Now, I know this might sound a bit crazy, but I believe that the new testament "may" very well have first been written in Hebrew and then translated into the Greek.

The "Koine" Greek or the "common street language" Greek is what was spoken by many people in the Roman empire, which encompassed most of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The disciples were Jewish, so they likely wrote their epistles in their native language of Hebrew. But then these epistles would have needed to be translated into the "common language" of the day, so that the majority of the gentiles turning to Christianity could read the new testament writings and understand them. 

So, there are two primary indicators that really make me believe that the new testament could have been "first" written in Hebrew, and then translated into Greek. The first reason is because of the presence of the "Hebrew idioms" that are found in the "new" testament writings.

In case you are not familiar with what "idioms" are, they are sayings or phrases that exist in a culture that are particular to that "specific" culture, but not widely known to other cultures. An idiom is a widely used saying or expression that contains a figurative meaning that is different from the phrase's literal meaning. For example, if you say you're feeling “under the weather,” you don't literally mean that you're standing underneath the rain or under a tornado. You mean to say that you do not feel well.

So a common American idiom would be like "Beating around the bush" which would mean "to avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable." or "They let the cat out of the bag" which means "They revealed a secret." Another idiom would be "I better hit the sack" which would mean "I better get to sleep."

So, if someone came to America and didn't really know our language or customs very well, and if they heard someone say "I let the cat out of the bag", they might wonder why you were keeping kittens in a sack. If they heard someone say "I better hit the sack", they might think you were going to hit a punch bag or speed ball, because they do not understand our American idioms.

The Hebrew language is filled with many Hebrew idioms. These idioms carry over into our English translations, but we Americans do not always understand what they mean as we don't really understand the Hebrew customs from the culture that existed over 2000 years ago.

Some examples of a Hebrew idiom would be, "know" or "knew". Both words are used as an idiom for “sexual intercourse.” Adam “knew” his wife (Genesis 4:1). Joseph did not “know” Mary until after Jesus was born (Matthew 1:25).

Someone’s “seed” in the Bible can be an idiom for his “children” or “descendants” (Gen 22:17).

"The manner of women". The Hebrew idiom for a woman’s period can be translated literally as “the manner of women” (Genesis 31:35).

"Flowing with milk and honey". God used this idiom to communicate to the Israelites that the Promised Land was “very fertile” (Exodus 3:8).

So the Greek language has "Greek" idioms just like English writings have "English" idioms and the Hebrew language has "Hebrew" idioms.

When we read the old testament "translated into English" it still has the Hebrew idioms, like: Gen 4:1 Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain; or Gen 31:35  She said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched but did not find the household idols."

But when we read the new testament "translated into English" it does NOT have the normal Greek idioms as we would expect, but rather it still has "Hebrew" idioms, leading one to believe it was originally written in Hebrew.

The other thing that makes me feel that the original new testament was written in Hebrew is because of the Word pictures. We discussed some of those in the topic "The amazing Word Picture in our Heavenly Father's name". To see that very amazing picture, click the button at the bottom of this article.

Did you know that there are 22 letters in the Hebrew aleph-bet and there are also 22 chapters in the book of Revelation. Each of the 22 Hebrew letters has a Word Picture associated with it, and that word picture is then also found in the correlating 22 chapters of Revelation.

So, in Chapter #1 of Revelation, we find a "word picture" for letter #1 in the Hebrew aleph-bet. The first letter is "Aleph" with the symbol of the ox head, which shows a "word picture" that means: first, leader, strong. (This is because an ox is "strong", it goes "first" before the cart and "leads" the plow.) 

So Revelation chapter 1 has the following verses that reveal the thought of "that which is first and strong":

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead....

Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning (or first)
and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (or strong One).

Rev 1:11  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: 

Rev 1:16  ... and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 

Rev 1:17  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 

The second letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet is the letter "bet" which means tent or house or dwelling. So do we see the concept or word picture of house in the second chapter of Revelation? Let's see:

Rev 2:1  Unto the angel of the church (or "house" or "dwelling place" of the Lord) of Ephesus write; 

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; 

Rev 2:8  And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches

Rev 2:12  And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; 

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write

Rev 2:23  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts

Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 

Now, I won't take the time to go through all 22 letters and how the word picture shows up in the correlating chapter, but I will say that it seems MORE than happenstance that this occurs within the "Hebrew" when Revelation was "supposedly" written in the Greek language. 

I would like to close by sharing that the last or 22nd letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet is the letter "tav" and it means "a sign", "a seal", "a mark", "ownership", "to make a covenant", "to join two things together", and it might surprise you to know what the symbol actually is. (more on that in just one more minute, but do you see the meaning of the "Tav" in the 22nd chapter of Revelation?)

Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: (servants implies ownership of the Father over us, we belong to Him! HalleluYah!)

Rev 22:4  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. (a sign, mark or a seal of ownership)

Rev 22:10  Then he tells me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (make covenant with, to join two things together)

So, what is the sign of Yeshua, what is the mark of His covenant with us? Could this be the seal that the angel puts on believers foreheads in Ezekiel? Who knows for sure, but could it fit with the following verses?   

Mat 24:29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 
Mat 24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; 
Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 
Eze 9:5  And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 
Eze 9:6  Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. 

Do you remember, I said we would come back to the symbol of the letter Tav? Here it is below: