Greek vs. Hebrew N.T.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. By Rabbi Stanley

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • In Bible Schools today, they teach that the New Testament was written in Greek. • We’ve all believed that for many years. • Some teach that Greek was the language that everyone spoke in Israel when Yeshua was here on earth.

The movie by Mel Gibson (The Passion) as well as many other scholars believe they all spoke Aramaic. • But most agree that the Brit Hadasha was written in Greek • However, since the dead Sea scrolls were discovered in Qumran,

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • and some new information has surfaced, • Messianic Scholars have had to look again at this topic a little closer.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • The Christian Church as a whole rejects looking at this • and they feel it’s almost heretical to challenge this belief. • Well, we’re going to challenge it tonight. Because it’s important that we know. • Why is it important?

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • The language of Yeshua and the Brit Hadasha is important to our understanding of the Jewish culture. • And it’s important to understand the world in which Jesus lived, taught and interacted. • So much of a culture is wrapped up in its language that you can not separate the two.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Knowing what language Yeshua spoke, helps us better understand the words, phrases and teachings that were used in the New Testament • So what was the New Testament written in?

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Let’s look at the facts. • First there has been discovered a book of Mathew written in Hebrew that predates anything we have in Koine Greek

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Koine Greek is the Greek that was used in the second temple period. • The translations we use for our new testament, come from the Koine Greek.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • These are the transcripts they say are the originals. • The fact that we have a writing of Mathew in Hebrew that dates before the one we have in Greek forces us to consider what it was originally written in.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Another fact that we must take into consideration • is that there was a man who wrote a series of books during the time of Yeshua whose name was Josephus. • Josephus was a Jewish historian, • he wasn’t a Believer in Yeshua but he was a good Pharisee.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • In one of his books called the Jewish wars • he tells about when Jerusalem was surrounded by the Romans during this time • The Romans were speaking Greek to the people of Jerusalem

They were telling them in Greek to surrender. • Josephus says that none of the people in Jerusalem understood what the Romans were speaking. • In fact, Josephus had to translate to his fellow Jews so they could understand.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Only a few well educated Jews in Israel spoke any Greek at all. • So the idea that they all spoke Greek back then doesn’t ring true. • And that the Brit Hadasha’s original transcript was written in Greek isn’t correct either because we have a book of Mathew that predates it

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • We even see some evidences in the Scripture itself as to what they spoke. • Act 26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. • Here’s Yeshua Himself speaking to Shaul… in Hebrew.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Yeshua didn’t speak to him in Greek. • Shaul spoke Greek, he was well educated. • So Yeshua would’ve been able to speak to him in Greek if He wanted to.

He could’ve spoke to Shaul in Aramaic but He didn’t. He spoke in Hebrew. • Some teachers point out John 19 vs. 19 and 20 to prove that Greek was what was used. Let’s look at that

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Joh 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. • Joh 19:20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. • A Pastor pointed this out to me once and said see, there it is written in Greek! • And I was like… are you blind??? • It also says it was written in Hebrew!!!

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • So it wasn’t just a few educated Jews who could understand Hebrew. • Hebrew was the mother tongue • We see this kind of evidence all throughout the Brit Hadasha…. John 5:2; 19:13, 17; Rev. 9:11; 16:16 Acts 26:14

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • So I’m not at all convinced that the Brit Hadasha was written in Greek. • Now, let’s think like a Jew for a moment. • Every Jew knows that Hebrew is the Holy Language. • Leshon Hagadesh we say in Hebrew • We know the so called “Old Testament” was written in Hebrew.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • So if a Jew was going to write the story of the Son of G-d, what would he write it in? • The language of the Pagans, the Greek? • No! They would’ve written it in Hebrew. • Now there are different kinds of Hebrew, • there’s ancient Hebrew that’s what the Old Testament was written in

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • And there’s Mishnaic Hebrew that was what was spoken in Yeshua’s time • and then there’s modern Hebrew which is what they speak today • but they are all Hebrew. Later in the year we’ll get more into the differences of these forms and so forth.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • There’s even more evidence that the New Testament was written in Hebrew. • As Yeshiva students, we want to know all the facts • The dead sea scrolls are a collection of ancient writings that were discovered in 1947 near the Dead Sea in Israel

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered • they found that over 80% of the writings written during the second temple period • were written in Hebrew NOT Greek. Greek and Aramaic Texts only comprised 20% all together

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • The new testament never even refers to the word Aramaic. • Do a word search for Aramaic in the KJV and it doesn’t even come up. • The NIV substitutes Aramaic at times where it says Hebrew

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • because those translators were under the impression that Hebrew was a dead language at the time of Yeshua. • But even then in their footnotes they sometimes write “in Aramaic or Hebrew”

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Another thing I hear quite often concerning this • is that the New Testament was written in Greek so that the Jews that didn’t live in Israel but in other countries • would be able to understand it as they all spoke Greek.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • This shows a lack of Jewish culture and understanding. • Any Jew would know that Hebrew was taught to the Jews of the Diaspora. • It was necessary in order to read the Old Testament in its original language!

