Eusebius' Statements of Matthew's Authorship of the Greek Gospel
1) Eusebius refers to Matthew’s translating of the Hebrew text to Greek in his Old Testament quotations.
In his Commentary on Psalms, he does this by referring to Matthew’s translating of the Hebrew to Greek in citing OT passages. Only if Matthew was the author of the Greek Matthew, could Matthew be said to change the Hebrew text into Greek when he was writing (or translating) the text of the Greek Gospel of Matthew.
Eusebius, Commentary on Psalms, Ps. 78 (Comparing Ps. 78:2 to Matt.13:35)
“Which also the scripture of the sacred gospels teaches, where it is said: ‘All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables. And without a parable spake he not unto them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation.’ For instead of, ‘I will speak dark sayings of old,’ [or from the beginning,] Matthew, as being a Hebrew, uses a translation of his own, saying: ‘I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation.’ Instead of which Aquila has translated: ‘I will pour down things which have been enigmatical from the beginning.’ And Symmachus: ‘I will cause to spring up ancient dark sayings.’”9
William Lee evaluated Eusebius’ statement about Ps. 78,
“Eusebius, commenting on Ps. 78, observes that the phraseology of the LXX is different from that employed by S. Matthew, who, himself master of the Hebrew language, has cited the words according to his own translation…”10
Thomas Townson shows his agreement when he wrote,
“Eusebius also, who in one place relates that Matthew wrote in Hebrew in another remarks, that in Chapt. xiii. ver. 35. he does not follow the Seventy, but as a Hebrew makes his own translation.”11
2) Eusebius directly states that Matthew translated the Hebrew text of his gospel into Greek and gives an example.
In his work, Questiones Ad Marinum, Eusebius clearly states that Matthew himself changed or translated the Hebrew into the Greek Matthew.
Eusebius, Questiones Ad Marinum (Comparing Matt. 28:1 to Jn.20:1)
“For on the one hand the evangelist Matthew transmitted the gospel in the Hebrew language. On the other hand, having changed it to the Greek language, he said ‘the hour drawing towards dawn unto the Lord’s day, after the close of the Sabbath.’ Thus therefore, Matthew mentioned the time drawing towards the dawn of the Lord’s Day, ‘after the close of the Sabbaths [plural]’ not having said ‘the evening of the Sabbath’, nor ‘after the Sabbath [singular].'"
William Lee comments on this passage also,
“He [Eusebius] is discussing the relation of S. Matt, xxviii.1, to S. John, xx. 1…On this, he proceeds to argue as if the Greek term ‘opse’ had proceeded from S. Matthew; as well as from the use of the plural, sabbaton.”
3) Eusebius refers to the Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew and then in the same paragraph refers to the Gospel of Matthew written in Greek indicating that he saw them as one gospel.
Eusebius' reference occurs in the passage below from his Church History.
This indicates that he referred to them as the same work because the Greek Gospel was Matthew’s expanded translation of his original Hebrew Gospel.
In v.5 below, Eusebius mentions that Matthew and John were the only apostles who left Christians written memorials (gospels).
In v. 6, Eusebius refers to Matthew’s writing of his gospel in Hebrew with the words, “committed his Gospel to writing in his native tongue.”
In v.7, he refers to John the Apostle having all three gospels and then writing his gospel. When he refers to these Gospels that John had, he also says about all three that they came “into the hands of all” which means that the church at large possessed the three Gospels which Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote. The only Gospel of Matthew that the church possessed at large was the Greek Gospel of Matthew. He refers to John accepting the Greek Matthew and its truthfulness along with the other two.
Eusebius Church History 3.24.5-8
“v.5 And the rest of the followers of our Savior, the twelve apostles, the seventy disciples, and countless others besides, were not ignorant of these things. Nevertheless, of all the disciples of the Lord, only Matthew and John have left us written memorials, and they, tradition says, were led to write only under the pressure of necessity.
v.6 For Matthew, who had at first preached to the Hebrews, when he was about to go to other peoples, committed his Gospel to writing in his native tongue, and thus compensated those whom he was obliged to leave for the loss of his presence.
7. And when Mark and Luke had already published their Gospels, they say that John, who had employed all his time in proclaiming the Gospel orally, finally proceeded to write for the following reason. The three Gospels already mentioned having come into the hands of all and into his own too, they say that he accepted them and bore witness to their truthfulness; but that there was lacking in them an account of the deeds done by Christ at the beginning of his ministry.
8. And this indeed is true. For it is evident that the three evangelists recorded only the deeds done by the Saviour for one year after the imprisonment of John the Baptist, and indicated this in the beginning of their account.”
9. For Matthew, after the forty days’ fast and the temptation which followed it, indicates the chronology of his work when he says: “Now when he heard that John was delivered up he withdrew from Judea into Galilee.”
