Post on 30-Apr-2023
A HARMONY
OF THE
F O U R G O S P E L S
IN THE REVISED VERSION
CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED IN PARALLEL COLUMNS,WITH MAPS
,NOTES , AND IND ICES,
s. D . WAD DY, Q C .
S ECOND EDIT ION,REVISED AND ENLARGED .
LONDON
CHARLES H . KELLY,2,CASTLE ST .
,CITY RD . , E C.
AND 66 , PATERNOSTER ROW, E .C.
CONTENTS .
PAGEPREFACE
TABLE S
I . Ana lytica l and ch ronologica l sum m a ry of th e contents of th e four Gospels
II. Table for finding any pa ssage in th e Harm ony xxiii
INTRODUCTORY NOTES
Note A. Th e order of events a s narr a ted by Luke
B . Th e tem ple and th e sanctua ryC Th e genea logi es of Jesus Ch ristD . He Sh a ll be ca lled a Na za rene xxxviii
E Jewish sects , trades , &c .
PublicansCh angers o f m oneyLawyersScribes .
Pha r iseesZea lots .
SadduceesHerodiansSam ar i tans
Disciples of Joh n
Th e tem ptation o f Jesu s
Th e m inistry of Joh n th e Baptist
Dura tion of our Lord’s public m inistry
Th e tim e dur ing whi ch Jesus rem a ined in th e tom b
D ivisions o f tim e
Th e m ira culous dra ught of fish es
Th e call and m ission of th e apostles
Th e Serm on on th e m ount
Jewish tr ibuna ls (th e judgm ent and th e council) lxviii
vi
INTRODUCTORY NOTES (continued)
THE HARMONY
PREFACE S.
PART I.
PART II.
PART III .
PART IV.
PART V .
Th e Lord ’s prayer
CONTENTS.
Th e founda tion of th e Ch urchCoins
,weigh ts and m ea sures
Th e transfigura tion
Th e h ealing of th e two dem oniacs
A Jewish banquet
Th e h ea ling o f Ba rtim z—Pus and h i s com panion
Th e anointing with Spikena rdTh e pa ssover
Peter ’s denia lsEvents following th e resurrection
Secti ons 1—4
Secti ons 5— 19 .
Sections 20— 23 .
Secti ons 24— 196.
Sections 197— 232 .
Secti ons 233— 255 .
Th e bir th , ch ildh ood, and youth , of Joh n th e
Baptist (th e forerunner) , and of Jesus Ch ri st
Th e m inistry of th e forerunner
Th e publi c m in istry o f our Lord
Our Lord ’s agony, crucifixi on, dea th and buria l
Our Lord’s resurr ection and a scension ; and
th e prea ch ing of th e gospel “unto th e end
of th e world
Tabular view of th e m anifesta tions o f th e r isen Lord
APPEND IX. Note on oth er m odern Ha rm onies
PAGE
lxxvn
lxxvi ii
lxxvii i
lxxxn
lxxxv
lxxxix
194
PREFACE .
A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS is chi efly valuable in two ways
(1) Its most important use i s to br ing into jux taposition the accounts
given by th e different Evangel ists of the incidents in the l ife of Jesus Christ,so a s to facili tate comparison ,
a nd to collect into one connected.
narrative the
details which are scattered through all four Gospels . Those only who are
accustomed to thi s process have any idea of the l ight a nd bea uty whi ch
i t sheds upon the Word of But the task i s not always free from
di fficulty . D ifference of position in the Gospel history , or variety of sur
rounding ci rcumstances, sometimes renders i t doubtful whether two narratives,taken from different Gospels, and bearing a strong resemblance to each other,refer to the same incident, described w ith varied detai l ; or to two events,Sim i lar in character, but totally di fferent in tim e and place. For instance,there i s considerable difference of Opin ion with respect to the Sermon on the
moun t — whether Matthew in ch apters v . ,vi . , and VII . refers to the same
event a s that recorded in Luk e v i . 20—49 or Luke x ii . 22— 34. Or whether,on the other hand , Luke describes a di fferent occasion when our Lord gave
s imilar teaching but at a different time a nd place. Happi ly these instances
are few , and do not affect the practical value of th e Word .
(2) Th e second use of a Harmony i s to obtain , by a chronological
and geographical arrangement, such illustration a s a consideration of time and
place will afford .
But this attempt i s beset by more seri ous obstacles ; so serious indeed ,that any m an wh o h a s devoted much earnest thought to the subject wi ll agreew ith th e late Archbishop ofYork (Thomson), that
“th e sacred wri ters have not
so treated their subject that the construction of a complete Harmony i s“poss ible for us i ‘ . The uncertainties which confront us do not assail the
I cannot do better th an adopt D rRobinson ’
s words in h i s Introduction to
h i s Notes .
“ It i s th e a im of th e present“work, not so m uch to a scer ta in and fix
th e true and precise ch ronologi ca l order ,“(a lth ough th is object i s not neglected , ) a s
“ to pla ce side by side th e di fferent na r ra
tives of th e sam e events , in an order wh ich“ m ay be rega rded a s a t lea st a probableone ; and by so doing to exh ibit th e legi tim ate uses of a. Ha rm ony, and accom plish
a thr eefold purpore, vi z . to m ake th e
evangelists th ei r own best interpreter s ;“ to sh ew h ow wonderfully th ey a re supple
m ental to ea ch other in m inute a s well a sim portant pa rticula rs ; and in th i s way tobri ng out fully and clea rly th e fundam ental ch a ra cter istic of th eir testim ony,UNITY IN D IVERSITY .
”
Spea ker’s Comm enta ry—NewTest.Vol. I .
page lxix.
viii PREFACE .
fundamental truths of Christian ity, or Shake the substantial accuracy of i ts
history. They merely affect the fringe,— th e details of tim e a nd place ;a nd th e gosp els cor r obor a te ea ch other i n a ll vi ta l m a tters
,in wh a tever order we
arrange the incidents they narrate . The apparent discrepancies a re due
m ainly to the carelessness or rashness of early transcribers,a nd have long been
th e delight of critics hostile to the belief in the inspiration of the B ible.
Even if all the objections were well founded, they would not be of vital im
porta nce ; but in fact most of them a re susceptible of very Simple explanation .
A t th e same time, they have caused so much difference of opini on amongst
Harmonists that from the earli est" to the latest (numbering not less than
200) it would be d ifficult to find two who would entirely agree. It will,
probably,now be found impossible, after th e lapse of nineteen centuries,
to settle these questions conclusively . For my own part, I certainly do not
suggest that I have solved the problems which have tasked the abili ty of
wise and good m en through so many ages . I do not pretend to th e requi
s ite learning . Th e book i s not wr i tten f or a ccomp li sh ed sch ola r s . My lessambitious aim i s s imply this — I have
,for many years
,derived such help
from th e exi sting Harmoni es, that I wish to give thi s benefit to the ordi nary
layman,with th e immense additional advantage aris ing from the u se of the
Revi sed Version ; a nd to present the work in such a form,that it may be
conven iently used by the preacher in the pulpit, or the teacher in h i s
The tex t i s divided into sections including, generally, one subject
(or incident) only in each section ,a nd I have given references to time and
place,where they could be assigned usefully, and wi th reasonable probabili ty,
but not otherwise . In a few cases a passage h a s been repeated in order to
preserve continuity, but th e repetition i s indicated by brackets to avoid
confusion .
So far a s the Harmony itself i s concerned, I have added but li ttle to the
text a nd marginal notes a s issued by th e Revi sers . These notes are placed
at the end of each section,and a re indicated by numbers (
1,
2,
3, I have
,
however,made one important addition to them by incorporating most of the
suggestions of the American comm i ttee of Revisers . These were pla ced by
the English Revisers at the end of the Revised Version . I have in every ca se
distingui shed them by the addition of the word and they will be
found of very great value .
Th e notes for which I am responsible are of two classes . Th e shorter ones
will be found at the bottom of th e pages (distinct from those which have the
Th e Dia tessaron of Ta tian , about A.D . th e Gospels . Th e D i a tessa ron i s th e con
150 . Th e da te and genuineness o f th is tinuous h istory resulting from th e union of
work a re open to doubt. Str ictly speaking th e four (T0 6rd T eo d dpwv) , but th ey a re oftena“Ha rm ony
”differs from a
“Dia tessa ron . used a s synonym ous expressions .
T h e Ha rmony presents th e wh ole of ea ch o f
PREFACE . ix
higher authority of the Revisers), a nd indicated by asterisks etc‘
r, 1,Most of them cons ist of the cross-references to the Old a nd N ew Testaments .
The remainder a re critical or historical . I h ave prefixed a few introductory
notes of greater length , which re late main ly to those apparent discrepanciesbrought into fuller light by th e use of th e Harmony. For both classes of
notes I am under great a nd constant obligations to the Sp ea ker’
s Oom m en
ta ry, Alford’s Gr eek Testa m ent, Robinson
’s Ha rm ony (the admirable edition
publi shed by th e Tract Society), M°Clellan
’s N ew Testa m en t
,Vol . L, and
D r Sm ith’s D icti ona ry of the Bible. I have, I believe, acknowledged al l
quotations from these a nd many other writers, but if I have omi tted to
do so in a ny case, I hope they will accept my express ion of regret .
Throughout the book I have tried to avoid all matter in controversy
between believers in the D ivi n ity of our Saviour,to whatever denomination
they may belong ; my chi ef des i re being to g ive th e advantage of my work
(if any) to th e whole Church of Christ. I f it should be thought that I have
ever wandered beyond the province of a harmon ist, I believe it w ill be found
that I have been led to do so by the special difizi culty or importance of
the subject. N ote M (on the Sermon on the mount) i s a n example of
thi s. In that case (a nd possibly in some others) I have, I fear, not confinedmyself strictly to the work of harmoni zing , but have strayed into ex
pos ition . My reason i s that, though eve ry thoughtful Christian holds each
sepa rate lesson ih the Sermon on th e moun t to be infin itely beautiful a nd
blessed, i ts perfection a s a whole— a s a systematic,comprehens ive
,a nd
exact exhibition of doctrine— i s not always grasped . I believe that even
reveren t a nd patient students of theWord often miss the train of thought
that governs th e whole sermon,a nd makes it th e most logical and powerful
di scourse ever spoken . Moreover,th at se rmon made a nd marked a di stinct
epoch in our Lord ’s min istry ; and I doubt whether i ts relative place a nd
influence in th e history of the gospel are always recogni sed . Both of these
subjects,— i ts doctrinal structure a nd i ts historic function ,— I have tried to
set forth .
Table I , th e analyt ical a nd chronologi cal sum mary (page xi ), refersspecifically to almost every incident in the li fe of our Lord . It i s thus,in fact
,a continuous but condensed memoi r and, a s such , i s full of interest
a nd in struction . In order to make i t more perfect in t his respect, th e
headings of the sections have been prepa red wi th great care. They a r e
copied in Table I , a nd will be found to answer by anticipa tion some of the
most importan t questions raised by objectors . This i s Specially il lustra ted by
th e record of Peter’s den ia ls,— the inciden ts of the last supper, a nd those
which followed th e resurrection .
Table II explains itself.
Th e maps have been specially prepa red . They indicate nearly every place
x PREFACE .
m entioned in th e Gospels and notes, a nd they contain pra ctically nothingmore . Th e multipl ication of names, a nd especially of modern names , only
tends to confuse.
Th e critical rea der w ill detect one orthographical variation . It occurs
in the spell ing of th e w ord “judgement. A ll th e early translations,Tyndale in 1534 ,— Cra nn ier in 1539
,— th e Authorized Version in 1611, &c .
,
give th e word a s above but the la ter editions of th e Authorized Version ,
general custom,a nd th e principal modern lex icographers ,— ha ve adopted th e
form “judgment,omitting the first
“e . I have followed these authorities .
Th e Revised Vers ion ,however , h a s reverted to th e ancient form ; and I
ha ve not felt justified in altering this form in th e text a nd m a rgina l notes,
which are strictly copied from the Revised Vers ion. I regret that this confl ict
h a s led to apparent inconsistency.
Amidst the great number of cross-references, &c . contained in th e notes I
can hardly hope to have escaped all errors . If they ex ist,I shall be very
grateful to any rea der wh o will kindly point them out to m e .
The compa rative freedom from such blemishes which , I hope , will be
found to characterize th e book ,i s mainly due to th e inte lligence a nd care of
th e staff of th e Un iversity Press a nd especia lly of th e “ rea der of th e proofs .
The pecul iar i rregularity of the letter press h a s caused m uch typographica l
difficulty a nd labour a nd I cannot be too grateful for the pa tience a nd Skill
which have helped me so ch eerfully a nd so well .
I record my s incere gratitude to th e D elega tes a nd Syndics of th e Un iver
sity Presses for th e perm iss ion to use th e Revised Version . Without itmy m ain object would have been frustra ted . By granting it, they have, a s
I venture to hope, enhanced to some extent the value of the i r forme r noble
serv ice to th e Church of Christ. To th e members of that Church I now
commend this book , with an earnest entreaty for their k ind a nd generous
consideration . I have constantly laboured under a weighty conviction of
th e solemn nature of th e duty I have undertaken . N o m a n can know , a s
thoroughly a s I do , how sadly inadequate i s my work . But , in spite of
the many blem i shes which di sfigure it, a nd of which I am painfully con
scious, I pray that the result of this publication may be to help believers
in th e D ivi n ity a nd Human ity of our B lessed Lord,to “ know the certainty
‘ concerning th e things where in we have been instructed .
S . D . W.
TEMPLE, May, 1895 .
Ca e s ar e a
(Ta/a b rmlqa Uni s/c r a fty Pr e s s
PALE S T INE
(NEW TE STAMENT )
Sc ale a f Sta tute Miles0 6 10 20 3 0
o 5 to so so i n
TABLE I.
ANALYT ICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF THE
CONTENTS OF THE FOUR GOSPELS.
PREFACES TO THE MATTHEW MARK LUKEGOSPELS.
1 1 Prefa ce to th e go sp el ofMa tth ew ; wh ich i s th e h i story of Jesus Chr i st, a s th eMessi ah of th e Jews ,— th eson of Abr ah am and David
1 2 Pr efa ce to th e go spel of Mark ;wh ich i s th e h i story of JesusChri st, a s th e Divine Lord ofth e world , th e Son of -God
1 3 Pr efa ce to th e go spel of Luke ;wh ich i s th e h i story o f JesusCh r ist, a s th e Saviour of th eworld i . 1—4
1 4 Prefa ce to th e go spel of John ;wh ich i s th e h i story of JesusCh r i st, a s th e Divine-Hum an
Word i . 1—18
PART I.
The bi r th , ch i ldhood , a nd you th ,th e B ap ti st (the f ore
runner ) , a nd of Jesus Ch r i st.
Th e angel Gabr iel ann ounces
th e conception of JesusCh r i st’s forerunn er
Th e angel Gabr iel announcesth e concepti on of JesusCh r istMary
’
s vi sit to Eli sabethB ir th and early h i story of th eforerunner i . 57— 80
Angelic testim ony to th e im
m a cula te concepti on . Mar
ri age of Joseph andMaryTh e genealogy of Jesus Ch r i stTh e bir th of JesusAngels announce th e birth of
“Ch r i st th e Lord 11 . 8— 20
Th e c ircum ci sion and nam ingof Jesus i i . 21
ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF
Jesus i s brough t to th e tem pleand pr esented to th e Lord .
Th e testim ony of Sim eon and
Anna
Wo rsh ip of th e wi se m en
Fligh t into E gyp t
Ma ssa cr e of th e innocents
Return to Na z a reth
Ch ildh ood and youth of Jesus
PART II .
Th e m ini stry of the f orerunner .
Th e ca ll and m ini stry of Joh nth e B apti st, and h i s fir st tes
tim ony to Jesus Ch r i stBapti sm of JesusTh e fa sting and tem ptation of
Jesu sTh e B aptist
’
s r enewed testi
m ony to th e Messiah
PART III.
The p ubli c m ini stry of our
Lord .
Th e adm i ssion of th e fir st di s
ciples , Andr ew and anoth er
(Joh n), Peter , Ph ili p , Na th ana el
Chr i st ’sfir stm ir acle . He turnswa ter into wine
Th e fir st pa ssover duringCh r ist ’s publi c m ini stry . Hi sfir st purging of th e tem ple
Private di scour se wi th Nico
dem us
Joh n th e Bapti st’
s la st testi
m ony to Jesus a s th e Ch r i stTh e for erunner ’
s testim onyclosed by h i s im pr i sonm ent
Jesus depa rts from Judaea to
Gali lee
On h i s way to Ga lilee Jesuspa sses thr ough Sych a r , and
tea ch es a wom an of Sam ar i a
Jesus h aving r eturned to Ga
lilec h eals a noblem an’
s son
Jesus teach es a t Na z ar eth and
i s rejected th ereJesus fixes h i s abode a t Capernaum and prea ch es th e gos
pel of God
Th e m i raculous dr augh t of
fi sh es
Jesus calls Peter and Andrew ;and a fterwards Jam es and
Joh n to th e m inistryTh e fir st h ealing of a dem oni a c
by JesusJesus h ea lsPeter ’swife ’
sm oth er
and oth er s
Jesus m akes h i s fir st circu it of
Ga lilee
Th e fir st cleansing of a leper
by JesusJesus h ea ls a m an s ick of th e
pa lsy
MATTHEW
ii i . 1— 12i i i . 13— 17
iv . 1—11
xiv . 3— 5
iv . 12
iv . 13— 17
iv . 18
iv. 19— 22
vi i i . 14—17
iv . 23— 25
vi i i . 2— 4
ix . 1— 8
MARK
i . 2—8i . 9— 11
i . 12 , 13
vi . 17— 20
i . 14 , 15
i . 175— 20
i . 21—28
i . 29—34
i . 35— 39
i . 40— 45
ii 1— 12
LUKE
11. 22— 38
iv. 1—13
i i i . 23
i i i . 19 , 20
iv . 14 , 15
iv. 16— 30
iv . 31
v . 1— 10
v . 10 , 11
iv . 31— 37
iv . 38—4 1
iv . 42— 44
v . 12—16
v . 17— 26
JOHN
19—39
i . 40— 51
i i . 1—12
i i . 13— 25
i i i . 1—21
i i i . 22— 36
iv. 1— 3
iv. 4— 42
iv . 43—54
xiv ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF
MATTHEW MARK LUKE JOHNBy th e p a r ables of servants
wa i ting for th eir lord , and of
a stewa rd ruling in h i s lord’
s
absence , Jesus tea ch es th e
duty ofconstantwa tch fulnessand rea diness for judgm ent x i i . 35—48Jesu s foretells dom estic per se
cuti on for h i s di sciples xi i . 49— 59
Th e slaugh ter of certa in Gali
lusans
Th e parable of th e barren figtree
Th e par able of th e sower xi i i . 1— 9 iv . 1— 9Jesus expla ins pr iva tely to h i sdi sciples th a t hi s teach ingby p ar ables i s th e r esult andjudi ci al pun i shm ent of th e
obstin a cy and unbelief of th e x i ii . 10 , 11 ; iv. 10—12 vi i i . 9 , 10
Jews 13—17By th e parable of a li gh ted lam p ,Jesus teach es h i s di sciples
th at th e m yster ies of th e
gospel will be r evealed to
true believers xi ii . 12 iv . 21— 25 v i i i . 16— 18
Jesus expla ins to h is di sciples
th e p a r able of th e sower xi i i . 18— 23 iv. 13—20 vi i i . 11— 15
Th e pa r able of th e wh ea t and
th e tar es xi i i . 24—30Pa r able of th e seed ca st upon
th e ea r th iv . 26— 29Pa r ables of th e m ustard seed ;and of th e leaven xi ii . 31—35 iv. 30—3 1 xi i i . 18— 21
Jesus expla ins to h i s di sciplesth e pa r able of th e wh ea t andtar es xi i i . 36— 43
Jesus di scour ses to h i s di scipleson th e k ingdom of h ea ven
in th e par ables of th e trea sur ehi d in a field,— th e pea rl of
gr eat pr ice ,—and th e net ca st
into th e sea x i i i . 44— 53Jesus tea ch es th a t th ose wh ofollow h im m ust deny th em
selves , and abandon all th ingfor h im vi i i . 18— 22 iv . 35
Jesus cr osses th e sea . He stills
th e storm vi i i . 22— 25
Jesu s h eals two dem oni acs vi i i . 26—4 0Ja irus beseech es Jesus to save
h i s dying child ix . 18, 19 v. 22— 24 vi i i . 41, 42
Jesus h ea ls a wom an h avingan issue of blood ix . 20—22 v. 24— 34 vi i i . 42—48Jesus r a i ses to life th e dead
daugh ter of Ja ir us ix. 23— 26 v. 35—43 vi i i . 49— 56
Jesus h eals two blind m en ;and a dum b dem onia c ix . 27—34
Th e m en of h i s own countrya r e jealous of Jesus xi i i . 54—58 vi . 1— 6Jesus m akes a th ird circuit in
Galilee , and procla im s th e
abundance of th e h a rvest
and th e lack of labour er s ix . 35— 38Jesu s ch a rges th e twelve apo
stles and sends th em forth x . 1—42 vi . 7— 11 ix . 1— 5
Jesus preach es in th e ci ti es , andth e twelve in th e villages vi . 12 , 13
Herod beh eadsJohn th e Baptistin pr ison xiv . 6— 12 vi . 21— 29
x i i i . 1— 5
THE CONTENTS OF THE
Herod i s perplexed a t th e growing fam e of Jesus . Th e
twelve return from th eir
circu i t and report to th eir
Ma ster
Th e m ultitudes follow Jesus .
He feeds 5000 by a m ir a cle
Jesus walk s upon th e seaJesu s h aving r eturned to Capernaum , th e m ultitudes followh im , and h e di scourses to
th em in th e synagogue
[Proba bly th e th i rd yea r of ou r
Lord’
s m i ni stry comm enced
about th i s tim e ]Jesus teach es th e r ea l cause of
defilem ent ; and di scour ses
on Ph ari sa ic tradi tionsJesus h eals th e daugh ter of a
Syr oph oenician wom an
Jesus h ea ls a dea f m anwh o h ad
an im pedim ent in h i s speech ,
and works o th er m ir a cles
Jesus feeds 4000 by a m i r a cle
Th e Ph a r i sees a sk “a Sign from
h eaven , wh ich Jesus refusesJesus wa rns h i s disciples a
ga inst th e leaven of th e
Ph a r i sees and Sadducees
and th e leaven of Her od
Jesus h ea ls a blind m an nea r
Beth sa ida
Jesus questions h is di sciples .
Th ey decla re th e ir fa ith in
h im
Jesus begins to foretell h is
a tonem ent and exa lta tion
Th e tr ansfigu r a tion
Jesus ca sts a dum b and deafspiri t out Of a ch ild
Jesus a second tim e predictsh i s dea th and r esur rection
Jesus pays th e tr ibute m oneyJesus tea ch es h um ili tyJesus wa rns h i s disciples a
ga inst spir itua l exclusiveness
Jesu s wa rns h is di sciples a
ga inst stum bling , or causingoth er s to do so
Jesus , in th e p a r able of a kingand h is servants , tea ch es th edi sciples to forgive injur i esJesus , being urged by h i s breth ren to go to Judaca , a ttendsth e fea st priva tely
In th e m idst of th e fea st Jesustea ch es publicly in th e tem
ple . Th e officer s sent to takeh im a r e r estr a ined from doIng so
Th e adulter ess brough t toJesus
Jesu s in h i s public tea ch ingcla im s to be th e Son of God ;repr oves th e unbelievingJews , and avo ids th ose wh owould stone him
MATTHEW
x iv . 1, 2 , 13
xv . 1—20
xv . 21— 28
xv . 29— 31
xv . 32— 39
xvi . 1—4
xvi . 5—12
xvi 13—20
xvi ii . 6—20
xvi i i . 21— 35
FOUR GOSPELS. xv
MARE LUKE JOHN
ix. 7— 10
ix . 11— 17 vi . 2— 14
vi . 15— 21
vi i . 1— 23
v u. 24—30
vii i . 11—13
vii i . 14— 2 1
vi i i . 22— 26
ix 18—21
ix . 14— 29 ix . 37—43
ix . 43—4 5
ix . 46—48
ix . 38—4 1 ix. 49 , 50
ix . 42—50
2—13
vi ii. 2—11
vi i i . 12—59
ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF
Jesus g ives sigh t to a m an bornblind
Jesus , th e good sh eph erdTh e pa r able o f th e goodSam a r i tan
Th e Jews a sk Jesus to tell th emwh eth er h e i s th e Ch r i st. Heanswer s,
“I and th e Fa th er
a re one .
” Th ey seek aga into take h im
On h i s way to Beth aba r a , Jesusv i si tsMar th a and Ma ry ; anddeclar esWh a t i s th e one th ingneedful
Jesus continues h is journeyfrom Be th any to Beth aba r aJesus teach es per severance inprayer
Jesus h ear s th a t La z arus i ss ick , and announces to th edi sciples th a t h e i s dead
Jesus tea ch es per severance inr elig ion
Th e pa r able of th e lost Sh eepTh e pa r able of th e lost piece ofsilver
Th e pa r able of th e prodigal
son
Th e pa rable of th e unjust stewa rd
Th e pa rable of th e r ich m an
and th e beggarJesus r a i ses La z arus from th e
dea d
Consp ir a cy of th e ch ief pr iestsand Ph a r i sees to m urder
JesusJesus i s rejected by th e Sa
m a r i tans ; and r ebukes th e
cruel anger of Jam es and
JohnJesus teach es th e necessity ofentir e sa cr ifice of th e worldand consecra tion to God
Th e seventy ch a rged and sent
for thTh e im penitent cities of Gali leedenounced
Return of th e seventyJesus h ea ls an infirm wom an
on th e sabba th , and reproves
th e fault-finding ruler of th esynagogue
Incidents of th e journey to
Beth anyJesus on th e sabba th h eals a
dropsical m an
Th e pa r able of th e grea t
supper
Jesus tea ch es forbearance , fa ithand h um ility
Th e cleans ing of ten leper sJesus for etells th e suddenness
of j udgm ent
Th e par able of th e unr igh teo usjudge
Th e pa rable of th e Ph ar iseeand th e publican
MATTHEW
xix . 1 , 2
MARK LUKE JOHN
x . 25— 37 x . 22 , 23
x . 24— 39
x . 38— 42
x . 40—42
xi . 1— 13
xi . 1— 16
xv . 8— 10
xv . 11— 32
xvi . 1— 18
xvi . 19— 31
xi . 17— 46
x i . 47— 54
ix . 51— 56
ix. 57—62
x . 1— 12
xi i i . 10 —17
xi i i . 22— 35
x iv. 1— 6
xiv . 7— 24
xvn . 20— 37
xvi i i . 1— 8
xvi i i . 9— 14
148 154
149
152
152
153
154
155
156
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
THE CONTENTS OF THE FOUR GOSPELS .
Jesus di scour ses on m arr iage
and divorceJesus blesses little ch ildr enTh e ri ch young ruler
Th e pa rable of th e labour er s inth e vineya rd
Jesus a th ird tim e foretells h i sdea th and resur recti on
Th e selfi sh am bition Of Jam es
and JohnOn h i s way to Jer ich o Jesu ssees Bar tim aeus si tting out
s ide th e gate oi th e citybeggingJesus enters Jer ich o and visitsZacch aeus
Ash e leaves Jer ich o Jesus aga insees B ar tim aeus sitting wi th
a com pan ion by th e way side
a t th e ga te and h eals th em
bothTh e pa rable of th e ten pounds
[The la st week of our Lord’s
m or ta l h i story .]
Jesus a rr ives a t Beth any Six
days before th e pa ssover .
Sa turday
Th e sabba th rest a t Beth any .
Public excitem ent with re
g ard to Jesus and La z a rus .
Conspir a cy of th e ch i efpri estsand Ph a r i sees to kill th em
both
Sunday
Jesus m akes h i s trium ph al
entry into Jerusa lemJesus weeps over JerusalemTh e m ultitudes in th e city and
th e ch ildren in th e tem ple
pra i se th e Lord
Th e barren fig treeTh e second purging of th e tem
lp e
Jesus foretells h i s “lifting -up
Tuesda y
Th e with ering of th e barrenfig tr ee
Th e ch ief pri ests question th eauth or ity of Jesus
Th e pa rable of th e two sons
Th e parable of th e wi cked h usbandm en and th e vineya rd
Th e pa rable of th e king’
s m ar
r i age fea stTh e sp i es of th e Ph a ri sees tryto ensnare Jesus . Th e tri
bute to CaesarJesus r eveals th e state of th e
saints in h eaven
MATTHEW
xix. 3—12xix . 13— 15
xix . 16— 30
xx . 1— 16
xx . 17— 19
xx . 20—28
xx . 29—34
xxi . 1—9
xxi . 10 , 11,14—17
xxi . 18 , 19
xxi . 12 , 13
xxi . 20—22
xx i . 23—27xxi . 28—32
xxi . 33—46
xxu . 1—14
xxn . 15—22
xxn . 23—33
MARE
x. 2— 12
x . 13— 16
x . 17— 31
x . 32— 34
x . 35—45
x. 46—52
x i . 1— 10
xi . 11
xi . 12—14
xi . 15— 18
x i . 19— 25v. 26 pla ced
in m argin
xi . 27— 33
xi i . 1— 12
xi i . 13—17
xi i . 18— 27
xvii
LuxE JOHN
xv i i i . 15— 17xvi i i . 18— 30
xvi i i . 31— 34
xvi i i . 35
xi x . 1— 10
xvi i i . 36—43xix. 11—28
x i . 55— xu . 1
x ii . 9— 11
xix . 29— 38
xix . 39—44xu . 12— 19
xix . 45—48xii . 20—50
xxi . 37 , 38
xx . 1— 8
xx . 9— 19
xx . 20— 26
xx . 27—4 0
xviii
179
179
179
181
177
178
179
180
ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF
Jesus announces Th e two
grea t comm andm ents”
Th e Chr i st i s David '
s son and
David ’
s LordJesus warns h i s di sciples a
ga inst th e evil exam ples of
th e scribes and Ph ar i sees ;and lam ents over Jerusalem
Th e widow’
s m ites
Jesus for etells th e destructionof th e tem ple, and of Jcrusalem ; and th e com ing of th e
Son of m an
By th e pa rable of th e fig tree ,
by th e h istory of Noah , and
by th e pa r able of servants
wa i ting for th eir m a ster ,Jesus teach es th e necessityfor constant wa tch fulness ,and read iness for death
Th e par able of th e ten virg ins
Th e par able of th e five talentsJesus descr ibes th e day of
judgm ent
Wednesday
Jesus foretells h is crucifixion
in two days
Th e ch ief pr iests and elder s seekto destr oy Jesus pr iva telyMary ano ints Jesus for hi s
buryingTh e ch ief pr iests consp ire withJuda s Iscar iot
Thur sday
Th e di sciples prepa re th e pa ssover
Jesu s and hi s di sciples beginth e la st supper
Jesus r eproves th e ambiti on of
th e apo stles , and for etellsPeter ’
s deni als (th e fir sttim e
Th e la st supper . Th e fir st cupof wine
Jesus wa sh es th e feet of th e
di sciples
Jesus foretells th e treach ery ofone of h i s di sciples , and iden
tines th e tr a i tor privately .
