Can The Gospels be Read Literally/Historically?

 

Can The Gospels be Read Literally/Historically?

A quotation of St. Jerome is important to understand why the Original Gospels were written in Hebrew Characters, and why they cannot be read literally.   Of this Hebrew original of Matthew, St. Jerome wrote to the Bishops Chromatius and Heliodorus: "A difficult work is enjoined, since this translation has been commanded me by your Felicities, which St. Matthew himself, the Apostle and Evangelist, did not wish to be openly written. For if it had not been Secret, he would have added to the evangel that which he gave forth was his; but he made up this book sealed up in the Hebrew characters, which he put forth even in such a way that the book, written in Hebrew letters and by the hand of himself, might be possessed by the men most religious, who also, in the course of time, received it from those who preceded them. But this very book they never gave to any one to be transcribed, and its text they related some one way and some another". The scriptures composed in Biblical Hebrew Characters could ONLY be used and "...possessed by the men most religious" who lived the necessary Consecrated Life in TheWay (see   ) -- and having been purified from the thinking and lifestyle of this world, they were taught the spiritual meaning of the written word by the Holy Spirit. And because these writings were Sacred, these Pure spiritual Gospels were never given into the hands of the Gentiles.  This fact is  confirmed in the Epistle of Peter To James where it is written: "Hear me, brethren and fellow-servants. If we should give the books to all indiscriminately, and they should be corrupted by any daring men, or be perverted by interpretations, as you have heard that some have already done, it will remain even for those who really seek the truth, always to wander in error. Wherefore it is better that they should be with us, and that we should communicate them with all the fore-mentioned care to those who wish to live piously, and to save others."

 

The words of Jerome are important where he wrote that "...and its text they related some one way and some another".  Having no vowels, the text could be read and sounded in any number of ways -- often in perspective of the level of spiritual understanding of the reader. Which is why Jerome wrote that "...For if it had not been Secret, he would have added to the evangel that which he gave forth was his; but he made up this book sealed up in the Hebrew characters, which he put forth even in such a way that the book, written in Hebrew letters and by the hand of himself, might be possessed by the men most religious, who also, in the course of time, received it from those who preceded them." Jerome not only admitted that the scriptures given over to the Gentiles were (dumbed) down Greek copies intended for the common body of Gentiles who could not comprehend man's higher Soul and Spiritual Reality -- but that this higher spiritual knowledge belonged only to those who were the "...most religious" -- with Peter even requiring the more spiritual among the Ebionite Nazirenes to be tested as demonstrated in the words: "..I beg and beseech you not to communicate to any one ...of our own tribe before trial; but if any one has been proved and found worthy, then to commit them to him, after the manner in which Moses delivered his books to the Seventy who succeeded to his chair." In the words of Clement of Alexandria in his Stromata: “The Lord… allowed us to communicate those Divine Mysteries, and of that holy light, to those who are able to receive them. He did not certainly disclose to the many what did not belong to the many; but to the few to whom He knew that they belonged, who were capable of receiving and being molded according to them. But Secret things are entrusted to speech, not to writing as in the case with God. And if one says that it is written, 'there is nothing secret which shall not be revealed, nor hidden which shall not be disclosed', let him also hear from us, that to him who hears secretly, even what is secret shall be manifested. This is what is predicted by this oracle. And to him who is able secretly to observe what is delivered to him, that which is veiled shall be disclosed as truth; and what is hidden to the many shall appear manifest to the few”.

 

The believers of the simple-faith who made no spiritual progress, are portrayed by Clement as those who "the Lord ...did not certainly disclose to the many what did not belong to the many" -- and because the faith-based believers remained incapable of comprehending the higher reality of the Soul and Spirit, Paul stated to the faith-based Christians: "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal" (1 Cor 3:1-3). In contradistinction, those who used the scriptures in the manner they were intended to be used, are those of whom Clement said that “The Lord… allowed us to communicate those Divine Mysteries, and of that holy light, to those who are able to receive them..." The Original Gospels used by the Ebionite Nazirenes were written in Hebrew Characters, because it was a spiritual language that was able to contain multiple levels of spiritual instruction for those who possessed the eyes to see and the mind to comprehend the higher spiritual knowledge that could not be imparted to the multitude of believers whose thinking was to earthly and carnal to understand -- i.e., “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”  (1 Cor 2:14). 

 