10. Mark likewise says: “Now after that John was delivered up Jesus came into Galilee.” And Luke, before commencing his account of the deeds of Jesus, similarly marks the time, when he says that Herod, “adding to all the evil deeds which he had done, shut up John in prison.”
If you look carefully, you will see that Eusebius refers to the Hebrew Matthew of v.5 in v.7 as “the three gospels already mentioned” yet he refers to the Greek Matthew when he says, “having come into the hands of all.” The only way that could be true is if Eusebius considered them both as one work, a Hebrew and Greek version of one Gospel of Matthew. This is perfectly understandable if the Greek Matthew was an expanded translation of the Hebrew Matthew both written by Matthew.
In v.9 and 10, he compares the writings of Matthew with Mark and Luke using similar phrasing expressing authorship for all four evangelists while quoting from the Greek Matthew.
Thomas and Farnell agree with this conclusion when they comment on this passage of Eusebius (3.24.5-10),
“Though Eusebius mentions that Matthew first wrote in the Hebrew language, he also considers Greek Matthew to have come from the apostle's hand. He notes that John was aware of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and confirmed their accuracy when he composed his gospel. Eusebius refers to sections of the Greek Matthew and ascribes them to the apostle as their author."
4) Eusebius indicates that Matthew wrote a passage that could only have come from Greek Matthew, thus indicating his belief that Matthew wrote the Greek Gospel of Matthew.
In the passage below, Eusebius quotes the words of Jesus on the cross in Matthew’s Gospel. These words are first given in the Hebrew Aramaic which Jesus spoke to explain why people thought Jesus was crying out for Elijah. It is then translated into Greek by the author whom Eusebius says is Matthew when he writes “Matthew recorded.” This could only be true of the Greek Matthew where the author would have translated them into Greek to help his readers understand what Jesus was saying. There would have been no need for this in the Hebrew Matthew.
Eusebius Demonstratio Evangelica 10.8
“The words, ‘My God, give ear to me, why hast thou forsaken me?’ spoken at the opening of the Psalm, are recorded by Matthew to have been said by our Saviour at the time of the Passion: ‘And at the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour, and at the ninth hour Jesus called with a loud voice, Eloim, Eloim, lama sabachthani, that is to say, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’”
(Quote is from The Proof of the Gospel Being The Demonstratio Evangelica of Eusebius of Caesarea, Tr. W.J. Ferrar, Vol.1 The Macmillan Company, New York, 1920 (CCEL))
John Owen concurs with this when he writes,
“The words he uttered were taken from Ps. 22:1, of which ‘Eli, Eli, lama’ are Hebrew, and ‘sabachthani’ is the Aramean or Syro-Chaldaic, which was the language then in common use…’That is to say, i. e. which being interpreted.’ These are the words of the Evangelist, who wrote his gospel in Greek, but retained the words as spoken by Jesus, in order to show why the Jews represented him as calling upon Elias. Those who contend that Matthew's gospel was first written in Hebrew or the Aramaic, make the words ‘that is to say,’ those of the translator.”
5) Eusebius refers to Matthew as the writer of the Greek Gospel of Matthew. He writes of the “gospel written by him” and quotes Greek Matthew.
Eusebius Demonstratio Evangelica 3.5
“The Apostle Matthew, if you consider his former life, did not leave a holy occupation, but came from those occupied in tax-gathering and over-reaching one another. None of the evangelists has made this clear, neither his fellow-apostle John, nor Luke, nor Mark, but [Matthew] himself, who brands his own life, and becomes his own accuser. Listen how he dwells emphatically on his own name in the Gospel written by him, when he speaks in this way: ‘And as Jesus passed by from thence, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting at the place of toll, and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.’”
(Quote is from The Proof of the Gospel Being The Demonstratio Evangelica of Eusebius of Caesarea, Tr. W.J. Ferrar, Vol.1 The Macmillan Company, New York, 1920 (CCEL))
And again further on, when he gives a list of the disciples, he adds the name "Publican" to his own. For he says: ‘Of the twelve apostles the names are these: First, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican.’ Thus Matthew, in excess of modesty, reveals the nature of his own old life, and calls himself a publican, he does not conceal his former mode of life, and in addition to this he places himself second after his yoke-fellow.”
Summary:
The[se] testimonies .. offer the clearest evidence that it was believed by the early church that Matthew wrote both a Hebrew and a Greek Gospel of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ ...
The historical literary evidence demonstrates that Matthew wrote a gospel in Hebrew for Jewish converts and then wrote an expanded Greek gospel for both Jews and Gentiles around the world. The Greek Matthew had many original additions. The Hebrew Matthew was not widely used and eventually passed out of sight.
When the early church fathers indicated that Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew they never indicated that the Greek Matthew was written or translated by Matthew because it was fully accepted.
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