Juda s goes outOn th e depa r tur e of Juda s , Jesus for etells h i s own speedy
glor ifica tion
Jesus foretells Peter ’s deni als(th e second tim e)
Insti tution of th e sa cr am ent of
br ea d andwine in th e Lord ’
s
supper
Jesus fo r ewarns th e apostles ofpr iva ti on and per il
Jesus deliver s h i s la st di scour seto th e apo stles ; in wh ich h e
encour ages th em by th e pro
m i se of “Th e Com for ter ,”and th e prospect of h eaven
MATTHEW
xxu . 34—40
xxu . 41—46
xxi i i . 1—39
xxiv . 1— 31
xxv . 31—46
xxvi . 1 , 2
xxvi . 3— 5
xxvi . 6— 13
xxvi . 14— 16
xxvi . 17— 19
xxvi . 20
MARE
x i i .
X11.
xi i i
xi i i
xiv .
28— 34
35— 37
1— 27
28— 37
. l , 2
3—9
xiv. 10 , 11
xiv. 12— 16
xiv. 17
xxvi . 21—25 xiv. 18—21
xxvi . 26—29 xiv. 22—25
LUKE
xx . 41—44
xxi . 5—28
xxi . 29— 36
xxn . 1, 2
xxu . 3—6
xxu . 7— 13
xxu . 14
xxi i . 24— 34
xxu . 15—18
xxu . 21— 23
xxu . 19 , 20
xxu . 35—38
xi i . 2—8
x i i i . 1
xi i i . 2—20
xi i i . 21—30
x i i i . 31—35
x i ii . 36—38
x iv. 1— 31
THE CONTENTS OF THE FOUR GOSPELS .
Jesus and h i s (eleven) apostlesqu i t th e supper room
Jesus continues h i s di scour seTh e fa rewell pr ayer wi th th e
apostles
Jesus warns h is disciples of th edanger o f aposta sy
Jesus (a th ird tim e) foretellsPeter ’
s deni als
PART IV.
Ou r Lord’
s a gony , crucifixi on ,
dea th a nd bu r i a l.
Th e agony in th e garden of
Geth sem ane
Jesusbetr ayedby Juda s Iscar iotand arrested . Th e disciples
deser t h im
Jesus i s brough t before Anna sin th e h ouse of Ca iaph a s
Peter and anoth er di sciple
(John ? ) follow Jesus into
th e cour t of th e h igh pr iest’
s
h ouse
Peter ’
s fir st denial. Before th efir st cock -crow . To th e por
tress a s h e pa ssed h er on h i s
way into th e cour t
Th e pr elim inary exam ination
by Ann a s
Peter ’
s second denia l. Befor eth e fir st cock-cr ow . To th e
o fficer s standi ng round th e
fir e in th e cour t . He th en
si ts dow n am ongst th em to
see th e end
Jesus i s a r r a igned before Ca iapba s th e h igh pr iest and i s
condem ned
Jesus i s m ocked a s a proph et
Peter ’
s th ird deni al. To one of
th e m a idswh ile h ewa s sittingwi th th e Officer s a t th e fir e inth ecourt. Th e first cock-crow
Peter ’
s four th denial. To one
of th e crowdPeter ’
s fifth deni al. To a
m a idservant and oth er s in
th e por ch
Peter ’
S sixth deni al. Th e second
cock -crow . Hi s repentanceJesus i s fo rm ally a rra igned be
fore th e High Council ; and ,being condem ned , i s g iven
up to th e civil power of th e
Rom an Governor
Th e r em or se and suicide of
Juda s IscariotTh e Jews accuse Jesus of sedition . Pila te exam ines h im
pr iva tely a t th e for tress of
An toni a , and decla r es h i s
innocence
Pila te tr ansfer s Je su s to Herod
for tr i al
MATTHEW
xxvi . 30
xxvi . 30—32
xxv i . 33— 35
xxvi . 36—46
xxvi . 47—56
xxvi . 57
xxvi . 58
xxvi . 58
xxvi . 69 , 70
xxvi . 71, 72
xxvi . 73— 75
xxvfi . 1 , 2
xxvii . 3—10
xiv.
XIV.
xi v.
x iv .
x iv.
xiv .
xiv .
xiv .
xiv.
x iv.
x iv.
26
26— 28
29— 31
32—4 2
43—52
53
54
54
66—68
xxvn . 11—14 xv . 2—5
LUKE
xxu . 39
xxn . 39
40—46XXII .
47— 53
54
XXII .
xxi i .
xxu . 54
xxu . 63— 65
55— 57
58
XXII .
xxi i .
XXll .
Xxu . 66— 71
xxii i . 1
xxi i i . 2— 7
xxi i i . 8— 12
xix
JOHN
xvi i i . 1
xv i i i . 1
xvi i i . 2— 12'
xvi ii . 13 , 14
xvi i i . 15, 16
xvi i i . 17 , 18
xvi i i . 19— 24
xvi i i . 25
59— 62 xvi i i . 26 , 2 7
xvi i i . 28
xvi i i . 28— 38
XX ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF
Th e Jews publi cly r eject Jesus ,and pr efer th e r obber andm urder er Bar abba s
Th e Jews clam our for th e
crucifixion . Pila te begins toyield
Pila tewa sh esh i sh andspublicly ,a s a S ign of pro test aga inst
th e injustice of th e Jews .
But,never th eless ,h e scourges
Jesus and deliver s h im to th e
insults and cruelty of th e
soldieryTh e soldier s tortur e Jesus andm ock h im a s a king
Pila te m akes one m ore a ttem pt
to r escue Jesus ; but fin allyauth or i z es h i s crucifixion
Jesus i s led for th to crucifixi on ;and br ough t to Calva ry
Th e crucifixion
Th e super scr iption on th e cro ss
Jesus comm ends h is m oth er to
th e beloved di scipleJesus i s m ocked by th e
pa sser s-by , by th e ch ief
priests , scr ibes and elder s ,and by th e two r obber s wh owere crucified wi th h im
Th e dying r obber repents and
r eceives th e prom i se o f
Pa r adi seTh e sacr ifice i s fin i sh ed . Jesusdies
Th e por tents wh ich a ccom
panied th e dea th of Jesu sTh e Side of Jesus i s p iercedwi th a spear
Joseph of Ar im a th aea begs th ebody of Jesus , and lays i t ina new rock -h ewn tom b in a
ga rden in Ca lvaryTh e two Ma rys , (th en dwellinga t Beth any , ) wa tch th e se
pulch re . Th e oth er wom en
from Galilee , (and th en dwelling in Jerusal em ,) a lso wa tchi t. Th ese la tter , th e Jerusa lem pa r ty , th en r eturn to
pr epa r e sp ices , &c . for em
balm ingSa turday
Th e sabba th rest Of th ewom en.
Th e jealous vigi lance of th e
ch i ef pr iests . Th ey seal th e
stone
Th e eve of th e Resurr ection.
Th e two Ma rys vi si t th e
tom bAfter th e two Marys h ave r e
turned from th e tom b, th eyand Salom e, (th e Jewi sh sabba th being now ended ,) buyaddi tional spices for th e em
balm ing
MATTHEW
xxvn . 15—21
xxvn . 22 , 23
xxv n. 24— 26
xxvi i . 27— 30
xxvn . 31— 34
xxvi i . 35, 36 ;38
xxvn . 37
xxvn . 39—44
xxvn . 45— 50
xxvn . 51— 56
xxv n. 57— 60
xxv n. 61
xxv n. 62—66
xxvi i i . 1
MARK
xv. 6—11
xv. 12— 14
xv. 15
xv. 16— 19
xv. 24 , 25 ; 27
v. 28 pla ced
in m argin
xv. 26
xv. 29— 32
xv. 33— 37
xv . 38—41
xv. 42—46
xv. 47
xvi . 1
LUKE
xxi i i . 13— 19
xxii i . 20— 23
xxi i i . 24 , 25
xxi ii . 26—33xxii i . 33— 35
xxi i i . 38
xxi i i . 35—37
xx i i i . 39— 43
xxi i i . 44—46
xx i i i . 45 ; 47-49
xxi i i . 50—54
xxi i i . 55 56
xxi i i . 56
xvi i i . 39 , 40
xix . 1
xix . 2 , 3
xix. 4— 16
xix . 16, 17
xix . 18 ; 23 ,24
xix. 19— 22
xix . 25—27
x ix. 28—30
xix . 31—37
xix . 38—42
xxii SUMMARY OF THE CONTENTS OF THE FOUR GOSPELS .
Pa ge Sec.
and tells th em , but th ey di s
believe(T h e F IRST app ea r a nce)
Ma ry Magdalene i s jo ined byth e o th er Ma ry . Ou th eir
way h om e Jesus appear s to
th em
(Th e SE COND appea r ance)Th e ch i ef priests br ibe th e
gu ard to give a false a ccountOf th e di sappearance of th e
body of JesusJesu s appear s to Cleopa s and
anoth er di sciple on th e wayto Emm aus
(The TH IRD app ea r ance)Jesus appea r s to th e apostle
Peter(Th e F OURTH a pp ea r a nce)
Cleopa s and h i s com panion re
h earse th eir tidings to th e
di sciples gath ered a t Jcrusalem . Th e disciples a re still
unbeli evingWh ile Cleopa s and h i s com
panion a re still va inly a d
dr essing th e unbelieving di sciples , Jesus suddenly ap
pear s in th eir m idst. Th om a s
only i s absent(The F IF TH app ea rance)
Jesus appea r s to th e disciples
wh en Th om a s i s present
(The SIXTH app ea r ance)Jesus appea rs to th e di sciples
a t th e sea of Galilee
(T he SEVENTH app ea r a nce)Jesus appear s to th e disciples
in th e presence Of five h undred(The EIGHTH app ea r a nce)
Jesus appear s to Jam es , h i s
br oth er(The NINTH appea r a nce)
Jesus appea r s to th e apostles atJerusa lem and a ccom panies
th em to Mount Olivet(Th e TENTH app ea r a nce)
Jesus a scends to th e r igh t h andof God
Th e apo stles pr each everywh ere
th at Jesus i s th e Chr i st , th eSon Of God
MATTHEW
xxvi i i . 9, 10
xxvii i . 11—15
Ma tt . xxvi ii .
16— 20
MARK
xvi . 9— 11
xvi . 12 , 13
xvi . 13
xvi . 14
xvi . 15 18
xvi . 20
LUKE JOHN
xx . 11— 18
xxiv . 13— 33
xxiv. 33, 34
xx iv. 35
xx . 19— 23
xxiv. 36—49 [Acts i . 4 , 5 ]
John xx .
24—29
xxi . 1— 24
[1 Cor . xv. 6]
[1 Cor . xv. 7]
xxiv. 50 [1 Cor . xv. 7 ]
xxiv. 50— 53
TABLE II.
TABLE FOR F IND ING ANY PASSAGE IN THE HARMONY .
MATTHEW.
Ch a pter Verses Section Ch apter Verses Section
xiii . 64 65
11 14
67 68
13 1769 70
26 27
80 81
85 86
34 36
XVII .
xviii .
xxiv TABLE FOR FINDING ANY PASSAGE IN THE HARMONY.
MATTHEW (continued) .
Ch apter Verses Section Ch apter Verses
xvi ii . 6— 20 114— 116
21— 35
130,131
xxvn .
153 , 154
xxiii .
xxv. 62— 66
177 , 178 xxviii .
16— 20
MARK .
21 22
14 15
Section
185— 187
203 , 204
213 , 219
229 , 230
237 , 238
56 58
64 65
67 68
TABLE FOR FINDING ANY PASSAGE IN THE HARMONY. xxv
MARK (continued) .
Ch apter Verses Section Ch apter Section
30— 34 69, 70
xiii .
82 , 83
86,87
185, 186
85 86
200 , 201
viii . 55— 64 202 , 203
203, 204
44,46
130 , 131 m a rgin
232,233
15— 18
xxvi TABLE FOR FINDING ANY PASSAGE IN THE HARMONY.
LUKE .
C hapter Verses Verses Section
8— 20
22— 38
131,132
11 - 14
15,16
58,59
47 , 48
63,64
69 , 70
125,126
51 , 52 xvfi.
53 , 54 136 137
64, 65 xvii i.
67 , 68
TABLE FOR FINDING ANY PASSAGE IN THE HARMONY. xxv n
LUKE (continued ) .
Ch apter Ver ses Section Ch apter Verses Section
xxiii .
m a rgin
XXII .
7— 13
220,221
188 , 189
8— 11
55— 57 203,204 232 , 233
204,205
36—49 234, 235
205 , 206
xxiii. 50— 53 239, 240
JOHN.
19 20
37 38
xiii .
xxviii TABLE FOR FINDING ANY PASSAGE IN THE HARMONY.
'
JOHN (continued ).
Ch apter Verses Section Ch apter Verses Section
1 26
26 27
ACTS. I. CORINTHIANS .
xxx INTRODUCTION — NOTE B .
th e most determined supporters of this theory,Ha lcombe
,h a s suggested an
origi nal and striking mode of dea ling with it. He ma intains that at some very
early,but unknown, da te a disloca tion in th e text of Luke wa s carelessly or
rashly made by one of th e first transcribers,and that others were misled by it
and followed th e er ror so caused. He indicates th e portion between xi . 14 and
xiii. 2 1 (both verses inclusive) a s th e displaced pa rt . According to this theory
this section originally followed viii. 2 1. He therefore transfers it en bloc, and
repla ces it between viii. 2 1 and and then proposes to “follow th e orderof Luke implicitly and without a single exception
,
”and to take tha t Gospel
so re-a rranged a s the'
standa rd by which th e other Gospels should be corrected .
Th e arguments in favour of this ingenious but startling proposal must be found inh is very interesting book .
But even if we adopt Halcom be’s th eory it will not get rid of a ll th e appa rent
discrepancies .
Bishop Jones,in th e Sp ea ker
’s Comm enta ry says
,
“AS St Matthew groupstogether events and discourses on th e principle of mutual likeness, St Luke connectsthem m a inly, though not inva r ia bly, according to their historical sequence .
”
Alford’s note i s,“We must not understand Luke to lay claim to any esp ecia l
“chr onolog i ca l a ccura cy in wr i ting
— Which indeed i s not found in h i s Gospel . He
tr a ced th e events in order a s they happened : but h e m ay have a r r a nged thema s other considera tions led him . These cautious express ions present probably th emost reliable view, and have guided m e in my arrangement of sections .
NOTE B .
THE TEMPLE AND THE SANCTUARY.
IN th e original Greek two words a re u sed to denote th e tem ple I, in wholeor in part. But a lthough there i s an important distinction between them
,th e
Authorized Vers ion h a s unfortuna tely confused these words by adopting th e sameEnglish rendering in a ll ca ses for both. Th e Revised Vers ion h a s pa rtly
,but not
completely, corrected th e error.
These two words a re Zepév (h ieron) and va ds (na os). Th e first means,litera lly
,
th e “sa cred thing and embra ces th e whole consecr a ted a rea of th e temple
,with
i ts numerous buildings and courts . Th e second means,literally
,th e “dwelling
place,
”
(from m ics ) and describes that portion of th e temple which consisted of th eh oly pla ce or sanctuary, where stood th e table of Shewbread , th e golden candlestick (Ex xxvi . and th e a lta r of incense . Included in this wa s th e “most holy“pla ce
,where, in a special sense
,God dwelt in h is “house or “dwelling place
above the mercy-seat.In forty-five passages th e word in th e Greek i s “hieron
,and i s therefore
properly transla ted by th e inclusive term “temple,” both in th e Authorized and
Revised Vers ions .
New Testam ent , vol. I . , page 310 . (oh ms) . Th ese will be found a t Ma tt . x11. 4 ,
Vol. I ., page 440 . Ma rk 11 . 26 , Luke vi . 4 , 46 ; a lso a t Luke
I In five pla ces th e h oly pla ce or sanctu xi . 51, 62,and a t Joh n i i . 16, 26 .
a ry i s figura tively ca lled God’
s“h ouse ”
INTRODUCTION — NOTE C . xxxi
Th e word na os occurs nineteen times In two only of these, (Ma tt. xxiii. 35
170 , and xxvn . 5, th e Revised Vers ion properly translates it “sanctuary.
This should ha ve been done in all th e nineteen cases ; but, unfor tuna'
gely, in th e
other seventeen instances th e word “ temple ”i s retained in th e text
,and adds
th e a lterna tive reading sanctuary ” in th e margin . In every one Of these pla cesth e mistranslation is to be regretted, a nd th e substitution of “temple ” for “ sanctua ry frequently causes th e reader to lose th e point of th e true rendering. Thusin Luke i. 9
,2 1 , 22 , 5
,it destroys th e distinction between th e temp le
— Whereth e whole multitude of th e people were praying without (verse 10 ) and
marvelled while h e ta rried ”— and th e sa nctua ry, within whose solemn silenceth e “angel of th e Lord a ppea red standing on th e right s ide Of th e alta r Of
incense .
”
Again,in Matt. xxvii. 51 , Ma rk
'
xv. 38, and Luke xxiii . 45 (all in we
a re in danger of forgetting that th e rent veil wa s tha t veil of th e sa nctua ry whichdivided th e holy place from th e most holy pla ce . This ve il wa s double , consistingof an inner and outer veil
,both of immense thickness and weight. Though th e
holy pla ce wa s only trodden by th e priests , th e people in th e outer court couldsee over th e partition , th e height of which wa s one cubit, equal to 18 24 feet.Th e outer ve il therefore
,and
,when that wa s removed
,th e inner ve il behind it were
visible to th e people. At th e day and hour of our Lord’s death it wa s th e duty
Of a priest to enter th e space between th e two veils and to roll back th e outer
veil . Th e inner veil being thus disclosed th e worshipping crowd beheld itmiraculously rent from top to bottom. Th e portent symbolised th e destruction
of all Spiritual distinction between Jew and Gentile,and of every ceremonial
and legal Obstruction interposed between God a nd m an.
Th e reader will be repaid by a reference to th e other pa ssages enumerated at
th e - foot of this page ; and by observing in all of them th e special force of th e
d istinction thus drawn . And see also Hebrews x. 19— 22 .
NOTE C.
THE GENEALOGIES OF JESUS CHRIST.
THE genealogies given by Matthew and Luke have been vigorously assailed by
sceptical wr iters .
We may rema rk at th e outset, tha t, however serious their historical deficiencies
m ay be, these do not affect th e value of th e Gospels . Ma tthew and Luke took
th e best genealogy they could respectively get fr om public record or family
hi story.It may well be tha t after many generations, dur ing which th e na tion
had been enslaved and scattered repeatedly, these records had become faulty.
But th e Evangelists could not discover or remedy th e defect. They would
naturally, and very properly, copy closely ; so that any one seeking to verify
Namely , in Matt. xxi ii. 16 (twice) , 17 , 5 ; xxiii . 45 ; Joh n ii . 19, 20, 21 , 26.
2 1,35 , 170 ; xxvi . 61 , 204 ; xxvii. 5 , Som e of th ese a re pa ra llel pa ssages ; th ey
2 11 ; xxvi i . 40 , 223 ; xxvii . 51, 226 ; a re a ll included in th e sections h erein cited.
Ma rk xiv. 58 ; xv. 29 , 38 ; Luke i . 9 , 21, 22 ,
xxxu INTRODUCTION — NOTE C.
th e descent of Jesus Chr ist might find, in their statements, accurate representations of th e accepted genealogy.
Th e chief objections to these genea logies a re substantially a s followsI . Matthew omits four persons whose histories a re recorded in th e books of
Kings a nd Chronicles .
II . Th e names recorded by Ma tthew do not agree with h is own summaryin chap. i . verse 17 .
III. Matthew’s list differs widely from tha t found in Luke.
I. There is no doubt tha t Matthew h a s om i tted (from th e second ser ies
of fourteen) th e names of Aha ziah,Joa sh , Ama ziah, and Jeh oiakim . Th e Specia l
reasons for th e omiss ion of these fou r will appear more fully when we discussobjection N 0 . II . But it i s also obvious tha t in th e th i rd series several names
must be wa nting. This appears, not only by a compa r ison with th e much longerlist given by Luke, but from a considera tion of th e length of time involved .
Between th e Captivity and th e birth of our Lord 610 years elapsed ; giving, forea ch of th e fourteen in th e third series , an average dura tion of 43 yea rs ; whichi s fa r beyond th e probable period It i s clea r , therefore, that th e Evangelistdid not record every step in th e pedigree . He desired to exhibit with substantia laccuracy th e lineage of our LORD. Th e omiss ion of individua l names does not
interfere with this purpose so long a s th e actua l and direct descent is preservedand shewn . Such omissions were, in fact, frequent in Jewish genealogies . Forinstance, in 2 Kings xx. 18,
“sons that shall issue from thee means
,in fa ct
,
great-great-grandsons . In 2 Chron . xxi i. 9 th e “son
” of Jehoshaphat i s reallyh is grandson : and in th e two pedigrees of Ezra in 1 Chron . vi . 3— 15 and Ezra vii.1— 5 a s imilar and very remarka ble instance occurs . In th e la tter record— givenby Ezra himself— h e omits seven genera tions of h is own ancestors ; and amongstthem h e actually leaves out th e name of h is own father
,ca lling himself th e
son of Sera iah,wh o wa s in fact h is grandfa ther.
II . Th e second Objection made by Strau ss and others is tha t th e namesgiven by Ma tthew do not ta lly with h i s own concluding summa ry. He mentions4 1 per sons fr om Abraham to Jesus (both included) . But it is objected tha t inverse 17 h e sta tes that there a re three distinct series
,each consisting Of four teen
genera tions,and mak ing 42 in all ; and tha t therefore one a t lea st i s somewhere
omitted. This supposed lapsus i s localised differently by different critics . Th e
first series i s thus given,“Th e genera tions from Abrah am to David a re four teen
genera tions . Including both Abraham and Da vid in this calcula tion,which
everybody a grees should be done,this reckoning is accura te. But th e a lleged
difi‘i culty arises with th e second series
,for if it be counted in th e same way
(including both th e first and th e la st) we have not fourteen degrees but fifteen,
including David and Jech on ia h . If,on th e other hand
,David’s name be omitted
in th e second series on th e ground that it h a s a lready been counted in th e first,
it would seem that we ought to apply th e same principle to th e third series and
omit Jech oniah , wh o h a s been already mentioned in th e second series . And,— so
For instance , th e a ctua l avera ge from p rosper ity . Dur ing tim es of di sa ster , capDa vid to Jeh oi akim wa s only 25 yea rs. tivi ty and revolution , th e successions wouldTh is wa s a period of com para tive na tiona l be fa r m ore frequent and rapid .
INTRODUCTION .— NOTE C . xxxiii
reckoned,— th e third series contains only thirteen names and not fourteen, a s it
ought to do .To explain this appa rent discrepancy severa l suggestions have at various times
been made. More than 1500 years ago Jerome supposed that a verse had beendropped by some early transcriber. This alterna tive h a s been adopted in our owndays by so lea rned a prelate a s Bp . Hervey. In Smith’s D ictiona ry of the B ible,vol . I . p. 667, h e says : “Th e explanation i s, that either in th e process Of translation or otherwise th e names of Jch oi ak im and Jeh o ia ch in have got confusedand expressed by th e one name Jech onia h . For that Jech oniah , in ver . 11
,
means Jeh o iakim,while in ver . 12 it means Jeh oi a ch in, i s quite certa in , as
Jerome saw long ago It seems that this identi ty of name h a s led to somecorruption in th e text of very early date, and that th e clause ‘And Jech oniah
“ ‘ begat Jech oniah ’h a s fallen out &c.
I confess tha t I Shrink from th e expedient of inventing Scriptur e. It seems
to m e at once feeble and fatal. There i s not,in any of th e ancient MSS.
,a
particle of support for th e interpolation. And th e device does no t even answerth e purpose des igned. For when we examine closely we shall find that it reallyadds a generation to th e second series where it i s not wanted
,instead of to th e
third series , which is apparently deficient. Wesley (following Bengel and others )says shortly
,
“ In order to complete th e three four teens, David ends th e fir stfourteen ; and begins th e second (which reaches to th e Captivity) ; and Jesus
ends th e third fourteen .
”But h e gives no reason for omi tting Jech oniah from
th e second fourteen,nor does h e suggest why th e division is mad e at all. Alford
i s a lmost equally vague. He says that th e “first tessera decade is from Abraham“to Da vid
,of course inclus ive . Th e second from Da vid (aga in inclus ive) to th e
migra tion ; which gives no name,a s before , to be included in both th e second
and third per iods, but which i s mentioned s imultaneously with th e begetting
of Jech on iah , leaving h im for th e third per iod.
”
All this i s very unsa tisfa ctory and confused. And I think that a clear vi ewOf Matthew ’
s des ign a s h e states it in h i s own words will clearly shew how h eintended to divide h is list
,and why h e did so . Th e key i s given j ust where it i s
most likely to be found,namely
,in th e very first verse, which governs th e whole
chapter,but th e true bearing of which h as been constantly overlooked.
According to th e view hitherto taken by expositors it h a s been assumed thatMa tthew’
s great point i s merely that th e whole list happens to fa ll into threefourteens ; and no important principle i s generally extracted from th e chapter.Sur ely this would not be a very solemn or dignified exordium to th e Gospels.
If however we steadily keep in mind th e theses sta ted in th e first verse we shall
find that th e lists a re strictly accur ate,and that they convey important historical
and theological truth .
Matthew wrote h is Gospel sp eci a lly for the Jews. Now th e two names inHebrew history which they regarded with th e greatest affection and pride werethose of Abraham and Da vid. And th ese had, moreover, a peculiar Messianicsigni ficance possessed by none beside them. It wa s prophesied wi th respect toAbra ham tha t in h is “
seed ” Should “all th e nations of th e ea rth be blessed.
”
(Gen . xxu . It wa s prophesied with respect to D a vid that this seed ofAbraham should reign upon th e throne of David for ever (Isaiah ix . 6,
xxx iv INTRODUCTION — NOTE C.
It wa s,in th e estima tion of a Jew
,essential to Messiahship that th e Messiah must
sa tisfy these conditions . He must be th e “seed ” of th e p a tr i a r ch , and th e
descendant of th e h ing And therefore Ma tthew properly starts with thispropos ition at th e very outset, tha t h e wa s “th e son of David
, th e son ofAbraham.
”Th e genea logy is governed by these two dominant thoughts. Th e
fir st design (chronologically) i s to shew that Jesus wa s th e “seed of Abraham .
”
This i s (1) sta ted as a proposition in th e first verse,
“th e son of Abraham.
It is (2) traced (in th e pa ragraph cons isting Of verses 2 to 6) by a record of na turalprocrea tions through Da vid and through th e p a tr i a rcha l line to Abraham . Itis th en (3) empha sized by th e summary of this pa rt of th e genealogical line,by itself
,in th e first clause Of th e 17th verse . And this enumeration of fourteen
names i s str ictly a ccurate, including both Abraham and David.
But th e Evangelist also propounds a second thesis ; quite distinct, but of
equal historic, prophetic and theological importance,viz. tha t Jesus was th e
rightful successor to th e throne of David . Specia l attention i s ch a llenged tothis new thought by th e words “David the Icing
”in verse 6 . Th e propos ition
is (1) stated in th e first verse,“th e son of David.
” It i s (2) traced (in th e
para graph consisting Of verses 6 to 11) by a record of roya l ancestors . It i s then
(3) emphas ised by th e summary of this part of th e line,— by itself,— in th e secondclause of th e 17th verse.
And now we reach th e reason wh y Jeh o iakim wa s purposely omitted,and
instead of adopting th e clumsy and dangerous expedient of inventing a new versewe find tha t th e sacred record i s logica lly accura te a s it stands .
This part of th e line i s th e r oya l line . Now whatever disasters had occurredfrom time to time to th e Jewish people, th e k ings from Da vid to Josiah were free
and independent sovereigns . But Josiah wa s sla in by Pha raoh-Nech oh at Megiddo,
and was th e la st free k ing of Judah. Jeh oah a z succeeded him nomina lly,but wa s
in reality the subject Of th e Egyptian conqueror. His empty dignity la sted forthr ee months . He obeyed th e summons of h is ma ster and went to Riblah
,and
thence into captivity in Egypt, where h e died . Pha ra oh made h is brother Eliak im(Jeh o iak im ) a vassa l-k ing or satrap in h is place. But th e unfortuna te and helplessmonarch wa s almost immedia tely subjuga ted by another tyrant, and in this instance
th e humiliation and destruction were more complete. Th e Assyrians invadedJudaca, a nd not sa tisfied with ravaging and plundering th e country they ca rried
Jeh oiak im away captive to Babylon. He had been for a time th e puppet of Egyp t,but even h is nominal sovereignty wa s now destroyed and th e roya lty of th e lineof David wa s finally extinguished. Th e summary Of this pa rt Of th e genealogyadopts a ccordingly a s ignificant change of express ion. Th e former summa ry wa s“from Abraham to David — from one p erson to another p erson. But this is froma p erson to an event. It i s not “ from David to Jech onia h ” but “ from Da vid to
th e ca rrying away to Ba bylon.
” And th e lis t Of names from David to Josiah
(from th e founder Of th e roya l line to th e Captivity which ended h is dynasty) is
correctly sta ted a s fourteen .
We have now only to account for th e omission of Ahaziah, Joa sh and Ama ziah.
