Did Jesus speak Greek? An affirmative answer to the question will no doubt challenge traditional presuppositions. The question relates directly to the historical preservation of Jesus's words and theology. Traditionally, the authenticity of Jesus's teaching has been linked to the recovery of the original Aramaic that presumably underlies the Gospels. The Aramaic Hypothesis infers that the Gospels represent theological expansions, religious propaganda, or blatant distortions of Jesus's teachings. Consequently, uncovering the original Aramaic of Jesus's teachings will separate the historical Jesus from the mythical personality. G. Scott Gleaves, in Did Jesus Speak Greek?, contends that the Aramaic Hypothesis is inadequate as an exclusive criterion of historical Jesus studies and does not aptly take into consideration the multilingual culture of first-century Palestine. Evidence from archaeological, literary, and biblical data demonstrates Greek linguistic dominance in Roman Palestine during the first century CE. Such preponderance of evidence leads not only to the conclusion that Jesus and his disciples spoke Greek but also to the recognition that the Greek New Testament generally and the Gospel of Matthew in particular were original compositions and not translations of underlying Aramaic sources.

Ask anyone what his or her goal is in life and you will almost always hear, "I just want to be happy." But there are some problems with that answer. We all like feelings of pleasure, enjoyment and satisfaction. But they don?t last. They are just feelings - and feelings are fickle. They change with our circumstances. So what do we do? We could give up and scream, "It's all meaningless!" Or perhaps we could shift our focus and reconsider what we are seeking and where we are finding it. Centuries ago the Preacher wrote a piece of wisdom literature called "Ecclesiastes." This wise man faced the exact same challenges we do today - how to find meaning in life when everything seems to be meaningless. And he found it. Join G. Scott Gleaves on a study of this Old Testament book that holds the key to finding peace and contentment in modern life. You really can find true happiness - you just have to look in the right place.