Can the scriptures be read literally/historically?  In the Homilies of Clement the Apostle Peter is quoted as warning with respect to reading and understanding the scriptures: "...therefore great care is to be taken, that when the law of God is read, it be not read according to the understanding of our own mind. For there are many sayings in the divine Scriptures which can be drawn to that sense which every one has preconceived for himself; and this ought not to be done. For you ought not to seek a foreign and extraneous sense, which you have brought from without". If we ask the question: What is being said to the believer who desires to be faithful to the Gospel Teachings? By design, the scriptures cannot be understood by the Linear outward-looking spheres of mind. And this is why Jesus explained when asked why he only spoke in parable to the people: “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand” (Mark 4:11-12). Why? Because the outward-looking spheres of mind see and understand in accord with the thinking of the outer world and culture. And this fact is confirmed when Peter stated: "when the law of God (scriptures) is read, it be not read according to the understanding of our own mind"? Why? Because the scriptures are composed in a symbolic language that can only be interpreted and understood by the inward-looking Intuitive spheres of mind. The outward-looking Linear spheres of mind attempts to interpret all things literally and historically -- which is why Peter warns that "...For there are many sayings in the divine Scriptures which can be drawn to that sense which every one has preconceived for himself". Further, Peter warns that "...For you ought not to seek a foreign and extraneous sense, which you have brought from without". What this means is that if you attempt to interpret the scriptures in accord with a study group, a Biblical Commentary, in accord with the teachings of a Church, or from a human thought-perspective -- that you will not only fail to understand the meaning of the scriptures, but you will alienate and disenfranchise your mind from the true spiritual meaning. Why? Because the scriptures are composed in the allegorical language of the Soul that employs allegorical catalysts that are used to develop the inward-looking Intuitive Spheres of Mind as explored at The Purpose Of The Scriptures http://GospelCosmology.Ebionite.com#PurposeOfTheScriptures .

 

In order to create scriptures that was appropriate for the common people who had never begun the process of mental and spiritual transformation, in many instances the authors of the scriptures re-engineered the common beliefs of the people -- many of which beliefs can rightly be portrayed as being founded upon myth or folklore. But what is myth and folklore? In many instances it is comprised of non-physical, metaphysical supernatural realities that can only be envisioned Intuitively in a reality beyond man's physical (linear) understanding of life. And when these supernatural realities beyond man's physical limitations are understood as allegorical accounts of Higher Mind that can be brought about in the Consciousness of the Enlightened person who has achieved degrees of Wholeness, then what is figuratively portrayed as myth and folklore becomes a higher reality that must be achieved. Jesus said: "Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these" (John 14:12). Why can't Christians fulfill this Gospel promise? Because they fail to apply the gospels as the Key of Knowledge by turning them within their own minds, and they fail to perform the necessary works and miracles within their own mind and being as they become resurrected into the Inner Kingdom (see Application Of The Key Of Knowledge http://KeyOfKnowledge.org#ApplicationOfTheKeyOfKnowledge ).

 

Further: When Edward Gibbon writes: "But the secret and authentic history has been recorded in several copies of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, which these sectaries long preserved in the original Hebrew, as the sole evidence of their faith" -- he is speaking about the fact that the original version of Matthew was written in Biblical Hebrew Characters, rather than the Greek text that our Bibles are translated from today. Additional information regarding the original Hebrew Gospel of Matthew is provided by Jerome in his work, O Illustrious Men, on James the Lord's brother: "Further, the Hebrew itself (or original) is preserved to this day in the library at Caesarea which was collected with such care by the martyr Pamphilus. I also had an opportunity of copying it afforded me by the Nazarenes who use the book, at Beroea, a city of Syria". Of the Hebrew original of Matthew, Gibbon writes: "the fact is attested by a chain of fathers - Papias, Irenaeus, Origen, Jerome, etc… But this Hebrew Gospel of St. Matthew is most unaccountably lost; and we may accuse the diligence or fidelity of the primitive churches, who have preferred the unauthorized version of some nameless Greek". Gibbon rightfully calls our copy of Matthew the "unauthorized version of some nameless Greek", because the only true Gospel attributed to Matthew is the original Hebrew version which was never given to the Gentile Church, and the Church does not possess today. In like manner, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that all of the original -- more spiritual -- signatures of the gospels were also written in Hebrew. This fact is acknowledged by Montague Rhodes James in his book, The Apocryphal New Testament, when he wrote: "Epiphanius goes on to say that he had heard of Hebrew Versions of John and Acts kept privately in the treasuries (Geniza) at Tiberias".

There are copies of the Hebrew Originals, that still exist today.  But in order to receive these Sacred Writings, Christians will have to return to the original teachings (see The Law Of The Gospels http://TheLawOfTheGospels.com ) -- and demand them from the Vatican (see Can I Get An Original Pure Copy Of The Scriptures http://OriginalGospel.Ebionite.com#PureCopyOfScriptures  ),  Modern Christians cannot receive these sacred writing, because of their carnal mindset and lifestyle -- as stated by Jerome: the spiritual teachings "...St. Matthew himself, the Apostle and Evangelist, did not wish to be openly written. For if it had not been Secret, he would have added to the evangel that which he gave forth was his; but he made up this book sealed up in the Hebrew characters, which he put forth even in such a way that the book, written in Hebrew letters and by the hand of himself, might be possessed by the men most religious". The modern believer is not prepared to live the necessary Consecrated lifestyle that is set-apart from the ways of this world (see The Spiritual Holistic Lifestyle http://BrotherOfJesus.org#TheSpiritualHolisticLifestyle  ).  The modern Christian has no understanding of the spiritual meaning of the Law of God as explored at The Spiritual Law Of The Gospels http://TheLawOfTheGospels.com#SpiritualLaw  -- and continue to reject the Original Followers and Teachings as heresy (see The Law Of The Gospels http://TheLawOfTheGospels.com ).