I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes.
Even so, Father: for so it seemed
Good in Thy Sight.
A Quote from Jesus of Nazareth, Written circa AD 30.
Matthew 11:25-26 (KJV).
Putting this Quote in it Historical Context: (Matthew 11:25–26)
The above quote was recorded, during the Reign of Tiberius, the second Emperor of the Roman Empire, who ruled from AD 14 to AD 37.
These Words of Jesus, the Messiah, were recorded, by his faithful, and possibly favorite, Tax Collector, Matthew (a.k.a. Levi, the son of Alphaeus), possibly, the most culturally despised, and spiritually undeserving apostle, on Jesus’ Team.
For my money: I believe Matthew was likely the first Gospel written. It was likely presented within a year of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection (although official records don’t show up until later). That is just my own opinion.
The Gospel of Matthew was very likely written in Hebrew or Aramaic first, to reach those in Jerusalem & Judea, then later translated into Greek to reach those in Rome, and others throughout the Roman Empire.
A Note on how Matthew Died:
According to early Church Fathers like Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria, after following Jesus, Matthew preached primarily to Jewish communities in Judea before extending his ministry to other regions, notably Ethiopia. The Babylonian Talmud mentions “Mattai” as one of the disciples associated with “Jeshu,” which may refer to Jesus. Church tradition holds that Matthew died a martyr’s death; accounts suggest he was killed for defending a nun against King Hirtacus, who desired her hand in marriage.
The Death of Apostle Matthew
The Apostle Matthew is said to have died as a martyr while preaching in Ethiopia. Here are some details surrounding his death:
- Location: Matthew died in Ethiopia, where he was preaching the Gospel.
- Circumstances: According to tradition, Matthew was killed by King Hirtacus’ bodyguard while standing at the altar.
- Reason: The king was enraged because Matthew had rebuked him for lusting after Ephigenia, the virgin daughter of King Egippus, whom Matthew had converted and consecrated to God.
It is worth noting that the exact circumstances of Matthew’s death are not universally agreed upon and are based on traditional accounts.
The exact date of Matthew’s Death is not known.
Jesus (His name in Hebrew literally means “Jehovah-saves”)
May we together, with Matthew, learn the full meaning of his name. 1
If we can get the Big Picture Right, then maybe we can get the little details right. Then maybe we can get the whole message right, from the Beginning to the Ending.
Getting the Big Picture Right:
It is always a Good First Step to Learn about the Historical Context of a Message, in order to interpret it according to its original intent. “A Text without a Context, is Pretext (a lie).”
In order to See How Jesus’ Quote was Understood by His Original Audience, it is helpful to anchor His quote in its Original Historical & Cultural Context, during the first half of the first century A.D. :
By Doing so, we can begin to see with 1st Century Eyes, the Things that were happening in Jesus Day. This Understanding can greatly assist us in seeing Life’s Questions and Solutions, better from God’s Perspective.
Below are just a few of the Wise and Prudent Historical Leaders in Jesus’ Day. Let’s see how familiar you are with “who they were”, and what they contributed to the message of Life during Jesus’ Ministry.
The following is a Quick History Refresher. As mentioned, Jesus’ Quote was recorded, during the Reign of Tiberius.
Tiberius: was the second Emperor of the Roman Empire, who ruled from AD 14 to AD 37. [For a better understanding: Click here for an excellent history review video on the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.]
Augustus Caesar: 2 the Father of Tiberius, was the First Emperor of Rome, who ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He would have been the main world ruler during Jesus’ Birth to his early teenage years.
Pontius Pilate, during the time of Jesus’ Earthly Ministry, was the governor of Judea, and ruler over the City of Jerusalem, He ruled from AD 26 to AD 36. While his title was “Prefect of Judaea,” his duties extended beyond military matters, and he was also the head of the judicial system. His two main responsibilities were to collect taxes, and keep the peace.
