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Template:Totallydisputed The Church Fathers wrote of an early version of Matthew called the Gospel of the Hebrews which Jerome says most people refer to as 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.

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 probably circulated among Jewish followers of Jesus, this Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew 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.

According to the Church Fathers, the Authentic Gospel of Matthew or the Gospel of the Hebrews was authoritative and apostolic in nature. 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.

St. Jerome is most helpful in understanding the origins of this Gospel. 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 Authentic 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 believed this gospel was authoritative and wrote about it extensively, thus preserving much of the text.

Some believe that because of a growing demand for material on the life of Jesus, that a redactor(s) composed a more complete and orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus than had previously been available. This new work was possibly based on the Authentic Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark and the Q document). This new canonical Matthean work may have been called the Gospel of Matthew because of its heavy reliance on Matthew's gospel.

Having the Authentic Gospel of Matthew and the canonical Matthean gospel both called the Gospel of Matthew may have 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. This topic is subject to ongoing debate.

Finally some believe that there was more than one Hebrew Gospel but this goes against Epiphanius who writes that their was only one Hebrew Gospel (the one written by Matthew).

References

Burnett Hillman Streeter, The Four Gospels : A Study of Origins

P. Parker, The Gospel Before Mark

R. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah

External links

Online translations of the Gospel of Matthew:

Template:Biblegateway
Matthew at WikiSource (KJV)
Early Christian Writings: texts and introductions
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

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 {{totallydisputed}}
+The [[Church Fathers]] wrote of an early version of Matthew called the [[Gospel of the Hebrews]] which Jerome says most people refer to as 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]].
-==Jerome's "Authentic" Gospel of Matthew==
-One account of a life and teachings ascribed to Jesus was written by a person whom the church fathers identified as the [[Apostle]] Matthew. The earliest known [[Gospel of Matthew]] is written in Greek, and no copy survives indicating an earlier version. [[Jerome]], a [[Church Fathers|Church Father]], says that there was an early version of Matthew called the ''Gospel of the Hebrews'' which Jerome says most people refer to as the '''Authentic Gospel of Matthew''' ([[Jerome]]'s  ''Commentary on Matthew'' ch. 2). Jerome states it was written in [[Aramaic]], and he believed it to be apostolic and authoritative, writing about it extensively, thus preserving much of the text.
+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).
-However, an overwhelming majority of modern scholars think that Jerome was simply mistaken, conflating three quite distinct but closely related works - the [[Gospel of the Hebrews]], [[Gospel of the Ebionites]], and [[Gospel of the Nazarenes]]. Jerome states that these three are the same, even though he saw them at different times, as they were held at the library at [[Caesarea Palaestina|Caesarea]], the ''[[Nazarene]]'' community in [[Aleppo|Beroea]], and the ''[[Ebionite]]'' community, respectively, relying only on his memory and prior quotes to make the claim. Other Church Fathers quote from something called the 'Gospel of the Hebrews' (in Greek) but do not identify it with the gospel of Matthew, agreeing with the vast majority of modern academia.
+Although probably circulated among Jewish followers of Jesus, this ''Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew'' 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]].
-==Matthew and Aramaic==
+According to the Church Fathers, the ''Authentic Gospel of Matthew'' or the ''Gospel of the Hebrews''  was authoritative and apostolic in nature. [[Papias]] quoted by [[Irenaeus]] tells us that the Apostle Matthew wrote it in "Hebrew letters."
-Eusebius (EH3.39.14-16), writing much later, cites an earlier writer, Papius, who claims that Matthew originally wrote 'in the Hebrew style/dialect'. Eusebius then goes on to say that Papius was 'a man of exceedingly small intelligence' (Hist. Eccl. 3.39.13). Even if Papius was correct, it could merely mean that Papius is claiming that Matthew wrote in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] or (more plausibly) [[Aramaic]], or it could simply be a reference to the Jewish style of Matthew. Other scholars agree with Eusebius' assessment of Papius. [[Papias]] was also quoted by [[Irenaeus]], making the same claim as [[Epiphanius]], that the Apostle Matthew wrote his gospel in a Hebrew script, Epiphanius adding that none of the other parts of the New Testament originated in Hebrew.
+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.
-==Modern theory of the origin of the canonical Gospel of Matthew==
-According to the modern theory to solve the [[synoptic problem]], known as the [[two source hypothesis]], the canonical Gospel of Matthew was based on the [[Gospel of Mark]], the [[Q document]], together with elements in neither of those, collectively known as the [[M Source]]. Although it is possible that the M Source is connected to the Gospel of the Hebrews, Gospel of the Ebionites, and Gospel of the Nazarenes, which Jerome conflates into one ''Authentic Gospel of Matthew'', the vast majority of scholars consider this highly unlikely, as the quotes from these texts indicate that they are heavily reliant on the gospel of Mark (see [[Markan priority]]) and the Q document.
+[[Epiphanius]] confirms the aforementioned, and goes on to say that Matthew alone of the [[New Testament]] writers composed a gospel in Hebrew script.
+St. [[Jerome]] is most helpful in understanding the origins of this Gospel. 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 Authentic 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 [[Aleppo|Beroea]], [[Syria]], as well as in the ''[[Ebionite]]'' community. The Nazarenes supposedly gave Jerome a copy that he translated into [[Greek language|Greek]].
+Jerome believed this gospel was authoritative and wrote about it extensively, thus preserving much of the text.
+Some believe that because of a growing demand for material on the life of Jesus, that a redactor(s) composed a more complete and orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus than had previously been available. This new work was possibly based on the ''Authentic Gospel of Matthew'', the ''Gospel of Mark'' and the [[Q document]]). This new canonical Matthean work may have been called the ''Gospel of Matthew'' because of its heavy reliance on  Matthew's gospel.
+Having the ''Authentic Gospel of Matthew'' and the canonical Matthean gospel both called the Gospel of Matthew may have 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. This topic is subject to ongoing debate.
+Finally some believe that there was more than one Hebrew Gospel but this goes against Epiphanius who writes that their was only one Hebrew Gospel (the one written by Matthew).
 ==References==
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 * [http://sources.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible%2C_English%2C_King_James%2C_Matthew Matthew at WikiSource] (KJV)
 * [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/ Early Christian Writings]: texts and introductions
+*[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gospelhebrews.html Early Christian Writings:] ''Gospel of the Hebrews''
+*[http://www.ntcanon.org/Gospel_of_the_Hebrews.shtml Development of the Canon of the New Testament: ''Gospel of the Hebrews'']
 *[http://tjresearch.info The Talmud Jmmanuel: The Real Source for the Book of Matthew]