Eusebius af Cæsarea: Kirkehistorie:

Eusebius (ca. 265-340) levede i en afgørende tid mellem de sidste kristenforfølgelser og Kejser Konstantins anerkendelse af kristendommen som en lovlig religion. Han blev præst i Cæsarea i 300, inden han i 312 blev biskop. Han stod Konstantin nær og skrev Vita Constantini (”Konstantins Liv”). Han betragtes desuden som den kristne kirkes første historiker. Primært var han dog ikke historiker, men skrev bibelske og apologetiske tekster. Hans Historia er skrevet fra et religiøst perspektiv og med fokus på den kristne tro. I dette uddrag forklarer Eusebius, hvorfor Jesu budskab, videregivet af apostlene (i teksten er det Peter), bliver skrevet ned. Hovedårsagen er ønsket om at bevare budskabet i apostlenes fravær. Men uddraget viser også, at det ikke er nogen enkel sag at nedskrive sådan et budskab. Helligåndens indgriben overtaler Markus, Peters ledsager, til at acceptere opgaven. Ligesom sine samtidige og kristne indtil for nylig er Eusebius ikke i tvivl om, at Markus skrev evangeliet. Men selv om Markus er forfatteren, er det Helligånden, der er inspirationskilden. Uddraget citeret her viser, at gejstlige betragter forfatterne af deres hellige skrifter som mennesker, der er blevet inspireret af Gud gennem Helligånden. Derfor er ordet kata, ”ifølge”, vigtig i evangeliernes titler: Euangelion kata Markon er den græske titel for ”Evangeliet ifølge Markus”; der findes ét evangelium (Jesus havde ét budskab), men det er ”fortolket” af mennesker.

Thus when the divine word had thus been established with them [the citizens of Rome], Simon’s power was extinguished and immediately destroyed, along with the man himself. So greatly did the lamp of piety enlighten the minds of Peter’s hearers that they were not satisfied with a single hearing of the unwritten teaching in the divine message, and with all kinds of appeals begged Mark, whose gospel is extant, as he was a follower of Peter, to provide them with a written record of the teaching they had received in oral form. Persisting in their request until they had persuaded him, they were thus responsible for the writing known as the Gospel according to Mark. 2. It is said that, when what had happened was revealed to him by the Spirit, the apostle was delighted by their enthusiasm, and authorized the work, for reading in the churches.

F. Watson, Gospel Writing: A Canonical Perspective, p. 442:

Matthæusevangeliet

Matthæusevangeliet, den første tekst i det kanoniske Nye Testamente, blev skrevet efter år 70, formentlig af en forfatter af jødisk oprindelse; den endelige version stammer sandsynligvis fra 80erne. Det er skrevet til en syrisk menighed, enten i Antiokia eller en anden by i Syrien. Dette er det eneste sted i den kristne kanon, hvor Jesu fødsel beskrives detaljeret. Det er interessant at sammenligne med uddraget fra Pseudo-Matthæus. Dette apokryfe evangelium (hvis oprindelige titel var Marias Fødsel; den nuværende titel fik teksten af dens redaktør i 1800-tallet, Constantin von Tischendorf) er en latinsk bearbejdning af adskillige tidligere tekster. Den blev formentlig skrevet i slutningen af 500-tallet. Den indeholder en udvidet version af Jesu fødsel, med mange tilføjede detaljer og oplysninger samt en mere detaljeret tidslinje (to dage, otte dage osv.). Ligesom andre apokryfe evangelier fremstiller denne tekst en ret detaljeret beskrivelse af Jesu liv, og især hans ungdom, og lægger fokus på de mirakuløse aspekter (straks Jesus er født, rejser han sig op). I henhold til en tidligere mundtlig tradition er der tre Vise Mænd (se kilde 2 B). Sarkofagen med Jesu fødsel, også kendt som ”the Sarcophagus of the Nativity”, nu på Musée de l’Arle antique, er en marmorsarkofag (marmoret kommer fra St. Beatus i Pyrenæerne) fra slutningen af 300-tallet. Sarkofagen kendetegnes ved sit centrale motiv, især på den øverste del, som afbilleder Jesu fødsel: Maria vises stående under et tegltag, foran hende står vuggen med det svøbte barn, oksen og æslet bøjer sig ned over barnet, og en hyrde ved vuggens hovedgærde gestikulerer jublende. Epifanien vises på den nedre del: de Vise Mænd ankommer, her er der tre, iført frygiske huer og hver især bærende på en gave; den ene ser ud til at pege mod stjernen, der vises oven over Maria på den øverste del.

