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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Did the Gospel writers write in Greek | Bible general Archive 1 | EdB | 87955 | ||
Asis It was done in Greek. The Greeks philosophy of conquest was to simulate their culture into that of the area they just conquered. After Alexander conquered the area, Greek became the common language. This is very important in the plan of things because Greek was nearly universally used in all the civilized world of the time. This made the documents of the New Testament universally available to all. As far as I know one part of Daniel was written in Aramaic, the rest of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. Later translated in Greek known as the Septuagint. EdB |
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2 | Did the Gospel writers write in Greek | Bible general Archive 1 | Truthfinder | 88013 | ||
Hi EdB, History tells us that Matthew was written in Hebrew and Hebrew was still common during the days of the apostles. Remember that the inscription placed above Jesus when he was put to death, was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Notice the evidence we have: External evidence to the effect that Matthew originally wrote this Gospel in Hebrew reaches as far back as Papias of Hierapolis, of the second century C.E. Eusebius quoted Papias as stating: “Matthew collected the oracles in the Hebrew language.” (The Ecclesiastical History, III, XXXIX, 16) Early in the third century, Origen made reference to Matthew’s account and, in discussing the four Gospels, is quoted by Eusebius as saying that the “first was written . . . according to Matthew, who was once a tax-collector but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, . . . in the Hebrew language.” (The Ecclesiastical History, VI, XXV, 3-6) The scholar Jerome (of the fourth and fifth centuries C.E.) wrote in his work De viris inlustribus (Concerning Illustrious Men), chapter III, that Matthew “composed a Gospel of Christ in Judaea in the Hebrew language and characters for the benefit of those of the circumcision who had believed. . . . Moreover, the Hebrew itself is preserved to this day in the library at Caesarea, which the martyr Pamphilus so diligently collected.”—Translation from the Latin text edited by E. C. Richardson and published in the series “Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur,” Leipzig, 1896, Vol. 14, pp. 8, 9. McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia states: “Passages from Matthew are quoted by Justin Martyr, by the author of the letter to Diognetus (see in Otto’s Justin Martyr, vol. ii), by Hegesippus, Irenæus, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, Clement, Tertullian, and Origen. It is not merely from the matter, but the manner of the quotations, from the calm appeal as to a settled authority, from the absence of all hints of doubt, that we regard it as proved that the book we possess had not been the subject of any sudden change.” A statement by a modern Bible scholar, Hugh G. Schonfield, is also of interest. He writes on page 11 of An Old Hebrew Text of St. Matthew’s Gospel: “As far back as the fourth century we hear of a Hebrew Matthew preserved in the Jewish archives at Tiberias.” Truthfinder |
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3 | Did the Gospel writers write in Greek | Bible general Archive 1 | EdB | 88052 | ||
Truthfinder While none of the original autographs exist we can only speculate on the language in which they were written. I will concede Matthew aimed his writings toward the Jews and therefore may have in fact written in Hebrew. However he was a tax collector working for the Romans which tells us he and most probably his family were more focused on secular careers. If that be the case he therefore was probably trained in a secular school rather than having synagogue training and not exposed to much Hebrew. In any case Hebrew would most probably been a second language to him and less likely used in his writings. Again this is all speculation since we do not have the conclusive proof. EdB |
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