Many people are under the strong delusion that the New Testament was originally written in Greek and is not a translation. It was understood from antiquity (see Papias, Irenaeus, and Jerome) that certain Gospels and books of the New Testament were written in Hebrew. Other books of the New Testament were written in Aramaic, King Yishu is quoted in the New Testament as speaking both Hebrew and Aramaic, Jews of His time also spoke both Hebrew and Aramaic.

It was not until the 1500’s, when Desiderius Erasmus was compiling his translations, that he theorized that the entire New Testament was originally written in Greek or Latin. Popular opinon settled on Greek, and this has been the running theory for the last 500 years with no evidence to support it.

There is evidence that a Syriac-Aramaic gospel was handed to the Church in Edessa by apostles, in the year 78. This manuscript is known, but remains suppressed by officials since its discovery by Joseph Assemani in the 1700’s. 

The only Churches that clearly site their manuscript history, and begin that history with having received a copy of the Scriptures from the hands of the apostles, is the Assyrian Church of the East (the Church of the East, founded by Apostle Thomas), the Syriac Orthodox Church (the Church of Jerusalem, founded by YHWH Yishu, and the Church of Antioch in Acts 11, founded by Apostle Peter), the Malankara Orthodox Church (also Apostle Thomas), and other eastern churches. They all firmly (even though they have disagreed on other issues) assert that the copy they received was the Syriac (now known as the Peshitta). 

The Council of Chalcedon in 451 created a major split in the Church of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria. From the Church of Antioch, there is now the Maronite Catholic Church, a movement that started with St. Maron, a monk who lived in the 300’s. The Maronites agreed with the decision of the Council; this congregation has always used, and still does use, the Peshitta as their official Scripture. Also from the Church of Antioch is the Syriac Orthodox Church, they disagreed with the Council, but they also have always used, and still do use, the Peshitta. This shows that the Peshitta was used liturgically before 451.

Not only do both Churches use the Syriac for their Scripture, but their liturgy is also in Aramaic and originates with YHWH Yishu’s brother James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem (whose Church also still continues to use the Aramaic). It is unclear when the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch stopped using the Peshitta and the Aramaic liturgy (it was surely after the Council of 451, for we do know that the Trisagion was inserted into the liturgy between 450 and 471, and other changes followed up to the 9th century). It should also be noted that the Liturgy of Addai and Mari is also in Aramaic, and is the oldest liturgy that we have. The Eastern/Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and the Maronite Catholics were the same church until 686 when they split and selected different Patriarchs, and the term “Greek Orthodox Church” was not in use until after the Great Schism of 1054.

The Church of Antioch could have chosen Greek as the official language of the Scriptures as they had both Greek and Aramaic speakers within it, but they never did. If the Sacred Scriptures were originally written in Greek this multilingual church (founded by the Apostle Peter himself) would have selected it, but they did not, for they have a treasure that is far more pure. The Church of Jerusalem (founded by the very True Leader and Lord, King YHWH Yishu) could have elected to use Greek, but they too have always used the Aramaic liturgy and the Peshitta. St. Thomas started Christian communities amongst the Jews of India and these Indian Churches have always used and still do use the Aramaic liturgy and Scriptures.

The other Orthodox and Catholic Churches do not (or cannot) make any such claims. The Greek Orthodox Church does not even agree within itself as to which Greek manuscripts are original. As a result the Greek Orthodox Churches do not conclude on which Greek manuscripts are the most authoritative, that in and of itself speaks volumes.

Here is an example of the clarity of the Peshitta, this is concerning the “hem” of YHWH Yishu’s garment: 

• Luke 8:44 – She approached Him from behind and touched the kenpha (wing/corner) of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood stopped. (ref Malachi 4:2)

• Mark 6:56 – Wherever He entered, villages or cities, they would lay the sick in the streets, asking Him if they might touch even the kenpha (wing/corner) of His robe; and all who touched Him were healed. (ref Malachi 4:2)

• Matthew 9:20 – And, behold, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came behind Him and touched the carna (horn, as in the horns of the altar) of His cloak. (ref 1 Kings 1:50-53)

• Matthew 23:5 – They do everything they do in order to be seen by people, for they widen their tephillin, and lengthen the tekhlata (the blue thread of the tzi-tzit) of their robes. (ref Numbers 15:38)

In each of these cases the Greek only uses a general word, “kraspedon” (which means head or horn, “kras,” and ground/soil, “pedon.” This is the same word that the Septuagint uses when translating the Hebrew word “tzi-tzit”). The Peshitta cannot be this diverse, and this specific in its word choice if it was translating a Greek manuscript, it is either the original or is a translation of a Hebrew manuscript.

Another example is James 4:5, for many years people have thought that St. James, the brother of YHWH Yishu, and first Bishop of Jerusalem, was quoting a passage that doesn’t exist. In the Aramaic, it is clear that he is not attempting to quote a passage, but is correcting the Church using a rhetorical question. The proper reading is: “Or, perhaps you vainly suppose Scripture says, that in our jealousy, [the] Spirit longs to dwell among us?” St. Paul has a similar tone in 1 Corinthians 3:16.

There are many more instances that prove that the Peshitta is not a translation of the Greek. Unfortunately, over the years the Peshitta has been edited, certain theological key words have been replaced in certain verses with their Greek equivalent, but despite this the truth still shines through.

Below are resources to the simple and clear Peshitta New Testament, where Yishu is clearly proclaimed to be YHWH in the flesh. May His Divine Nature be clearly understood and expressed: