-----Original Message-----
From: Shomeir
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 10:06 AM
To: House of Israel Newsgroup
Subject: The Truth about Matthew 28:19

Shalom friends,

The Truth about Matthew 28:19
What did it originally say?

Back in March of 1994, I came across an article from the 1967 Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute written by David Flusser entitled “The Conclusion of Matthew in a New Jewish Christian Source.”  This article was quite revealing and since that time the amount of evidence to come to light has been staggering.
 
According to Eusebius, Matthew 28:19 originally read thus: “Go and teach all the nations (ethna – This same word is translated Gentiles elsewhere) in my name.”  The phrase, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost” does not appear in the original text.  Eusebius quotes this verse no fewer than 17 times in his pre-Nicene writings in this shorter form.  It is only after the Council of Nicea that the “Trinitarian formula” appears in his quotations of this verse.  As it turns out, Eusebius may not be the only witness to this earlier version of Matthew 28:19.  There is evidence to suggest that even early Trinitarians did not have access to the later Trinitarian version of this verse.

Origen quotes Matthew 28:19 three times in his writings and omits the “Trinitarian formula.”
 
Justin Martyr cites the use of Isaiah and apostolic tradition to support baptism and the use of the “Trinitarian formula.” This would suggest that Justin knew nothing of the Trinitarian formula’s existence within the final verses of the Gospel of Matthew.

For more information on this topic see the following websites:
http://english.sdaglobal.org/research/mt2819.htm
http://www.focus-search.com/shc/matt2819.html
http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=50
http://www.israelofgod.org/Constantine.htm

Evidence from the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew

When we go back to the original Hebrew text of Matthew, we find that not only is the “Trinitarian formula” a later addition to the text, but the so-called “Great Commission” is also a later addition to the text.  In the Hebrew Shem Tov version of Matthew, only the word “Go” appears in the text.  Verses 19 & 20 read together thus: “Go and teach them to do all that I have commanded you forever.”

For more information on this topic see the following website:
http://www.essene.com/B'nai-Amen/shemtov.htm

As I have (unapologetically) stated before, nearly every aspect of Christian theology is incorrect – and yet Ephraim holds tenaciously onto every last vestige of Christianity as they try to move forward toward the redemption.  It will take a humble and teachable spirit to actually reach our destination.
 
I cannot say this enough: THERE IS NO GREAT COMMISSION THAT AUTHORIZES THE PROSELYTIZING OF THE JEWS.  As I said in last week’s newsletter, the prophet Zechariah is very clear about who teaches whom (Zech. 8:23).

It was a full twenty years after the crucifixion (50 C.E.) before it was finally and officially decided, by the disciples of Rabbi Joshua ben Joseph, that gentiles did not need to convert to Judaism.  How did we go from there to trying to convert Jews away from the true faith?

Next Week: What advantage does the Jew have? (Romans 3:1)

Kol tov,
Shomeir