As to th e fulfilm ent of th e first o f th ese As to th e second , see Luke i . 32 , 6 ; Actsrequi rem ents in th e person o f Jesus Ch r i st, i i . 30 850 .
see Luke 1 . 55, 73 , 7 , 8 ; Gal. iii . 14 , 16 .
INTRODUCTION — NOTE C. xxxv
This genealogy (a s we have previously observed) wa s a quas i-public record ; andit wa s influenced by th e theocratic traditions of th e ra ce. A fundamenta l principleof th e chosen people wa s found in th e Deca logue (Exodus xx.
“ I th e Lord thy“God am a jea lous God
,visiting th e iniquity of th e fathers upon th e children
,upon
th e third and upon th e fourth generation of them that hate m e . This principleregula ted their traditional genealogies . Jehovah h ad pronounced upon Ahab
(1 Kings xxi . 2 1) th e curse“ I will utterly sweep thee away
,a nd will cut off from
“Ahab every m an child .
” To this curse reference wa s frequently made directly andindirectly in subsequent history. And from th e recognised genealogies of th e k ings
h is descendants “ to th e third and fourth genera tion ” were solemnly erased.
Jchoram i s given a s th e s ixth name after David. He married Atha liah th e
daughter of Aha b . Sh e wa s Ahab’s child of th e first genera tion , Aha zia h of th e
second,Joa sh - of th e third, Ama zia h of the fourth . None of these were allowed
a pla ce in th e Mess ianic line,which wa s continued however through Uzziah th e
son of Amaziah.
We have only th e third fourteen now left for cons ideration . Jech oniah (orJeh o ia ch in) wa s th e son of Jos iah
,and though rightly excluded from th e list of
hings, h e i s included in th e family succession , which wa s lega lly continued throughhim. He lived at Babylon for many years a fter th e Ca ptivity (2 Kings xxv. 27)h is name takes i ts proper place a fter that da te for th e purpose of tracing th enatural and legal descent — and it a ccomplishes th e exa ct number of fourteenin th e next paragraph (verses 12 to which sets forth th e genea logy “fromth e carrying away to Babylon un to th e Christ,
” —from Jech onia h to Jesus .
III . Th e next objection that i s made is that Matthew’s list differs widely from
tha t found in Luke .
It will be convenient at this point to tabulate th e two genea logies a s givenby Matthew a nd Luke respectively
,adding in italics th e names that have been
omitted.
Matthew adopts th e descending MATTHEW.
or_
sr . Luke gives h is list in th e
ascending order. I ha ve reversedLuke’s list
,so a s to enable us to
compare it with Matthew ’
s ]
MATTHEW.
INTRODUCTION .—NOTE C.xxxvi
MATTHEW.
1 David (“th e k ing
2 Solomon3 Rehoboam4
5 Asa
6 Jeh osh aph a t7 JoramAha z i a h
Joa sh
Am a z ia h
8 Uzziah9 Jotham10 Ahaz1 1 Hezek iah12 Mana sseh13 Amon14 Josiah
Jeh oi a kim
(Th e Captivity)
1 Jech oniah2 Shea ltiel
Th e first noteworthy difference between these two lists i s tha t they comm ence
a t drf er entp er i ods. We have seen that Ma tthew wr ote for th e Jews and that h is
specia l object wa s to trace our Lord’s descent through th e grea t Jewish king to th egrea t Jewish progenitor,— through David to Abraham : and h e th erefore begins with“th e fa ther of th e fa ithful . Th e earlier names had no genea logica l interest or va lueto th e Jews , and wou ld not appea r in th e family pedigree handed down to Joseph,and kept by him in th e reverent look ing for th e coming of th e promised Messiah .
Luke wa s a Gentile probably a physician residing in Tr oas until h is conversion
under th e ministry of Paul . He therefore disca rds th e merely Jewish tradition and
limita tion of th e line . He ca rries it back beyond th e founda tion of th e Jewish
nation,beyond th e time which th ey recognised a s th e birth of th e Jewish race .
He goes right through to th e common fath er of both Jews and Gentiles,th e first
crea ted m an,and to God Himself, th e Fa ther of a ll mank ind. By this extens ion
of th e genealogy Luke supplies th e fu lfilm ent of another prophecy. He shewsJesu s to be not only th e Son of David
,and th e Son of Abraham
,but th e “Son
of Man,
”wh o also i s th e Son of God ; a nd who, in th e fulness of time, should
bruise th e serpent’s head. See Gen . iii. 15 and Heb. ii. 14 .
Th e second noteworthy point i s tha t a lthough from Abraham to Da vid th e
lines agr ee, (th e only difference being in th e substitution of “Arni ” for th e
Hebrew equiva lent yet, a fter David, they entirely diverge Two
Luke i s a contra cted form of th e Rom an
nam e Lucanus ; or , a ccording to Meyer , o fLucili us , and in eith er ca se indica tes a
Rom an or igin . No Hebrew nam e i s ever
given to h im . Th a t h e wa s not born a Jew
i s a lso sh ewn by th e fa ct th a t St Pa ul didnot reckon h im am ongst “ th em o f th e ci r
cum ci sion ”
; see 0 0 1. iv. 11 and 14 . It i s
significant th a t h e i s th e only evangelist
wh o records th e Rom an titles and governm ental distr icts . See Luke 11. 1 , 2 , 11 ;
and ii i . 1, 20 .
1' Th ey appear to reunite for a t im e in
Zerubbabel and Sh ea ltiel. But I do not
believe th ese nam es in th e two pedigreesrefer to th e sam e persons . See Robinson’
s
note on th is subject , .page 198 .
xxxviii INTRODUCTION .—NOTE D .
command,but a lso that if Luke ’s list refers to Joseph , whether by Levirate or
otherwise, we ha ve a ctually no genealogy of Jesus at all. As we have just seenMa tthew’
s pedigree would be perfectly sa tisfa ctory to th e Jews a nd thereforefulfilled its pu rpose. But we know tha t Jesus wa s born of a virgin, tha t h isAbrahamic and Davidic descent must in fact both come through Mary ; and tha ton no other footing can th e requirements of prophecy and h istory be fulfilled.
Unless th e genealogy given by Luke does , in fact, record th e pedigree of Mary,we have no proof whatever that Christ sa tisfied th e predictions that .th e Messiahshould be th e seed of. Abraham and of Da vid : and th e whole argument derivedfrom this class of evidence must rest on a mere fiction of th e law A large numberof learned expositors have therefore ma inta ined that
(2) Th e genealogy given by Luke i s in fact that of th e Virgin Ma ry. Robinson
(p. 198) puts this concisely a s follows If,a s i s most probable
,this relation
“to Heli came by marriage with h is daughter, so that Joseph was truly h i sson-in-law (compare Ruth i . 8, 11, 12) then it follows, that th e genea logy in Lukeis in fa ct that of Mary th e mother of Jesus . This being so , we can per ceivea sufficient reason wh y this genealogy should be th us given
,viz. in order to
shew definitely,that Jesus wa s in the m ost full a nd perfect sense a descendant
of David ; not only by law in th e roya l line of kings through h is reputed father,but also in fact by direct personal descent through h is mother.” It wa s naturalthat Luke
,writing not for th e Jewi sh nation but for th e whole world, should reject
th e technical theory of their law- should begin h is Gospel with th e mira culousconception and birth of th e Christ, a nd then should record that genea logy whichalone could be of interest or value to th e world at large, and should trace th e true
earthly descent of th e divine-human Word through h i s virgin mother up to Godhimself.
One other suggestion remains to be noted, though not perhaps a s important a sth e preceding. It i s founded on th e form of th e language employed by Luke. He
describes Jesus a s“being th e son (a s wa s supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli.”
These italicised words m ay be interpreted in two ways'
;a s referr ing to Joseph or to
Jesus . They m ay be read, a s already observed, a s meaning th e son of Joseph, th e
son (in law) of Heli.” Or th e true rendering may be “th e son (a s was supposed)
of Joseph ” but in truth “th e (grand)son of Heli.” Either of these versions would
be admissible in accordance with th e Jewish idiom, (especially seeing that th e word
son is supplied by th e translators, and i s not found in th e origina l Greek) and both
lead to th e same result.
NOTE D .
“HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE.
”
Section 18.
FEW biblical controversies a re more perplexing than that which arises fromth e fa ct tha t this prediction cannot be found in any book of prophecy now extant.Four solutions of th e difficulty have been suggested. They a re a s follows
( 1) Th e first rests upon th e proposed substitution of Na z ir ite fo r Naza rene .
INTRODUCTION —NOTE D .
Th e Na z ir ites were m en consecrated to God , pledged to absta in from intoxicants ,and having certain other external and formal distinctions .
For th e law on this subject see Numbers vi . 2 &c .
,and for illustrations (i f it see
Judges xiii . 5 and 1 Samuel i . 11. It h a s been suggested tha t to say He shall be“called a Nazirite
,wa s equivalent to saying—J ‘He shall be known a s a pure and
“self-denying m an
,—and that th e passage, thus understood , is sa tisfied by th e
numerous predictions of th e spotless and self-sa cr ificing life of our Lord . There a re
three answers which conclus ively destroy this interpreta tion .
(a ) Th e words Na za rene and Nazirite a re ra dica lly distinct in their etym o
logy. Th e two forms used in th e New Testament m ay be found amongst other pla ces
at Mark i . 24 , 37 (Na ga pqwis) and Ma rk x . 47, 152 Both these forms
a re used exclusively to signify an inha bitant of Na za reth, and entirely differ from
th e Greek forms of Nazirite (Na gi’
p and Na gipa i o g), which a re found in th e Septuagint
(Judg. xi ii . 5 and Lament . iv.
(6) Our Lord never wa s a Nazirite and if this be th e true form of th eprophecy, h e certainly did not fulfil it. On th e contrary h e pointedly drew
attention to th e contrast in this respect between himself and th e Na zirite,John th e
Baptist (Ma tt. xi. 18,19 ,
(c) This reading would absolutely stultify th e prophecy. Th e whole pointof th e verse (Ma tt. i i. 23 , 18) is that h e
“dwelt in a city called Na za reth,and that this fact wa s th e fulfilment of a prophecy . Th e inconsequence of th epassage if th e idea of th e Na zirite is introduced will be seen by substituting th emean ing of th e word in th e pla ce of th e word itself. It would then rea d “He
dwelt in Nazareth and wa s called a Na zarene tha t h e might fulfil th e prophecythat h e should be called a holy m an .
” Or,aga in
,
“He wa s ca lled a Naza rene“tha t h e might fulfil th e prophecy tha t h e should be ca lled a Na z ir ite .
” It i s clea r
that this i s s imply absurd.
(2 ) Some commentators think that there is here a reference to Isaiah xi . 1,
where th e Messiah i s called a “branch,
” which is,in th e Hebrew
,netser . But this
i s very forced .
“Netser i s not “Na za rene.
”And if we adopt this rendering,
it would logically involve th e consequence that our Lord should h ave been called
and known as“Branch
,
” wh ich wa s not fulfilled in h is history. Indeed h e actuallydisowned this title . See John xv. 5 , 193
,where it i s Specifically given to h is
disciples in contrast to himself.
(3) It h a s been suggested that th e Evangelist referred to some prophecy ofwhich we now have no record . He may have derived h is knowledge from tradition,or from some m anuscript now lost. We have evidence in 2 Timothy iii. 8 and
in Jude 9 and 14 tha t Paul and Jude had access to records or tra ditions which
we do not now possess. Th e destruction of Jerusalem,—th e awful ca tastrophe in
Jewish history of which i t wa s a part,— th e calamities and per secutions of th e earlyChristians
,— th e determined ma lignity with which heathen mona rchs strove to
blot out all traces of Jewish or Christian literature,might well account for such
a loss. And recent discover ies of ancient manuscripts m ay not unreasonably en
courage th e hope that poss ibly we m ay even yet recover some hitherto unknown
trea sures,which m ay throw light on ma tters at present involved in doubt. This
solu tion of th e difficulty commends itself strongly to my own judgment. But
th e weight of modern a uthority i s on th e s ide of th e fourth answer ; viz.
xl INTRODUCTION — NOTE E.
(4) Nazareth is not mentioned in th e.Old Testament nor in th e Talmud.
Its early history is unknown . How it became a village or town, or why it shouldbecome a synonym for contempt we cannot tell. But such wa s undoubtedly
th e ca se . This fa ct i s th e founda tion for th e more generally a ccepted explana tionof this pa ssage, which i s clearly and concisely stated by Wa tson in h is Expos ition,page 42 . Commenting on Ma tt. ii. 23, 18
,h e says No such passage occurs in th e
Old Testament, nor can St Ma tthew refer to any particular text, because h e does“not refer to any pa rticular prophet ; for h is phra se i s
‘ tha t it may be fulfilled,which wa s spoken by the p rophets,
’ in th e plural ; so tha t something wa s thus
accomplished in Christ,to which a ll th e proph ets gave concurrent testimony. Now
it is pla in that they all agree tha t h e should be ‘despised ’a s well as rejected
of m en ; that h e should be an object of contumely and reproa ch and therefore, a s
Wh itby well remarks,th e angel sent him to this contemptible pla ce, that h e
might have a name of infamy put upon him.
’ He shall be called mean and con
tem ptible, a s th e root of th e word s ignifies, a s well a s separated. How Nazareth
wa s esteemed, we lea rn from th e words of th e mild Nathana el,
‘ Can any goodthing come out of Nazareth and th e title Na zarene h as been by Jews , and other
enemies,a lways given in contempt to our Saviour and hi s disciples . All th e other
specula tions of comm entators on this designation appear to be fanciful and
groundless .
” See M°Clellan,page 626.
NOTE E .
JEWISH SECTS,TRADES
, &c.
SOME words and names are used in th e Gospels with meanings different tothose whi ch they bea r i n modern days and others describe occupations, or modesof thought
,which have no parallel in our own time. It will be well to collect
and explain them.
PUBLICANS .
Secti on 20,a nd elsewhere.
Th e PUBLICAN, with us,is one whose bus iness it is to keep a house of entertain
ment,open to th e public for th e sa le
, specially,of intoxica ting liquors. There
is no connexion whatever between such a n occupation and th e tra de of th epublicans ” referred to in Scripture. At th e time of our Lord “th e publicanswere fa rmers of th e ta xes imposed on th e Jews by the Rom a n governm ent. Theywere pa rticula rly odious to th e people
,wh o cons idered them a s no better than
traders in th e slavery of their country,and moreover found them often abus ing
“their office for th e purpose of extortion,see Luke xix. 8, Robinson
,
page 10 . These taxes h ad no connexion with tha t mentioned below,in th e
paragraph on money changers,
and which wa s a purely Jewish impost.
INTRODUCTION — NOTE E. xli
CHANGERS or MONEY.
Sections 26 a nd 159 .
Th e MONEY-CHANGERS were persons wh o carried on th eir business at th e
market which wa s held in th e temple in th e outer court or court of th e Gentiles .
“This ma rket appea rs to ha ve sprung up s ince th e Captivity, wi th a view to th e
conven ience of those Jews wh o came from a distance ; to provide them with
th e bea sts for offer ing, and to change their foreign money into th e sacred Shekel,(Exod . xxx. 13 which a lone wa s allowed to be pa id in for th e temple capi
“ta tion ta x (Matt. xvii . 24— 2 7, This tax wa s sometimes (a s in th e ca se just
cited) paid elsewhere than in Jeru sa lem but genera lly there and in th e temple.
Th e very fact of th e ma rket being held there would produce an unseemly mixtureof sacred and profane transa ctions , even setting as ide th e a buses which would becerta in to be mingled with th e tra ffic . It i s to th e form er of these evils tha tour Lord makes reference in th e fir st cleansing ; in th e second
,to th e la tter .
Alford’s note on John ii . 14 , 26 . See Smith ’s D iet. of the B ible ; title— “Money“changers .
” This necessity for th e exchange of Roman into Jewish money, and th e
exclusive use of th e la tter for th e service of th e temple, gives th e point and force to
our Lord’s testing question Whose is this image and superscription See Matt.
xx n. 20 and para llel passages, 166 .
LAWYERS .
Section 41,a nd elsewh er e.
Th e word LAWYER m eans genera lly, one Skilled in th e law ; and especially onewh o i s devoted to it a s a profess ion . It would seem to be used in this sense
in T itus iii . 13 . Its modern u se i s practically restricted to those who a re pro
fessiona lly devoted to th e pra ctice of th e m uni cip a l law ; but in th e Gospelsit s ignifies a person who wa s lea rned in th e law of Moses
,a nd who taught it
to students Such per sons a re som etimes called “ lawyers,
”and som etimes
“tea chers or “doctors of th e law. Ma tt. xxi i . 35 , 168 , and Luke v. 17, 4 1.
Part of th eir employment generally cons isted in tha t which was th e specia l occu
pa tion and professional business of th e “scr i bes
” — namely,in writing copies of th e
law,of th e most esteemed commenta ries upon it
,and tra ditions connected with it :
hence m any of them (if not a ll) were a lso known a s scr i bes. Thus th e la wyermentioned in Matt. xxii . 35, 168 i s ca lled a scr ibe in th e para llel pa ssage in Markx1 1 28 . And th e “doctors of th e law mentioned in Luke v. 17 a re calledscribes ”
in verse 2 1. See 4 1.
SCRIBES .
Secti on 170, a nd elsewh er e.
Th e SCRIBES m ay have included other learned Jews a s well a s th e lawyers (seeth e paragraph above under th e head But th e word a lways denotes aprofession
,a nd not a sect. “As religionists they generally favoured th e views
and abetted th e party of th e Pha risees ; hence th e mention of both together inmany pla ces . Robinson, p. 33. See Matt. v. 20 , 50
,and especially Matt. xxiii.
p a ssim , 170 .
xl ii INTRODUCTION — NOTE E.
PHARISEES.
Secti on 20,a nd elsewhere.
Th e PHARISEES were th e largest and most powerful religious sect amongstth e Jews in th e time of our Lord . Their name i s derived from th e Hebrew words ignifying separated.
” It i s of th e same root a s th e “Peres ” or Ph a rs in” of th e
miraculou s.
writing on th e wall which announced th e doom of Belsha zza r (D an . v.
2 5, At first th e title of Separa ted ” referred to their resolute determination
to resist th e adoption of Grecian customs , and th e slightest departure from th e
requirements of their own Law. It especia lly indicated their opposition to th eattempt of Antiochus Epiph anes to break down all th e ba rriers of race and customwhich sepa ra ted th e Jews from h i s other subjects ; and to “mingle ”
th e nations .
They believed in th e existence of angels and spirits and in th e resurrection of th edead, but their m a in and distinctive doctrine wa s tha t “by th e s ide of th e writtenlaw regarded a s a summary of th e principles and general laws of th e Hebrewpeople there wa s an ora l law to complete and expla in th e written law — That in th ePenta teuch there wa s no precept
,and no regulation
,ceremonial
,doctrinal
,or legal
,
of which God had not given to Moses all explanations necessary for their applica“tion
,with th e order to transmit them by word of mouth .
”See th e title Phari
sees” in Smith’s D iet. of the B ible. In addition to these tra ditions they held
a mass of others for which no Mosa ic authority or origin wa s cla imed, and a vastsystem of ceremonia l Observances wa s enjoined. Complicated laws a s to cleannessand uncleanness, and endless forms of public and private worship rendered religionan intolera ble burden, and in many respects an absurd contradiction
,and th e
tendency and result of such teaching were that th e spirit wa s lost in th e letter,and
th e power of godliness degenerated into a merely externa l and hypocriticalforma lism . They “made void th e word of God because of their tradition,
” Matt.xv. 1— 9 , 94 . They carried this so far
'
a s to hold tha t, by observing th e law and
th e traditions,a m an might not only be justified before God, but might even attain
to th e merit of supereroga tion,and accordingly they were generally self-righteous ,
and shewed a contemptuou s aver sion to th e Gospel doctrine of justification or
salva tion by grace . It is ea sy to understand why,with such theories and practices,
th e Pharisees were our Lord’s bitterest and most dangerous foes .
ZEALOTS .
Secti on 49 .
Th e ZEALOTS were a sect whose doctrines were origina lly allied to those.
of th ePha risees . But their fanaticism led them into turbulent and cruel excesses. Theytook th e example of Phinehas (Numb . xxv. 7, 8) a s their justifica tion for tak ingjustice into their own hands and punishing offenders against th e law. This sect
eventua lly brought upon Jerusalem its destruction (Alford). They occupy aprominent pla ce in th e wa rs of th e Jews a s recorded by Josephus ; see especiallybook IV. ch . v. 1, 5 , &c. and book VII. ch . viii. 1. Th e only mention of them in
th e Gospels i s in connexion with one of th e a postles , Simon th e Ka va va i os , orCananaean
,which i s wrongly transla ted Canaanite ”
in th e Authorized Vers ion,Ma tt. x. 4 andMark iii . 18, 87 and 49 . Th e word i s not in fact a local name a s this
mistranslation would induce us to think . It h a s no reference a s generally supposed
INTRODUCTION — NOTE E . xliii
to Canaan, nor (a s Luther seems to have thought) to Cana. It i s in fact an
attempt to present in a Greek form th e Chaldee word Kanusa n which isproperly
rendered in Luke vi . 15 , 49 , and Acts i. 13 , 254 by (al to-mfg in th e Greek , and“zealot” in th e English . S imon h ad probably belonged to this sect before h e
became a disciple of Jesus, and wa s afterwards called by this name in order to
di stinguish hi m from Simon Peter.
SADDUCEES .
Secti on 2 0,a nd elsewhere.
Th e SADDUCEES were a Jewish sect whose origin i s involved in much obscurity.
T h e better opinion (see Smith’s D i et. Bible) seems to be that their name i s derived
fr om “Zadok ites,
”— followers of th e descendants of Zadok . They were origina llyidentical with th e sons of Zadok
,and constituted what may be termed a k ind
of sacerdota l aristocracy, to which were afterwards attached all who, for any
reason, considered themselves a s belonging to th e aristocracy, such for example
a s th e fami ly of th e high priest who had obtained consideration under th e dynastyof Herod. These were for th e most part judges
,and individuals of th e ofiicial and
governing cla ss .
Th e fundamental distinction between them and th e Pharisees was that they
denied that there wa s any authoritative Oral Law handed down by tradition from
Moses,which wa s th e central doctrine of th e Pharisaic creed. They held that th e
logical result of this view wa s th e rejection of belief in th e resurrection of th e dead,or in th e existence of angels or Spirits , and that there wa s no controlling Provi denceover th e affairs and actions of m en.
HERODIANS .
Section 47 .
Th e HERODIANS were th e political adherents of Herod Antipas ; and, in strong
opposition to th e Pha risees, they maintained th e duty of yielding obedience, and
paying tribute to th e Roman government,from which Herod derived h is authority.
(Robinson, p. Political expediency wa s their rule of conduct ; they wereof profiiga te principles, and chiefly Sa dducean in the ir religious tenets , a s appearsby collating th e two parallel passages Ma tt. xvi. 6 and Mark viii. 15
,99 .
SAMARITANS.
Section 31.
Th e SAMARITANS were pa rtly of heathen and partly of Jewish extraction,
see 2 Kings xvii. Their religious condition at th e time of our Lord may begathered from John’
s Gospel, chapter iv . , 31. They governed themselves exclu
sively by th e five books of Moses,in which th e place where God would set h is
name i s not mentioned. In a Spirit of opposition to th e Jews , they, on theirreturn from th e Babylonian captivi ty, followed th e direction of Sanballa t, th eCushite : not Sanballat
,th e Horonite, mentioned in Nehemiah . Under h is
guidance they built their temple on Mount Gerizim. They chose this Spot becauseit was there that th e blessings were pronounced on the entering of th e Israelitesi nto Canaan (Nicholl
’s Introduction
,page
xliv INTRODUCTION — NOTE F.
D ISCIPLES OF JOHN .
Sections 28 a nd 43 .
JOHN THE BAPTIST did not seek to establish a school of disciples . On th e
contra ry,recognising th e purely prepa ra tory character of h i s work, h e loyally
tried to attach h is converts to Christ. In this effort h e did not entirely succeed ;but th e indications of their subsequent creed and pra ctice a re scanty. It wouldseem that they shewed a leaning to Pharisaism. Their first mention introduces
them (John iii. 25, 26, 28) a s engaged, not in preaching repentance,after th e
example of John himself, but in disputing with th e Jews some deta il “about“purifying ” (verse Instead of rejoicing with their master at th e s igns of th ereligious awakening under th e ministry of Jesus, they appealed to John with th etrue Pharisaic spirit of exclusiveness . Th e next time they a re mentioned (Matt.ix. 14
, and parallel pa ssages in Mark and Luke, we find them displaying th esame spir it of jealousy a gainst th e disciples of Jesus for alleged neglect of theduty of fasting according to th e rules of th e Pharisees.
At this time John had been thrown into prison at Machaerus , and Shortlyafterwards h e sent two of them to Jesus (Matt. xi . 2 &c. and Luke VII. 18 &c.
,53 )
in th e hope proba bly that what they saw and hea rd would induce them to join ourLord’s disciples . Th e only other references to them in th e Gospels a re in Ma tt .xiv. 12 and Mark vi . 29 (both in 89) where it is recorded that they buried John
’s
headless corpse ; and Luke xi . 1, 12 1, where it is incidenta lly stated tha t Johnhad taught them a form of prayer which h a s not been recorded . It i s probable thatsome of them were absorbed into th e number of our Lord’s disciples after theresurrection ; and that th e remainder followed their obvious tendency and joinedth e Pha risees . There i s an interesting account in Acts xix. 3— 5 of th e receptionby Paul of a number of them into th e church of Ch rist ; and from this we gatherthat a small band Of them
,twelve in number
,preserved an independent ecclesias
tica l existence at Ephesus twenty years after our Lord’s ascension.
N O TE F .
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS.
Section 22 .
ACCEPTING th e view of th e best and most numerous commentators, we discardth e theory that th e temptation was
,in any sense, a vision, or a mere spiritual
struggle or experience , and consider it a s a mysterious but most important event inth e history of our Lord .
Th e place where it occurred is left in doubt. A widespread tradition assigns itto a mountain near Jericho, called Q uarantana which is one of th e highestin Judaca, ris ing precipitously from twelve to fifteen hundred feet above the pla in.
But many writers fix it in th e Arabian desert of Sinai.
Th is tradi tion does not appea r to be derived from th e forty (qua rante) days of
older th an th e Crusades. Th e nam e i s th e tem ptation.
probably of th e sam e da te, and is obviously
xlvi INTRODUCTION.—NOTE F.
h e wa s probably fa ce to fa ce with th e Messiah, wa s yet in doubt who this greatchampion was . This was th e mystery which h e sought to fathom. His fir sttemptation, therefore, while addressed to merely flesh ly appetite, and relying
on th e human weakness consequent on long fasting, wa s a direct challenge to Jesusa s God.
“If thou be (not merely a Prophet, or Angel, but) the Son of God, prove“ it by exercising th e incommunicable attribute of Divinity, crea tion. Commandthat these stones, which , ages ago , were made stones by thy power
,be now made
bread . This wa s th e first temptation . Now, if Jesus had been merely a holy m an,
h e would have repudiated th e blasphemous ascription of divinity, a s th e Apostlesfrequently did in la ter times (see Acts iii. 12 &c.
,xiv. 11— 15
, and compar e Acts
x11. 22 , But h e accepts th e title without disclaimer or reproof. He evenemphasises it in th e most s ignificant way by procla iming that God h as a richergift than bread— th e word of life— and that th e word which h e h ad come to publish
wa s,in fact
,
“proceeding fr om th e mouth of God.
In th e second temptation th e object and mea ning a re th e same. Satan still
m ainta ins the language of enquiry.
“If thou be the Son of God, shew th e divineexemption from mortality ; and th e divine a uthority ever even angelic beings .
Sweep down , unhurt, from th e va st height of this pinna cle of th e temple, and
summon th e obedient angels to bea r thee up sa fely in their arms .
”
Once more th e Saviour’s words convey a double answer, and while h e doesnot in any way disclaim th e ascription of deity, h is second meaning is actually
based upon its claim. In their fir st sense h is words a re a perfect answer to
th e temptation . As m a n h e refuses to tempt God . In their second sense they
a re a majestic reproof of Satan for presuming to tempt Him wh o, a s God
,was
unassailable by tempta tion, and incapable of s in. Thou,Satan
,sha lt not
“ tempt m e, th e Lord thy God " God supreme over all things and all beings in“heaven, or earth, or hell.
”
Th e third temptation presents a sudden, complete, and s ignificant change. It
i s in fact th e corolla ry to those whi ch preceded it. Sa tan no longer us es th elanguage of doubt
,or suggests tests to a scertain th e truth. In our Lord ’s last
answer h e recognised GOD " It became clear beyond all question that Jesus wa sin truth th e Second Person of th e Trinity, th e only begotten Son of that Fa therwhose voice from heaven had approved him at h is baptism co -equal and co -eternalwith that Holy Spirit which there abode upon h im a s a dove. And this opens upto th e tempter a new and vast discovery of God’s design for th e sa lvation of th eworld. He lea rns that this i s He whose long-foretold advent h e h a s expected forfour thousand years ; who , a s
“th e seed of th e woman,
”should come to “bruise
“th e serpent’s head.
”And Satan knows that to th e awful conflict now begun there
can be but one end.
“HE mus t reign until HE hath put all h is enemies under“hi s feet.” And a s Satan recognises that however long h e may delay th e end
,
h is destruction at last i s sure, th e desperate expedient of compromise suggestsitself to him. If we accept th e trad ition that h is fall from Heaven was causedby unbridled ambition and pride
,we can readily understand what follows . We can
a lmost hear him suggest,“Th e final victory wi ll be thine, but I can delay it for
“ages . I can destroy myriads of th e creatures of thine hand, th e objects of thy“pity and love. But I offer to retire from this wa r , if my ambition be satisfiedby one moment’s worship from th e Son of God. Pay this homage
,unseen by
INTRODUCTION— NOTE G. xlvii
any mortal eye, and there sha ll be no more tempta tion,no more sin
,no more
curse . I yield to thee th e kingdoms of th e world,and th e glory of them.
” “All“these things will I give thee
,if thou wilt fall down and Worship m e.
