The Lost Scriptures – books that did not make it into the New Testament.

The Gospel According to the Hebrews

“I am come to do away with sacrfices, and if you cease not sacrificing, the wrath of God will not cease from you.”
(Epiphanius,  Panarion 30.16,4-5)

“Where will you have us prepare the passover?”
And him to answer to that: “Do I desire with desire at this Passover to eat flesh with you?” (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.22.4)

 “Matthew, who is also Levi, and from a tax collector came to be
an emissary first of all evangelists composed a Gospel of
Messiah in Judea in the Hebrew language and letters, for the
benefit of those of the circumcision who had believed, who
translated it into Greek is not sufficiently ascertained.
Furthermore, the Hebrew itself is preserved to this day in the
library at Caesarea, which the martyr Pamphilus so diligently
collected.  I also was allowed by the Nazarenes who use this
volume in the Syrian city of Borea to copy it. In which is to be
remarked that, wherever the evangelist… makes use of the
testimonies of the Old Scripture, he does not follow the
authority of the seventy translators [the Greek Septuagint], but
that of the Hebrew.  To these belong the two “Out of Egypt have
I called my son” and “For he shall be called a Nazaraean.”

The Gospel According to the Hebrews does not exist as a complete work. What we do have are quotes from church Fathers like Clement, Origen, and Jerome, all church Fathers. These “giants” of the faith were all located in and around Alexandria, Egypt — therefore it is believed this gospel was written in Egypt around the second century. The name “Gospel According to the Hebrews” most likely was given to it by outsiders of the faith who lived in Egypt, not by those inside the faith. The gospel was most likely written in Greek and narrates different events in the life of Jesus – his baptism, his temptation experience, and his resurrection. But these accounts are alternative forms of these stories that appeared to have been passed down orally to the unknown author who wrote them down.

Some of the sayings in the book have Gnostic overtones, others have a strong Jewish flavor. Some of the accounts are truly unique – including the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to James, who had sworn at the last supper that he would not eat again until he should see Jesus raised from the dead.

The importance of this Gospel cannot be dismissed easily. Although it was not included in the canon, early church Fathers used it in their writings – and found it instructive in their exegetical arguments. In other words, they found some of the material important enough to include in their considerations alongside the use of the Canonical Scriptures. Although it is difficult enough to get to reading the canon (bible) each and every day, it wouldn’t hurt to read other “gospels” once in a while. Happy reading…..

Pastor Dave