A common Muslim objection is that the Gospels are anonymous and are thus not reliable. There are right in the sense that in the context of Matthew, there is no metion of an author. However this argumentation is fallacious, since this is an argument of silence. The absence of the assertion that Matthew wrote Matthew does not necessitate that there truly isn’t an author. The epistemic foundation of Historic Christians is that there are two forms in which God reveals His word. Oral and Written means. Thus, knowing this we can appeal to the Tradition of the Church. That is inspired and preserved by the Lord Jesus Himself for intelligibility of the author of Matthew;
Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, who was acquainted with the Apostle John, expressly mentions Matthew’s gospel; and asserts,’ That he wrote the divine oracles in Hebrew.”19
Justin Martyr, who lived in the middle of the second century, has in many places cited the very words of the gospel of Matthew, but without mentioning his name. One instance will be sufficient: “And it is written in the gospel, that he said, All things are delivered to me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son but the Father: neither the Father, save the Son, and they to whom the Son will reveal him.” This is taken from the gospel of Matthew, xi 27.
In another place Irenæus characterizes all the four gospels, by setting down the beginning of each; where of Matthew he says, “Matthew proclaims his human generation, saying, The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”
In another place he [Irenaeus] says, “The gospel of Matthew was delivered to the Jews.”
Origen, who was born in the second century, and wrote and flourished in the beginning of the third, has left us the following testimony: “According to the traditions received by me, the first gospel was written by Matthew, once a publican, afterwards a disciple of Jesus Christ, who delivered it to the Jewish believers, composed in the Hebrew language.” And in another place he says, ” Matthew wrote for the Hebrews.”
Eusebius, who lived about a hundred years later than Origen, informs us, that ” Matthew, having first preached the gospel to the Hebrews, when about to go to other people, delivered to them, in their own language, the gospel written by himself; by that supplying the want of his presence with them, whom he was about to leave.”
In the Synopsis, which has been ascribed to Athanasius, it is said, “Matthew wrote his gospel in the Hebrew, and published it at Jerusalem.”
Cyril of Jerusalem testifies, “That Matthew wrote in Hebrew.”
Epiphanius says the same, and adds, “Matthew wrote first, and Mark soon after him, being a follower of Peter at Rome.”
Gregory Nazianzen says, ” That Matthew wrote for the Hebrews.”
EBEDJESU, the Syrian, “That Matthew, the first Evangelist, published his gospel in Palestine, written in Hebrew.”
Jerome, in his Commentary on Matthew, testifies that “The first Evangelist is Matthew, the publican, surnamed Levi, who wrote his gospel in Judea, in the Hebrew language, chiefly for the Jews who believed in Jesus, and did not join the shadow of the law with the truth of the gospel.”
Chrysostom, in his introduction to this gospel, writes, “Matthew is said to have written his gospel at the request of the Jewish believers, who desired him to put down in writing what he had said to them by word of mouth; and it is said he wrote in Hebrew.”
(The Canon of the Old and New Testaments Ascertained Section IV. Testimonies to Matthew’s Gospel—Time of Publication—Language)
There are many more in the original post, but I digress. It is truly amazing that God preserved His written Word. With not a single disagreement or confusion as to who is the author of Matthew. Glory to the Lord Jesus Christ!
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