Project BookRead - FREE Online Book: The Gospel Of The Hebrews by Burton H. Throckmorton, Jr.

The Gospel Of The Hebrews
Burton H. Throckmorton, Jr.

The Gospel of the Hebrews
Burton H. Throckmorton, Jr.
editor

**** This text has been released only as proof of corruption and
**** descension that existed within the early church. This text does
**** *NOT* neccessarily represent the views of Project BookRead and
**** should be used as a historical comparitive ONLY.

Extracts and Commentary Taken from Gospel Parallels,
And The Other Bible
Ed. Willis Barnstone

The Gospel of the Nazaraeans ("observers") in Hebrew is believed to have
been the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew and the source for the present gospel
(which was composed in Greek). There are reliable witnesses that this
gospel was both used and circulated among the earliest followers of
Yahshua in the diaspora. Some believe it originated in Egypt, and that
the latest possible date it might have been written was during the first
half of the second century; however, there are other opinions that it
was composed in the middle of the first century, when "Jesus" traditions
were first being produced and collected. An earlier date is more likely
than a later one. Jerome, Eusebius, and Hegesippus (the latter two not
quoting it) make mention of it as do Origen, Clement (both
Alexandrians). It is believed to have been known to Papias who died
about 130 C.E. and may have quoted it in his lost "Exegesis of the
Sayings of the Lord" (which is now "lost"). It is significant to note
that Nicephorus, when drawing up his list of canonical and apocryphal
books, stated that the Gospel of the Hebrews contained only 2200 lines,
300 fewer than Matthew. It has been suggested that these three hundred
lines are the birth narratives of the first and second chapters of our
canonical Matthew.

The following are the only known extractions from it. Care should be
exercised to separate the actual quotations of the extractions from the
interpretative remarks made by the church writers. I have placed any
corresponding New Covenant verses (taken from the KJV) before each
extract. All material underlined, bold-faced, and italicized contains my
own emphasis.

Matthew 3:13: "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be
baptized of him."

To Matt. 3:13: cf. Gospel according to the Hebrews, (in Jerome, Against
Pelagius III.2)--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 he 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."

Commentary: Within the Torah are different categories of sin; a sin of
ignorance is a mis-stepping, or a "side-slip", meaning that in order to
learn from one's mistakes he often side-steps to the left or right hand
through ignorance, but once he has realized his mistake he then again
attempts to step back on the "way" or "path" of righteousness. In the
New Covenant this type of sin is often referred to as a "trespass".

Matthew 3:16-17: "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway
out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw
the Spirit of God [Elohim] descending like a dove, and lighting upon
him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased."

(From Gospel Parallels) To Matt. 3:16-17 cf. Gospel according to the
Hebrews, (in Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah 11:2)--When the Lord ascended
from the water, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended and rested
upon him, and said to him, "My son, in all the prophets I was waiting
for you, that you might come, and that I might rest in you. For you are
my rest; and you are my firstborn son, who reigns forever."

(From The Other Bible) (Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah 4 [on Isaiah 11:2])
According to the Gospel written in the Hebrew speech, which the
Nazaraeans read, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit shall descend upon
him....Further in the Gospel which we have just mentioned we find the
following written: "And it came to pass when the Lord was come up out of
the water, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended upon him and
rested on him and said to him: 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 firstbegotten Son that reigns forever.

Commentary: The earliest followers of Yahshua believed that Yahshua was
empowered by the Holy Spirit at his immersion, not at his birth (thus
they did not include the later birth narratives in their gospel). The
important point in using the word "rest" above is that it refers to the
Jewish belief that the Messiah's name will be called "Menachem", or
"rest". You will also notice that while our present Matthew does not
include the idea of the "firstborn" son (implying that there will be
others), they use also the second phrase as quoted in Psalm 2:7 as well:
"this day have I begotten thee". You will note that John 1:14 is
translated as the "only begotten", but the word "only" there is an
addition to the text. It should read "the begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, He (the Father) hath declared." The word "begotten"
here implies only that he was in the Father's bosom before the creation
of the world. In the Hebrew, as used in Zechariah 12:10, the word for
"only" is yachid meaning "beloved" and implying the "firstborn" son, and
as the book of Hebrews states, that Yahvah would use Yahshua, His
Firstborn, for "bringing many sons to glory" [Hebrews 2:10] as an "elder
brother". Please note that this gospel was written first in Hebrew by
the testimony of several of the "church fathers".

