Gospel of the Nazoraeans

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The Gospel of the Nazoraeans is a book of the New Testament Apocrypha. It may or may not be the same as, or derived from, the Gospel of the Hebrews. Due to the fragmentary nature of both works, there is little certainty regarding their relationship, although there is a strong affinity between the two. Whatever the origin, and similarity of the text, this version of the text was the one used by the Nazarenes of Beroea, Syria (Aleppo).

The book itself has completely disappeared; all that survives comes to us in the form of quotations by Clement, Origen, Jerome, and Cyril of Jerusalem, which contain twenty or more fragments. It has, however, been the subject of many critical surmises and discussions in the course of the last century, and recent discussions in a growing body of literature have thrown considerable light upon the problems connected with this Gospel.

1 Authorship
2 Modern Positions
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Authorship

Concerning its origin, many historical writers believe that it was written by Matthew the Evangelist. Jerome in his work On Illustrious Men explains that Matthew, also called Levi, composed the Gospel of Christ, which was first published in Judea in Hebrew script.

Epiphanius is of the same opinion; he states in the Panarion that without the aid of others, Matthew, in the New Testament expounded and declared the Gospel in Hebrew, while using Hebrew script. Origen adds to this by stating that the very first account was written and composed in Hebrew script by Matthew, once a tax collector but later an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the converts who had forsaken Judaism.

Jerome's Commentary on Matthew refers to the Gospel of the Ebionites and Gospel of the Hebrews by the same title, treating them as one text, which most modern academics feel is inappropriate.

[edit] Modern Positions

Based on known fragments, higher criticism argues that the text is an embellishment on the canonical version of Matthew, making minor clarifications. For example, it replaces "daily bread" with "bread for tomorrow" in the Lord's Prayer, states that the man whose hand was withered (Matthew 12:10-13) was a stonemason, and splits the rich male youth (of Matthew 19:16-22) into two separate people. Since the gospel adds clarifications, it is likely based on the canonical text (instead of vice versa) due to the argument of unlikelihood that a scribe creating a canonical version of the Gospel of Matthew would intentionally obscure the text.

The time and place of origin are disputed, but since Clement used the book in the last quarter of the second century, it is certainly dated before the middle of that era. Alexandrian Egypt is most often indicated as its place of origin by the fact that its principal witnesses are the Alexandrians - Clement and Origen - and by the idea of Jesus as the Son of the Holy Spirit, which is documented for Egypt by the Coptic Epistle of James. The original language of the gospel suggests that it was drawn up for Hebrew and Aramaic-speaking Jewish Christians in Palestine and Syria.

Since the text was so similar to the canonical form, the Gospel of the Nazarenes was considered orthodox, but because it was effectively redundant, it passed out of use.