but originated from the Aramaic designation תום or Tôm. ... There are various forms of catalog or catalogue, each organized registers of some set of objects. ...

The Canonical Matthean Gospel

The fourth and strongest group used the The Canonical Matthean Gospel, and their power base was Rome. They believed in the virgin birth and that Jesus was God. They also believed that Jesus had no children.

The Emperor Constantine wanted these divisions within Christianity ended. He supported the fourth group and did his best to rid the world of those things that were causing problems for the Christian Faith. Today the Gospel of the Hebrews can be found only in the writings of the Church Fathers, while the Gospel of Thomas was discovered in 1945 at Nag Hammadi. The town of Nag Hammadi in Egypt Nag Hammâdi (Arabic نجع حمادي; transliterated: Naj Hammādi) (26°03′N 32°15′E), is a town in the middle of Egypt, called Chenoboskion in classical antiquity, about 80 kilometres north-west of Luxor with some 30,000 citizens. ...

Gospel of Matthew

The Catholic Encyclopedia (1908) and indeed most Christians consider the Gospel of Matthew or The Canonical Matthean Gospel to be authentic, however modern scholars have called this into question. The Catholic Encyclopedia (also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia today) is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 by the The Encyclopedia Press, designed to give authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine. // History The writing of the encyclopedia began on January 11... The Gospel of Matthew (literally: according to Matthew, Greek: Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον ) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ...

The authorship of this Gospel was traditionally ascribed to St Matthew, a tax-collector who became an apostle of Jesus. However, most modern scholars now contend that it was written by an anonymous editer many years after the time of Matthew. For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... The name Matthew comes from Hebrew מתי Mattay, (Matthias in Greek) a short form of Hebrew מת(נ)יהו Mattanyāhû/Mattayyāhû, which is itself a variation of Hebrew נתניהו , which means gift of the lord. Matthew (name) — as a given name, surname, and place name. ...

Like the authors of the other gospels, this author wrote his book according to his own plans and aims and from his own point of view, while at the same time borrowing from other sources. According to the two-source hypothesis (the most commonly accepted solution to the synoptic problem),the unknown editer borrowed from both Mark and a hypothetical sayings collection, known by scholars as Q (for the German Quelle, meaning "source"). The Two-Source Hypothesis is the most commonly accepted solution to the synoptic problem among biblical scholars, which posits that there are two sources to Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke: the Gospel of Mark and a lost, hypothetical sayings collection called Q. The Two-Source Hypothesis was first... The synoptic problem concerns the literary relationship between and among the first three canonical gospels (the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke), known as the synoptic gospels. ... // Mark can refer to the following: A mark is a point typically used within the context of a measurement. ... Q is the seventeenth letter of the Latin alphabet. ...

B. Streeter argued that a third source, referred to as M and also hypothetical, lies behind the material in The Canonical Matthean Gospel 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, such as P.Parker (1953) who posited an early version of this gospel (proto-Matthew) as a primary source. A primary source is any piece of information that is used for constructing history as an artifact of its times. ...

In any event most scholars now question the authenticity of the Canonical Matthean Gospel. See also authenticity (philosophy) and authentication (which deals only with computer security). ...

Summary

Jerome, Epiphanius and other Church Fathers believed that the Gospel of the Hebrews was the authentic Gospel of Matthew and most modern scholars affirm this, by arguing that The Canonical Matthean Gospel could not have been written by Matthew.

This is a great concern, for the Gospel of the Hebrews wrote of a Jewish Messiah such as King David, who would have no problem having a wife and family. Its disappearance has affected the Church. The Way was changed from a Jewish to a Christian Faith! The Way may mean: The Way International, a religious organization which describes itself as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry and which at least some sources consider to be a cult. ...

Books like The DaVinci Code and Holy Blood, Holy Grail have raised old problems that many had hoped had been resolved by Constantine. The public schisms are back. The Da Vinci Code book cover The Da Vinci Code is a novel written by American author Dan Brown and published in 2003 by Random House (ISBN 0385504209). ... Holy Blood, Holy Grail is a controversial New York Times bestselling book by authors Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, which was published in 1982 by Dell (ISBN 055212138) in London. ... The word schism (IPA: or ), from the Greek σχισμα, schisma (from σχιζω, schizo, to split), means a division or a split, usually in an organization. ...