Herod Antipas, ruled from 4 BC [???] to around AD 39. Luke, the Physician, tells us, he died by the Judgment of God.3 He was eaten by worms. He was a 1st-century ruler of Galilee and Perea, bearing the title of tetrarch (“ruler of a quarter”). He is widely known for his role in events that led to the executions of John the Baptist, Jesus of Nazareth, and James the Brother of John, the first apostle to become a martyr. Herod was also famous for the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the expansion of its base, with the Western Wall being a part of this construction. Today, the western wall is also called the Wailing Wall, it is where many Jewish groups go to pray every day.
Herod the Great was the father of Herod Antipas, also known as Herod I, Herod the Great was also infamously known for the slaughter of the innocent, in Bethlehem, when he tried to kill the Messiah shortly after His Birth. 4 Herod the Great ruled as the Roman client king of Judea from 37-4 BC, (or 36-1 BC). He was born around 72 BC and died around 4 BC ¹.]
The Pharisees: were an influential religious sect within Judaism known for their emphasis on personal piety, acceptance of oral tradition alongside the written Law, and teaching that all Jews should observe the laws in the Torah, including rituals concerning ceremonial purification. They were mostly middle-class businessmen and synagogue leaders who controlled decision-making in the Sanhedrin due to popular support among the people. The Pharisees had two main schools of thought based on rabbis Shammai and Hillel, with differing interpretations of Jewish law and customs. Despite their dedication to religious practices, they were often criticized by Jesus for their hypocrisy and legalism.
The Saducees: were an aristocratic class closely associated with the temple in Jerusalem and held powerful positions, including that of chief priests and high priests. They were known for their wealth, influence, and connections to Roman authorities. They primarily focused on political matters rather than religious ones and had conflicting beliefs with other Jewish sects. They rejected certain key beliefs: They denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of an afterlife, and spiritual beings such as angels and demons. Their theological views clashed with those of Jesus and His followers, leading to confrontations and opposition from them. The Sadducees played a significant role in the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion and in opposing early Christian preaching. Despite their power and influence, they eventually ceased to exist as a group after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans in AD 70.
Annas the high priest: played a key role in the execution of Jesus Christ, and in the persecution of the early church. Annas was appointed high priest of the Jerusalem temple around AD 6 by Quirinius, the Roman governor of Syria. He officially served as high priest until AD 15, when he was removed from office by Valerius Gratus, procurator of Judea. However, Annas continued to exercise considerable influence as head over the high priestly clan for many years after that, including the time of John the Baptist’s and Jesus Christ’s public ministries: “During the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness” (Luke 3:2). For extra Biblical evidence … 5
Caiaphas the high priest: his son-in-law, Joseph Caiaphas, succeeded Annas in the office of high priest. Caiaphas was, in fact, the official Roman-appointed high priest at the time of Jesus Christ’s arrest, trial, and execution: “Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas” (Matthew 26:3). After Jesus was arrested, He was taken first to Annas for a preliminary investigation, proving that Annas’s high priestly status stretched beyond the official position: “Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year” (John 18:13). When Annas had finished questioning Jesus about “his disciples and his teaching,” he sent Him to Caiaphas (John 18:19–24). For extra Biblical evidence … see footnote 6
That should do it for now … All these people were known outside of the Bible, as well as inside. There is virtually no historical dispute that these people existed.
Why History, and Historical Evidence are Vital Keys Proving the Bible?
The Key word is Evidence.
Note: Many times throughout history, the Bible, God, Jesus, King David, King Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Daniel, Pilate, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Red Sea Crossing, etc. and other figures and parts of the Bible would come under attack, with the accusers saying “such and such” never existed, “we have no proof of that.”
Then later, an archeological team would find an authentic coin, engraved stone, a tomb, an excavated tunnel, with the person’s or place’s name on it dating back to near the time of the person, place, and/or event.
That being said, God’s Word has been under attack more than any other document in history. And yet, it has repeated overcome its adversarial accusers. The more you dig into it, the more you find it to be True, Trustworthy, Credible, Accurate, Truthful, and Right–Historically, Scientifically, Morally, Medically, Psychologically, Socially, Spiritually, and Educationally reliable.