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Matter of fact, even today there is something done in Jewish synagogues called a Bar Mitzvah. • When a boy is 13, they celebrate that he has become a man. • In this celebration, It is common for the boy to come and read entire portions from the Scriptures in Hebrew!

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Now, would they have later copied it into Greek for Gentile readers? • Sure, and that’s what we have today. A copy in the Greek. • Everything we need to know is there in the Greek. • Now that should not shake our foundation.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • That should not cause us to lose our faith. • Matter of fact, our faith should not be in the Bible. • Does that surprise you? • Was Abraham’s faith based on the Bible? • No! Cause a Bible didn’t even exist then. • Where should our faith be?

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Our Faith should be in G-d! • If every Bible in the world was burned tomorrow, it wouldn’t change a thing for me. • I still have a relationship with Adoni • And that’s good news. • Is it good to have the Bible? Of course

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • We can learn more about G-d by reading the Bible. • It’s also a manual in how to live. • I love Torah • I love Brit Hadasha • But that’s not where my faith is. • My faith is in HaShem • end 1 here

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Ok, there’s even more evidence. It just goes on and on. • In Telegu is it proper grammar to start a sentence with the word “and”? • In English, you cant start a sentence with the word “and”. It’s bad grammar. • It’s also bad grammar in Greek.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Now think about that for a second. • How many verses have you read in the Brit Hadasha that start with the word “and”. There’s hundreds of them! Hundreds. • In Hebrew you can start a sentence with “and”, it’s very common. It’s called the vav connective.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • The Greek copy that we have is obviously translated from Hebrew. There’s no way around it. • You want more evidence you say… • Write this man’s name down…Dr Robert Lindsey, I will be quoting from him a lot. • One of the greatest Bible scholars of our time.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • He was fluent in Greek and Hebrew and other languages as well. • He translated the book of Mark from Greek into Hebrew. • He discovered something rather interesting when he did this. • He found that when he read the translation in Hebrew rather then from Greek, it made more sense.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Also, it wasn't as disjointed as it was in Greek, it actually began to flow • and many of the things that were written even had more meaning to the Hebrew ear. • We’ll be studying a lot of Dr. Lindsey’s material later in the year as well.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • He is 100% convinced that the Brit Hadasha was originally written in Hebrew • and because of his discovery, almost ALL other Messianic scholars now believe the same thing. • And you know it only makes sense. • The Bible is a book written by Jews of course they wrote it in Hebrew.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Many of the Church Fathers wrote about the Hebrew book of Mathew that we have. • I’m hoping you will recognize some of these names!

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Irenaeus (170 C.E.) Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect. (Irenaeus; Against Heresies 3:1) • Origen (c. 210 C.E.) The first [Gospel] is written according to Matthew, • the same that was once a tax collector, but afterwards an emissary of Yeshua the Messiah,

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • who having published it for the Jewish believers, wrote it in Hebrew. (quoted by Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 6:25) • Was every Jewish Believer highly educated? • Could it be that Hebrew was their mother tongue??? • Eusebius (c. 315 C.E.) Matthew also, having first proclaimed the Gospel in Hebrew,

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • when on the point of going also to the other nations, committed it to writing in his native tongue, • and thus supplied the want of his presence to them by his writings. (Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 3:24)

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • Epiphanius (370 C.E.) They [the Nazarenes] have the Gospel according to Matthew quite complete in Hebrew, • for this Gospel is certainly still preserved among them as it was first written, in Hebrew letters. (Epiphanius; Panarion 29:4)

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • It is undisputable! • And it’s important because we have to understand that what we have, is a translation. So there may be small errors. • Remember, our faith is in G-d! NOT in a book. • I’ve seen many people fall away from the faith because their faith was in the Book and not who the book is about.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • When scholars and serious Bible students come across some of these small errors • and they believed that the New Testament was originally written in Greek and therefore infallible… • When they came across these errors, it rocked their foundation and they said

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • There’s errors in G-d’s Word and they fell away. Some of them were good friends of my parents. • We couldn’t believe that these people rejected Yeshua after being Saved for so many years. • We struggled trying to understand how something like that could happen

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • But it became clear to us. It’s because their entire faith was in the Book and not in the Creator. • When your faith is in your relationship with G-d, nothing can shake you. Bible or no Bible. • Does that ring true with your spirit?

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T. • This teaching is a foundation. We can’t go on forward until we all understand this. • It is key in the Messianic way of thinking. • It gets us out of the Greek mindset and into the Hebraic mindset. • In many Churches, you will find strong opposition to this, so you have to be ready.

Greek vs. Hebrew N.T.