The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew with Nehemia Gordon (Open Door Series – Part 2)
Open Door Series Part 2 features Nehemia Gordon speaking on the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. Nehemia Gordon, a Karaite Jew and academic scholar, relates how he joined together with Keith Johnson, an African American Methodist pastor to study an original … Continue reading →
Open Door Series Part 2 features Nehemia Gordon speaking on the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. Nehemia Gordon, a Karaite Jew and academic scholar, relates how he joined together with Keith Johnson, an African American Methodist pastor to study an original Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew. Gordon explains the flaws inherit in the best translations and explores the rich meaning in the word puns only present in the Hebrew text. He focuses on passages from the Lord’s Prayer, which led him to the realization that the concept of God as Father is also prevalent in the Tanakh (Old Testament). Gordon concludes with a moving account of a personal revelation of God’s Fatherly love and his willingness to carry the sin debt for us.
The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew with Nehemia Gordon (Open Door Series - Part 2)
You are listening to the Open Door Series with Nehemia Gordon. Thank you for supporting Nehemia Gordon's Makor Hebrew Foundation. Learn more at NehemiasWall.com.
Nehemia: I’m going to talk to you today about A Prayer to Our Father, the book that Keith and I wrote on the Hebrew origins of the Lord’s Prayer. And we actually did the main research for this book about four years ago. Keith flew over to Israel where I’ve lived since 1993, and we travelled around the Galilee, searching for the place where Yeshua, Jesus, taught this prayer, what’s commonly known in the Christian world as the Lord’s Prayer. And here’s actually a picture of us from four years ago, when we were doing this. You could see, I looked a little bit different back then. I used to be black.
[laughter]
What’s really funny about this is, I used the same joke over, I believe it was in Kansas, a couple of years ago, and one woman walks up to me afterwards, and she has this confused look on her face. Let’s bring the picture up again. She has a confused look on her face, and she says, “How did you get your skin to be so white?” [laughter] No, I was the fat, white guy with hair. Okay, yeah.
Anyway, but really, I think this picture speaks a thousand words. What on earth am I, a Karaite Jew, doing together with Keith Johnson, who is an African-American Methodist pastor? It’s almost like the introduction to a joke, what on earth are we doing together? And we’re studying the Hebrew origins of what his people call the Lord’s Prayer. I mean, what on earth is that about?
And first, I have to explain what a Karaite Jew is. I explained a little bit yesterday.
Keith and I were speaking over, I believe it was in Ohio, about a year or two ago, and when we arrived there, the pastor, she sits us down before the presentation and she said, “Look, I didn’t really know much about you guys. My mentor told me that I need to have you come and speak at the church. I don’t really know what this is about, but I’ve been reading the literature, and I have just one question. What is a karate Jew?” [laughter] Huah! Huah! No. No, no, it’s not about martial arts. It’s Karaite Jew, say “Karaite”.
Audience: Karaite.
Nehemia: Karaites are Jews who believe strictly in the Old Testament, and I explained a little bit yesterday that many Jews today believe in the teachings of the rabbis, that these teachings were handed down by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. And as a Karaite Jew, I believe strictly in the written scripture, in the… what Jews call the Tanakh, or the Hebrew Bible. Christians refer to it as the Old Testament. And when I was growing up, I actually studied the written Scripture, and I would see there, “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying; And thus says the Lord.” And I saw in the words of the rabbis, one rabbi says one thing and another rabbi disagrees and says something else. And then I am told, “Both of those opinions of the rabbis aren’t just opinions - those are the words of the living God.” And I said, “This doesn’t make any sense,” and I went to my rabbis, to my teachers, and I said, “Surely, this is the word of God. We should embrace this, and love this, and live by this. And this other thing, it’s really interesting. It has some interesting statements, but it’s the words of men. And when it contradicts the word of God, we should cast it aside.”
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Thank you Nehemia only found you 9 months ago and have learnt so much. Call myself a bible believer from Genesis to Revelation, but find myself so in tune with what you share. Follow the weekly parasha so your teaching is a great blessing.
Because this is a matter of the heart. Here is the promise, “But from there you will seek YHVH your Elohim, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.”
Deuteronomy 4:29 Compare this to Yeshua’s statement to the Pharisees (who were focused on their man-made traditions instead of Truth), ”Therefore Yeshua said, “You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.” John 7:34
When one has suffered “the bite” of the “fiery serpents” aka the priests of Judaism and the Pharisees, only looking upon The Bronze Serpent who was raised up will save you.
Numbers 21:6-9 and John 3:14-15
I too wonder why someone with the knowledge you have and the prophecies in the Old Testament that seem to clearly point to Jesus as the Messiah and yet you do not believe.
Of course, yeah, I’d love to hear a Hebrew Gospel Pearls series.
Dear Nehemia, I find the Hebrew Matthew fascinating. I have been reading that it is regarded by many as a lost book and only fragments remain. My curiosity begs me to ask the obvious question first: How much of it do we actually have of it?
Do you plan on doing a full translation of the Hebrew Matthew or only translate the important bits that better clarify how the original may have actually been written?
Dear Nehemia
I am researching on The day of the LORD which focus on the book of revelation i have seen the 2 chapter translation is their a full translation i would read ?
Thanks
I find your work very informative and clear.
I am so very excited to have in hand A Prayer To Our Father! I am still reading it but it is certainly a MUST Read. I am in the process of learning the Hebrew Mathew version in Hebrew. Your Wall has a teaching; word by word by Kieth Johnson! For years I have said the KJ version. Now I can learn to say it from the Hebrew Mathew in Hebrew!
Bless you Nehemia, what a mighty worker of YeHoVah you are to His Kingdom!