Yes, there are those who tried to misuse the Bible to be manipulative, controlling, evil, etc., but those who did were judged by the Bible, and by the Writer of the Bible, and are now dead, or soon will be, and will have to meet their Maker, and receive their just reward. But the Bible still Lives on.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Matthew 24:35 (KJV)
A quote from Jesus, during the last week before his death.
Personal Note: I have spent literal multiplied hundreds of hours sifting through video content presenters that provide accurate, reasonable, clear, concise, and well presented documentation, that supports many individual facts and parts of the biblical narrative. Much of the information I share and provide is far from mainstream. As you will be able to weigh for yourself, the mainstream media is thoroughly threatened by God, the Bible, Truth, Reality, and the Right to Live. All of this is threatening to be removed from the public eye, and has been systematically canceled and obstructed from modern day public education and mainstream public consciousness, hence the reason for this website to exist. Chances are good that this website will not be allowed to exist for long. For that reason, I have done my best to document everything presented here, so that when I am gone, which may be very soon. I will have left something behind, that my family can use so know the Truth, from God’s Perspective Even though now, many ears are stopped. Many eyes are blocked. Many minds are dead in the water–and I dare say the sewer water of lies. But even so, There is hope: if only one soul begins to seek to see Life’s Questions & Answers from God’s Eternal, Immortal, Unchangeable, Immutable, Never-Ending Heavenly Perspective.
Are there Known Variants in the Bible?
More than you can imagine.
But do those variants cause the Bible to be unreliable? You might be surprised by the answer.
This is a very enlightening and important topic when it comes to placing your academic trust and confidence in God’s Word.
Our job, as good investigators, is to See:
What is “Good in His Sight“?
A Good Banker needs to know the original so well, that he can easily detect a fraudulent counterfeited $100 dollar bill.
A Good investigator will not get himself bogged down in irrelevant data. There are hundreds of thousands of spurious writings, that can easily distract from the main point of Christ’s Mission and Message.
If you are looking for controversy and skeptical chatter, you can easily drown yourself in it, but if you are looking for the Truth. You simply need to read the source documents themselves. That is your starting point.
This website is simply here to get your get attention, to SEE, HEAR, READ, EVALUATE, and TRUST GOD’S source Documents–beginning with the Gospel of Matthew, and then to assist you to continue forward from there, until you have come to Understand, Value, and Highly Regard Every Book in the New and Old Testaments–It is all One continuous unbroken Revelation, as you will come to realize, if you truly continue your own investigation.
The goal here is to See. We need to see: WHAT IS GOOD IN HIS SIGHT. As long as we are continuing to accomplish this goal, we are in good shape.
Know the original so well you can spot a counterfeit anywhere.
Do we have copies of the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew or Aramaic?
There are no known Hebrew or Aramaic original copies or manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew that date back to the 1st century or early Christian period. However, there are a few important manuscripts and fragments to note:
- Shem-Tob’s Matthew: A 14th-century Hebrew translation of Matthew, preserved in a single manuscript (MS. Heb. e. 68) at the Bodleian Library, Oxford.
- Munster’s Hebrew Matthew: A 16th-century Hebrew translation of Matthew, published by Sebastian Munster in 1537.
- Aramaic Matthew: A few Aramaic fragments of Matthew’s Gospel have been discovered, including:
- Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 1170 (4th-5th century): Contains Matthew 3:9-15 in Aramaic.
- Codex Syriacus Sinaiticus (4th-5th century): Includes Matthew 1:1-20:23 in Syriac, an Aramaic dialect.
- Codex Curetonianus (5th-6th century): Contains Matthew 1:1-25:6 in Syriac.
While these manuscripts are significant, it’s important to note that the original Gospel of Matthew was likely written in Greek, as most early Christian texts were. The Greek manuscripts of Matthew date back to the 2nd-3rd centuries, with some fragments even earlier (e.g., Papyrus 64, circa 150-200 AD).
Keep in mind that the search for ancient manuscripts continues, and new discoveries may shed more light on the textual history of the Gospel of Matthew.
Source: Generated by META.AI and may be inaccurate or inappropriate.