Matthew 4:8: "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high
mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory
of them."

(From Gospel Parallels) To Matt. 4:8 cf. Gospel according to the Hebrews
(in Origen, Commentary on John 2:12 and Homily on Jeremiah 15:4)--And if
any accept the Gospel of the Hebrews, here the Savior says: "Even so did
my mother, the Holy Spirit, take me by one of my hairs, and carry me to
the great Mount Tabor." Jerome also records these words in Latin in his
commentaries on Micah 7:6, Isaiah 40:9ff., and Ezekiel 16:13.

(From The Other Bible) (Origen, Commentary on John 2.12.87 [on John
1:3]): And if any accept the Gospel of the Hebrews -- here the Savior
says: Even so did my mother, the Holy Spirit, take me by one of my hairs
and carry me away on to the great mountain Tabor.

Commentary: Within Judaism, the Shekinah (or "visible" cloud of the
Presence) is a feminine word, thought to be Yahvah's feminine aspect;
therefore, they called the Spirit the "mother". You will note, likewise,
that the Renewed City of Jerusalem that "descends from heaven" is also
referred to as female, as the "mother" of us all. Jewish studies have
shown that this Heavenly Jerusalem is a "palace of overcomers" (the
Overcomer's Palace), and is called by the ancient Jewish kabbalists
Binah ("Understanding"), a house with "many rooms" (in the New Covenant
it is translated "many mansions"). The verse above follows the motif in
the book of Ezekiel where it is stated: "And he put forth the form of an
hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up
between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God
to Jerusalem" [Ezekiel 8:3], i.e. to a "holy mountain". Tabor (meaning
"mound"; Strong's has broken" or "fragile") was a "very high mountain"
located as a landmark within the territories of Issachar and Zebulon,
overlooking the Plain of Esdraelon (Greek for Jezreel); and is where
Barak gathered his ten thousand men in Deborah's campaign. This is why
some believe that "Har Megiddo" or "Armageddon" will be the gathering
place of the final battle of the age. While it is entirely possible that
this mountain is the one referred to in the book of Revelation, we must
realize also that the word "megiddo" means "gathering place" and could
mean any "gathering place". Isaiah refers to the Mount of the
Congregation (or the Mountain in Jerusalem) as the Har Moed, the
Mountain of Appointment, or "meeting"; and since all Scripture states
the "Day of Yahvah" will occur in Jerusalem, we must also consider that
Tabor is a "symbolic" term used because of its historical significance
as a "gathering place". Note: Origen, an Alexandrian, both quoted from
and used the Gospel of the Hebrews. The reason he says "if any accept
it" is because many of his colleagues in the west did not.

Matthew 5:23: "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee..."

(From Gospel Parallels) To Matt. 5:23 cf. Gospel according to the
Hebrews (in Jerome Commentary on Ezekiel 18:7): And in the Gospel
according to the Hebrews, which the Nazaraeans are accustomed to read,
one of the greatest sins is "To grieve the spirit of one's brother."
And, Jerome on Ephesians 5:4 writes: As also we read in the Hebrew
Gospel that the Lord spoke to his disciples: "And never," he said, "be
joyful except when you look on your brother with love."

(From The Other Bible) (Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 3 [on Ephesians
5:4]): 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.

(From The Other Bible) (Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel 6 [on Ezekiel
18:7]): In the Gospel according to the Hebrews which the Nazaraeans are
wont to read there is counted among the most grievous offenses: He that
has grieved the spirit of his brother.

Commentary: The saying in Matthew 5:23-24 appears to confirm the saying
in the Gospel of the Hebrews. Even Jerome seems to agree with the saying
in this Gospel about "brotherly love".

Matthew 7:7: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you..."

(From Gospel Parallels) To Matt. 7:7 cf. Gospel according to the Hebrews
(in Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies V.14.96); also cf. Oxyrhynchus
Papyrus 654, Logion 1: "He who seeks will not give up until he finds;
and having found, he will marvel; and having marveled, he will reign;
and having reigned, he will rest."

(From The Other Bible) (Clement, Stromateis 2.9.45.5) As also it stands
written in the Gospel of the Hebrews: He that marvels shall reign, and
he that has reigned shall rest.

Commentary: I have explained this in other early gospel commentaries.
When we seek ardently, we shall find, and when we find, we shall be in
awe, and having come to an understanding, we shall be in the "house of
understanding", reigning as priests and rulers with Yahshua, our Chief,
and that will be our rest.

Matthew 11:29: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

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