Modern Writings and Articles

• David M. Hargis, The Constantine Conspiracy, 2005. http://mbiy.safeshopper.com/11/42.htm?198
• William Lee, The Inspiration of Holy Scripture, Its Nature and Proof, 1876.
• Elaine Pagels, Beyond Belief : The Secret Gospel of Thomas New York: Random House, 2003.
• Dodds, Eric Robertson, Pagan and Christian in an Age of Anxiety: Some Aspects of the Religious Experience from Marcus Aurelius to Constantine, Cambridge, 1965.
• Jones, A.H.M., Constantine and the Conversion of Europe, Macmillan, 1949.
• James Hastings, Encyclopedia of Religion, 2003
• Christianity Today, June 2004: Why the 'Lost Gospels' Lost Out.
• Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986.
• Burnett Hillman Streeter, The Four Gospels : A Study of Origins, 1924.
• P. Parker, The Gospel Before Mark, 1953.
• R. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah
• Richard Abanes, The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code Harvest House Publishers, 2004. ISBN 0736914390.
• Dan Burstein (ed), Secrets of the Code CDS Books, 2004. ISBN 1593150229.
• Bart D. Ehrman, Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0195181409.
• Sharan Newman, The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code Berkley Trade, 2005. ISBN 0425200124.
• Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, & Henry Lincoln, Holy Blood, Holy Grail Dell, 1983. ISBN 0440136482.
• Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, & Henry Lincoln, The Messianic Legacy Dell, 1989. ISBN 0440203198.
• The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, UK hardcover September 2005, Century.ISBN 1844138402:
• Chuvin, Pierre, B. A. Archer, translator, A Chronicle of the Last Pagans, Harvard, 1990. ISBN 0-674-12970-9
• Authentic Matthew http://authenticmatthew.blogspot.com/
• http://pedia.nodeworks.com/A/AU/AUT/Authentic_Matthew/
• Early Christian Writings: Gospel of the Hebrews
• Development of the Canon of the New Testament: Gospel of the Hebrews
• The Talmud Jmmanuel: The Real Source for the Book of Matthew
• Online Bible at gospelhall.org
• Early Christian Writings: texts and introductions
• James W.Deardorff, "Dependence of Mark upon Matthew" a synopsis of the evidence
• A textual commentary on the Gospel of Matthew Detailed text-critical discussion of the 300 most important variants of the Greek text.
• Authentic Matthew http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showthread.php?postid=1495939#post1495939

Early Writings and Articles

GHeb –1 Clement of Rome (b. 31 C.E.) Clement is an adjective for clemency, and also the name of a number of notable figures: Saint Clement of Alexandria Saint Clement of Ohrid Any of several popes named Clement. ...

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 Didache (, Koine Greek for Teaching[1]) is the common name of a brief early Christian treatise ( AD 70–160), containing instructions for Christian communities. ...

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.) Ignatius of Antioch (probably died AD 107) was the third patriarch of Antioch, after Saint Peter and Euodius, who died around AD 68. ...

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.) Papias (working in the 1st half of the 2nd century) was one of the early leaders of the Christian church, canonized as a saint. ...

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.) Polycarp of Smyrna (martyred in his 87th year, ca. ...

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 Barnabas was an early Christian mentioned in the New Testament. ...

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

GHeb-9 Justin (b. 100 C.E.) Justin may refer to: Justin (name), a common given name Junianus Justinus, a 3rd century Roman historian Justin I (c. ...

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. An engraving of Saint Irenaeus (ca. ...

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 the head of the catechetical school at Alexandria, ca. ...

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.) Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicized as Tertullian, (ca. ...

Jesus said, “When you have seen your brother, you have seen the Lord.” (Tertullian, On Prayer 26)

GHeb-16 Hegesippus Hegesippus (ca 110 A.D. - ca 180), was a Christian chronicler of the early Christian church and writer countering heresies. ...

“… 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.) Clement is an adjective for clemency, and also the name of a number of notable figures: Saint Clement of Alexandria Saint Clement of Ohrid Any of several popes named Clement. ...

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.) Origen (ca. ...

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.) Eusebius is the name of several significant historical people: Pope Eusebius - Pope in AD 309 - 310. ...

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 Didymus may refer to: Thomas called Didymus Didymus the Blind Didymus the Musician Didymus Chalcenterus Apostle Thomas, who was also called Didymus A member of the House of Theodosius and distant relative of the Roman emperor Flavius Augustus Honorius, of whom little is known. ...

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) Epiphanius (clearly manifested) was the name of several early Christian scholars and ecclesiastics: Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, died 410, author of Panarion Epiphanius of Constantinople, died 535, Patriarch of Constantinople 520—535 Epiphanius Scholasticus, known only as the assistant of Cassiodorus who compiled the Historiae Ecclesiasticae...

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.) Jerome (ca. ...

“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)