Gospel According to the Hebrews in the Bible Encyclopedia
LITERATURE
"The Gospel according to the Hebrews" was a work of early
Christian literature to which reference is frequently made
by the church Fathers in the first five centuries, and of
which some twenty or more fragments, preserved in their
writings, have come down to us. The book itself has long
disappeared. It has, however, been the subject of many
critical surmises and discussions in the course of the last
century. It has been regarded as the original record of the
life of Jesus, the Archimedespoint of the whole gospel
history. From it Justin Martyr has been represented as
deriving his knowledge of the works and words of Christ, and
to it have been referred the gospel quotations found in
Justin and other early writers when these deviate in any
measure from the text of the canonical gospels. Recent
discussions have thrown considerable light upon the problems
connected with this Gospel, and a large literature has grown
up around it of which the most important works will be noted
below.
1. References in Early Church History:
Speaking of Papias Eusebius mentions that he has related the
story of a woman who was accused of many sins before the
Lord, which is contained in the "Gospel according to the
Hebrews." This does not prove that Papias was acquainted
with this Gospel, for he might have obtained the story,
which cannot any longer be regarded as part of John's
Gospel, from oral tradition. But there is a certain
significance in Eusebius' mentioning it in this connection
(Euseb., HE, III, xxxix, 16). Eusebius, speaking of Ignatius
and his epp., takes notice of a saying of Jesus which he
quotes (Ep. ad Smyrn, iii; compare Lk 24:39), "Take, handle
me, and see that I am not an incorporeal spirit." The saying
differs materially from the saying in Luke's Gospel, and
Eusebius says he has no knowledge whence it had been taken
by Ignatius. Jerome, however, twice over attributes the
saying to the "Gospel according to the Hebrews," and Origen
quotes it from the "Teaching of Peter." Ignatius may have
got the saying from oral tradition, and we cannot,
therefore, be sure that he knew this Gospel...
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