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Gospel of the Nazarenes

The Gospel of the Nazarenes is a lost Jewish-Christian gospel known only from quotations and allusions in early Christian writers.|||Lost. Known only from quotations in Jerome and other writers.|||Composed in Aramaic or Greek in the 2nd century CE.|||Not canonical in any tradition. Used by Jewish-Christian communities in Syria.|||Presents a Jewish-Christian gospel that is closely related to the Gospel of Matthew. Important for understanding Jewish-Christianity and the development of the Gospel tradition.|||Elliott, J. K. The Apocryphal New Testament. Oxford, 1993.|||Vielhauer, P. & Strecker, G. " Jewish-Christian Gospels." In New Testament Apocrypha. Westminster John Knox, 1991.|||Edwards, J. C. The Gospel according to the Hebrews and the Gospel of the Ebionites. Oxford, 2017.|||Gospel of the Nazarenes — Early Christian Writings|https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/nazarenes.html|Fragments and scholarly resources.;; Gospel of the Nazarenes — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_the_Nazarenes|Background and discussion.|||" And he said to them, Go and preach the gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." — Gospel of the Nazarenes (fragment)

Collection: New Testament Apocrypha Canon: varies

Canon Status

Not canonical in any tradition. Used by Jewish-Christian communities in Syria.

Date & Provenance

Composed in Aramaic or Greek in the 2nd century CE.

Language & Manuscripts

Lost. Known only from quotations in Jerome and other writers.

Why It Matters for Study

Presents a Jewish-Christian gospel that is closely related to the Gospel of Matthew. Important for understanding Jewish-Christianity and the development of the Gospel tradition.

" And he said to them, Go and preach the gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." — Gospel of the Nazarenes (fragment)

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Elliott, J. K. The Apocryphal New Testament. Oxford, 1993.
Vielhauer, P. & Strecker, G. " Jewish-Christian Gospels." In New Testament Apocrypha. Westminster John Knox, 1991.
Edwards, J. C. The Gospel according to the Hebrews and the Gospel of the Ebionites. Oxford, 2017.