”
It i s clea r tha t at this point th e tempter had thrown off all disguise . He
wa s no longer a stranger in th e desert. He wa s Satan accepting and acknow
ledging th e personality of Christ. To any but to th e Son h is offer would havebeen absurd
,for it could not have been carried into effect. Made to Him
,it wa s
intelligible,though bla sphemous . Up to this time Jesus h ad never addressed Satan
by h is name h e had spoken to him as though h e were th e chance wayfa rer in th edesert that h e appeared to be . But now reproof and prophecy a re woven togetherin th e twofold meaning of th e reply. It is th e Almighty Judge and King of a llwho arraigns th e declared enemy by name . Get thee hence, Satan " As m an
,
I may worship none but God . As God,I demand th e obedience of all be ings , a nd
of thee. Thou sha lt worship th e Lord thy God,and h im only shalt thou serve .
At these words, which were at once th e defiance of th e Captain of our salvation ,and th e res istless judgment of th e Infinite God
,
“th e devil leaveth him.
”
NOTE G .
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
THE prophet Malachi, in a verse which was almost th e last utterance ofprophecy for a period of 400 yea rs (Ma l. iv. had foretold that God would sendE lijah th e prophet. Th e voice of an angel (Luke i. 17, 5 ) applied this prophecyto John th e Baptist
,and th e sure word of our Lord confirmed this interpretation .
(Matt. xvii. 11— 13, Th e Jews however had persuaded themselves thatEli jah, in h is own person, would actually rise from th e dead , and they appear in
some degree to have confounded him with th e Messiah. John sought to destroy this
delusion, when (John i . 2 1, 23) h e distinctly denied tha t h e was Elijah but th edescription of h i s Office which h e then gave , and which wa s so fully confirmedby our Lord (in Matt. xvi i . 12 , 103) explained clear ly th e true meaning of th e
prophecy,and its fulfilment in th e person and work of John .
There would at first sight appear to be some discrepancy between John’s state
ments about Christ,with respect to h is knowledge of th e Redeemer’s person and
mission, but a study of th e Ha rmony makes them clear and consistent. John’s
childhood and youth were probably Spent wi th h is father Zecharia h in and nea rJerusalem
,while Jesus wa s at Nazareth with Joseph th e carpenter. They would,
therefore,be practically strangers to each other. This continued to be th e case
until John went into th e desert, while h e wa s still quite young (Luke i . 80 ,At this time th e natur e of Jesus (a s God-m an) was not fully known by any one,
though perhaps it was partially understood by h is mother, and by h er alone. Itwould seem that John never returned home aga in ; but continued to lead awilderness life , and th e cousins did not in all probability meet until Jesus was
thirty years old (Luke iii . 23 , After an interval of at least fifteen to twenty
xlviii INTRODUCTION .—NOTE G.
years John still rema ined in th e wilderness (Luke iii. 2 , Although thereforeh e knew that h e wa s th e forerunner of th e Messiah (Mark i. 7, 20 ) h e would not
know that th eMessiah wa s Jesus , though h e would have heard reports of h is wisdom
and holiness . Probably h e knew enough of Jesus to ena ble him to recognise him,
a nd th e sa intly character of our Lord had given rise in th e mind of th e Baptist,and
of others , to th e belief that h e wa s a prophet of God. This would seem to flow fromMatt. iii. 14, 15, 21. AS to th e person of th e Messiah John’
s knowledge was atfirst limited to this, that there came after him
“one that wa s mightier than h e.
”
(Matt. iii . 11, It wa s then revea led to him that this great Prophet hadactually come ; with h is winnowing fan already in h is hand (Matt. iii. 12 , 20)that John should see him ; then it wa s fur ther revealed to him that th e expected
one wa s actua lly amongst th e multitude , though a s yet undistinguished and un
known (John i . 26, and that a divine Sign would disclose h is identity. Untilthat signwa s given h e was only able to say, I knew him not ; but that h e should be“made manifest to Israel,
” John i . 3 1, 23 . T h e promise that h e should see
th e Spirit descend upon God’s anointed one (John i . 33 , 23) was fulfilled atBethabara
,and when th e final revelation wa s thus made h e cried in th e triumph of
a fulfilled ministry,I have beheld th e Spiri t descending. I have seen and borne
witness that this i s th e Son of God,
” John i. 32,34
,23 . From tha t time h is work
was finished . Thenceforward h is one object and h is entire effort were, not to
summon th e people to h i s baptism,but to send them to th e teaching of h is Lord.
(See John i. 35— 42 , 23, 24 , and Matt. xi. 2 ,John’
s preaching wa s direct,practical
, and powerful. In answer to th e
questions asked by h is hearers,h e struck boldly and straight at th e special vices,
th e notorious and besetting s ins of ea ch of h is interroga tors . Th e Pharisees and
Sadducees h e warned aga inst bigotry, and pride in their Abrahami c descent (Matt.
iii. 7— 9 , Th e general multitude were h idden to cultiva te unselfish and
generous liberali ty (Luke iii . Th e tax-collectors were enj oined to abstain from
th e pecula tion and officia l injustice by means of whi ch they constantly amassedill-gotten wea lth (Luk e iii . 12 , And th e soldiers were commanded to a bandon“those vices which th e licentiousness of th e soldiery in those days m ost encour aged.
They were therefore to do r io lenee to no m a n ; tha t is , . to put no m an in fear,
“a s th e word s ignifies , either from wanton cruelty, or in order to extort property by
threa ts of violence nor a ccuse a nyfa lsely, in order to obta in reward for a seemingzeal in th e discha rge of duty
,or to share in th e fines and confisca tions inflicted on
suspected persons ; and be content wi th your wages, which included meat, money,“and all lawful perquisites .
” Watson’s Exp osi tion, pa ge 572 .
This ministry however wa s incomplete . It prea ched only one doctrine. It in
culca ted only one duty. It wa s all included in th e command Repent.” It wa s in
its very na ture prepa ratory to that gospel which taught th e duty of repentance,but also procla imed th e blessing of pardon. It lasted therefore but for a short
time,vi a — about eight months . (See note H,
p. Then th e prophet who h ad
sternly faced th e mob, attacked th e monarch with equa l determination. HerodAntipas had visited h is brother Philip, and h ad taken that opportunity to seduce
hi s wife Herod ias . Sh e eloped with Herod,wh o contracted an incestuous marriage
with h er,whi le both h er own husband and Herod’s own wife were living. For this
shameless and revolting wickedness John unsparingly denounced th e adulterous
INTRODUCTION — NOTE G. xli x
pair. Herodias tried to persuade Herod to slay him. In this sh e at first failed,and th e Harmony brings out clearly and impressively th e success ive steps of hi s
vacillation and final fall At first, h e seems to have had some trace of rightfeeling towards John, and of remorse for h is s in : for when “Herodias set herself“against John, and desir ed to kill him
”
(Mark vi. 19, Herod by way of compromise with th e adulteress s ilenced John’
s public denunciations by shutting him up in
pr ison'l
‘
(Luke iii. 20 , It i s most likely that at th e same time h e promised
Herodias that h e would soon comply with h er wishes . But for a while h is better
feelings prevailed. John’s imprisonment wa s not accompanied by any cruelty.
Hi s disciples were allowed to visit him (Matt. xi . 2 , Herod had persona linterviews with him and in spite of th e severity of John’
s reproofs, h e heard himgladly ” (Mark vi . Indeed this imprisonment was perhaps partly intended to
protect th e Baptist for a time from Herodias. It certainly had that result. In h er
fury sh e had become utterly unscrupulous ; and, if John had continued h is public
a nd defenceless career, sh e would have easily caused h is assassination. But while
h e wa s in prison,“she could not ; for Herod feared John, knowing that h e wa s a
righteous m an and a holy, and kept h im safe ” (Mark vi. 19 , 20 , 29 ) from h is
exa sperated enemy. This conflict of iniquity with remorse did not last long. Be
tween th e temptations of h is paramour,backed by th e allurements of lust on th e
one hand, and th e strivings of h is conscience on th e other,
“h e wa s much perplexed ” (Mark vi . 20 , By degrees th e obstina te importunity of Herodia sovercame h is resistance . For a time h is respect for popular opinion came to th e help
o f h is conscientious scruples (Ma tt. xi v. 5,
But at las t h e yielded,a s h e wa s
sure to do. Th e marginal reading (No .
1) to Mark vi. 20 , 29,i s full of instruction.
In th e struggle between h is better nature and h is tempter “he did m a ny th ings.
There wa s in truth only one thing which h e Should ha ve done . That one h e would
not do, and h e tried to compound for this sin by “many things ” beside . Care of
John ’s l ife
,alleviation of h is prison discomfort, meekness under h is reproof, a ny
th ing except that which it wa s John’s special call to preach— repentance
,and its
fruits . It i s th e invaria ble histo ry of such battles , so fought. At la st th e end
came . He took Herodias and h er daughter to a great fea st in th e palace at Livia s,and in a spasm of lust and probably of intoxication h i s last scruples vanished. He
sent one of h is gua rd to th e neighbour ing fortress : John wa s murdered ; and h ishead wa s brought a s a ghastly trophy into th e midst of th e guests .
See secti ons 29 , 53 and 89 . fa r from Livia s, wh ere Herod h ad a pa la ce .
We lea rn from Joseph us (Anti q. book Th e fea st a t wh i ch h e gave th e order for th exviii . ch ap . v. 2) th at th e place of Joh n ’
s m urder of th e Baptist took place probablycaptivity wa s th e fortress of Ma ch aerus
,in a t th is pa lace.
Pereea , nea r th e Dead Sea . Th is wa s not
INTRODUCTION .— NOTE H.
NO TE H .
DURATION OF OUR LORD’S PUBLIC MINISTRY.
Section 44 .
THE reckoning of time which is popularly accepted and wh ich founds th e A.D .
(Anno Domin i) of ordina ry chronology fixes th e bir th of our Lord in th e year ofRom e 754 . But it i s now well settled that this i s too late
,and that our Lord wa s
born between 747 and 750 . Each of these years h a s been nominated by learnedm en
, and it is impossible to fix th e rea l date with absolute certa inty. It wouldseem however tha t th e most probable day wa s Christmas Day in th e yea r of Rome749 , th e yea r known in ordina ry chronologies a s B .C. 5 . See McClellan
,p. 390 .
Accepting this corrected date John ’
s ministry began about Oct. A .D . 26,and
lasted eight months, being closed by h is imprisonment about th e end of MayA .D . 27 . Jesus began h is ministry in th e la tter part of Februa ry A.D . 27 ; and
opinions have widely differed a s to its dura tion . Browne (Ordo Soeclorum ) limits itto one year, and h e h a s
,in th e opinion of Bishop Westcott
,made out a strong
ca se . Th e Bishop adds (Introduction to the Study of the Gosp els, p.
“If therewere direct evidence for th e omission of ‘ th e pa ssover ’ in John vi. 4 h is argumentswould appear to be convincing.
” Robinson states it at three years and a ha lf ;M°Clellan at about three yea rs and a quarter. Bishop Jones
,in Sp ea ker
’s Com
m enta ry (Vol. I. New Test. p. on Luke xiii. 6 , th e pa rable of th e barrenfig tree, thus refers to th e question :
“In th e three years some have seen allusionto God’s success ive calls to Israel
,by th e Law, th e Prophets , and by Christ
(Augustine, Th eophyla ct) others (a s Bengel, Wieseler, Lewin, F . S . p. 225,and
Alford with perhaps Olsha usen), to th e three years of our Saviour’s mini stry.
To this Meyer objects that a fourth year is mentioned, r . 8. He (with Grotius,
Kuinol, Bleek , Godet) interprets th e three yea rs of th e past, and th e fourth yea rof th e remaining
,time of gra ce accorded to Israel . It i s di fli cult to res ist th e
impression that in th e three yea rs there i s at least an allusion to th e period of
our Lord’s Ministry on earth.
” Ha lcombe (Gosp el D ifi culties) meets Meyer’sobjection boldly and concludes that th e ministry did actually extend over a periodof four years. Th e full discuss ion of this que stion would be very long and intricate
,
and (a s it would probably be inconclus ive after all) it would be out of place in thiswork . There ar e several notes of time which a re obta ined from th e occurrence ofJewish festivals — th e mention of th e season of th e year (harvest, &c. )— or from
observa tions or illustra tions in our Lord’s discourses suggestive of th e circumstancesunder which they were spoken. Th e better opinion appears to be in favour ofa period of rather more than three years . Th e fasting and subsequent t emptationin th e wi lderness ended probably about th e middle of February. Th e firs t Passoverfollowed in th e early pa rt of April , and i s noted by John in ch . ii . 13Th e second Passover i s supposed to ha ve been th e feast mentioned in John v. 1
Th e third is then found in John vi . 4 and th e fourth in Johnxn . 1 154) and th e following chapters .
.Th e controversy i s a s to John v. 1.
What is th e feast there mentioned — Pa ssover,Pentecost
,Taberna cles, or Purim ?
INTRODUCTION — NOTE I . li
Th e earliest wr iters agreed on Pentecost, but there h a s been a wide diver s ityof opinion in later days . Grotius
,Lightfoot
,Greswell
,Robinson and others
declare in fa vour Of th e Pa ssover , th e arguments for which may be found concisely
stated in Smith’s D ictiona ry of the Bible,Vol . I . p. 105 1. Meyer
,Lange
,Stier
,
Winer,Ellicott and others consider that th e passage refers t o Pur im . Alford
presents an analysis of th e authorities (vol. I. p. 740) and then gives up th e
question a s hopelessly insoluble . Th e reasons for adopting Pentecost a re given in
McClellan (p. 554 , note d). If it be Pentecos t th e second Pa ssover i s not dis
tinctly mentioned, but must have occurred shortly after h is first circuit of Galilee .
Th e time is fixed by Luke vi . 1, 46,see ma rginal note 5
. Th e “second-first
“sabbath ”
wa s th e first sa bbath after th e festival of unleavened brea d connected
with th e Passover. See under th e word Sevr epéirpmr o s in Robinson’s Lex icon to
the N ew Testam ent. M°Clellan h a s made a determined and pa tient attempt
to ascertain th e dates ; but th e question remains so doubtful that I have not
thought it wise to try to fix them more specifically in th e Ha rmony.
NOTE I.
THE TIME DURING WHICH JESUS REMAINED IN THE TOMB.
IN th e prophetic references to our Lord’s death, buria l , and resurrection there is
an apparent discrepancy a s to time . In John ii. 19,
26, Jesus says,
Destroy“this temple, and in three days I will raise it up .
” In Matt. xii . 40, 57 , h e proph e
sies,
AS Jonah wa s th ree days a nd th r ee n igh ts in th e belly of th e whale, so Sha ll“th e Son of m an be three days a nd th ree nigh ts in th e heart of th e earth .
”In Ma tt.
xvi'
. 2 1, 102 (and elsewhere) h e predicts that h e should “be k illed,and the th i rd
day be raised up. In Matt. xxvii. 63, 230 (and elsewhere) th e express ion i s“After
“three days I rise aga in .
” Robinson,
. page 44, deals with this subject a s followsHe wa s la id in th e tomb before sunset on th e sixth day of th e week , or Friday,and rose again quite early on th e first day of th e week
,or Sunday ha ving la in in
th e grave not far from thirty-Six hour s . This accords with th e usua l formula which
our Lord employed in speak ing of h is resurrection,namely
,that h e should ‘ rise
“on th e third day ’ Matt. xvi. 2 1 102 ) xx. 19 Luke ix . 22 xviii .33 &c. Equivalent to this is also th e expression ‘After three days I riseaga in
,
’Matt. xxvii . 63 Ma rk viii . 3 1 ix. 3 1 x. 34
This latter idiom i s found also in John xx. 26, 249,where eigh t days is put for a
“week . So too in German, th e expression na ch drei Tagen,‘a fter three days ,
’is also
th e same a s am dr i tten Tage, on th e third day,
’th e day after to-morrow and a cht
Tage, eight days ,’ i s th e more common phrase, instead of eine Woche, ‘ a week .
’
“In Matt. xii . 40 57) th e apparent diffi culty arises from th e form of expression,
three days and three nights,
’ which our Lord uses there,and there alone
,because
h e i s quoting from Jonah i. 17. Th e phrase is doubtless in itself equivalent to
th e Greek . w xdép epo v, a day and a night of twenty- four hours . But th e Hebrew“form
,three days and thr ee nigh ts, wa s likewise used genera lly and indefinitely for
“three days simply, a s i s obvious from 1 Sam . xxx. 12 , 13 and th e circumstances therenarrated. Such is also manifestly th e case in Matt. xii . 40
li i INTRODUCTION — NOTES J, K.
NOTE I
DIVISIONS OF TIME.
GOD called th e light Day,a nd th e darkness h e called N ight (Gen. i . This
th e “natur al ” wa s a t fir st th e only divis ion of th e
“civil ” day, that i s to say th e
t ime occupied by one revolution of th e earth. That civil day (of 24 hours’ dura tion)
began according to Jewish reckoning with th e evening. It consisted of night andday ; not (a s modern ideas would suggest) of day and night. Thus Gen. i. 5, Therewa s evening and there wa s morning, one day.
” And see Lev. xxiii. 32,
“ from even
unto even, shall ye keep your sabba th.
”
Accord ing to th e earliest Jewish custom the nigh t wa s divided into threewa tches,
” which ar e believed to have h ad a military origin and to have beenth e time for which th e sentinels kept “wa tch .
” Th e first wa tch is not Specificallynamed in th e Bible
,though i ts commencement i s m entioned in Lam. 11. 19 a s
“the beg inning of the wa tch es*
” It lasted from sunset till 10 RM. Th e second ,known a s th e “middle watch (Judg. vii. lasted from 10 RM. to 2 A .H . Th e
third,called th e “morning wa tch ”
(Exod. xiv. lasted from 2 A.M. to sunrise.
Th e natur al sunset and sunrise would of course vary constantly but they were forth e purpose of these reckonings fixed conventionally at 6 RM. and 6 A .M. In la terdays th e Roman computation prevailed. This divided th e night into four watchesinstead of three. These were named a ccording to their numbers a s th e first
, second,third or fourth watch (Luke xi i . 38, 65 ; Mark vi. 48, Or they weredescribed by th e four nam es recorded in Mark xiii. 35, 173, viz.
“even
,
” which
la sted from 6 RM. to 9 RM. midnight,
” which lasted from 9 RM. to 12 P.M. ;
cock crowing,
” lasting from 12 P.M. to 3 A .H . and “morning,
” lasting from 3 A .M.
to 6 A.M. This i s th e division which prevailed in th e time of our Lord, and to whichh e referred on various occas ions .
Th e earliest reckoning of th e time by day is given in Psa lm lv. 17,“eveni ng and
morning and noonday.
” Wh en at a later period greater precision was sought, th eday wa s divided into 12 hours (John xi. 9 , beginning at 6 A.H. and ending at6 P.M. Thus th e third hour (Matt. xx . 3 , 147) would be 9 o
’clock in th e morning.
Th e Sixth (Matt. xxvii. 45, 225 ; John iv. 6, 31, and xix . 14, 2 18) would be m i dday.
Th e seventh (John iv. 52,32) would be 1 P.M. Th e ninth (Matt. xxvii. 45 , 46, 225 )
would be 3 o’clock in th e afternoon . Th e tenth (John i . 39 , 23) would be four inth e a fternoon . Th e eleventh (Ma tt xx. 6, 9 , 147) , would be 5 P.M.
NOTE K .
THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES.
Section 35 .
MANY writers consider that Luke’s na rrative describes a different event to thatmentioned by Matthew and Mark . But a careful analysis seems to point to their
Som e believe th is to h ave been th e recognised nam e of th is watch .
liv INTRODUCTION.—NOTE L.
This event may be said to mark th e commencement of th e Church. Up to thistime th e disciples had associated with Jesus in public and in private ; had a ccom
panied him to th e marriage at Cana (John Ii . 2 , had travelled with him and
“tarried with ” him (John iii . 22, had “believed on him ”
(John ii . 11,had taken part in h is mission, and baptized by h is authority (John iv. 1, 2 ,
and h ad acknowledged h is dignity a s their Rabbi (John iv. 31 But this was
subject to th e interpretation and limitation mentioned by N icodemus (John iii. 2 ,He wa s Rabbi only a s a tea cher come from God in a sense similar to that
conveyed by John’s disciples to their ma ster (John i ii. 26, This wa s th e
highest title they h ad yet given him ; and though they had vi sited Judsea with him,
they had not severed their social ties , nor (a s shewn in 35) had they abandoned
their ordinary callings .
This miracle changed their beliefs, their language, a nd their lives. We mayassume that during their association with Jesus their eyes had been graduallyopened
,and their hearts prepared for th e truth. But now an important, though
probably imperfect, recognition of h is divine na ture begins to dawn upon them,and
to fit them for a fresh step in their apostolic career. Jesus becomes a Being to be
worshipped (Luke v. 8, not only “Rabbi,
”- but, for th e first time,
“LORD,”
whose power over human beings had been typified by a miracle over th e animatedcrea tion which spoke h is right to call the disciples to be “fishers of m en
”
(Matt.
iv 19 , From this time therefore they begin their new life .
“They left all
and followed ” ‘Jesus (Luke v. 11, Twice only does Peter revert to h is oldcraft : once
,when Jesus sent him on th e special and miraculous errand recorded in
Matt. xvii. 24— 27, 106 and once, about a fortnight after our Lord’s death, when
in h i s perplexity, and not having aught to ea t ” (John xxi. 5, h e invites h i s
brethren to “go a fishing once more (John xxi. 2—14 , and,while so eu
gaged,they meet their risen Lord.
NO TE L.
THE CALL AND MISSION OF THE APOSTLES.
Secti ons 49 , 87.
A d iscip le (discipulus , p a dqr ris) i s litera lly a“learner or, according to th e fuller
definition in McClintock and Strong’s Cyclop aedia ,
“One wh o professes to havelearned certain principles from another, and maintains them on that other’s
“authority.
” In th e New Testament it i s applied to those wh o followed eminentteachers from motives higher and more earnest than mere curiosity. Thus we readof th e “disciples of John,
”and “of th e Pharisees ,
”Mark 11. 18, 43 ; and see Acts
xx. 30 . But it most frequently refers to those wh o attended th e ministry of JesusChrist
,who professed to accept h is doctrines , and obey h is precepts.
He wa s generally followed by a numerous crowd of persons, actuated by curiosityor by th e hope of personal advantage. From these persons , h e wh o
“knew what“wa s in m an
” chose (Mark iii . 13 , 49) th e most earnest and s incere to be h isdisciples. Their number wa s considerable (Luke vi. 17, including the twelve
INTRODUCTION .-NOTE L. lv
apostles, th e seventy wh o afterwards became miss ionaries, several godly women
(Mark xv. 41, 226) and others . Of these h e “chose ”
(Luke vi. 13 , 49 ) and“appointed” (Mark iii. 14)
“th e twelve, wh o were thenceforward so designa ted , a s in
Luke viii. 1, 55,and John vi. 67, 93 . These were destined for higher office and
important duty in th e Church, and when they forma lly entered on their public
work,h e “
named ” them (Luke vi . 13 , 4 9) apostles (dwbcrr oh o c), literally,“m en
sent forth.
” These two names,discip les and ap ostles, describe their office and
work a s specified in Mark iii. 14 , 49 , He appointed twelve, that (1) they m ight
be with him,and that (2 ) h e might send them forth to preach,
” &c. Wh en with
Christ they were learning as “disciples ” when away from him they were preaching
and working a s “apostles .
” Of these two duties th e first wa s th e preparation for
th e second. When therefore they were called to the ir Office (a s described in 49 )they were not at once orda ined and sent forth
,for they still needed their m aster’s
training. For a time they were in fact “disciples only. But when h e saw tha tthey were adequately trained and fitted for their ministry, h e solemnly gave themdoctrinal authority and miraculous power (Matt. x. 1
,Mark vi . 7 , Luke ix. 1
,
Thus qualified they immediately commenced th e work of their li ves (Mark vi . 12 , 13and Luke ix. 6 , It seems probable that, though they h ad been previously
selected and “appointed ” for th e work (Mark iii . 14 , they did not receive
their title of apostles until they were actua lly sent forth.
Th e names of “th e twelve ” originally appointed a re given in Matthew x . 2— 4,
87, as follows. Simon Peter,Andrew
,James (th e son of Zebedee), John , Philip,
Bartholomew ,Thomas, Matthew, James (th e son of *Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon
th e Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot.
Ma rk’s list (iii. 16— 19, 49) corresponds with Ma tthew’s,Simply varying th e
order of th e names .
Luke (vi. 16) mentions“Judas the son (or brother ) of James ,
”and mentions him
also in th e list in Acts i . 13 . This i s no doubt th e same apostle a s is namedThaddaeus by Matthew and Mark. We need go no further than this very lis tto find instances of th e very common practice of h avi ng more names than one .
All th e apostles seem to have been equal in rank ; and, during our Lord’
s life,
none of them had any office, authority, or distinction, with th e s ingle exception ofhim wh o “had th e bag ”
After our Lord’s ascension th e apostles on th e somewh at precipitate suggestionof Peter assumed to elect a successor to Judas Iscariot. For this purpose theyselected two candidates, Joseph -l (Ba rsabba s) and Matthia s . They then resorted toth e casting of lots , a course never followed by th e early Church for a ny purposeafter th e descent of th e Holy Spirit . This premature election of Ma tthias seemsto have done neither good nor harm. Except from very vague tradition we knownothi ng of h is subsequent career, and what h a s been handed to us i s not important.Th e vacant dignity and office were in truth conferred miraculously by God himselfon th e apostle Paul (1 Tim. i . 1 and Gal. i . It i s doubtful whether Joseph
Or Clopa s . Alph a ns would seem to 1 Th is Joseph Ba rsabba s m ust not beh ave been th e Greek ver sion of th e nam e confounded with Joseph Barnaba s , wh o i sClop as. He wa s th e h usband of Ma ry , th e m entioned for th e fir st tim e in Acts iv. 36 ;sister of Ma ry th e m oth er o f Jesus (Joh n wh o a fterwa rds wa s , foi' so long , th e colxix. 25, league of Paul . See at top of next page.
lvi INTRODUCTION—NOTE M.
Ba rna ba s, Acts iv. 36,was also recognised a s one of th e apostles (Acts xiv. 4 ,
On this point refer to Acts xi. 22— 26, xiii . 2— 4 and 1 Corinth. ix. 1— 6 . He was
perhaps elected when Herod “ki lled James th e brother of John with th e sword,
”
Acts xii. 2 .
Th e title wa s never given to any other person, except in a figurative sense.
NO TE M.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
Section 50 .
MATTHEW presents this Scriptur e a s one continuous and systematic address.
Luke records only parts of it, and these h e gives in sepa rate portions, and placesthem in different parts of th e narrative. There a re also apparent discrepanciesbetween th e accounts of th e spot where th e sermon wa s spoken and our Lord’sa ttitude and pos ition. Greswell and others abandon th e idea of reconciling thesevariations . They seek to expla in or
,ra ther, to evade th e difficulty by supposing
tha t our Lord repeated h is teachings at different times and pla ces . No doubt h eocca sionally did so . Compare Luke xi . 37— 54 , 62 , spoken at Capernaum,
wi th
Ma tthew xxiii. 1— 39, 170 , Spoken at Jerusalem. Portions of this sermon on th e
mount a re indisputably repeated at other places . Compare Ma tt. v. 13, 50,with
Ma rk ix . 50 , § 109 , and with Luke xiv. 34 , 35, 123,and th e different examples of our
Lord’s prayer, Matt. vi . 9— 13, § 50 , with Luke xi . 2— 4, 121. Matthew in xviii.8, 9 , 109 repeats th e teaching already given in v. 29— 31, 50 . Compare also Matt.xxiv. 43— 51
,173 , with Luke xi i . 39— 46, 65 . It wa s to be expected tha t h e
should,by solemn repetition, seek to di sseminate th e gospel of th e kingdom more
widely, and impress it more forcibly on th e hearts of h is hea rers . In this instance,
however, th e substantial identity of subjects and th e Similarity of expression lea d
to th e conclusion th at, while Ma tthew gives th e entir e sermon nearly in th e orderof its delivery, Luke separa tes and transposes i ts parts for th e pur pose of bringi ngthem more clearly into relation with those subsequent incidents which they werespecia lly fitted to illustrate and enforce. We have then to meet th e objectionsof Strauss and others that “Matthew represents th e sermon a s delivered on a
“mountain — Luke, on a plain. Matthew represents our Lord a s s itting,Luke a s
Standing,
” &c. It seems to m e that these apparent difii culties vanish if we observeth e sequence of events and this case affords an excellent example of th e intelligentuse of a Harmony and of its value in illustrating th e Word. I give therefore th ena rrative in th e exact words of Matth ew, Mark and Luke, s imply weaving it intoa continuous history, and putting in brackets th e comments on, or additions to,th e sacred text.See. 49 .
Luke vi. 12 He went out into th e mountain to pray ; and h e continued all nightin prayer to God .
Luke vi . 13 And when it wa s day, h e ca lled h is disciples
Mark i ii.
Ma rk iii .
Luke vi .
Luke vi.
Luke vi.
18
19
INTRODUCTION — NOTE M. lvii
whom h e himself would : and they went unto him.
[In this comparative privacy of th e mountain retreat, awayfrom th e curiosity and tumult of th e crowd,]
h e chose from them twelve whom also h e named a postles
and gave them authority over unclean spirits,to cast them out
,and
to heal all manner of disea se and all manner of sickness,that they might be with him,
and that h e might send them forth
to preach.
[Having thus privately instructed and ordained them (1) towork miracles and (2 ) to teach, h e returned with them to
th e crowd to give public examples and illustrations of both
these apostolic functions. In order that h e might performth efir st
he came down with them,and stood on a level place, and a great
multitude of h is disciples, and a great number of th e people from
all Judsea and Jerusalem,and th e sea -coast of Tyre and S idon, whi ch
came to hear him,and to be healed of their diseases
and they that were troubled with unclean spirits were healed .
[To enable him to do this, th e“ level place ”
wa s not only more
convenient but almost absolutely necessary . Th e friends
that bore th e helpless cripples could hardly have taken themup th e mountain-side. But when they were gathered togetheron th e pla in
,our Lord could move about in all directions
amongst them , and while h e thus mingled freely with th e
crowd,]
all th e multitude sought to touch him for power came forth fromhim
, and healed them all .
