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Hebrew Gospel of Matthew / The Gospel of the Hebrews

September 14, 2025 sakshizion Leave a comment

The “Gospel according to the Hebrews” also known as the “Hebrew Gospel of Matthew” is an early Christian text known only through fragments cited by early church fathers. This gospel was said to be used by the Ebionites, the early Jewish Christian followers of Jesus and Jesus’ brother James. One notable fragment, preserved by Epiphanius, suggests a rejection of animal sacrifices:

“I have come to abolish the sacrifices, and if you do not cease from sacrificing, the wrath will not cease from you.”

This passage indicates a stance against the continuation of animal sacrifices, aligning with certain early Christian views that saw Jesus’ mission as fulfilling and thus superseding the old sacrificial system.

Additionally, the Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament addresses the insufficiency of animal sacrifices. Hebrews 10:8-9 states:

“First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second.”

This passage reflects a theological perspective that Christ’s sacrifice rendered the old system of animal offerings obsolete.

Another version of the “Hebrew Gospel of Matthew” is a medieval Hebrew text preserved by Shem-Tov ben Isaac Ibn Shaprut. Otherwise what we have are fragments of a presumed earlier Hebrew or Aramaic version of the Gospel of Matthew cited by early Church Fathers. Here is a compilation of known fragments and references:

1. Jerome’s Fragments:

Jerome, who had access to a Hebrew version of Matthew, provided several quotes:

The Lord’s Prayer: Instead of “Give us this day our daily bread,” it says, “Give us today our bread for tomorrow.”
On Matthew 18:22: “If your brother sins against you in word, and makes satisfaction, accept him seven times a day.”
On Matthew 23:35: “My mother, the Holy Spirit, took me by one of my hairs and carried me to the great mountain Tabor.”

2. Epiphanius’ Fragments:

Epiphanius of Salamis cited passages from the Gospel of the Hebrews, including:

Baptism of Jesus: “The Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove and said, ‘My son, in all the prophets I awaited you, that you might come and I might find rest in you. For you are my rest; you are my firstborn son who reigns forever.'”
Rejection of Sacrifice: “I have come to abolish the sacrifices, and if you do not cease from sacrificing, the wrath will not cease from you.”

3. Clement of Alexandria:

Clement provided mystical sayings attributed to Jesus:

“He who seeks will not rest until he finds; and he who has found will marvel; and he who has marveled will reign; and he who has reigned will rest.”
“Behold, my mother and my brothers, and whoever does the will of my Father, he is my brother and my sister and my mother.”

4. Origen’s Commentary:

Origen referred to a teaching about sin and repentance:

“If even the saints in this world say, ‘If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves’ (1 John 1:8), how much more does this apply to us!”

5. Eusebius’ References:

Eusebius of Caesarea mentioned passages related to Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance to James the Just:

“Bring a table and bread!” and Jesus broke bread with James.

6. Shem-Tov’s Hebrew Matthew:

Shem-Tov’s medieval Hebrew Gospel of Matthew contains various unique readings and differences from the canonical Greek text. For example:

Matthew 5:22: “And I say to you that anyone who provokes his companion to anger is subject to judgment.”
Matthew 6:11: The Lord’s Prayer rendered as “Give us today our bread for tomorrow.”

7. Additional Fragments:

Jesus’ Teaching on Love: “Never be joyful, except when you look upon your brother with love.” (Jerome)
The Holy Spirit as Mother: “Even so did my mother, the Holy Spirit, take me by one of my hairs and carry me to the great mountain Tabor.” (Jerome)

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Books, Christ, Gnostic, Mystical, Spiritual

James the brother of Jesus

April 24, 2024 sakshizion Leave a comment

After the crucifixion of Jesus, James, who is traditionally identified as the brother of Jesus, became a prominent leader in the early Christian movement in Jerusalem.

James continued to participate in the Jewish Temple and observed Jewish laws and customs. He is described in the New Testament and other early Christian writings as being very devout and zealous for the Jewish law.

It’s important to note that the early followers of Jesus saw themselves as Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. They continued to participate in Jewish religious practices while also following the teachings of Jesus. The complete separation between Christianity and Judaism took several centuries to develop.

Was the Jerusalem church of James different than the sacrificial cult of the Jewish Temple?

The Jerusalem church led by James and the sacrificial cult of the Jewish Temple were distinct in their practices and beliefs, although they shared some common roots.

The Jerusalem church, under the leadership of James, was a community of Jewish followers of Jesus who believed that he was the Messiah. They continued to observe Jewish laws and customs but also incorporated the teachings of Jesus into their faith. Their worship centered on Jesus as the risen Lord and the fulfillment of Jewish prophecies.

On the other hand, the sacrificial cult of the Jewish Temple was centered around the rituals and sacrifices prescribed by the Mosaic Law. This included animal sacrifices, offerings, and other ceremonies performed by the priests in the Temple.

While James and the Jerusalem church continued to participate in Jewish religious practices, they placed greater emphasis on the teachings of Jesus and the new covenant he established. The Temple cult, however, did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and continued to operate under the traditional Jewish sacrificial system.

Over time, as the early Christian movement spread and developed its own distinct identity, the practices and beliefs of the Jerusalem church and the Jewish Temple became increasingly divergent.

Can it be said that the Jerusalem Church of James was against the animal sacrifices of the Jewish Temple?

The New Testament and early Christian writings do not explicitly state that the Jerusalem church, led by James, show there are indications that the early Jewish followers of Jesus, including James and the Jerusalem church, placed greater emphasis on the teachings of Jesus and the new covenant he established, which they believed fulfilled and superseded the old covenant.

Some scholars argue that as the early Christian movement developed, there was a shift away from the emphasis on Temple sacrifices. The Book of Hebrews in the New Testament, for example, presents Jesus as the ultimate high priest and his sacrifice on the cross as the final and perfect sacrifice, making the Temple sacrifices obsolete.

James and the Jerusalem church continued to participate in Jewish religious practices, including Temple worship, while also incorporating the teachings of Jesus. It’s possible that they viewed the Temple sacrifices in a new light in light of their belief in Jesus as the Messiah and his sacrificial death.

James and the Ebionites

James is often associated with the Ebionites, a Jewish Christian sect that rejected the divinity of Jesus and adhered to Jewish law, including the rejection of the sacrificial system of the Temple.

The Ebionites believed that Jesus was the Messiah but considered him to be a human prophet rather than divine. They maintained strict adherence to the Mosaic Law and rejected the Apostle Paul’s teachings, emphasizing instead the importance of Jewish practices and the teachings of Jesus.

Given this context, it is plausible to say that the Ebionites, including those led by James, were against the animal sacrifices of the Jewish Temple. They likely viewed these sacrifices as no longer necessary or valid in light of their understanding of Jesus’ teachings and his role as the Messiah.

For further reading and research on this topic read the book “James the Brother of Jesus” by Professor Robert Eisenman.

Here’s some reviews of the book :

ABOUT JAMES THE BROTHER OF JESUS

“A passionate quest for the historical James refigures Christian origins, … can be enjoyed as a thrilling essay in historical detection.” —The Guardian

James was a vegetarian, wore only linen clothing, bathed daily at dawn in cold water, and was a life-long Nazirite. In this profound and provocative work of scholarly detection, eminent biblical scholar Robert Eisenman introduces a startling theory about the identity of James—the brother of Jesus, who was almost entirely marginalized in the New Testament.Drawing on long-overlooked early Church texts and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Eisenman reveals in this groundbreaking exploration that James, not Peter, was the real successor to the movement we now call “Christianity.” In an argument with enormous implications, Eisenman identifies Paul as deeply compromised by Roman contacts. James is presented as not simply the leader of Christianity of his day, but the popular Jewish leader of his time, whose death triggered the Uprising against Rome—a fact that creative rewriting of early Church documents has obscured.
Eisenman reveals that characters such as “Judas Iscariot” and “the Apostle James” did not exist as such. In delineating the deliberate falsifications in New Testament dcouments, Eisenman shows how—as James was written out—anti-Semitism was written in. By rescuing James from the oblivion into which he was cast, the final conclusion of James the Brother of Jesus is, in the words of The Jerusalem Post, “apocalyptic” —who and whatever James was, so was Jesus.

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