In my ongoing reconstruction of the Gospel according to the Hebrews, I recently restored a powerful and haunting saying of Yeshua—preserved only in the Latin version of Origen’s commentary on Matthew (15:14 on 19:16ff):
23 The second of the rich men said unto him: Adon, what good thing can I do and live? He said unto him: O man, fulfil the Torah and the Prophets.
24 He answered him: I have kept them. He said unto him: Go, sell all that you own, and distribute it unto the poor, and come, follow me. But the rich man began to scratch his head, and it pleased him not.
25 And the Adon said unto him: How say you: I have kept the Torah and the Prophets? For it is written in the Torah: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and lo, many of your brothers, sons of Avraham, are clad in filth, dying for hunger, and your house is full of many good things, and nothing at all goes out of it unto them.
26 And he turned and said unto Shim’on his talmid who was sitting by him: Shim’on, son of Yonah, it is easier for a rope to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Origen introduces this passage cautiously—“It is written in a certain Gospel which is called according to the Hebrews (scriptum est in evangelio quodam, quod dicitur secundum Hebraeos)”—but even he acknowledges its value, “not as authoritative, but to throw light on the question before us.”
But for those of us engaged in the restoration of the original Nazarene Gospel, this saying is far more than an illustrative anecdote—it is a missing cornerstone.
Halacha, Not Hyperbole
This version of the rich young ruler story, as preserved in the Gospel according to the Hebrews, is different from the parallel accounts in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18. In the canonical versions, the demand to “sell all you have” seems abrupt, almost hyperbolic. But here, Yeshua grounds his demand in halacha—specifically, Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
By invoking this commandment, Yeshua exposes the rich man’s claim of Torah observance as hollow. The Torah demands action. It demands charity. It demands solidarity with the poor. A man who lives in luxury while the children of Avraham go hungry is not fulfilling the Torah—he is breaking it.
This reconstructed passage thus restores a profoundly Jewish, halachic logic to Yeshua’s moral teaching. It is not some new Christian ethic imposed on the Torah—it is a return to the Torah’s heart. Yeshua calls out the hypocrisy of outward obedience without inward compassion. And he does so as a teacher of Torah, not as its replacement.
A Light on Gospel Origins
For scholars of Gospel origins, this passage helps confirm what the Church Fathers occasionally hinted at: that the canonical Gospels, especially Matthew, are abridgements of an earlier Hebrew Gospel. The Gospel according to the Hebrews preserves fuller sayings, more grounded in Jewish thought, and often more consistent with the halachic disputes of the time.
This isn’t just historical trivia. It’s restoration. It’s the rebuilding of the original Jewish Gospel that once circulated among the earliest followers of Yeshua—before it was redacted, softened, or Hellenized. And for those of us committed to restoring Nazarene Judaism—the original faith of the first-century followers of the Way—this work is central to our mission.
Standing in the Gap
This reconstruction project is not academic for me—it is personal. It is spiritual. It is a calling. And yet, the work cannot continue without your support.
Right now, we are in urgent need. Our rent is due tomorrow, and we do not yet have it. Our car payment is past due, putting at risk the very vehicle that allows us to function. If this work has blessed you—if you believe the restoration of the original Gospel matters—please consider standing with us right now.
Click here to donate:
http://nazarenespace.com/blog/donate
Or send donations by Paypal to donations@wmae.org
Even a small gift makes a difference. And your support doesn’t just help us stay afloat—it directly funds the continued restoration of the words of our Master Yeshua.
Together, we can uncover what was lost.
Shalom and blessings,
James Trimm
NazareneSpace.com