[But h e des ired also to give to th e apostles a systematic expos ition of th e gospel of which they had just been ordained
to be prea chers,and a model of th e teaching which they
should impart. For this second purpose th e level place,
where they th ronged round him,where none could see or
hear him except th e few wh o were grouped close to him,and
where h e wa s liable to constant interruptions by those who
sought to break through and touch hi m ,— wa s altogether
unfit. His natural cour se wa s to return to th e higher ground ,where h e might avail himself of some inequality that wouldserve th e purpose of a natur al rostrum. Thence h is formmight be easily seen and h is voice distinctly heard by ala rger audience ]
And seeing th e multitudes , h e went up into th e mountain : and when
h e had sat down,
[on some spot thus fitted for h is purpose,]h i s disciples came unto him :
and h e lifted up h is eyes on h is disciples,
[th e listening crowds following, and gathering round him
lvi ii INTRODUCTION —NOTE M.
Matt. v. 2 and h e opened h i s mouth and taught them,saying,
Matt. v. 3 Blessed a re th e poor in spirit, &c.,&c.
[Then, when h e had finished h is di scourse,]Luke vii . 1 After h e had ended all h i s sayings in th e ears of th e people,Matt. viii. 1 and when h e wa s come down fr om th e mountain, great multitudes
followed him, (and)Luke vii. 1 h e entered into Capernaum.
Th e whole na rrative thus read i s intelligible, consistent, and natural.
We have no direct evidence a s to th e precise spot where th e sermon on th e
mount wa s Spoken.
“Th e tradition, not earlier probably than the crusades,
“which points out a hill between Capernaum and Tiberia s a s‘ th e Mount of
‘Beatitudes,’near th e present Saph et, i s in such a matter worthless a s an authority.
”
(Alford I . Th e mounta in to which Alford refers is ca lled Kurn (or Kurun)Hattin
,whi ch means “th e peaks of Hattin
,
”and i ts position and configuration
render it, in th e opinion of many modern travellers and writers,a very likely
s ite. Dean Stanley (Sina i a nd Pa lestine, p . 368) i s specially strong in favour of th eprobability that one of th e peaks wa s “th e mount.” Robinson
,however
,thi nks
that it is too far fr om th e s ite of Capernaum, and this is, I think ,th e better opinion.
It i s true that th e position of Capernaum cannot be fixed with certainty ; but, in any
view, it would seem to have been nine or ten miles distant from Kurn Hattin ;and th e language of sections :
48— 50 seems to indicate that th e distance between
th e mount and th e city wa s by no means so great. Behind th e towns which fringed
th e sea of Tiberias,there rose an irregular background of hills, th e summ i ts of
which were about two or three miles fr om th e sea ; and one of these would appearto have been chosen by our Lord. What wa s i ts name at th e time i s not recorded,and we cannot now locate it with accuracy.
It is, however, far more important for us to examine th e sermon itself.Its beauty and dignity, th e purity of its doctrines, and i ts exalted morality have
commanded th e grateful reverence of all thoughtful m en. But they have oftenfailed to recognise
(A) i ts p la ce in th e life-work of Ch rist,and in th e history of th e Church
and,
(B) i ts perfection a s a system a tic exp osition of th e principles Of Christianity.
Let us examine both these points.
(A) Thi s sermon is frequently,but erroneously, rega rded a s being s imply th e
longest of our Lord’s addresses, and distinguished from th e others only by itsgreater fulness and elaboration . But it i s more than this. It i s true that all ourLord’s words a re ineffably precious
,and th e omi ssion of a single parable or discourse
would be an irreparable loss . It is consequently true that thi s sermon h a s a specialvalue
,derived from i ts exceptional length
,and th e variety of subject s of which it
treats. But, beyond this, a peculiar importance attaches to it, aris ing from th e
fa ct that it marked,
- and la rgely contributed to make,—a distinct epoch in Christ’s
teaching, and in th e evangeliza tion of th e world.
Nearly a year and a half had elapsed s ince Jesus had begun h is public work . Atfir st, attention h ad, to som e extent
,been diverted from him by th e powerful ministry
of John th e Baptist. But when th e forerunner’s career was abruptly closed, Jesus
INTRODUCTION — NOTE M. lix
a sserted h is own h igher mission. It then became h is first object to arouse publicinterest,and to ga ther together an adequate number of a dherents . Th e Ha rmonytraces th e steps by which be accomplished th is. By th e calling of di
'
sciples into closer
fellowship with himself* ;— by th e author ita tive purging of h is Father’s house -tby h i s baptiz ingsI, a nd teachings in private”, and in public
‘ll — by th e miracles h e
wrough tH;—and th e signs h e gave ++ — by th e fear less cla im tha t it wa s HE of
whom th e prophets wrote, Luke iv . 2 1, 33— h e had challenged th e a ttention of bothfriends and foes . His success wa s shewn, on th e one hand, by th e magnitude of th e
crowd th a t surrounded him,and th e enthusiasm with which they thronged h is steps ;
a nd,on th e other hand , by th e malignity with which
“th e rulers took counsel together,“aga inst th e Lord’s anointed,
”and plotted h is murder 11. To prevent this crime,
“h e
“withdrew to th e sea”
(of Tiberia s), but“a grea t multitude followed him ” th ither.
(Matt. xii . 15 and Mark iii . 7 , From Sidon in th e north to Idum aea in th e
south,— from beyond Jordan in th e ea st to th e Grea t Sea in th e west,— th e wave of
excitement a nd anxious enquiry swept th e whole landHH. It wa s clear that th efirst
o bject of our Lord’s preaching had been fully atta ined. T h e time had arrived for
h im to take th e second step — to consolidate th e results of h is effor ts , to impress upon
h is converts th e qua lities of discipline and perseverance . Of that consolidation,
th e preaching Of this sermon wa s an essential part. His hearers had a right to
expect such a formal and defin ite exposition from one whose preaching claimed such
authority. Accordingly h e summoned h i s disciples to h is s ide 'llll,—organized h is
Church by th e appointment of th e apostles (Ma rk iii. 14 , displayed h is
mira culous power not only over th e minds (Luke vi . 18, § 49 ) a nd bodies (Markiii . 10 , 48) Of m en
,but a lso over th e devils wh o owned h is divinity (Ma rk i ii. 11,
— and then solemnly delivered this authorita tive declaration of h is gospel .
We can readily see why this sermon,spoken under such circumstances
,i s
r ecorded with so much grea ter fulness than h is other discour ses . They were a ll
uttered on occasions chosen with infinite wisdom,and they inculcated truths of
infinite beauty a nd weight . But th is s ermon went further still. At a crisis of
surpassing importance, it gave to th e world a perfect example of constructivelegisla tion . It promulga ted th e doctr ines a nd th e m or a ls Of th e new church . It wa sth e p roclamation of th e law of th e k ingdom of heaven by th e King Himself, wh o
.a lone had th e right and th e power to “tea ch with authority and not a s th e scribes .
(B) Fulfilling such an exa lted function this sermon mus t natura lly have been
systema tic and com plete . And yet it is frequently treated a s though it consistedmerely of a number of our Lord
’
s sayings,spoken perhaps on different occa sions
,and
to different audiences,and a s though i ts only canon of composition wa s to reproduce
th e memory Of th e recording evangelist. One superficia l critic h as gone so fa r a s tocall it “
a collection of loosely connected and a phor istic utterances ”" Our bestanswer will be to shew i ts arrangement and continuity.
This h a s been a ttempted by many com mentators,but most of them have sa tisfied
themselves with pa raphr a sing certa in express ions, or condensing certain verses ;
Matt. iv. 19— 2 1, 36 ; Joh n i. 43 , § 24 . Luke v. 1— 10 , 35 ; and see a lso 25 ,Joh n 11 . 15— 21
,26. 32 , 37 , 38 , &c.
I Joh n iii. 22 , 28 . 1+ Ma rk i . 27 , 37 ; Joh n ii . 18— 22 , 26 .
ll Joh n iii. 1— 21 , 27 ; and iv. 10— 26, $3; Ma tt . xi i . 14 and Luke vi . 11,
47 .
31 . H“Ma rk i i i . 7 , 8 ,48 .
11 Luke iv. 15 , 32 . ll'll Ma rk i i i . 7 , 48 and Luke vi . 13 , 49 .
11 INTRODUCTION — NOTE M.
without any serious a ttem pt to ascerta in wha t wa s th e governing object in our
Lord’s mind, and th e genera l scheme of h is discourse consequent thereon.
Wesley gives this short ana lys is
Matt. v. 3— 12 (1) A sweet invitation to true holiness and happiness ;13— 16 (2 ) A persuas ive to impa rt it to others
17— vii. 12 (3) A description of true Christian holiness (in which it is easy
to observe , th e la tter pa rt exactly answers th e former)(4 ) Th e conclusion giving
a sure mark of th e true waya wa rning a ga inst false tea chersa solemn exhortation to true holiness.
M°Clellan’
s summa ry, p . 556, indica tes rather more clearly th e line of argument
running through th e sermon. It is a s follows
Matt. v. 3— 12 (1) Blessedness of Christ’s disciples, including persecution for
righteousness
13— 16 (2 ) Vocation of Ch rist’s di sciples to active and exempla ry right
eousness
17— 48 (3) Fulfilment of righteousness of social duties ; against Pharisaicliteralism and reta lia tion
vi . 1— 18 (4 ) Fulfilment of righteousness of religious duties ; against Pharisa ic hypocrisy
19— 34 (5) Trust in Providence ; aga inst Pharisaic covetousnessvn . 1— 27 (6) Godly discipline and obed i ence ; against Pharisaic judgment
and lip-service.
Bishop Westcott in h is Intr oducti on to the S tudy of the Four Gosp els, page 358,arranges th e topics a s follows
(1) THE CITIZENS on THE KINGDOM. Matt. v. 3— 16 .
(v. 3— 6) their cha racter absolutely
(v. 7— 12 ) their cha racter rela tively ;
(v. 13— 16) their influence .
(2) THE NEW LAW. Matt . v. 17— 48 .
(v. 17— 20) as th e fulfilment of th e old,— gener a lly ;
(v. 21— 48) a s th e fulfilment of th e old,— sp eci a llyviz . a s to murder v. 2 1— 26
adultery v . 27— 32
perjury v. 33— 37
revenge v. 38— 42
exclus iveness v . 43— 48.
(3) THE NEW LIFE. Ma tt . vi. 1— 34 Vl l . 1 - 23.
(vi . 1— 18) acts of devotion
(vi 19— 34) aims
(v n. 1 —12 ) conduct
(VII. 13— 23 ) dangers .
(4) THE GREAT CONTRAST. Matt. vii . 24 27 .
lxii INTRODUCT ION — NOTE M.
If we find th e first, it will take us a long way in our sea rch for the second.
Th e great subject of our Lord’s ministry h ad a lways been th e same ; viz. Hehad “preached th e gospel of th e kingdom
”
(Ma tt. iv. 23, He began with th e
a nnouncem ent “Except a m an be born a new,h e ca nnot see th e kingdom of God.
”
(Joh n iii . 3 , And when h e devoted himself exclusively to th e work of h is
mission,“Jesus began to preach th e gospel of God, and to say, Repent ye, for th e
kingdom of h eaven is at hand”
(Ma tt. iv. 17 and Ma rk i . 14 , harmonized,This wa s th e teaching which wa s continued and amplified in th e Sermon on th e
mount. And we observe a t once,and throughout, th e prominence given to this
topic,th e “k ingdom of God,
” or th e “k ingdom of heaven.
”But this phra se*
,a s
spoken by th e forerunner, or by our Lord, bore a meaning quite different from tha t
with which it wa s associa ted in th e mind of th e Jew. And we must appreciate thisclea rly
,and keep it constantly in view.
As used by th e prophets and psa lm ists (gener a lly),— by th e Baptist,— by JesusChrist
,— by th e New Testament writers , —and by th e Christian Church in all ages,
- th e interpretation of th e phra se i s purely sp i r itua l. Sometimes it s ignifies th ere ign of God in th e heart of th e individual believer ; sometimes His dominion over
th e church on earth : or over th e world ; sometimes th e eternal glory of th e life after
dea th ; and sometimes tha t infinite sovereignty which includes all these,and which
rules all beings and all things , everywhere and always . It wa s in this widest sensetha t th e word wa s used by John th e Ba ptist
,and by Jesus . Now
,though this
employm ent of it i s full Of beauty and suggestiveness,it is obviously metaphorica l .
It h a s become so familia r to us,tha t we unconsciously read th e spiritua l meaning
i nto th e figura tive language ; and we a re apt to suppose tha t th e words of th eBaptist
,and of our Lord
,presented th e same idea s to their hea rers that they do to
us . But th is wa s not so . To them,th e “k ingdom ”
wa s no t figurative ; it was rea l .Th e word exa ctly described th e actual facts of history in th e pa st : and, in th e
future,it promised th e litera l restora tion of an ancient royalty, under th e sam e
dynasty a s of old,but with wider rule
,more exalted glory and eterna l sway. In
o rder to apprecia te th e absolute litera lness of th e interpreta tion on which th eJewish error wa s ba sed, and th e correction of which largely moulded th e Sermon on
th e mount,it will be well to tra ce rapidly th e origin of this belief.
Th e government of th e children of Israel was , at first, a pure theocra cy. God
wa s not only Creator and Sovereign of th e universe . He wa s specially King of th eJews +. They were h is politica l subjects ,— h is
“peculi a r people .
” This conceptionwa s th e centre and founda tion of their na tional life . Th e demand made by Mosesto Pha ra oh wa s couched in th e language of a wronged and insulted sovereign“Let my p eop le go, that they m ay serve m e (Exod . viii. 20
,Th e only a uthority
O f Moses wa s tha t “th e people came unto him to inquire of God”
; a nd tha t h e“made them know th e sta tutes of God a nd h is la ws ” (Exod. xviii .
Ma tth ew uses both form s— th e “ kingdom of hea ven ,
”and th e “kingdom o f God ,
”
but th e form er i s peculia r to h i s Gospel. In
th e pa ra llel pa ssages in Luke and elsewh ere
in th e New Testam ent, th e ph ra se a lways i s
“ th e kingdom o f God ,”
and a ccordinglyI h ave em ployed th a t form h enceforwa rd.
Th e two expressions a re synonym ous , and
The ir
th e synonym i s instructive .
See Wa tson ’s B i bli ca l D i cti ona ry , pp .
450 etc. , wh ere th is i s developed and i llustra ted. Observe a lso h ow significant becom es th e superscription a ffixed to th e Cross.Ch ri st ’s m urderers ga ve h im unintentiona llyth e title wh ich identified h im with Jeh ova h ,th e true and eternal “King of th e Jews.
”
INTRODUCTION — NOTE M. lxi ii
desire “Make u s a k ing to judge us like all th e na tions (1 Sam . viii . wa s
denounced not a s an a ct of ingratitude or unbelief but of disloya l ty,because
th e Lord their God wa s their king (1 Sam . x i i . And when th e politicalroyalty of th e house of Da vid had been esta blished, th e psalmist constantlyascribed th e kingdom to God ; and h is successors claimed to belong to “th e“kingdom of th e Lord, in th e hand of th e sons of David ” (2 Chron. xiii.This early period of Jewish history had been crowded with th e most glorious
incidents of their national life. It h ad witnessed th e plagues of Egypt,— th e
emancipation of their race , —th e division of th e sea and of Jordan,— th e giving
of th e Law am id th e thunders of Sinai,—th e pilla r of fire and cloud
,— th e standing
still of th e sun and moon,—th e conquest of Canaan
,— a nd th e building of th e
temple . It had heard th e songs of David,and seen th e ma gnificence of Solomon .
In a ll this there wa s no metaphor. These events were actual fa cts of history,th e
Signs and results of th e “kingdom of Goo .
”
Nor wa s th is all. Th e Jews cher ished th e belief that this “k ingdom ” referrednot only to th e past
,but to th e future ; and they looked with growing expecta tion
for th e renewal of their ancient glory. And this seem ed to be no fanciful and nu
reasonable hope. According to their reading of th e scriptures,it wa s th e clear and
repeated promise of Jeh ovah , their King They relied on Moses , th e psa lmists, andth e prophets in support of this ambition. It had deepened and intens ified with th e
lapse of yea rs . And now th e voice of tradition and th e Sig ns of t h e times seemedto join in indications of its immedia te fulfilment. It had la tely ga thered freshstrength from th e general misconception of th e message both of th e Baptist and ofJesus . Our Lord had distinctly announced that th e prophecy of scripture had beenfulfilled in himself. Th e na tiona l expecta tion went out to him
,and they “hoped tha t
“it was h e which should redeem Isra el ” (Luke xxiv. 2 1, Never did so vast
an audience long with such fevered eagerness for th e declara tion that should answer
a nation ’s cry.
But they h ad altogether lost s ight of the most important characteristic of thiskingdom. Th e prediction
,which wa s also a command
,wa s that they were to be
a k ingdom of priests and a holy na ti on (Exod . xix. 4 This holiness wa s th efounda tion a nd source of their nationa l prosperity. Their whole history wa s in facta succession of types . Their slavery in Egypt
,and i ts awful ending, their law and
ritual were a ll of this character. Their victories and glory prefigur ed th e ultimate
triumph of h oliness in th e earth . Th e divine purpose wa s,— not to subjugate th e
world to Israel, but to give all nations , Jews and Gentiles a like, to HIS SON. They
h ad misunderstood this ; and h ad forgotten that th e true kingdom of God m ust ever
be a godly kingdom . If this vital cha racteristic be lost,th e whole i s changed . It
may be grea t, or rich , or glorious , but it h a s ceased to be th e kingdom of God. This
wa s th e ca se of th e Jews . They had repeatedly become professed idola ters . Even
when they adopted th e form,— they had lost th e spirit and power of godliness .
They had ceased to be a godly k ingdom and a s a consequence h ad ceased to be in
any special sense “th e k ingdom of God. Their privileges might be restored ; but,for th e time, at all events , their Sins h ad sepa rated between themselves and God.
They h ad gone astray both in their doctr ine and their practice . They h ad become
imbued with theories and cus toms diametr ica lly opposed to God ’s law and h is
righteousness ; and were longing for a kingdom of bigotry, selfishness, and pride.
lxiv INTRODUCTION — NOTE M.
On such a foundation our Lord could not build : and,therefore
,h is first great object
in this sermon wa s to correct th e na tional creed a nd conscience ; to br eak down
their fundamental and pervading error, and on its ruins to build th e eterna l gospel
of th e “k ingdom of God .
”
Accordingly,in th e
“introduction ” to th e sermon h e arrested their attention, byproclaiming th e k ingdom in h is first sentence
,and by repea ted promises of i ts
advent. But ea ch renewed a ssurance taught them with increasing clearness and
force,tha t it difiered from all th e royalties of ea rth ; tha t it belonged— not to th e
rich and haughty,— but to th e poor in spirit : not to th e conqueror and ruler,
but to th e persecuted and despised . In th e first nine verses h e displays th e
kingdom by describing its citizens —then h e indica tes their relations to th e world ;— avers tha t this i s no new doctrine
,but th e confir m a ti on and comp leti on
* of th eOld Testament ; and so leads stea dily up to Ma tt. v. 20 ; which will, I think , be
found to be th e “ text ” on which th e whole of th e subsequent sermon is founded.
We have next to note that these seventeen introductory verses (3— 19 ) have
another distinct line of thought running through them,and converging on th e 2oth
verse. That line appears wh en we obser ve th a t,Th ere wa s a second difficulty with which our Lord h ad to contend. Not only
h ad th e am bition Of th e Jews misled them into false belief,— it had debased their
sta nda rd of religion, i ts practice , a nd i ts spirit. They had betrayed themselves into
th e hands of sectari es wh o “made void th e word of God,”and whose creed and conduct
were alike fa tal . These m en were at once form a lists,wh o prea ched evil doctr ine ;
and hypocrites, wh o lived evil lives . By their fa lse tea ching they misrepresentedGod’s truth ; by their bad example theymisledHis church. Their sanction and suppor twere given to th e ea rthly
,and not to th e spir itual kingdom. But unhappily the
people acknowledged their authority, and followed their example ; until their
d octrines were accepted a s th e most perfect development of truth,and their lives
and conduct a s th e highest standard of godliness . It wa s therefore necessa ry forJesus to expose th e errors
,and to denounce th e characters of these “blind leaders of
th e blind .
” And we shall find,accordingly
,that th e introduction to th e sermon
h a s this double bea ring. Beside th e meaning we have a lready tra ced , it contains apowerful atta ck upon these scribes and Pharisees .
” Our Lord does not irritate h ishearers by frequent mention of these m en by name . This would ha ve worn th e
appearance of petulance and jealousy ; and though th e sermon a ssa ils them frombeginning to end they a re only named once . But that once is in th e “text
,
”and it
gives power and point to th e whole . Few,if any, of those present would fail to
a pply menta lly th e implied reproofs a s they fell from th e lips of Jesus . Th e poor
in spirit, th e meek , th e merciful, th e pea cemakers and th e persecuted,—th e very
Th e word WhnpcGO'
a I. in Ma tt . v . 17 m ea ns
m ore th an i s generally understood by th eEngli sh render ing “ fulfil.” It signifies tofill out,
”o r to fill up som eth ing wh ich
h a s been left incom plete ; a s a pa inter finish esa picture of wh ich only a sketch h a s beenprepa red,— or a s a vessel conta ining liquidi s filled up to overflowing . Th e sam e wordin Ma tt. xxi ii. 32 i s rendered “Fi ll ye up“ th en th e m ea sure o f your fa ther s . So in
Luke ii . 40 “th e ch ild grew, and waxed
strong , filled with wi sdom in Eph . i i i . 19th at ye m ay be filled unto a ll th e fulness
“of God .
”See a lso Eph . v. 18 and Ph il. i .
11 . Our Lord th us teach es th a t th e OldTestam ent wa s an incom plete revela tion
,
and th a t h i s gospel not only sa tisfies i tsrequ irem ents , and “fulfils ” i ts conditions ,but th a t it goes furth er and “fills up God ’
s
design for th e sa lva tion o f th e world , wh ich
wa s unfini sh ed , a nd pa r tia lly unrevea led,unti l th e m an i festa tion of Hi s Son.
INTRODUCTION — NOTE M. lxv
Opposite to th e Pharisee— were th e citizens of th e k ingdom of heaven . All that hewa s not, wa s blessed what he tried to be and wa s
,came under th e Woe
unto you ” of Jesus — until in verses 13— 15 h is cla im to be th e pur ifier and
teacher of th e people wa s swept away by our Lord’s a ssertion that His own humbledisciples were, in truth, th e sa lt of th e ea rth
,and th e light of th e world . But lest
this uprooting of Old and popular beliefs should seem to question th e author ity of
th e word of God, Jesus solemnly rea ffirms that authority in verses 17 —19 , and thuswe a re once more brought to th e text in verse 20 .
“Except your righteousness sha ll
exceed th e righteousness of th e scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into
th e kingdom of heaven.
”
Th e perfect sequence of th e argument m ay, I hope, be gathered from th e fol
lowing ana lysis and by colla ting it with th e original Gospels ofMatthew and Luke,a s given in section 50 .
Subj ect : -THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
In troduction.
Th e purport of wh ich i s (m a inly) to indica te and condem n th e preva ilingerror s with respect to th e kingdom o f God ; and th us to
pr epa re for th e system a tic and full exh ibition o f th e truth.
v. 3 Th e gospel of th e k ingdom defined and contra sted with th eteachings of th e Pha risees, and th e expectations of th e Jews.
:
(A) As to its NATURE
(B) a) n 1)PURPOSE
(C) AUTHORITY.
v. 3 (A) Th e NATURE of th e k ingdom a s displayed in th e cha ra cter
and exp er ience of its citizens in eight examples each
suggesting (but not specifying) a notorious cha ra cteristicof Pha risaism —ea ch inculca ting its exact oppos ite a s aChristian duty a nd privilege — each alleged to be a source
of happiness, (though worldly judgment would attribute to
it humiliation and suffering) — and each accompanied byan appropria te reward — thus
,
Imp li ed ch a racter istics o f Ch a ra cter istics o f th e true Appropr iate and consequentth e (Ph a r isee) form a list. citiz en s o f th e kingdom . r eward.
(v. 3) haughtiness th e Kingdom of God
(v. 4) self-suffi ciency divine comfort
(v. 5) obstinacy fa vour of Providence
(v. 6) longing for ea rthly th e fulness of Godrewards and preeminence
(v. 7) cruelty infinite mercy
(v. 8 ) external formalism intercour se with God
allied with inward corruption
(v. 9 ) contentiousness peacemak ing adoption into God’s family
poverty of Spiritself-reproofmeeknesshungering and thirsting
after righteousnessmercifulnesspurity of h eart and life
lx'
vi INTRODUCTION .— NOTE M.
Imp li ed ch aracteri stics of Ch a ra cter i stics of th e true Appropr i a te and consequentth e (Ph ar isee) form a list. ci tiz ens of th e kingdom . rewa rd .
(v. 10— 12) persecuting ty persecuted suffering th e kingdom of God
ranny
These eight a re th e marks These eight a re th e marks These eight (beginning and
of th e righteousness of of citizenship in th e ending, No. 1 and No. 8,“th e Scribes and Pha ri kingdom of God. with “th e kingdom ”
)sees .
”a re th e objects and the
essence of Christianity.
Th e result o f th ese ch aracter istics and rewa rds i s th at,in spite of th e tr ials , and
in consequence of th e rewa rd , th e Ch r i stian i s , in each ca se , pronounced to be B lessed .
”
(Matt. v. 13 (B) Th e PURPOSE of th e gospel of th e kingdom.
(v. (1) To cultivate pur i ty of life, a s typified by“th e salt.
(v. (2 ) To cultivate knowledge of th e truth , a s typ ified by“th e
light.”
(1) To cultivate this purity,
(v. In themselves
In others .
(2) To cultiva te this knowledge,(v In themselves
(v. 15,16 ) In others.
(Matt. v. 17 (C) Th e AUTHORITY of th e gospel of th e kingdom deducedfrom two cons iderations
(a ) It ra tifies and confirms th e Law of God, so far a s thati s revealed in th e Old Testament.
(b) It expands and completes it, where i ts principles and
precepts a re imperfectly developed therein .
Th e perfection of th e gospel o f th e k ingdom , [a s th us indica tedin (a ) and (b)] i s set for th in th e
“ text”
; vi z .
(Matt. v. Pr op osi tion— Th e “kingdom of God is RIGHTEOUSNEss— (not
form a lism )— excelling th e righteousness of th e Scribes and
Pha risees , th e highest standard of religious life known toour Lord’s hearers .
Th is standa rd of r igh teousness ,— th e essence of th e true kingdom
,—expla ined and enforced by illustra tive exam ples of i ts
influence on h um an life
D ivisi on I. As th e explanation and fulfilment of th e commands of th e old Law.
D ivi sion II. As th e expansion and completion of that Law.
D ivi si on III. As th e source of entire consecration to God.
(Matt. v. 2 1 D ivision I. Th e kingdom of God, as compared with th e
formal and imperfect service of a mereliteral performance of th e Mosaic Law ; inrespect to socia l duties
Matt. v. 2 1— 26. anger
27— 32 . lust
INTRODUCTION — NOTE M. lxvi i
Matt. v. 33— 37. government of th e tongue
38— 42 . revenge
43— 48. k indliness and courtesy.
[Ea ch of these five illustrations refers directly to th e Mosaic command, by th erepetition of th e prefa tory words “Ye have heard tha t it hath been
(Matt. vi. 1 D ivision II. Th e k ingdom,— a s th e expansion and com
pletion of th e moral law, contrasted with
th e lives and conduct of th e Scribes and
Pharisees ; in respect to r elig ious duties
Ma tt. vi. 1— 18. hypocritical formalism a s it wa s exhibited
in abuses in almsgivingprayer ;fasting.
(Matt. vi . 19 - vi i . D ivi sion III. Th e k ingdom ,- a s th e source of entire
consecration to God .
vi . 19— 2 1. In unworldliness,and des ire for “treasures in heaven.
2 2— 24 . singleness of aims ;25— 34 . trust in Providence
vn . 1— 5 . charity of judgment
6 . reverence for div ine things
7— 11. obedient and faithful communion with God a s our Father ;12 . th e “golden rule of k indness
13,14 . self-denial and discipline
15— 20 . vigilant gua rd aga inst error
2 1— 23 . consecra tion of life a s well a s purity of creed .
(Ma tt. vu . 24 Conclusi on. Th e whole solemnly enforced by
v11. 24,25 . th e certainty of everlasting rewa rd
26,2 7 . punishment.
There is one further observa tion which Should not be forgotten .
We have hitherto considered this sermon solely a s addressed to th e multitudes
wh o heard it spoken in Galilee. It fulfilled however another function, totallydistinct and
,in one view
,more im portant. It wa s a message to th e church and
th e world,for ever. One of i ts many ma rvellous characteristics i s that its
precepts and warni ngs,specially framed to meet th e tempora ry conditions of a
peculiar and exclusive people,were equally adapted to th e ever varying circum
stances of unborn millions in every age and clime. It i s a perfect exposition of
Christianity for modern,a s well as for ancient days ; equally precious through th e
years past, present and to come . Th e vices which it denounces a re those which
always have been,and a lways will be most frequent and most fatal . Th e illus
tra tions a re universally applicable,and we m ay read th e sermon in England in
th e nineteenth century without think ing of i ts special applicability to Jerusalemin th e first. Th e beatitudes
,which carried rebukes to th e Pharisees, convey to
us precious promises and equally precious warnings,but without any local colour.
And its unparalleled wisdom and unfathoma ble love will be the richest heritage
of th e church until th e “consummation of th e ages .
”
lxviii INTRODUCTION — NOTE N .
NOTE N .
TIIE JUDGMENT AND THE COUNCIL.
Section 50 .
IN Ma tt. v. 2 1, 22, 50 three degrees of wickedness a re indicated,and three
degrees of punishment awarded.
Th e first degree of s infulness consists in th e nurturing of unlawful anger in th eheart
,but without giving to it a ny externa l and vis ible effect.
Th e second is th e yielding to such a nger, so fa r a s to give express ion to sentiments
o f an irr itating and contemptuous character. “Raca” signifies an empty,frivolous
person .
Th e th i rd i s th e exhibition of intense ha te,conveyed in such abusive and insult
ing terms a s would cause , a ccompany, and embitter a passionate qua rrel .But with regard to all three degrees
,th e words given a re but illustrations . As
Fa rra r well says (Life of Chri st, I .“Th e thing which Jesus forbids is not th e
mere use of pa rticular expressions—~ for if that were all,h e might h ave instanced
taunts and libels ten thousand times more deadly —but th e spirit of rage and pa ssion
out of which such expressions Spring. Thus [ta ca dvdpanre Keve'
) is used, with dueca use
,by St James (ii. and pmpds
‘ i s a pplied to th e blind and wicked, not only byDa vid (Ps . xiv. but by our Lord himself (Matt. xxiii. 17,Th e first degree of pun ishment
,decreed for th e first of these Sins
,i s th e “judg
ment” inflicted by th e D in Mishp a t or infer ior court of twenty-three j udges. Byth e Jewish law this tribuna l wa s a loca l court formed of th e elders of each city. It
took cognizance of minor Offences only.
Th e second tribuna l, th e“council
,
”wa s th e centra l and superior court of th e
Sanhedrim of seventy-two judges. It consisted of th e chief priests, elders and
scr ibes ; and retained jurisdiction in capital offences , until depr ived of it by their
Roman conquerors .
Th e th ird penalty wa s th e “Gehenna of fire . In Gehenna (th e va lley ofHinnom), th e Jews in their idola trous days burnt their children a s sacrifices to
Moloch . In la ter times, th e refuse of th e temple and city h ad been consumedin i ts ceaseless fires. Th e bodies of sla in ma lefactors were destroyed there a s a las tinfamy after death ; and, very ra rely, th e worst criminals were burnt alive in thishorrible pla ce . Robinson a nd others doubt these latter allega tions
,and assert tha t
th e fires of Moloch were th e la st tha t were kindled there . It is believed by themtha t th e filth of th e city wa s conveyed thith er
,so tha t it became one vast cesspool .
At all events , th e name of this va lley wa s applied by th e Jews to th e pla ce of everla sting torment, and th e gates of Hell were said to be in Gehenna .
Dean Mansel in h is note on Matt . v. 22 in th e Sp ea ker’s Comm enta ry, New Test ,
vol. I . p . 28,says
,— “Th e most natural interpr etation seems to be to suppose tha t
three degrees of human punishment a re used to descr ibe by a na logy three corre
lxx INTRODUCTION — NOTE P.
OUR FATHER ”
By right of crea tion,By merit of mercy,By bountiful Providence .
WHICH ART IN HEAVEN ;
The seat of thy majesty,Th e home of thy children,Th e k ingdom of bliss .
HALLOWED BE THY NAME ;
By th e thoughts of our hearts ,By th e words of our mouths ,By th e works of our hands .
THY KINGDOM COME
Of grace to inspire us,
Of power to defend us,Of glory to crown us .
THY WILL BE DONE ;
In weal,and in woe,
In fulness,and in want,
In life,and in dea th.
“IN EARTH As IN HEAVEN ;
In us a s in angels,Willingly, readily, faithfully,Without murmur, let, deceit.
“GIVE Us THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD ;For th e nourishing of our bodies ,For th e feeding of our souls ,For th e relief of our necessities.
“AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS ;
Whereby thou art dishonour ed,
Our neighbours wronged,
Ourselves endangered .
“As WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS ;Who have hurt us in our bodies
,
Hindered us in our goods,
Wronged us in our good nam e .
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION ;Of th e wicked wor ld
,
Of th e enticing flesh,
Of th e envious devil.
“BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL ;
Forgive that is past,
Reprove that is present,
Prevent what i s to come .
“FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM ;T o r ule and to govern all
,
To command to do all,
In all,by all
, a ll in a ll.
Now AND FOR EVER ;
At this present,
In this world,
In th e world to come.
AMEN
AS thou sayest, so is it.As thou prom isest, it sha ll be.
As we pray, so be it, LORD .
NOTE P.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH.
Ma tt. xvi. 15— 19 . Section 10 1.
THIS pa ssa ge h a s given rise to much controversy, in consequence of the Romish:church ha ving built upon it th e doctrine of its own eccles ia stica l suprema cy. Th e
a rgument by which it attempts to support this contention rests upon three
prepos itions , a ll ofwhich a re without founda tion. They are these
INTRODUCTION .— NOTE P. lxxi
I . Th e words of our Lord conferred preeminent dignity and authority on th e
a postle Peter, a nd des ignated him p ersona lly a s th e foundation of th e whole church
o f Christ.
I I. Peter wa s th e founder of th e church a t Rome,and subsequently i ts head
a nd bishop.
I II . That th e Pope,a s bishop of Rome , h a s succeeded to Peter’s office and
supremacy,both at Rome and everywhere else .
Before cons idering th e true interpreta tion of th e passage, we m ay dispose ofthese three suggestions.
I . In answer to th e first, we note that,Peter’s supremacy wa s never recognised during h is life, by
(a ) Our Lord. On th e contra ry, Jesus clea rly taught th e equality of th e
disciples .
“One i s your teacher, and a ll ye a re brethren. One i s your ma ster, even
th e Christ (Matt. xxiii. 8, 10 , It i s true tha t, knowing Peter’s rema rka ble
courage and energy,Jesus told him to “
sta blis h is brethren (Luke xxn . 32 ,
but h e never bade him to r ule them. During th e Whole of our Lord’s
m inistry Peter h ad no more supremacy than James or John. Th e very words
which in Matt. xvi. 19,
10 1, define th e (supposed)“power of th e keys with
regard to Peter,a re actua lly repea ted in Ma tt. xviii. 18
,109
,with rega rd to
the whole body of th e apostles,wh o a re thus endowed with th e same preroga tive,
“Verily I say unto you, Wha t things soever ye shall bind on earth Sha ll be boundin heaven : and what things soever ye Sha ll loose on ea rth shall be loosed in
hea ven.
’Th e Romish interpretation of these verses (Matt. xvi . 18, 19) i s sup
ported by no other pa ssage ; and to build such a doctrine on this figura tive
expression i s a s absurd a s it would be to contend that th e words closely followingprove tha t Peter wa s worldly and devilish I” “But h e turned
,and said unto Peter ,
Get thee behind m e,Satan : thou a rt a stumbling-block unto m e : for thou
mindest not th e things of God, .but th e things of m en”
(Matt. xvi. 23 ,How soon
,ala s h ad th e rock ” become a stumbling-block
- (b) Th e other ap ostles never a cknowledged any specia l authority In Peter.They clearly held that their equality wa s absolute ; and would continue to be so
even in heaven. This i s illustrated by th e incident recorded in Matt. xx . 24,
149 ;
where th e conduct of James and John wa s denounced a s a n unfair attempt to
disturb th e rightful equa lity of th e rest of th e apostles . When they chose a pres i
dent or bishop of th e church a t Jerusalem,they elected James in preference to
Peter. “When Cephas came to Antioch,
” Paul,th e youngest of th e apostles
,
“resistedhim to th e face
,because h e stood condemned ”
(Gal. 11. Th e whole of tha tpassage, from verse 6 to verse 14
,Should be specia lly noted ; and it i s entirely
based upon th e existence of an absolute equality amongst th e apostles .
(c) Peter h im self never pretended to a ssume any higher ofli ce or authoritythan wa s conferred on all th e rest ; and never refers to any such distinction in any
way.
(d) Th e form of express ion here used does not,in fa ct
,convey th e doctr ine
which i t i s supposed to teach. Th e same metaphor occurs frequently in th e New
Testament. It i s to be noted tha t, in every instance,th e “pillars ” of th e chur ch
INTRODUCTION — NOTE P.lxxii
or i ts “ foundations ”a re m en
,not doctr ines.
to Peter but to a ll h is brethren . For example ,“Ye a re built upon th e founda tion
of th e ap ostles a nd p rop hets”
(Eph. 11. And again,“Th e wall of th e city
h ad twelve founda tions, and on them th e twelve names of th e twelve apostles of
th e Lamb ”
(Rev . xxi .
And th e figure i s applied not only
(e) But,la stly
,th e only true “founda tion of th e church i s our blessed Lord
himself ; and no true Christian of a ny church would suggest tha t Jesus wa s a
foundation bu ilt on th e rock ,— Peter 1 This would indeed be an invers ion of history,theology a nd common sense Isa iah prophetically described th e Saviour thus
(xxviii .“Beh old
,I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone
,a tried stone, a precious
corner stone of sure founda tion . Jesus applied to himself th e scr ipture
Th e stone which th e builders rejected,Th e sam e wa s made th e head of th e corner .
(Ma tt. xxi . 42 , Pau l a sserts th e truth conclusively,“For other foundation
can no m an lay than tha t which is laid, which i s Jesus Chr ist (1 Cor. iii .And aga in,
“Christ Jesus himself being th e chief corner stone ” (Eph. ii. Peterhimself loya lly gives th e dign ity to h is master. He does thi s both in h is speech
,
He is th e stone which wa s set at nought of you th e bu ilders, which wa s made th ehead of th e corner ” (Acts iv. 11) and with still grea ter fulness in h is Epistle.
(1 Pet. ii. 3
11. Th e second proposition rests on th e tradition that Peter founded th e church
a t Rome, and wa s subsequently i ts first“bishop.
T h e a nswer to this i s twofold .
(a ) It i s by no means clea r tha t Peter wa s ever at Rom e in h is life Therei s an ancient tra dition that h e went there ; tha t, a t a time Of impending persecution
,h e pr epa red to leave th e city tha t h e wa s m et at th e ga te by th e Lord Jesus
Christ and that h e returned and wa s ma rtyred. (See Smith’s D i et. of the Bible, II .
805, There is no scriptural support for thi s narrative or any pa rt of it. In fact
we hea r very little about him a fter h is impr isonment,recorded in Acts xi i . 3— 19 .
We know that h e wrote th e two Epistles which bea r hi s name,and that i s nea rly
a ll . But on th e whole, th e better Opin ion would seem to be,that h e probably
vis ited Rome about a year before h is death, and wa s murdered there. Th e ma tter
is,however, involved in much doubt.
(b) But even if we accept th e tradition th a t'
Peter , following in th e footstepsof Paul
,did a t som e time visit Rome
,it i s pra ctically certa in that h e held no loca l
office there. It would seem that,like Paul
,h e devoted h is time and energy to th e
important and apostolic work of extended travel and in th e course of this h e visited
In connexion with th is m etaph or , inwh ich th e growth of th e ch u rch i s figuredby th e building of a h ouse or tem ple , severa ldi fferent words a re em ployed in th e New
T estam ent. For exam ple , stone, founda tion ,
rock , h ea dstone , p illa r , cornerstone, &c., a ll
th ese a re but va r ied expressions of th e sam e
th ough t : and in th i s note we include th ema ll, a s our object i s to discuss th e substance ,and no t th e va r ied form s in wh ich it i s
represented .
1 On th e 9 th and loth of Feb . 1872 th erewa s a m ost interesting and lea rned di scussion on th i s subject. It took pla ce in Rom ebetween th ree Ca th olic pr i ests (under lnstructions from th e Va tican) , and th reeProtestan t Eva ngelica ls, Ga va z z i , Sei a relli ,a nd Ribetti . Th e repor t of th e deba te wa str a nsla ted and edited by th e Rev. WilliamArth ur .
INTRODUCTION — NOTE P. lxxiii
th e Christian churches in many countries . We have no exact record of h is
missionary efforts ; but, a s fa r a s any reliable evidence exists, it i s pretty’ clea r
that h e wa s no more bishop of Rome than h e wa s of Jerusalem or Corinth. But
this is not all. For even if we h ad sufficient ground for believing tha t Petervisited Rome, fixed h is a bode there
,and assumed th e spiritual government of i ts
church,th e third propos ition would still call for proof tha t there h a s been a regular
and un interrupted succession of bishops from a postolic times to our own days .
This contention i s involved in such difficulty and doubt tha t it i s hopelesslyinadmissible
,unless we a re prepa red to accept legends for facts , and to substitute
tradition for history.
II I. If all these obsta cles were surmounted ; if we could assum e that Peterwa s th e first bishop of Rome, and tha t th e Popes ha ve been h is legitima te successors
in an unbroken line, there would still be no foundation for th e cla im of un iversa l
supremacy by th e bishop of Rome or Canterbury or Constantinople or anywhere
else. Th e bishopric of Rome i s not th e bishopric of th e whole church,any more
than th e bishopric of Ephesus or of Brita in. Moreover, th e commendation ofPeter wa s of himself alone. It wa s not an authority vested in him and h i s successors
at Caesarea , at Rome, or elsewhere . Th e words of our Lord a bsolutely exclude th eidea of succession in any form and to any degree . They a re addressed to and a re
confined to Peter a lone ; not to him p ersona lly— nor to him and any successors
anywhere ; —but to him,a s th e spokesman of th e whole body of th e Apostles then
and there present, who had joined in th e declaration of faith which earned our
Lord’s commenda tion.
Dismissing therefore these suggestions of eccles iastica l ambition,let us look for
th e true pur port of our Lord ’s words . It is unfortunate that in th e conflict whi ch
h a s arisen in consequence of these shadowy a nd arrogant cla ims th e exaggerations
on one side ha ve been m et by mistaken attem pts to minimise th e substantia l truth
on th e other. Papists ha ve tried to exa lt Peter unduly ; Protestants ha ve beenthereby tempted to deroga te unwisely fr om h is real and deserved a uthority.
AS We have already sa id,— our Lord a ddressed Peter,no t exclusively
,but a s th e
rep r esenta tive of th e rest of th e apostles They h ad all j oined in th e same confes
s ion they h ad all been taught of th e F a ther,not by flesh and blood they h ad all
been pronounced blessed in th e blessing pronounced upon Peter a nd now Peter’s
name is used representa tively to shew that they were all,collectively
,in their
office and doctrine,to be th e founda tion of th e Chri stian church. Th e further
exposition of this pa ssage is ably and concisely given in Smith’s D i et. of B i ble,II. 800 (in an article by that lea rned writer
,Dr F . C . Cook ) in th e following words :
“Peter wa s th e rock (or stone)“on which th e church would be built
,a s th e r epre
“Senta tive of th e Apostles , a s professing in their name th e true fa ith
,and a s
“entrusted Specia lly with th e duty of prea ching it, and thereby laying th e founda
“tion of th e Church. This is borne out by th e facts that St Peter on th e day of“Pentecost and during th e whole period of th e establishment of th e church
,wa s
“th e chief agent in all th e work of th e ministry, in prea ching, in adm itting both
Thi s i s fully and adm irably trea ted in “ itself beginning on th e day of PentecostWa tson’
s E xp osi ti on, p . 233 . by th e laying of th r ee thousa nd living“He wa s th e first of th ose founda ti on “
stones on th is very founda tion .
”Alford ,
“stones (Rev. xxi . 14) on wh ich th e living i . 173 .
“ tem ple of God wa s built : th i s bui lding
lxxiv INTRODUCTION.—NOTE Q .
Jews and Gentiles,and laying down th e terms of communion . This view i s
wholly incom patible with th e Roman theory,which makes him th e representative
of Christ,not persona lly
,but in virtue of an offi ce essentia l to th e permanent
exi stence and authority of th e church .
”
NOTE Q .
COINS,WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
TRANSLATORS of th e Bible h ave constantly tried to describe th e coins and
mea sures, &c. mentioned in it by using th e nam es of those in modern use whichmost nea rly represent them. If this can be done successfully, th e employment offam iliar terms will of course s implify th e na rrative, but a s th e values do not
correspond with modern standards, some confusion h a s been imported into th e
text. Th e equivalents adopted by th e American Committee seem to m e to be betterthan our own . Th e following explanat ions will
,I think
,be found both intelligible
and accurateMONEY.
MITE .
Th e sma llest coin named in th e New Testament wa s th e (Am -r i p), lep ton. This
is mentioned three times,viz . , in th e parallel pa ssages of Mark xii. 42 and Luke
xxi . 2 , 171 ; and in Luke xii . 59, 66,a nd i s a lways transla ted “
m i te.
” Its valuewa s
‘
1078 of a penny or about three-eighths of an English fa rthing. Th e translation“mite ” i s therefore substantia lly accurate.
CODRANTES (FARTHING).
Two lep ta , or mites , made one codra ntes mentioned twice,viz. in
Ma tt. V. 26,
50,and Ma rk xi i . 4 2 , 171, a nd is in both ca ses and with sufficient
closeness tra nsla ted “fa rth ing .
” Its value wa s 2 156 of a penny (English), or8 624 (rather more than three-qua rters) of a fa rthing.
ASSARION (FARTHING)Four codr a ntes, or far things , ma de one a ssa r ion (do o dp i o v) ; mentioned twice , in
Matt. x . 29 , 87 ; and Luke xi i . 6,
63. In both cases th e Revised Versiontranslates this a lso by th e same word “fa r th ing ,
” though its va lue wa s four times
a s much a s th e codra ntes to which th e same name i s assigned. Th e AmericanCommittee transla te it by th e word p enny, which i s, in my opinion, Very much to bepreferred . Its va lue wa s 8 6245 of a penny or 3 4498 (nearly 332) fa rthings .
DENARIUS (PENNY).
Ten a ssa r ia (or pence) made one dena r ius (q dptov). This coin i s mentionedfourteen times ; viz . , in th e parallel passages in Matt. xxii. 19 , Mark xi i . 15
,and
Luke xx. 24, 166 ; and in Mark xiv. 5 and John xii. 5 , 179 . It i s also found inMatt. xviii . 28
,110 ; Ma ttu xx . 2
, 9 , 10 , 13 , 147 ; Mark Vi . 37,
9 1 ; Luke Vi i . 4 1,
§ 54 ; Luke x . 35, 117 ; and John vi . 7, 9 1. In both th e Authorized and
INTRODUCTION — NOTE Q . lxxv
Revised Vers ions this word i s uniform ly transla ted “penny,
” but th e AmericanCommittee ha ve suggested th e rendering shilling ” in every case except i ii th eparallel passages in
“
166 . As th e whole point of our Lord’s answer there turns 0 11
th e design impressed on th e pa rticular coin which wa s produced to him,it is
proba bly better to retain in that instance i ts specific name of dena r ius. Elsewhere
,th e word “
shilling ” appears to give th e nearest interpretation that our
modern coinage will supply ; for its value wa s pence, or rather more than 85d .
DRACHMA (PIECE OF SILVER) .
Th e dena ri us was a Roman silver coin . Th e dr a chm a (8paa’
) wa s a Greeks ilver coin of equal va lue. It is mentioned thrice only, in Luke xv. 8
, 9 , 124, and
both th e Author ized and Revised Vers ions render i t in th e text s imply a s pieceof silver ” without giving it any specific name, and i ts nam e and value a re stated inth e margin.
D IDRACHM (HALF-SHEKEL) .
Two dra chm a s (or dena r i i ) ma de one didr a chm a (didpaxp ov). This word occurstwice only
,both times being in Ma tt. xvii. 24
,106 . Th e didra chm a wa s a Greek
silver coin, and wa s equal to th e Jewish half-Shekel,which wa s th e regular temple
tribute (Ex. xxx . 13 &c. ; and 2 Chron . xx iv. Its value wa s 1s. 5i d . of Englishmoney . Th e Authorized Vers ion ca lls it Simply th e “tribute money.
”Th e Revised
Version renders it by its equivalent in Jewish coinage , viz . half-Shekel .
STATER (SHEKEL).
Two d idra chm a s were equal to one sta ter, which i s mentioned once only ; in
Matt. xvii. 27, 106. Th e Authorized Vers ion calls it s imply “a piece of money.
Th e Revised Vers ion renders it “Shekel.” Th e stater must here mean a s ilver“tetradrachm ; and th e only tetradrachms then current in Pa lestine were of th e
same weight a s th e Hebrew Shekel. And it i s observable in confirmation Of th e
minute accuracy of th e Evangelist, th a t, at this period, th e silver currency inPalestine cons isted of Greek imperial tetradrachms, or staters , and Roman denariiof a quarter their value, didra chms having fallen into disuse . Had two didrachmsbeen found by St Peter th e rece ivers of tr ibute would sca rcely have taken them ;a nd
,no doubt, th e ordinary coin paid wa s that miraculously supplied.
” Smith’s
D iet. B ible, iii . 1376 .
Rem em bering th e na ture of th e controversy between our Lord and h i s opponents,it i s m ost interesting to obser ve th e rem a rk
able sign ificance of th e legend on th is coin .
It wa s doubtless a denarius struck dur ingth e reign of T iber ius ; and one of th ese i s
now preserved a t th e Br iti sh Museum , and
i s copied in Sm ith’
s D i e. B i ble, i . 427 . On
th e obverse it bore th e h ead of T iber iusCaesar and th e words TI CE SAR D IVI AUG F
AUGUSTUS (T iber ius Cwsa r th e august son of
th e Divine Augustus ) , and on th e rever se a
fem a le figure sea ted (and probably m eant a s
a personifica tion Of Rome) and th e wordsPONTIE MAxIM (High Pr iest) . Th i s outra gedJewi sh pr ide and Jewish belief in everyway . Its bust of th e em peror vi ola ted th e i runderstanding of th e second com m andm en t.
Its a ssertion of th e em pire o f T iber ius,o f
h i s office a s High Pr iest, and above a ll of th edeifica ti on of th e la tely decea sed Augustusintensified th e insult to th eir na tion andth eir creed . Bear ing th is in m ind , refer toour Lord ’
s unanswerable reply, Ma tt. xxi i .20
,&c. , 166.
lxxvi INTRODUCTION — NOTE Q .
MNA (POUND).
In Luke xix. 13— 25 , 153 , th e m na , which th e Authorized Vers ion and th e
Revised Vers ion agree in translating a s “pound,
” i s mentioned n ine times. Th e
word does not occur elsewhere. Its value may be taken at about £3 . 23. 6d.
TALENT.
Th e talent was a weight (of gold or silver ) ; no t a coin, or number of coins. It
i s mentioned once in Matt. xviii . 24, 110 and fourteen times in Matt. xxv. 15— 28,175, and m ay there be reckoned a s worth about £240 . In turning Jewish moneyinto Rom a n
,and indeed in all estima tes of th e value of Roman coins, it must be
remembered that under th e emperors th e coinage wa s much depreciated.
MEASURES OF LENGTH AND DISTANCE.
CUBIT.
Th e cubi t occurs three times : in Matt. vi. 27, 50 ; Luke x1i . 25, § 50 ; and
John xxi. 8, 250 . It wa s 18 24 of a foot— about 2 1 inches .
STADIUM (FURLONG).
Th e word o-r a
'
ibwv, rendered“fur long, occurs th ree times , viz . , in Luke xxiv. 13,
245 John Vi . 19, 92 ; a nd xi . 18,
128. Th e sta dium wa s English yards .
MILE.
In one passage only (Matt. v. 41 50) we find mention of a“mile.
” This wa s,
probably,th e Roman mile Of 1618 ya rds
,or about 9/10th s of an English mile .
A DAY’s JOURNEY.
In Luke ii. 44, 19, and there only,a “day’s journey is mentioned. This
seems to have varied according to circumstances from 30 to 33 English miles .
SARRATH-DAY ’S JOURNEY.
Th e Sa bbath -day’s journey,Acts i . 12
,2 54
,wa s 2000 cubits
,i . 0 . about a mile.
MEASURES OF CAPACITY
BATH.
In Luke xvi 6 , 126 (and no t elsewhere), th e“bath” is mentioned
,and trans
lated “measure. It wa s a liquid mea sure conta ining 8k gallons .
METRETES (FIRKIN).
In John ii. 6 , 2 5 (and not elsewhere), th e m etretes i s mentioned,and is
translated “firk in . It equa lled from 7§ to 9 gallons , or a bout a n English firkin,
a nd cannot be estimated more accurately.
SEAH.
In th e parallel passages Matt. xiii. 33 and Luke xiii. 2 1 in 75 (and not elsewhere) th e sea h i s mentioned
,and transla ted “measure.
” It wa s a dry measurecontaining 15 peeks .
lxxviii INTRODUCTION — NOTES S, T .
was not Tabo r. It is almost a s certain that it wa s th e neighbouring snow-crownedHermon, a t th e foot of which Caesarea lay. This is th e highest mountain in
Palestine ; and Luke might naturally call it “the mountain ”either on account
of its proximity or its magnificence . It i s highly probable that th IS would be th e
name by which it would ordinarily be described by th e residents a t C'
aesarea.
NOTE S.
THE TWO DEMONIACS.
Section 80 .
Matthew mentions two demoniacs ; while Mark and Luke mention only one.
Something peculiar in th e circumstances or character of one of th e personsrendered him more prominent and led th e two latter Evangelists to speak of himparticularly .
”
(Robinson, page“In th e description of any one and th e same
“scene, according to th e design or style of th e writers
,but with equally rigid
“adherence to truth,either th e whole number Of persons m ay be introduced,
or attention m ay be concentrated on some s ingle principa l a ctor.” (M°Clellan
,
p. Th e learned writer then gives a number of instances illustrative of thisprinciple of expos ition
,and remarks that in all these cases it is the sa m e Eva ngelist,
viz. S . Ma tthew, wh o gives the total number,shewing that it is a part of h is
“design or a feature of h is style.
”
Th e Gospels give two or three names to th e district where this occurred. Thesenames a re derived from its chief towns
,Gera sa (or Gergesa ) and Gadara. Gerasa
and Gergesa a re probably varied forms of th e same word,and indicate a small town
nearly opposite Magdala, on th e eastern side of th e Sea of Galilee. This place at
th e present day corresponds in its appearance with th e description given in th e
Gospel . Gada ra, th e capital of Peraea, wa s south-east of th e Sea of Ga lilee . It wa stoo fa r (seven miles) from th e lake
,and too much to th e south to answer to th e
description in th e Gospels , Luke viii. 22 , 26, 79 , 80 . Th e true reading musttherefore be Gerasa , and not Gadara. Th e name of Gadara h a s been probablyintroduced by a confusion between th e small town of Gera sa
,above mentioned
,a nd
th e much larger but distant city of Gerasa, 30 miles to th e south of th e lake.
NOTE T .
A JEWISH BANQUET .
Sections 54,127, 179 , 185 , &c.
IT seems clear that before, and in th e time of,our Lord , th e Jews had a dopted
th e Roman custom of r eclining (not si tting) at their mea ls . It will be well todescribe this more accurately
,a s it throws light upon some of our Lord’s teachings
,
and on several events in h is history.
Th e d inner-bed, or tr iclinium , stood in th e middle of th e dining room,— itself hence
INTRODUCTION— NOTE T . lxxix
ca lled by th e same name . It wa s clear of th e walls, leaving a passage behind andon ea ch s ide of it
,and it formed three s ides of a square which enclosed th e table .
T h e open end of th e square,with th e central hollow
,allowed th e servants to attend
and serve th e table , which wa s a little lower than th e dinner-bed (M°Clt
'
ntoclc a nd
Strong , 1. On this bed th e guests reclined at full length , leaning th e left elbow
on a cushion, and sloping th e feet backwards and outwa rds .
As th e dishes were pla ced upon th e table by th e servants , who were in th e
central hollow of the square, th e g uest, resting on h is left elbow, reached th e foodwith h is right hand . As knives and forks were not used
,th e hand wa s dipped into
th e dish, and each guest would be able to dip into th e same dish a s h i s immediate
neighbour above or below him ; but would not easily reach further than this .
As th e guests took off their shoes or sandals before reclining on th e bed, it will
be seen tha t any one pass ing behind them could reach their feet without coming to
th e table,or interfering with th e servants . It wa s thus that th e woman “
standing
behind at h is feet,weeping, wet h is feet with h er tears , and wiped them with th e
ha ir of h er head,and kissed h i s feet
,and anointed them with th e ointment
,
” Luke
vii. 38, 54 ; and see also 179 . This explains how our Lord ris ing from supper
girded himself with a towel,and tak ing a basin round with him washed th e feet of
th e apostles projecting from and behind th e couches on which they lay. See 185 .
In general, th e“ruler of th e feast (see John i i. 8, 9 , 25 ) reclined in th e middle
of th e left-hand table, that being a convenient place from which to superintend th e
fea st and give orders to th e servants . At each table, th e middle wa s th e mosthonour able place ; and th e middle pla ce of th e centre table wa s assigned to th e
guest in honour of whom th e enterta inment wa s specia lly given. As two or morepersons reclined on ea ch couch
,th e head of one recumbent guest would rea ch to th e
brea st of th e next above him ; and h e wa s said therefore to be “ in th e bosom ” ofthat m an . Lazarus i s thus represented (Luke xvi. 22 , 127) a s lying
“ in th e
bosom ” of Abraham carried from th e lowest pla ce of humilia tion and contempt to
th e highest place of dignity and honour — from th e dogs outs ide th e gate on earth,to th e bosom of “fa ithful Abraham,
”th e “fr iend of God,
”in hea ven.
Th e incidents of th e last supper gain fresh interest from th e picture presented
to usof th e arrangement of those present. No doubt our Lord would occupy th e
middle place at th e centre table, and (probably) six of th e apostles would share tha ttable with him,
three on each s ide ; while th e other s ix would recline at th e shorter
s ide tables, three at each table . We have no means of fixing th e places of allof them ; but three can be loca ted with a probability amounting a lmost to certainty.
Jesus wa s in th e centre,and with h is fa ce turned toward th e table. John wa s
certainly next below him,h is head lying in our Lord’s bosom (John x iii. 23, 25 ,
Juda s wa s next to our Lord on th e other side,for h e wa s th e discip le
“that dippedwith him in th e dish ”
(Matt. xxvi. 23 ; Mark xiv. 20 Luke xxii . 2 1, Moreover, h e wa s th e only one (except John, on th e other side), who wa s within rea chof our Lord
,so that Jesus could “dip th e sop, and give it to him. This proximi ty
a lso accounts for th e fact that our Sa viour’s words a s h e gave th e sop ,— spoken, no
doubt,in a low tone—were heard by th e tra itor, and by no other disciple, except
John. And it i s observable, that h e i s th e only Evangelist who records th e
incident (John xiii . 26— 30 ,Dr Lightfoot (in h is Ha rm ony) places our Lord between Peter and John. For
xxx INTRODUCT ION — NOTE U.
wha t reason h e supposes that Peter reclined next to Jesus, I cannot conceive . Th e
foregoing observations have, I think, shewn conclusively that Judas Iscariot occu
pied that pos ition. Th e description (John xiii . 24 , 186) of Peter beckoning to John ,and speak ing to him a bout our Lord, in an obvious “aside,
”can ha rdly be reconciled
with th e action of two m en close to Jesus , one on e ither s ide of him ,and speaking
to each other across him
We cannot fix Peter’s place a s certainly a s those of John and Judas . But it
i s extremely probable that h e occupied th e centre pla ce at th e left-hand table.
This wa s th e ordinary post of “th e ruler of the feast.” Somebody,a s a m ere
question of order and convenience,would ha ve to fulfil that duty : and Peter’s
energy so frequently led him into positions of prominence, that we should almost
na turally expect to find him doing so . But th ere i s another indication in Lukexxii. 8 , 9 , 13, 181. Peter and John were h idden to undertake th e preparation of
th e feast a nd did so ; they made ready th e pa ssover.” Those two
,or one of them
,
h a ving thus undertaken th e arrangements, would, in all probability, superintendthem throughout. John a ppea rs not to have done so
,but to have given h is
personal attendance to our Lord ; h e wa s reclining in Jesus’ bosom .
” This wouldlea ve th e duty to Peter, and in performing it h e would proba bly occupy th e usua lpla ce . If we accept this supposition
,and note how John and Peter lay at th e
supper, th e a ccount given us in John xiii . 23— 25,186
,i s exceedingly natural. Peter
beckons to John (verse 24) to attra ct h i s attention : John, ra ising himself a ndleaning toward Peter
,hears th e words spoken (in an undertone) across th e corner of
th e table,their heads being then four or five feet a part. Then (verse 25)
“ leani ng“back
,a s h e wa s
,on Jesus ’ breast,
”h e asks th e question which Peter had suggested,
and rece ives th e reply.
NOTE U.
BARTIMZ EUS AND HIS COMPANION .
Section 152 .
Th e accounts given by th e three Evangelists seem to differ in two respects.
1. Matthew mentions two blind m en while Mark and Luke only speak of one.
Th e explana tion h ere i s th e same a s in Note S,and th e same principle applies .
Matthew (a s i s h is wont) gives th e full number. Mark and Luke mention th e m an
who took th e chief part in th e appeal .
2 . Matthew and Ma rk say that th e miracle took place a s our Lord left th e city.
Luke states that it wa s wh en h e cam e to it. Several suggestions have been madeto reconcile these two accounts. Th e best i s found in M°Clellan
,p. 467.
“Both“blind m en sa t together on both days at both pla ces, first on th e evening of th e firstday
,at th e entry , marvelling and enquiring .of th e passing multitude
,but mak ing
no supplication ; and secondly on th e morning of th e second day,at the depa rtur e ,
answering th e multitude’s approach with their first sing le cry for mercy : rebukedfor tha t cry, again and again renewing it
,a nd finally receiving their s ight.
INTRODUCTION .— NOTE V. lxxx i
“Ma tthew a nd Ma rk confine themselves entirely to th e second day’s incidents :
“but Luke, wh o alone des igns to narra te th e intervening stay in th e city, yetequally with th e others des ires to illustrate th e case of th e spiritually blinddisciples by th at of th e naturally blind beggars
,conven iently begins h is picture
“with th e first day’s incidents,and then, for completion and unity’s sake
,without
mentioning th e change of tim e and p la ce, immediately proceeds to th e incidents ofth e second day, before beginni ng h is other picture, viz. th e story of Zacchaeus .
”
NOTE V.
THE ANOINTING WITH SPIKENARD.
Secti on 179 .
Luke (vn . 36— 50 , 54) records that a woman, a sinner, anointed our Lord’
s
feet in th e house of S imon , a Pha risee . This was a different incident to tha t which
is mentioned in 179 . With respect to th e first occa s ion 54) th e general Opin ion
h a s been th at th e woman there mentioned wa s Mary Magda lene. Robinson seems
to disprove this . He observes that Mary Ma gda lene is mentioned in th e next
section a s following Jesus a t a la ter time, and tha t th e language there used is such
as to suggest that it i s th e first mention of h er . Sh e is there described , not a s
“a sinner” (which i s th e cha ra cter given in Luke vii . 37, 39, but a s having
been th e victim of terrible dia bolica l possess ion ; which i s entirely distinct from
immora lity.
On th e oth er hand,some expos itors follow Augustine in believing th at th e
woman wa s th e same in both ca ses , viz . Mary of Betha ny. (Mc
Clella n,p. 565 ; see
Sm i th’s D iet. of Bible, vol . II. p. This view i s not however genera lly accepted
by commentators .
With respect to th e second anointing ; it is objected (1) that Ma tthew and Ma rkplace it in th e h ouse of S imon, a nd John in th e house of Lazarus
, (2 ) that th ewoman i s nameless in Ma tthew and Ma rk
,and in John i s identified a s Mary th e
sister of La za rus, (3) that Ma tthew and Ma rk represent h er a s anointing th e head,and John represents h er a s anointing th e feet, and (4 ) tha t th e complaint accordingto Matthew and Mark wa s made by th e disciples , and according to John it wa s
ma de by Judas only.
Th e answers a re obvious . (1) It wa s in th e house of Simon, and Lazarus wa sth ere a s a guest s itting at mea t with him. (2 ) Th e omission of th e name in one
case does not disprove it where it is actually given . (3) Th e Gospels describe differentperiods of th e same transaction. Sh e first broke th e vase and poured pa rt of th e
perfume on our Lord’s head ; and then anointed h is feet’ with th e remainder and
wiped th em with h er hair. (4) Judas was th e ringleader, and openly expressed
th e compla ints which some others had silently felt and indicated.
Th e chief difii culty arises from th e statements of th e time when this took place.
Matthew (xxvi. 2 , 177) and Mark (xiv. 1, 178) seem to fix it two days before th epassover. John (xii. 1, 154) gives th e time as six days before. But neither
lxxxii INTRODUCTION — NOTE W.
Matthew nor Mark gives this a s th e precise date of this particula r incident, but
s imply of occurrences which took place about that time. They merely say a s to this
event tha t it took place while h e wa s in Bethany, and h e rema ined there for somedays . John a gain gives th e “
s ix days a s th e time when h e came to Bethany,and
not when h e partook of this supper. M°Olellan therefore (p. 473) fixes this anointing
on th e Tuesday, and holds that th e“two days ” before th e passover is th e correct
time of its occurrence, and th at in John th e mention of six days a s“th e note of tim e
“marks,not th e supper
,but th e arrival at Bethany for th e s ix days ’ sojourn
,
“Bethany being thenceforward th e home of our Lord until h is crucifixion .
” Mostof th e authorities on th e other hand a gree with Stier in think ing that this incidenttook pla ce on th e Saturday.
“ St John,always precise in h is chronology
,when h e
“gives it, assures us tha t th e anointing in Bethany took place s ix days before th epa ssover ; consequently th e old suppos ition must be true
,that St Matthew and
“St Mark insert th e same incident r etrospectively in order to indicate th e occasion
of Juda s’ betraya l.
NOTE W.
THE PASSOVER.
Sections 181— 192 .
ONE question which h a s caused much controversy is this , —On which day,
(Wednesday or Thursday), did th e last supper take pla ce ? Th e synoptic Gospels fixit conclusively on Thursday night but John would, at first sight, appear to place it
on th e night before . Th e arguments on both sides a re given in th e D iet. of the
B ible ii . 718, and still more sa tisfa ctorily in M’Clellan p. 473 &c. A most patienta nd learned enquiry by th e la tter writer seems to shew that there i s no necessa rydiscrepancy, and that th e words of John a re in complete harmony with th e na rrativesof th e synoptic Gospels. But th e discussion of th e question is too long and intricatefor th e limits of this volume and I must refer th e reader to one or other of theseauthorities for its full consideration.
Th e passover, sometimes called “ th e feast of unleavened bread,”sometimes
s imply “th e feast,
”wa s th e first of th e three great annual festivals of th e Jews
,
th e other two being associated with it in Exod. xxiii . 14— 17. Its ritual variedaccording to th e circumstances of place and history. At i ts first institution th e
Jews were bond-sla ves in Egypt, without tabernacle or temple ; and th e short ands imple ceremonial of th e first passover, (see Exod. xi i . 1 wa s moulded by th egrea t events which accompanied it, th e destruction of th e first-born, and th e exodusof Isra el. At a later period, while th e Hebrews in th e wilderness were massed
around and within easy rea ch of th e central sanctuary, its celebration becam e moreelaborate, and required their personal attendance at th e tabernacle for th e purposeof offerings and sacrifices there. At a still later time, when they had conquered andpeopled Pa lestine , th e demands of th e law were modified ; because their distancefrom Jerusa lem
,and their rapidly increasing numbers , made it practically impossible
INTRODUCTION — NOTE W. lxxxiii
for them all to visit, or to find accommodation there at th e same time*. It i s truetha t by th e Mosaic law (Exod. xxiii. their ma les were bidden “th ree times in th e“year ” to “appear before th e Lord,
”and one of those times wa s on th e occasion of
th e passover. But th e personal attendance of th e master of th e household wa s not
enough . Th e passover wa s essentially and peculia rly a fa m i ly rite a nd,of course
,
th e father could not take a ll h is household with h im to Jerusalem . He must there
fore celebrate i t (a s fully a s h e could) at home and this involved some modifications .
During th e captivities th e whole system,political and ecclesia s tical
,was
interrupted ; and when th e Jews were afterwards restored to their own land, th e
changes introduced by tradition and otherwise into their ritual were numerous and
important.It i s unnecessary to trace these modifications . It i s enough to say tha t a t th e
time of our Lord a well recognised order of celebra tion prevailed ; which wa s founded,in i ts main provisions, on th e original law
,but differed from it in some deta ils.
Descriptions of it have been preserved which enable us to realise th e scene in thatupper room. We will therefore give a sketch of th e ordinary mode of keeping th epassover at that date, and th e special incidents of “ th e last supper will easily find
their proper pla ces . Th e following description is taken chiefly from Sm i th’s D ict.
of the B ible ii . 717. There is a still fuller account in McClintoc/c a nd S trong vii. 737,under th e title Passover.”
It should be remembered that th e central idea of the passover wa s that it wa sa religious service by th e household . But th e disciples were not a “household .
”
Many if not all of them had surrendered their family a dvantages and business
prospects for Christ. “Lo,
”said Peter,
“we have left a ll,and have followed thee.
Mark x. 28 &c.,
146 . Th e peculiar relation between Jesus and th e twelve wa s not
identical with th e authority of a father over h is household and it modified accord
ingly some of th e details of th e ceremonia l, in i ts strictly domestic bea rings .
T h e feast m ay be considered a s beginning on th e l 4th + day of th e month N isan
(or Abib). Th e Exodus had taken pla ce during th e night between Thur sday th e14th
,and th e morning of Friday th e 15th. Th e Jewish day commenced at s ix
o’clock in th e evening, and th e a ctual departure from Egypt wa s,strictly speaking
,on
th e 15th but th e lamb wa s slain,and th e passover eaten during th e latter hours of
Thursday. On that day, (before 6 o’clock), all leaven wa s put away out of their
houses . Th e males were commanded to bring to th e temple an offering in money,Exod . xxiii. 15 Deut. xvi . 16 , 17 and th e lamb
,which had been previously chosen,
wa s sacrificed “between th e evenings .
”The precise meaning of this expression is
Open to doubt but it is clear that it denotes some time in th e afternoon or evening
Many of th ose wh o cam e from th e country to Jerusalem were encam ped in tents
with out th e wa lls of th e ci ty ; and were
gratuitously accom m oda ted by th e inh abitants with th e necessa ry apa rtm ents , Ma tt.
xxvi . 18 and Luke xxii. 10— 12 , 181 . But
no expedients could enable a city wh osetota l a rea wa s probably not m ore th an 300acres to satisfy th e requirem ents o f th e
wh ole nation . Accordingly th e rigidity of
th e rule wa s relaxed in two ways . Th osewh o were unable to a ttend in th e pa ssover
week were a llowed to com e dur ing th e weekfollowing ; and
,subsequently, exceptions
seem to h ave been m ade in respect to th osewh o lived m ore th an fifteen m iles fromJerusa lem .
It wa s preceded by certa in prepa ra torydays of unleavened bread but th e festiva li tself began on th is day with a system a ticsea rch by th e h ead of th e househ old for anyrem a ins of leaven th a t m igh t a ccidentallyrem a in .
lxxxiv INTRODUCTION — NOTE W.
of th e Thursday. On th e 15th, (beginning at 6 o’clock p m . of th e 14th
,) th e lambwas to be eaten by th e household ; and nothing of it wa s to be left over till th emorning. Th e scriptura l a ccount of th e last supper begins with th e assembling of
th e disciples, and their arrangement at th e table 182) and its first specia lincident is th e contention which immediately arose for th e chief seats a t the feast
About p m . th e first * cup of wine was filled According to
usual practice th e head of th e family then asked a bless ing on th e fea st, a s well a s a
specia l one on th e cup “I' . Probably it wa s immedia tely after this bless ing that ourLord rose from th e couch , and reproved th e selfish pride and ambition of th edisciples by h is typica l wa shing of their feet After th e blessing th e bitterherbs were pla ced on th e table and a portion eaten with or without the sauce 1.When th e sauce wa s used, th e guests dipped th e bitter herbs into it a s a sop .
This therefore seems to have been th e time when our Lord privately,but decisively
,
identified th e traitor ;“He it is , for whom I shall dip th e sop , and give it
“him. So when h e had dipped th e sop, h e taketh and giveth it to Judas, th e son of“Simon then h a ving received th e sop went out straigh tway
”
(John xiii.26
, 30 , From this time therefore th e feast wa s confined to our Lord and th eeleven disciples and they alone pa rtook of th e sacrament of bread and wine .
Following th e regula r course in those days,th e unleavened bread wa s handed round
next after th e bitter herbs,a nd it is probable that th e Sa viour took th e opportunity
of its distribution to institute th e first pa rt of th e holy communion in th e words “Take,
eat ; this i s my body, which i s given for you : this do in remembrance of m e”
On ordinary occasions, after th e unleavened bread had been handed -round, th epascha l lamb wa s placed on th e table in front of th e head of th e family. Before itwa s eaten
,th e second cup of wine wa s filled, and the eldes t son
,in accordance with
Exod. x i l . 26, asked h is father th e meaning of th e feast. In reply an account wa sgiven of th e sufferings of th e Israelites in Egypt, and of their deliverance, with aparticular exposition of Deut. xxvi . 5 &c. ; and th e first part of th e consisting
of Psalms cxiii . and cxiv.,wa s sung. Th e lamb wa s then carved and eaten ; and th e
third cup wa s afterwards filled. Th e better opinion seems to be tha t this wa s th ecup with respect to which our Lord said, This is my blood of th e covenant
,
”and
thus completed th e institution of th e Eucharist.
There wa s plainly a substantia l interval between th e sanctifying of th e breadand of th e wine respectively, for th e purposes of th e Christian sa crament but th eGospels do not narrate any of th e intervening incidents . I have therefore given both
parts of this solemn rite in one section
In th e tim e o f our Lord it wa s usua l
to pa rtake o f four cups o f wine a t successivestages of th e fea st prescr ibed by tradition,
but no such practice wa s enjoined in th e
old law.
"I' Th ese repea ted blessings , (or th anksgivings) , (ebxapw
’
r la ) euch a r i sti a , h ave giventh e nam e of th e “Euch a r ist ” to th is Sa cram ent.
j: Th e use o f th is sauce wa s a com pa ratively m odern usage . It i s not m entionedin th e ancient ri tual.
Th is word i s an abbrevia tion of Hallel
ujah .
” It signifies Pra i se but it specia llydenotes a cer ta in pa rt o f th e h ym nal serviceused in th e tem ple , and (a t th e Pa ssoverand som e oth er festiva ls) in fam ily wor sh ip .
It consisted of Psalm s cxii i . to cxviii . Th iswa s generally sung in two portions ; th efirst two psa lm s being th e first pa rt of th eHa llel and th e la st four th e second pa rt.Wh a t wa s called “ th e grea ter Ha llel con
sisted of som e of th e oth er psalm s followingPs . cxvi ii . It concluded with Ps . cxxxvi ,but i t i s uncerta in wi th wh ich i t began .
INTRODUCTION .— NOTE X.
lxxxvi
III . Th e th ird warning is found in th e pa rallel pa ssages,Ma tt. xxvi. 34 and
Mark xiv. 30 in 196.
Its notes of identity a r e1. It wa s spoken (not dur i ng , but) after supper —not in th e r oom ,
but afterth e company had sung th e hymn (th e second Hallel), and had goneout of th e house, on their way to th e Mount of Olives .
2 . It arose out of our Lord’s warning,
“All ye shall be offended in m e thisnight.”
3 . It va ried from th e two former predictions by adding a further sta tement
(omitted by Ma tthew,but particularized by Mark),
“Before th e cockcrow twi ce, thou shalt deny m e thrice .
”
A moment’s considera tion of th e circumstances of these three warnings re
spectively, will shew conclusively that they a re entirely distinct and independent ofeach other. Their consecutive history therefore, a s thus presented to us by th elight of th e h a rmony
,i s a s follows
Jesus early in th e supper predicted that Peter would,before th e first cock-crow
that night,thrice deny h i s Lord.
As this solemn warning did not materia lly check Peter’s self-confident asseverations of h is courage and firmness , Jesus emphatically repeated it in h is farewelladdress .
When Peter’s continued vaunts shewed tha t, in spite of repeated warnings ,a nd in spite of th e Saviour’s touching address
,-h e wa s still relying boastfully on
h is own merits , —our Lord confirmed and enlarged h is prediction by th e further
announcement that, in addition to th e triple denia l before th e first cock-crow,Peter
would thrice aga in repea t h is denial before th e second*.
We have now to shew that these prophecies , foretelling six denia ls, were fulfilled.
This becom es perfectly clear when we trace Peter’s movements during th e night,
and observe where h e wa s, how h e wa s engaged, and with whom h e associated.
After th e arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane,“all th e disciples ,
” panic-struck,“ left
him and fled ”
(Ma tt. xxvi. 56, Peter and John seem to have gone together
and,after a short time , their courage returned, and they followed Jesus to th e house
of th e high priest. F rom John xviii. 24 , 202 , we gather that both Annas and
Caiaphas resided in this building ; but their apartments were separate ; for after
th e preliminary examination Annas sent him bound unto Caiapha s ” ;— languagewhich clearly denotes a removal from one audience-chamber to another.Annas would seem to have exercised some recognised eccles iastical authority
,
though we cannot ascertain its nature or limits ; and probably be had a definedportion of th e palace (including perhaps an audience-chamber), allotted to h is use
Travellers in Pa lestine com pla in th atth e cock often crows i rregula r ly about m i dnigh t and a t va r iou s tim es dur ing th e next
h our or two : and aga in , a lways and r egu
la r ly, about th e th ird h our , or daybreak .
(Robinson , p . It m ay be concludedth erefore th a t th e first crowing wh ich Peterh eard wa s a t one o r two o’clock . Th e secondwould be from th ree to five. Th e tr i a l beforeCa iaph as could sca rcely h ave taken pla ce
before one or two o ’clock. See Sp ea ker’s
Comm . on N . T . vol. I . , p . 284
1' In order to rea lise wh a t followed, wem ust bea r in m ind wh a t wa s th e genera la rrangem ent and structure o f th e h ouses of
th a t day ; rem em bering th a t a s th is wa s anofficia l and sem i-publi c building , i t woulddoubtless conta in som e room s o f unusualdim ensions , fitted for th e special purposesfor wh ich th ey were required . A concise
INTRODUCTION .—NOTE X. lxxxv n
When Peter and Joh n arrived at th e high priest’s house,John
,who wa s known
to th e portress a t th e outside gate, went forward through th e porch into thb courtbeyond : but finding that Peter h ad not been able to gain admission , John returnedto th e gate and brought him in (John xviii . 16
,It i s probable tha t John then
went straight forward into th e audience-room,where Annas wa s then conducting
th e first examination. Peter,following him through th e porch , wa s kept back for a
time by th e suspicious suggestion of th e portress,and thus became separated from
John,of whom we hear no more that night. In answer to th e charge of th e
portress,Peter
,thus left to himself
,uttered h is
FIRST DENIAL,
20 1,
Of which th e time, place, and circumstances a re thus fixed beyond question.
After passing th e portress, Peter went through th e porch , into th e court of th e“high priest (John xviii. 15 , 16, This court wa s pr obably common to th e
apartments of both Annas and Caia phas ; and it wa s here that th e subsequent denials
took place. Its exact relation to th e audience -chambers cannot be ascertained, butthey a ppear to have been fur ther on
,in th e interior of th e house ; and to have been
raised, by steps or otherwise, to a higher level : for, in Matt. xxvi . 69 , 206,
Peter i s described a s “s itting wi thout in th e court
,
”and in Ma rk x iv. 66 we a re told
that h e “wa s benea th in th e court.In this court (open to th e sky), th e officers and servants made a fire, and Peter
joined them. At first “Peter wa s with them,sta nding and warming himself” (John
xviii . 18, 25, 201, and while in this posture,and so engaged,
“they sa id unto
him,Art thou also one of h is disciples ?” (Joh n xviii. 25 , This wa s sa id by
th e people round th e fire , —after h e had gone from th e portress , through th e porch
and,in reply, h e made h is
SECOND DENIAL,
203 .
Having thus allayed th e suspicions of h is questioners,h e no longer stood , but
“sa t with th e Officers ,
”on friendly terms with them
,
“to see th e end,” Ma tt. xxvi .
58, 203 . When h e h ad done so,
“one of th e ma ids of th e high pr iest came unto him
,
“and seeing him a s h e sa t in th e light of th e fire
,warming himself ; and look ing
“stedfastly upon him
,said
,Thou also wa st with th e Nazarene ”
(Mark xiv. 66, 67
but accura te d&cr iption i s given by Robinson , p . 166 .
“An or ienta l h ouse i s usua llybuilt a round a quadrangula r inter ior
“ court ; into wh ich th ere i s a pa ssage“(som etim es a rch ed) th rough th e frontpa rt of th e h ouse , closed next th e street bya h eavy folding gate, wi th a sm a ller wicketfor single per sons , kept by a porter. Th e
“ inter ior court , Often paved or flagged , and“open to th e sky, i s th e h a ll (or cour t), m en
tionedinLukexxii . 55 (and elsewh ere) in
wh ich th e a ttendants m ade a fire, and th e
“pa ssage benea th th e front of th e h ouse ,from th e street to th is cour t
,i s th e porch .
Th e pla ce wh ere Jesus stood before th eh igh pr iest , m ay h ave been an Open roomor pla ce of audience on th e ground floor ,
“ in th e rea r or on one side of th e courtsuch room s
,open in front,being custom a ry .
Itwa s close upon th e cour t; for Jesus h ea rda ll th at wa s going on a round th e fir e, and
“ turned and looked upon Peter ; Luke xxi i .I doubt wh eth er th is la st observa
tion i s well founded . He wh o saw Na th ana el
wh en h e wa s under th e fig tree
would know per fectly a ll th a t Peter di d andsa id, even if h e were not ph ysica lly with insigh t and h ea r ing . I th ink we sh a ll findsh ortly th at th e gospel na rra tive indi ca testh a t
,dur ing m ost of th e tim e, Jesus wa s
in fa ct in anoth er room ,and could neith er
h ea r Peter nor see h im by th e ordina ryphysica l senses .
lxxxviii INTRODUCTION .— NOTE X.
and parallel pa ssages harmonized in This full account,gather ed from the
synoptic Gospels, obviously refers to an occasion different in many respects from th e
two preceding occurrences . Peter replied angr ily,
“Wom a n,I know him not
”
(Luke xxii. 57, and this wa s h is
THIRD DENIAL, 206.
And the cock crew”
(Mark xiv. 68,
Th e first three denia ls , which were to take place before th e first cock-crow,were
accomplished. Th e other three were soon to follow.
After a little while another saw him (Luke xxn . 58,
and challenged him
as“one of them .
” This time th e accuser wa s a m an, and in th e specific words“Ma n, I am not,
” Peter gave h is
FOURTH DENIAL,
207.
Up to this time h e wa s still rema ining by th e fir e i n the cour t. But h e hadapparently become uneasy under these repeated interrogations. He therefore rose
,
and went towards th e gate, probably with a view of leaving the place. But,before
h e reached th e gate, and when h e had got a s fa r a s“ into th e porch
,another m a id
saw him,
”and a ccused him “unto them that were there ”
(Ma tt. xxvi. 71,Harassed by these renewed taunts , be
“with an oath uttered h is
FIFTH DENIAL,
208.
In th e mean time, th e trial before th e high priest had finished. Th e accusers ofJesus
,and th e soldiers, began to lea ve th e audience-chamber
,and to return
through th e court-yard with their victim. Peter’s original des ire “to see th e end ”
immedia tely revived ; and, instead of continu ing h is way through th e porch which
h e had alrea dy reached, h e returned into th e court. This delay involved h im in an
unexpected and serious difficulty. Amongst th e crowd passing out through th e
court,was one Of th e band wh o had been present when Jesus wa s seized in th e
garden ; and wh o was,appa rently, still enga ged in th e conspir acy. He had a
special rea son for remembering Peter ; for h e wa s a k insman of him whose ea r
“Peter cut off.” When h i s eye fell upon th e apostle be recognised him
,and
identified him at once . Grown desperate at this accumula tion of testimony aga insthim
,and a t th e danger in which h e stood
,Peter “began to curse and to swear
,
and completed h is guilt by h is
SIXTH DENIAL, 209 .
And stra ightway the second tim e the cock crew (Mark xiv. 72 ,
At that very moment th e Lord wa s being led out ; and, as h e passed through
th e court,
“h e turned, and looked upon” th e apostle, wi th
“That k ind,upbra iding glance, which broke
“Unfa ithful Peter’s hea rt.”
INTRODUCTION —NOTE Y. lxxxix
NOTE Y.
EVENTS FOLLOWING THE RESURRECTION .
Sectio ns 233 d o.
THE Chr istian religion rests la rgely, we might almost say m a inly, upon th e
doctrine of th e resurrection of our Lord. It is natural,therefore
,that in all ages
this article of faith should have been vigorously assailed by sceptica l writers . Not
only h a s th e central fact been denied ; but discrepancies have been suggested in
almost every detail. Indeed this grea t event wa s so mysterious and miraculous,that even “defenders of th e fa ith ” have found in it scope for considerable divergenceof Opinion . Many of th e difficulties that have been suggested by friends or foes ,have a risen from want of exa ct interpretation of th e original Scripture ; and thesehave yielded to th e increased accuracy which h a s been th e fruit of riper schola rship
and closer criticism . Th e majority, however, Of th e objections which have been
raised to th e credibility Of th e resurrection, a re due to th e unfa ir and illogical wayin which th e discussion h a s been conducted . Where one of th e Evangelists h a s not
recorded any particula r fact, th e om ission h a s been cla imed a s a deni a l of th e statement made by th e others . S imilarly
,va r ia tions in description have been fla unted
a s contradictions ; although , in most cases, when properly considered, they inreali ty corroborate each other. To follow these out minutely would increase th isvolume beyond reasonable limits ; and it i s happily unnecessary for m e to do so .
For th e ta sk h a s been already performed with consummate a bility and success by
M°Clella n, in h is masterly examination of th e subject on pages 508 to 536 of th ework to which we have already been so much indebted. I therefore refer th ereader to h is analys is, which I am equally una ble to condense or to improve .
Th e general principle on which h is answer to these a lleged discrepancies i sfounded
,is well stated on page 508 . Th e evangelical accounts transmit th e
written record ; and, a s they do so , ar e seen,even upon a superficial view
,to be
in strik ing conformity with th e demands Of proba bility a nd reason. Rea sonwould require tha t such an event
,so stupendous in i ts nature
,so manifold in its
aspects , and so vital to th e universal religion to be established in th e world,
sh ould be demonstra ted beyond all honest and necessa ry doubt by a multiplicity“of proofs . Reason would also requi re that, such a multipli city of proofs being“originally granted
,th e Evangelists
,in severally communicating sufii cient written
evidence to posterity, should not all have made exactly th e sa m e selection of
proofs,nor all have presented any one and th e same proof from exactly th e sam e
point Of View,or with exactly th e sa m e circumstantial deta ils . New this is
“precisely a s we find th e case in th e Evangelists. Each of th e four supplies a t
least three,although no two Of them th e sam e three
,of these ‘
m a ny infa lli ble‘
p roofs ’ : and their respective narratives a re supplemented, par tly by one another,
and partly by other inspired Scriptur es (Acts i. 1— 14 ; 1 Cor. xv. 4In hi s succeeding pages M°Clellan h a s grappled all th e hostile suggestions with
which th e history of th e Resurrection h a s been assailed,and h as answered them
exha ustively. Our limits confine us to tha t which i s th e more precise province of a
xc INTRODUCTION - NOTE Y.
Harmony,— th e careful arrangement of th e sacred record ; and i ts elucidation by
such brief historica l explanations a s will bring out th e course of events . By con
necting these explanations with th e text, we shall do this more clearly than bycollecting them into one elabora te note : and I have therefore expanded th e hea dingsof th e sections beginning with 229 so a s to present th e h istory fully and intel
ligibly. Th e mere arranging of th e facts in their chronological order and para l
lelism will answer by anticipation th e principa l charges of discrepancy, caused, inmany cases
,by confusing times
,places
,and persons. This confusion h a s largely
resulted from th e fa ct, that superficial critics ha ve treated th e Gospel narratives a sthough they purported to relate a single series of successive events, whereas they
record th e contemporaneous experiences of severa l people under widely differingcircumstances. Immediately after th e crucifixion th e disciples were “distressed and“sca ttered, a s sheep not having a shepherd
”
(Ma tt. ix. 36, They separated into
small groups, th e persons composing which varied from time to time, and acted
sometimes independently, and sometimes in concert. Until the resurrection there
wa s no systematic assemblage, no recognised centre of authority or of action. Whenour Lord had risen, th e
“many proofs by th e space Of forty days”
(Acts i . 3 ,restored their courage. They drew together again into a united brotherhood, with acommon hope and purpose. But, in th e meantim e, these proofs had been attested
by witnesses fr om all qua rters and it wa s inevitable tha t th e experiences of variouspersons, at various times and places , should widely differ. Our Lord appea red tothem
,where they were, wherever their fears or their necessity h ad driven them ; in
Calvary,— on th e road to Emmaus , —a t their chamber Of meeting,— by th e sea of
Tiberias,— in Jerusalem ,— on Olivet
,— in Galilee — to a single individua l by an
empty tomb, - to two on th e high road,
-to ten gathered in consultation,— to th e
eleven a s they sa t at meat,— to five hundred at once on a mountain s ide.
