What is meant by Aramaic Primacy? Is Aramaic the original language of the New Testament?

TL;DR:

Aramaic Primacy is the belief that the New Testament was originally written in Aramaic, the colloquial language of the time of Jesus, rather than Greek. Aramaic Primacy lacks evidence and is rejected by the majority of scholars.

what does the bible say?

The Bible teaches that God’s word must be communicated accurately and truthfully. This includes debates about transcript sources and translation. Despite the claims of Aramaic Primacy, most scholars agree that the New Testament was penned originally in Koine Greek, the primary academic and written language at the time of Jesus and His apostles. Confusing the debate, many scholars acquiesce to theories that Mark and Matthew may have consulted Aramaic sources when they wrote their Gospels in Greek. However, the concept of Aramaic Primacy goes far beyond such a claim. The textual evidence does not support the claims of Aramaic Primacy.

from the old testament

The debate over Aramaic Primacy, like other debates over translation, are important because believers must ensure we’re being as accurate as possible with God’s word. The Bible itself testifies to the importance of this. Deuteronomy 4:2 contains a warning about adding to or detracting from the Law God gave the Israelites.
God warned his prophets to speak His words faithfully (Jeremiah 23:28). It’s incumbent on us to translate those words faithfully using the best sources we have.

from the new testament

In advising his protege Timothy, the apostle Paul associated being “one approved” by God as one who “rightly” handles “the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Debates over issues such as Aramaic Primacy are attempts to rightly handle God’s word.
Those who teach anything regarding the Bible–even translation issues–should be meticulous in their work as teachers are held to a higher standard than others (James 3:1).

implications for today

If you’ve ever opened a package only to find the contents spilled or broken, you may have wondered why the delivery driver didn’t “handle with care” as the stamp on the package said.

As upsetting as it is to wipe spilled shampoo off cardboard or gingerly pick up glass shards, other things in life are even more upsetting when they’re not handled with care. One is God’s word. As believers, we’re charged with accurately and truthfully communicating God’s word. The start of that is usually source transcripts, translation experts, and textual critics. Aramaic Primacy is a debate that falls within that scholarly world.

Aramaic Primacy is also known as Peshitta Primacy, so called after the collection of biblical manuscripts in Aramaic, the Peshitta. The belief in Aramaic Primacy was popularized by George Lamsa in 1957. However, Lamsa failed to distinguish the ancient Aramaic from the more modern Syriac. While the Peshitta manuscripts are important biblical and historical documents, textual evidence shows clear influence from later translations. Thus the Peshitta documents could not be source documents for the New Testament.

understand

Aramic Primacy advocates claim that the New Testament was written in Aramic rather than Koine Greek.
Textual evidence does not support Aramaic Primacy.
The transcripts associated with Aramaic Primacy are valuable historically, but they are not the most accurate source documents for the New Testament.

reflect

What Bible translation do you use, and how did you choose it?
Do you use any supplementary resources (e.g., concordance) in your study of the Bible?
When you encounter Bible words/passages that seem unusual to you, what is your process for better understanding those parts?

engage

When engaging with those who believe the Bible is unreliable, how can a believer’s knowledge of source transcripts help to address their concerns?
How should we interact with those who have allegiance to a certain translation because of tradition (e.g., “King James only”)?
How can we explain to others the importance of textual criticism and proper translation?