You mentioned on A Rood Awakening 4-20-18 that when you found this Hebrew Matthew manuscript in the early 2000’s that you also found Mark, Luke, and John.
Why did you wait until now to mention these?
Money to purchase a photo copy so they couldn’t be swept into hiding? No interest in them until now? Someone else told you to wait?
Thanks
Charles
I am excited about your work. I got “A Prayer to Our Father” for Christmas and was blessed by your and Keith’s chapters. Now I am studying John’s words about repentance in George Howard’s Hebrew Matthew, and am stumped by the second word in Mt. 3:2. Can you tell me whether it is a misprint and what you think the Hebrew word there is supposed to be?
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!! Nehemia your ministry is so beautiful!!! In this, the ‘acharit ha yamim’ Yehovah is truly gathering in the exiles!!! I love the hebrew version of the Our Father prayer!!!! So powerful!!!!!
Nehemia,
What is your opinion about the likelihood that the books and letters comprising the New Testament were written in Hebrew (completely, partially, or not at all) vs. Greek? What evidence can you point to in support? Purportedly, even the book of Hebrews references are to the LXX. Do you agree?
Shalom Nehemia,
I just heard on Torah Pearls #42 that you are working on an authoritative translation of the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew in English. I am very excited to get my hands on this and wondered if you had a deadline for when this would be released.
Blessings,
Seth
What did it say the genealogy of Yeshua, Is Joseph the father of Marry?
Keith could be a Israelite, a Hebrew. We know Ethopians are and others from Africa. And more evidence is being shown that you are most likely not a Hebrew but an adopted European into the Jewish faith. A lot has been hidden including this book and other books in Hebrew. I love you brother and I know your growing in knowledge. 🙂 Keep growing. Praise Yah.
Hello Nehemiah ;
I was a student of Dr. Howard in the early 80s. Since I had been raised an Jehovah’s Witness and I was in school to be a Methodist minister, Dr. Howard took a special interest in sharing his work in progress on Shem Tov’s Matthew. I appreciate what you have said about Dr. Howard, I have many fond memories of him. Thank you for your work.
Regards,
Bruce Smith
Hi Nehemia, I also downloaded the 1st part, does it have a 2nd part as you have written, and if it is true, where did you find it, or could you possibly sned me the link please?
I just love the work that you do, and please forgive me for saying this, but I believe that you have come to know Yeshua quite well and I just think that I havent seen many people resist Him, He is just so awesome and I have come to love Him so much, that I just think that you Love Him too!!!!
By the way, I am a South African and I can speak and write English and Afrikaans and I can also speak Zulu and Xhosa, as I was born in one of the so called Homelands, the Transkei. I have found that the Dutch and Flemish language is very close to Afrikaans and I understand it very well and apart from understanding it when I am spoken to in a slow manner and I can read it also!!! I am not saying it for any other reason than to inform.
May Yehowa Bless you and may you experience His Peace!!!!
Sias Fourie.
Greetings Nehemia!
In the HGM, Chapter 4:9-
and said to him: All these things I will give to you if you bare your head to me.
Will you please expound the Hebrew idiom “bare your head”?
Thank you for this and all of your teachings.
Hey Nehemiah, I understand the concept of a paragogic nun but if שקר means lie and שקרון liar, wouldn’t נסיון mean tester? As in, “Don’t bring us into the hands of a Tester”?
Thank and I really admire your work.
Mike
During my visit to South Africa, I encountered people both old and young who only spoke Afrikaans. I don’t know how common this is, but I was surprised to encounter it.
A minor correction, Nehemia. Rich South Africans did not speak only one language. They had to be fluent in speaking, writing and reading both English and Afrikaans, to be able to pass High School. They often also spoke a smattering of other languages too, such as Fanagalo – a pidgin language that came about due to the tribal mix of the work force on the mines.
Three things.
1. Forgive me for bad assumptions about you.
2. Thank you for explaining things, because what I believe from for example the apostle Paul, all scripture is (reffering to the Torah/prophets) inspired by God and good for proof, teaching and it may/cannot contradict itself.
3.Why dont you believe Yeshua is the Messiah?
And if you did study tanach and the NT you must have read the apostle Pauls letters; (and I believe God our Father keeps his promise,) I can think of reasons why you dont believe, but know you are beloved by Abba for the sake of the fathers.
I prayed for you.
Shalom Nehemia, thank you. We all have one Father, how beautiful is that. Thank you for sharing such a personal account and intense experience in your life.
Greetings, Nehemia,
I would like to know if you have a suggested version of the Hebrew Matthew (ideally with interlinear English translation), for those who like to read it? Or, I should ask, do you have one that you would recommend other than Howard’s book?
YES , thank God for the friend that sent this link to me
Thank you! Love your changes to my draft. Very nice clarifications.
You win! Send me a message using the contact form with your mailing address and I’ll send you a free DVD set of the first six episodes 🙂
Nehemia Gordon relates how he (a Karaite Jew and technical scholar) and Keith Johnson (an African American and Methodist pastor) together studied a non-translated Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. Gordon explains the flaws inherit in the best translations and explores the rich meaning in the word puns only present in the Hebrew text. Gordon focuses on passages from the Lord’s Prayer and his discovery that the concept of God as Father is present in the Tanach. He concludes with a moving account of a personal revelation of God’s fatherly love and his willingness to carry the sin debt for us.
Keywords: “Hebrew Matthew”, “Lord’s Prayer,” “Our Father”, “Father in Tenach”, “Father in Judaism”, “Karaite”
I downloaded the Hebrew Matthew by George Howard. Thank you for your information on this book.
Great information on the origins of the Book of Matthew!!! Very inspirational!
good teaching and justification for the accepting of the authority of the Hebrew Matthew.
Inspirational! Two thumbs up. Vav! that’s wow in English.
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