After ¹ Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem& ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him […].
⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁷ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Gospel according to Matthew 2:1-12, New International Version (NIV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%202:1-12 (08/12/2014)

Sarkofag med billede af Jesu fødsel

Pseudo-Matthæus’ evangelium

Matthæusevangeliet, den første tekst i det kanoniske Nye Testamente, blev skrevet efter år 70, formentlig af en forfatter af jødisk oprindelse; den endelige version stammer sandsynligvis fra 80erne. Det er skrevet til en syrisk menighed, enten i Antiokia eller en anden by i Syrien. Dette er det eneste sted i den kristne kanon, hvor Jesu fødsel beskrives detaljeret. Det er interessant at sammenligne med uddraget fra Pseudo-Matthæus. Dette apokryfe evangelium (hvis oprindelige titel var Marias Fødsel; den nuværende titel fik teksten af dens redaktør i 1800-tallet, Constantin von Tischendorf) er en latinsk bearbejdning af adskillige tidligere tekster. Den blev formentlig skrevet i slutningen af 500-tallet. Den indeholder en udvidet version af Jesu fødsel, med mange tilføjede detaljer og oplysninger samt en mere detaljeret tidslinje (to dage, otte dage osv.). Ligesom andre apokryfe evangelier fremstiller denne tekst en ret detaljeret beskrivelse af Jesu liv, og især hans ungdom, og lægger fokus på de mirakuløse aspekter (straks Jesus er født, rejser han sig op). I henhold til en tidligere mundtlig tradition er der tre Vise Mænd (se kilde 2 B). Sarkofagen med Jesu fødsel, også kendt som ”the Sarcophagus of the Nativity”, nu på Musée de l’Arle antique, er en marmorsarkofag (marmoret kommer fra St. Beatus i Pyrenæerne) fra slutningen af 300-tallet. Sarkofagen kendetegnes ved sit centrale motiv, især på den øverste del, som afbilleder Jesu fødsel: Maria vises stående under et tegltag, foran hende står vuggen med det svøbte barn, oksen og æslet bøjer sig ned over barnet, og en hyrde ved vuggens hovedgærde gestikulerer jublende. Epifanien vises på den nedre del: de Vise Mænd ankommer, her er der tre, iført frygiske huer og hver især bærende på en gave; den ene ser ud til at pege mod stjernen, der vises oven over Maria på den øverste del.

13.2 -And when he had thus said, the angel ordered the beast to stand, for the time when she should bring forth was at hand; and he commanded the blessed Mary to come down off the animal, and go into a recess under a cavern, in which there never was light, but always darkness, because the light of day could not reach it. And when the blessed Mary had gone into it, it began to shine with as much brightness as if it were the sixth hour of the day. The light from God so shone in the cave, that neither by day nor night was light wanting as long as the blessed Mary was there. And there she brought forth a son, and the angels surrounded Him when He was being born. And as soon as He was born, He stood upon His feet, and the angels adored Him, saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good pleasure.” […]
14. -And on the third day after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the most blessed Mary went forth out of the cave, and entering a stable, placed the child in the stall, and the ox and the ass adored Him. Then was fulfilled that which was said by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib.” The very animals, therefore, the ox and the ass, having Him in their midst, incessantly adored Him. Then was fulfilled that which was said by Abacuc the prophet, saying: “Between two animals thou art made manifest.” In the same place Joseph remained with Mary three days.
[Joseph and his family go back to Jerusalem. Jesus is circumcised on the 8th day. The family seems to settle down in Bethlehem]
And when the second year was past, Magi came from the east to Jerusalem, bringing great gifts […]. And while the magi were going on their way, there appeared to them the star, which was, as it were, a guide to them, going before them until they came to where the child was. And when the magi saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy; and going into the house, they saw the child Jesus sitting in His mother's lap. Then they opened their treasures, and presented great gifts to the blessed Mary and Joseph. And to the child Himself they offered each of them a piece of gold. And likewise one gave gold, another frankincense, and the third myrrh. [3] And when they were going to return to King Herod, they were warned by an angel in their sleep not to go back to Herod; and they returned to their own country by another road.

Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew. Oversat af Alexander Roberts, Sir James Donaldson, Arthur Cleveland Coxe, Ante Nicene Fathers 8.