The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 9

lrenmus ( circa A,D, 180): "Now Matthew among the Hebrews published o. writing of the Gospel ,in their own language, while Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel in Rome and founding the Church." 1 Origen ( circa A,D. 230) : "Having learned by tradition concerning the four Gospels, which a.re a.lone indisputable in the Church of God under heaven, that there ~as written first that which is according to Matthew, wli.o was once a. publican, but afterwards e.n apostle of Jesus Christ, and it was issued to those who once were Jews but had believed., and was composed in Hebrew." 9 Eusebius himself (circa A,D. 330) is no independent witness, as is clear from two of the above quotations being found in his works, but is impor- tant for the further testimony that he adduces, and also for his own opinion. He tells us that it is reported that when Pantmnus ( circa A.D. 190)1 the firs~. teacher of the Alexandrian school, went to India to preach the gospel, " he founcl. that the Gospel according to Matthew had preceded. his appea:ranoe, and was in the hands of some on the spot, who already knew Christ, to whom Bartholomew, one of the apostles, had preached, and had left behind him the writing of Matthew in the very character of the Hebrews, and that this was even preserved until the time referred to." I EllBebius says elsewhere, '' 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. For Matthew, who had at fust preached to Hebrews, when he was about to go to others also, committed his Gospel to writing in his native tongue, and, thus com- pensated those from whom he was withdrawing himself for the loss of his presence." ' So, too, when comparing oh, x.xviii. 1 with John xx. 1, he says, '' The expression, ' on the evening of the sabbath,' is due to the translator of the Scripture; for the Evangelist Matth.ew published his Gospel in the Hebrew tongue; but the person who rendered it into the Greek language changed it and called the hour dawning on the Lord's day oif,c uaft/3,frwv." 5 1 'O I'~" 3~ Matrll111os iv -rou 'EfJpa.foi, -rj l5~ 5UJA.l/CT'f' CWTiiiv IC4l "l'Pa.tfnl" i(~vey,uv tb11ne>-lou, TOU nl-rpou 1<111 'l'OU n116>-ou '" 'p,f,,.,, •lian,Ju(oµa,.,., ,ral 11.,..>.,own,v T~1' ircrcM1ul1111 (' Hmr.,' iii 1). "°"" • '(ls '" 'll'ap@OO'EI µ11llwv 'R'Epl .,..;;,, 'l'fO'O'.l.plllv ,liane>-l•v, & 11:al l,,,a.,rr{~frrrd l<7'ru, ,,, -rj lnro TOI' obp11vov ircrch11uli 1'0U thou, Bn -rrpcii.-ov !'~I' "l'"rpca...-ca, '1'0 ICc&Tc\ .,.,r,, TOTE TfA""'1", 1/u.-.pov 3~ 4-rr&uTohov 'I11uoi) Xp,u.,.oi) McaTllaiov, ,,c5,5.,,c&..11 TOU ATO 'Iov5caiuµoii TIITT'nxta.ur, ")'pd.p.µ110-,v 'EfJpa.irco,s UWTETc&")'l'lvov (EUBebius, • Oh. Hist.,' vi 25). I 'O IlQJ'1'CIIJ'OS 11:cal Eis 'Iv3oh ihlltiv M.,, ..."', ('111111 >.&.,,os wpi,v m'rrov w-pof9QO'lllf ~" CIVTOU ,,,a.poutflav '1'0 1C11Tc\ M111"911i'oJI dcanl>-,ov ..-upd 1'10'111 m&e, 'l'OJI Xp&tf1'01' ff'E')'JlllllCOO'II', oTs Bap8ohop.11iov .,..;;., ,1,roO''l'&h.,,, fvca 1CJ1pii(111, ca.:Toi'J .,., 'EfJpaio,v ")'pdµp.a.,r, ~" Tou McaT9alou ,cca.-cahei,j,ca, ")'pa.tfnlv, ~" rccal uli(,a-1111, ols TOI' 511>.06µ,vov xpdvov (Eusebius, • Ch. Hist.,' v. 10). ' Mca.-ll111os ~" -ya.p -rrpo.-.pov 'EJlp11lo1s 1CJ1p6l111, .i., -1/µ•M• rccal l<t>' hlpous Uva.i, ,ra.Tpl,, .,,~,f,.,.'11 "l'P"'Ri 1r11pa&ol,, TO rc111"1 aln-o• ,fJcanl>-rnv, TO >.,,..-011 -rp aJToii ,rapouubf To6-rou, lu/,' r1iv iu1'i>,hETo, 5,c\ .,.1), ')'p11f1IS .i..-...->.~pov (Eusebius, ' Oh. Hiet.,' iii 24, Heinichen). • • Quieet. ad Marin.,' 2, iv. p. 941 (edit. Migne); see Bishop Lightfoot'e 'Ee86ye,' p. 208.  :nl INTRODUOTION TO