Some of these events a re described by one or more of th e Evangelists and someby others . But none of th e Gospels profess to na rra te every appearance of th eSaviour to all of th e disciples : or to give a complete record of th e actions of anyone m an, or of any particula r group of m en . Th e entire independence of th esemanifestations , and their dissimila rity in matters of deta il, a re important sources Ofmutual corroboration a s to th e grea t central fact. It i s necessary
,though some
times d ifficult, to‘
keep in view these contemporaneous experiences of separa tepersons : to preserve th e continuity of each event
, and yet to ass ign to each itscorrect chronologica l pos ition, rela tively to those incidents which were occur ring
elsewhere . I have tried to a ssist th e reader to do this by th e expanded headings toth e sections 229 to 255 and if th e attempt h a s been successful
, we shall find that
we have Obtained an intelligible and consistent narra tive. Th e omiss ions of oneGospel do not contra dict th e record of th e others, but th e a ccumula ted mass oftestimony, gathered from each fresh witness
,with rega rd to ea ch independent fa ct
,
expla ins and confirms th e harmonized history Of all .
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS.
PREFACES TO THE GOSPELS .
1. PREFACE TO THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ; WHICH IS THE HISTORY OF JESUS CHRIST,As THE MEssrAH OF THE JEWS
,— THE SON OF ABRAHAM AND DAVID .
Ma tt. i . 1.
1 1Th e book of th e 2generation of Jesus Christ, th e son of Davi d, the son ofAbraham.
1 Or , Th e genea logy of Jesus Ch r ist 2 Or , bir th : a s in ver . 18 in 9.
2 . PREFACE To THE GOSPEL OF MARK ; WHICH Is THE HISTORY OF JESUS CHRIST ,As THE D IVINE LORD OF THE WORLD, THE SON OF GOD .
Ma rk i . l .
1 Th e beginning Of th e 1gospel of Jesus Christ, 2 th e Son of God .
1 Or , g ood tid ings 2 Som e ancient auth o r ities om it th e Son of God .
§ 3 . PREFACE To THE GOSPEL OF LUKE ; WHICH IS THE HISTORY OF JESUS CHRIST,As THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.
Luke i . 1—4 .
1 FORASMUCH a s many have taken in hand to draw up a na rra tive concerning those2 ma tters which have been 1fulfilled among us
,even a s they delivered them unto us
,
3 which from th e beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers Of th e word,it seemed
good to m e also, ha ving traced th e course of all th ings a ccura tely from th e first,to
4 write unto thee * in order,most excellent +Theophilus ; tha t thou mightest know th e
certa inty concerning th e 2 th ings 3wherein thou wa st instructed .
1 Or , fully esta blis 2 Gr. wor ds. 8 Or , a h lch th ou wa st ta ug h t by word of m outh
§ 4 . PREFACE TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN ; WHICH IS THE HISTORY OF JESUS CHRIST,As THE D IVINE-HUMAN WORD .
John i . 1- 18.
1 In th e beginning wa s th e Word,and th e Word wa s with God, and th e Word wa s
2, 3 God. Th e same wa s in th e beginning with God . All things were made 1by him ;4 and without him 2wa s not anything made tha t ha th been ' made . In h im wa s life ;5 and th e life wa s th e light Of m en. And the light Shineth in th e darkness ; and th e6 da rkness 3apprehended it not . There came a m an
,sent from God , whose name wa s
7 John. Th e same came for Witness,tha t h e might bea r witness of th e light, that all
8 might believe through him . He wa s not th e light,but ca m e tha t h e might bear
9 witness Of th e light. 4There wa s th e true light, even the ligh t wh ich lighteth5every
10 m an, coming into th e world . He wa s in th e world
,and th e world wa s made 1by h im ,
I1 and th e world k new h im not . He came unto 6 h is own, and they tha t were h i s own
12 received him not. But a s many a s received h im,to them gave h e th e right to become
See note A, page xxix . Acts i . 1 .
4,5] THE BIRTH
,CHILDHOOD, AND YOUTH OF
Joh n —18.
13 children Of God, even to them tha t believe on h is name : which were 7born,no t of
14 8blood,nor of th e will of th e flesh, nor Of th e will of m an
,but of God. And th e Word
became flesh,and 9dwelt among us (and we beheld h is glory, glory a s of 10 th e only
15 begotten from th e Father ), full of gra ce and truth . John bea reth witness of him,and
crieth,saying, 11This wa s h e Of whom I sa id
,He tha t cometh after m e i s become
16 before m e : for h e wa s 12before m e . For of h is fulness we a ll received,and grace for
17 grace. For th e law wa s given 1by Moses ; grace and truth came 1by Jesus Christ.18 N0 m an ha th seen God a t any time ; 13 th e only begotten Son, which i s in th e bosomof th e Father
,h e ha th decla red h im .
1 Or , th r oug h2 Or , wa s not a n th ing m a de. Th a t wh ich h a th been m a de wa s life in h im ; a nd th e lif e&c,
3 Or , over ca m e See ch . xi i . 35 (Gr . ) 111 1 0, wh ere th e sam e Greek word i s transla ted over ta ke. Or , Th e tr uelig h t, wh i ch lig h teth every m a n, wa s com ing
5 O r , every m a n a s h e com eth 6 Gr . h is own th ings. 7 Or , begotten8 Gr. bloods.
9 Gr . ta ber na cled .10 O r , a n only begotten f r om a f a th er 11 Som e ancient a uth or ities
zead (th is wa s h e th a t sa i d). 12 Gr .fi rst in r eg a rd of m e. 13 Many very ancient auth orities read
'
God onlyeg otten.
PART I.
THE BIRTH,CHILDHOOD,
AND YOUTH, OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
(THE FORERUNNER), AND OF JESUS CHRIST.
Time —A bou t th i rteen yea rs a nd a ha lf:
§ 5 . THE ANGEL GABRIEL ANNOUNCES THE CONCEPTION OF JESUS CHRIST’SFORERUNNER.
J erusa lem ; in the temp le.
Luke i. 5—26.
5 There was in th e days of Herod,king of Judaca
,a certain priest named Za cha rias,
of th e course of *Abijah : and h e h ad a wife of th e daughters of Aa ron, and h er name6 wa s Elisabeth. And they wer e both righteous before God
,walk ing in all th e com
7 m andm ents and ordinances of th e Lord blameless . And they h ad no child,because
tha t Elisa beth wa s ba rren,and they both were now 1well stricken in yea rs .
8 Now it came to pa ss, while h e execu ted th e priest’s Ofli ce before God in th e order of
9 h is course, according to th e custom of th e priest’s office
,h is lot wa s to enter into th e
102 temple of th e Lord and burn incense. And th e whole multitude Of th e people were
11 praying without at th e hour of incense . And there appea red unto h im a n angel of th e12 Lord standing on th e right s ide of th e a ltar Of incense . And Za char ia s wa s troubled13 when h e saw h im , and fea r fell upon him. But th e angel sa id unto him
,Fear not
,
Za charias : because thy supplica tion i s heard,and thy wife Elisabeth sha ll bear thee
14 a son,a nd thou shalt call h i s name John. And thou sha lt ha ve joy a nd gladness ;
15 and many sha ll rej oice at h is birth. For h e Sha ll be great in th e s ight of th e Lord,
and h e shall "I' dr ink no wine nor 3strong dr ink ; a nd h e sha ll be filled with th e 4Holy16 Ghost
,even from h is m other’s womb. And many Of th e children Of Isra el sha ll h e
17 turn unto th e Lord their God. And h e sha ll 5go before h is face Iin th e Spirit andpower of Elijah , to turn th e hearts of th e fathers to th e children, a nd th e disobedientto wa llc in th e wisdom of th e just ; to make ready for th e Lord a people prepa red for
18 h im . And Za cha rias sa id unto th e angel, Whereby sha ll I know this ? for I am an
19 old m an,and my wife 6well stricken in yea rs . And th e angel answering sa id unto
him,I am Gabriel
,tha t stand in th e presence of God ; and I wa s sent to speak unto
thee, and to bring thee these good tidings . And behold,thou shalt be s ilent a nd not
able to speak,until th e day tha t these things Sha ll come to pass , because thou
21 believedst not my words,which sha ll be fulfilled in the ir sea son . And th e people
1 Ch ron . xxiv. 10 . T Num bers vi . 2— 4 . Ma lach i iv. 5 , 6.
2
7 , 8] THE BIRTH, CHILDHOOD,AND YOUTH OF
Luke i . 42—56.
voice with a loud cry, and sa id, Blessed a rt thou among wom en, and blessed is th e
43 fruit of thy womb . And whence is this to m e,tha t th e mother of my Lord should
44 come unto m e ? For behold,when th e voice of thy sa lutation came into mine ea rs
,
45 th e babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed i s sh e that 2 believed ; for theresha ll be a fulfilment of the things which ha ve been spoken to h er from th e Lord.
46 And Mary said,My soul doth magnify th e Lord ,
47 And my Spirit ha th rejoiced in God my Saviour.48 For h e hath looked upon th e low estate of h is 3handmaiden :
For behold, from henceforth a ll generations shall call m e blessed .
49 For h e tha t i s mighty hath done to m e great things ;And holy is h is name .
50 And h is mercy is unto genera tions and genera tionsOn them that fear him .
51 He hath shewed strength with h is armHe hath sca ttered th e proud 4 in th e im agination Of their hea rt .
52 He hath put down princes from thei r thrones,
And hath exa lted them of low degree .
53 Th e hungry h e hath filled with good things ;And th e r ich h e hath sent empty away.
54 He ha th holpen Israel h is servant,That h e might remember mercy
55 (As h e spake unto our fa thers)Toward *Abraham and h i s seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with h er about three months, and returned unto h er house .
1 Or , Holy Sp ir i t 2 Or, believed th a t th er e sh a ll be 3 Gr . bondm a i den. Or , by
8 . BIRTH AND EARLY HISTORY OF THE FORERUNNER.
Z a cha r ia s’h ouse.
Luke 1. 57—80.
57 Now Elisabeth’s time wa s fulfilled th a t sh e should be delivered ; and sh e brought58 forth a son. And h er neighbours and h er kinsfolk hea rd tha t th e Lord h ad magnified59 h is m ere towa rds h er ; and they rejoiced with h er . And it came to pass on th e
+ e ighth a tha t they came to circumcise th e child ; and they wou ld have called him60 Za charia s, after th e name of h is fa ther. And h is mother answered and said
,Not so ;
61 but h e shall be ca lled John . And they said unto h er , There is“
none of thy k indred62 that i s ca lled by this name . And they made s igns to h is fa ther
,wha t h e would have
63 him called . And h e asked for a writing ta blet, and wrote, saying, His name is John.
64 And they ma rvelled all. And h is mouth wa s opened immedia tely,and h is tongue
65 loosed, a nd h e spake, blessing God. And fea r came on all that dwelt round aboutthem : and all th ese sayings were noised abroad throughout all th e hill country of
66 Judaea . And all that hea rd them laid them up in the ir heart,saying
,What then
shall this child be ? For th e hand of th e Lord wa s with him.
67 And h is fa ther Za cha r ia s wa s filled with th e 1Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,68 Blessed be th e Lord, th e God of Isra el ;
For h e hath visited and wrought redemption for h i s people,
69 And hath raised up a horn Of salvation for usIn th e house of h is servant Da vid
70 (As h e Spake by th e mouth of h is holy prophets which have been 2s ince th e world
began),Sa lva tion from our enemies
,a nd from th e hand of all that ha te u s ;
72 To shew mercy towards our fa thers ,And to remember h is holy Icovenant ;
Genesis xxii . 16— 18 . Genesi s xvi i . 7 , 8 .
JOHN THE BAPTIST, AND OF JESUS CHRIST. 8—10
Luke i. 73—80.
73 Th e oath which h e * Sware unto Abraham our fa ther,74 To grant unto us tha t we being delivered out of th e hand of our enemies
Should serve him without fea r,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 Yea and thou,child
, sha lt be called th e prophet of th e Most HighFor thou shalt go before th e fa ce of th e Lord to make ready h i s ways ;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto h is peopleIn th e remission of the ir s ins ,
78 Because of th e 3 tender mercy of our God,4Whereby th e dayspring from on high 5 shall vis it us
,
79 TO shine upon them tha t s i t in darkness and th e shadow of death ;To guide our feet into th e way of peace.
80 And th e child grew,and waxed strong in spirit
,a nd wa s in th e deserts till th e day
of h i s shewing unto Israel .1 Or , Holy Sp i r i t 2 Fo r , s ince thewor ld bega n ,
read , of old Am en ). 3 Or , h ea r t of mercyh er ei n 5 Many ancient a uth ori ties rea d h a th vi si ted us. See Ma la ch i iv. 2 ; Isa ia h ix. 2.
§ 9 . ANGELIC TESTIMONY To THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHAND MARY.
Josep h’s house a t Na z a r eth .
Ma tt. i . 18
18 Now th e 1birth z of Jesus Christ wa s on this wise : When h is mother Mary h adbeen betrothed to Joseph
,before they came together sh e wa s found with child of th e
19 3Holy Ghost. And Joseph h er husba nd, being a righteous m an,and not willing to
20 make h er a public + example, wa s minded to put h er away privily. But when h e
thought on these things,behold
,an angel of th e Lord appeared unto him in a dream
,
saying,Joseph, thou son Of David
,fea r not to take unto thee Mary thy wife : for that
21 which i s 4 conceived in h er i s of th e 3Holy Ghost. And sh e sha ll bring forth a son ;and thou shalt call h i s name JESUS for it is h e that sha ll sa ve h i s people from the ir
22 s ins. Now a ll this i s come to pass , tha t it might be fulfilled which wa s spoken by th eLord through th e prophet
, Isaying,23 Behold
,th e virgin shall be with child
, and sha ll bring forth a son,
And they shall call h is name 6 Immanuel ;24 which is
,being interpreted, God with us. And Joseph a rose from h is sleep
,and did
a s th e angel of th e Lord commanded him,and took unto him h is wife ; and knew h er
not till sh e had brought forth a son.
1 Or , gener a ti on : a s in ver. 1 in L 2 Som e ancient a uth or ities read of th e Ch r i st. 3 Or , Holy Sp i r i t4 Gr . begotten.
5 Gr . Emm anuel.
10 . THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST. (See note C, page xxxi . )
(The genea logy of Jesus a s the son of J oseph , (Th e genea logy of Jesus a s th e son of lfa ry,tra cedfr om Abr a ha m by na tur a l descents. ) tra ced to Ada m . )
Ma tt. i . 2— 17. Luke iii . 23— 38.
[1 Th e book of th e generation Of JesusChrist
,th e son Of Da vid
,th e son of
Abraham.]2 Abraham begat Isaa c ; and Isaac begatJacob ; and Jacob bega t Judah a nd h i s
3 brethren ; and Judah bega t Perez andZerah ofTamar ; and Perez bega tHezron ;and Hezron begat 1Ram and 1Ram be
Genesi s xxu . 16— 18 . xxiv. 1 .
“1“ See Deuteronom y xxii . 13 , 20 , &c. and 1 Isa iah VII. 14 .
5
111. 8.
23 Being th e son (a s wa s supposed) of24 Joseph
,th e son Of Heli
,th e son of Ma t
tha t,th e son of Levi
,th e son of Melchi ,
25 th e son Of Jannai,th e son of Joseph, th e
son Of Mattathias , th e son of Amos , th eson of Nahum
,th e son Of Esli
,th e son of
26 Nagga i , th e son ofMaa th,th e son ofMa t
ta th i a s, th e son of Sem e in,th e son of
s 10,111
Ma tt. 1. 4—17.
ga t Amminadab ; and Amminadab begatNahshon ; and Nahshon begat Salmon ;
5 and Sa lmon bega t Boaz of Rahab ; andBoaz begat Obed of Ruth ; and Obed be
6 ga t Jesse ; and Jesse begat Da vid th ek ing.
And David begat Solomon of h er th a t7 h a d been the wife of Uriah ; and Solomonbegat Rehoboam and Rehoboam bega t
8 Abijah ; and Abijah begat 2Asa ; and2Asa bega t Jeh osh aph a t ; and Jeh osh apha t begat Jcram ; and Jcram bega t
9 Uzziah and Uzziah begat Jotham ; andJotham bega t Ahaz and Ahaz bega t
10 Hezek iah andHezek iahbega tManassehand Manasseh bega t 3Amon and 3Amon
11 bega t Josiah and Josiah begat Jech onia hand h is brethren, a t th e time of th e4ca rrying away to Ba bylon .
12 And after th e 4 carrying away to Babylon
,Jech onia h bega t 6 Shea ltiel ; and
135 Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel ; and Zeruhba bel begat Abiud ; and Ab iud bega t
14 Eliakim ; and Eliakim begat Azor ; a ndAzor begat Sadoc ; and Sadoc bega t
15 Achim ; and Achim bega t Blind ; and
Eliud begat Elea za r ; and Elea zar begatMa tthan ; and Ma tthan begat Jacob ;
16 and Ja cob bega t Joseph th e husband ofMa ry
,of whom wa s born Jesus
,wh o
ca lled Christ.
THE BIRTH,CHILDHOOD, AND YOUTH OF
Luke ii i . 26— 38.
27 Josech , th e son Of JOda , th e son of Joanan,th e son Of Rhesa
,th e son of Zerubbabel ,
28 th e son of 5Shealtiel,th e son of Ner i
,th e
son ofMelch i,th e son of Addi
,th e son of
Cosam,th e son of Elm adam
, th e son of
29 Er, th e son of Jesus,th e son of Eliezer
,
th e son Of Jorim,th e son Of Ma tthat
,th e
30 son of Levi, th e son of Symeon, th e son
Of Judas,th e son of Joseph
,th e son of
31 Jonam,th e son of Eliakim
,th e so n of
Melea,th e son ofMenna
,th e son ofMa t
tatha,th e son Of Nathan
,th e son of Da
32 vid, th e son of Jesse, th e son of Obed, th eson of Boaz
,th e son Of 6Sa lmon
,th e son
33 of Nahshon , th e son of Amminadab, 7 th eson of 8Arni
,th e son of Hezron
,th e son
34 of Perez, th e son of Judah, th e son ofJacob
,th e son of Isa ac, th e son of Abra
h am,th e son of Terah
,th e son of Nahor,
35 th e son of Serug, th e son of Ben
,th e son
of Peleg,th e son Of Eber, th e son of
36 Shelah , th e son of Ca inan,th e son Of Ar
ph axad, th e son of Shem,th e son ofNoah
,
37 th e son of Lamech, th e son ofMethuselah,
th e son of Enoch,th e son of Ja red, th e
38 son ofMaha la leel,th e son of Cainan
,th e
son of Enos , th e son of Seth,th e son of
Adam,th e son of God.
17 So all th e generations from Abraham unto Da vid a re fourteen generations ; andfrom David unto th e 4 carrying away to Babylon fourteen genera tions ; and from th e4 ca rrying away to Babylon unto th e Christ fourteen generations .
1 Gr . Ar am .2 Gr. Asap h .
ancient a uth ori ties wr ite Sa laAmm inada b.
8 Gr. Am os.
11.
4 Or , r em oval to B a bylon7 Ma ny ancient auth o r ities inser t th e son of Adm in : a nd one wr ites Adm in for
3 Som e a nci ent auth o r ities wr i te A r am .
5 Gr . Sa la th iel. 3 Som e
THE BIRTH OF JESUS .
Beth leh em .
Luke i i . 1— 7.
1 Now it came to pass in those days , there went out a decree from Caesa r Augustus,2 that all 1 th e world should be enr olled*.
3 Q u ir inius wa s governor of Syria .
This wa s th e first enrolment made whenAnd all went to enrol themselves
,every one to h is
4 own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee,out of th e city Of Nazareth , into
Judaea , to th e city of David, which is called Bethlehem,beca use h e wa s of th e house
Th is enrolm ent would seem to h a ve beenm ade for th e purpose Of taxa tion ; and in orderto ensure a ccur a cy and com pleteness in th e
fam ily registers , (on wh ich depended so la rgelyth e ti tle to property and th e taxa tion conse
quent th ereupon ,) th e decree provided th a t a llsh ould enrol th em selves , everyone a t h i s own
ci ty. Th e language o f Luke , (“ to enrol h im
self with Ma ry , indica tes th a t both Josephand h is wife were enrolled a tBeth leh em . Th isenrolm en t Of Ma ry suggests th at Joseph h a dsucceeded to property to wh ich h e h ad becom e
entitled by r igh t of h is wife , and supports th eth eory th a t Luke
’
s li st 10 wa s in fa ct th egenea logy o f Jesus th roug Ma ry a s th enregistered. See note 0 , page xxxi.
14, 15] THE BIRTH, CHILDHOOD, AND YOUTH OF
Luke i i . 23—38.
in th e law of th e Lord Every male that Openeth the womb shall be called holy to th e24 Lord), and to Offer a sacrifice according to tha t which i s said"" in th e law of th e Lord,25 A pa ir of turtledoves , or two young pigeons . And behold
,there wa s a m an in Jeru
salem,whose name wa s Simeon ; and this m an was righteous and devout
,look ing for
26 th e consola tion of Isra el : and th e Holy Spirit wa s upon him. And it had beenrevealed unto him by th e Holy Spirit, that h e should not see death
,before h e had
27 seen th e Lord’s Christ. And h e came in th e Spirit into th e temple : and when th epa rents brought in th e child Jesus , tha t they might do concerning him after th e
28 custom of th e law, then h e received him into h is arms , and blessed God, and sa id,
29 Now lettest thou thy 1s ervant depart, O 2Lord,According to thy word, in pea ce ;
30 For mine eyes ha ve seen thy sa lva tion,31 Which thou ha st prepared before th e fa ce Of all peoples ;32 A light for 3revela tion to the 4Gentiles,
And th e glory Of thy people Isra el.33 And h is father and h i s mother were ma rvelli ng a t th e things which were spoken con
34 cerning him ; and Simeon blessed them,and said unto Mary h is mother
,Behold , this
ch i ld i s set for th e fa lling 5 and rising up of many in Israel ; and for a Sign which i s35 spoken aga inst ; yea and a sword sha ll pierce through thine own soul ; tha t thoughts36 out of many hea rts m ay be revea led . And there wa s one Anna
,a prophetess
,th e
daughter of Phanuel , of th e tr ibe Of Ash er (Sh e wa s 6 of a grea t age , ha ving lived with37 a husband seven years from h er Virginity, and sh e had been a widow 7 even for four
score and four yea rs), which departed no t from th e temple,worshipping with fa stings
38 and supplica tions night and day. And coming up at tha t very hour sh e ga ve thanksunto God
,and spake of him to all them that were look ing fo r th e redemption of
Jerusalem.
1 Gr . bondservant. 2 Gr . Ma ster .3 O r , the unveiling of the Genti les 4 Gr . na ti ons. 5 Or , a nd
th e r ising (Am en) 6 Gr . a dva nced in m any da ys.7 Or , even unto (Am en )
15 . WORSHIP OF THE WISE MEN .
Bethlehem .
Ma tt. 11. 1—12.
1 Now when Jesus wa s born in Bethlehem of Judaea in th e days of Herod th e king,
2 behold, 1Wise m en from th e cast i came to Jerusa lem,saying
,2Where i s h e tha t i s
born King of th e Jews ? for we saw h is sta r in th e ea st,and a re come to 3worship him.
3 And when Herod th e king heard it,h e wa s troubled, and all Jerusa lem with him.
4 And gather ing together all th e chief priests and scribes of th e people,h e inquired Of
5 them where th e Christ should be born . And they said unto him,In Bethlehem Of
Judaea : for thus it is written 4by th e prophet II,6 And thou Bethlehem
,land Of Judah
,
Art in no wise least among th e princes of Judah :
Exodus x ii i. 2 .
Leviticus x i i . 8 .
Th e da te o f th is vi sit cannot be fixed
with precision . It m u st h ave followed th e
presenta tion in th e tem ple : because a fterHerod ’
s jea lou sy h a d once been a roused (seever se 3) such a public cerem onia l wou ld h avebeen out of th e question . Joseph and Ma rystayed a t Beth leh em during th e days o f purifica tion . Th is occupied 40 days . Th en cam e
th e p resenta tion in th e tem ple , a nd th is a ga inwa s followed by th e visit o f th e Magi . Th i svisit m ust th erefore h a ve occurred a t lea st sixweeks a fter th e birth of Jesus. But it m ay
h ave been and probably wa s m uch la ter . Th e
Ma gi would leave th e ir own country im m e
di a tely th ey h ad seen th e sta r ; but we cannottell h ow m any weeks or m onth s h ad beenoccupied with th e journey, a s we h ave no
indica tion o f th eir na tiona lity . Th e popula rbelief (expressed SO frequently in p ictures,ancient a nd m odern) th a t th e Magi adored a
babe in a rm s,a nd only a few weeks old
,i s
probably qui te erroneous . Ma tth ew i i . 16
seem s to sh ew th a t nea rly two years wouldbe th e a ge o f th e infant Jesus a t th e tim e of
th e Vi sit .Mica h v. 2 .
JOHN THE BAPTIST, AND OF JESUS CHRIST.— 18
Ma tt. 11. 6—12.
For out of thee sha ll come forth a governor,Which sha ll be Shepherd of my people Israel.
7 Then Herod privily ca lled th e 1wi se m en,and lea rned of them ca refully 5wh at time
8 th e star appeared . And h e sent them to Bethlehem, and said, GO a nd sea rch outca refully concerning th e young child ; and when ye ha ve found h im ,
br ing m e word,
9 tha t I a lso may come a nd 3worship him. And they,having heard th e k ing
,went their
way ; and lo, th e star,which they saw in th e east, went before them,
till it came and
10 stood over where th e young child wa s . And when they saw th e star,they rejoiced
11 with exceeding great joy. And they came into th e house and saw th e young childwith Ma ry h i s mother ; and they fell down and 3worshipped him ; and Opening the ir
12 treasur es they offered unto him gifts , gold and frankincense and m yrrh . And be ingwa rned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod
,they departed into
their own country another way.
1 Gr . Mag i . Com pa re Esth er i . 13 ; D an. II. 12. 2 Or , Wh er e i s th e K ing of th e Jews th a t i s born ? 3 T h eGreek word denotes a n a ct of reverence wh eth er pa id to m an, see ch a p. xviii. 26, 110 ; o r to God , see ch ap . iv. 22
(Am en ). 4 Or, th r ough5 Or , th e time of th e sta r th a t a pp ea r ed
16. FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.
Beth lehem, Egypt.
Ma tt. 11. 13, 14. Luke i i . 39.
Now when they (th e wise m en) were departed,39 And when they (Joseph
andMary)had accomplished a ll things tha t were a o
cording to th e law of th eLord
,
behold,an angel of th e Lord appeareth to Joseph in a
dream,saying
,Arise and take th e young child and h is
mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until Itell thee : for Herod will seek th e young chi ld to destroy
14 him . And h e arose and took th e young child and h ismother by night, and departed into Egypt ; [and wa sthere Until th e dea th of Herod] .
17. MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS.
Bethlehem .
Ma tt . ii . 16—18.
16 Then Herod,when h e saw tha t h e wa s mocked of th e 1wise m en
,wa s exceeding
wroth,a nd sent forth
,and slew a ll th e ma le children that were in Bethlehem
,a nd in
a ll th e borders thereof,from two years Old and under
,according to th e time which h e
17 had carefully learned of th e 1wi se m en . Then wa s fulfilled tha t which wa s spoken2by Jer em ia h * th e prophet, saying,
18 A voice wa s hea rd in Ramah,
Weeping a nd great mourning,Rachel weeping for h er children ;And sh e would not be comforted
,because they a re not.
1 Gr . Mag i . 2 Or , th r oug h
18. RETURN To NAZARETH .
Egyp t, a nd thence to th e la nd of Isr a el a nd to Na z a r eth .
Ma tt. 11. 15, 19- 23. Luke 11. 39.
[14 And h e (Joseph) arose and took th e young child and15 h is mother by n ight
,and depa rted into Egypt and
See Jerem iah xxxi . 15 .
9
18,19] CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH OF JESUS .
Ma tt. 11. 15, 19—23. Luke 11. 39.
wa s there until th e dea th Of Herod : that it might befulfilled which was spoken by th e Lord through th eprophet saying, Out of Egyp t did I ca ll my son .
19 But when Herod wa s dead,behold , a n a ngel of th e
20 Lord appea reth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,Ar ise and take th e young chi ld and h is mother, and gointo th e land of Israel : for they a re dead that sought
21 th e young child’s life . And h e arose and took th e
young child and h is mother, and came into th e land of22 Isra el. But wh en h e hea rd that Ar chelaus wa s reigning over Judaea in the room of h is father Herod, h e wa safra id to go thither ; and being warned of God in a
dream ,
h e withdrewinto th e parts of Galilee,and came and dwelt in
a city called Nazareth :that it might be fulfilled which wa s spoken 1by th e
prophets,tha t h e should be called a NazareneI.
1 Or , th r ough
6 19 . CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH OF JESUS.
N a z a reth , Jer usa lem .
Luke 11. 410—52.
40 And th e child grew, a nd waxed strong, 1filled with wisdom : and th e grace of Godwa s upon him.
41 And hi s parents went every year to Jerusalem at th e feast of th e passover.42 And when h e wa s twelve years Old
,they went up after th e custom”of th e fea st ;
43 and when they had fulfilled th e days, a s they were returning, th e boy Jesus tarried44 behind in Jerusa lem ; and h is parents knew it not ; but suppos ing him to be in th ecompany
,they went a day’s journey ; and they sought for him among their kinsfolk
45 and acquaintance : a nd when they found him not,they returned to Jerusalem
,seeking
46 for him. And it came to pass , after three days they found him in th e temple, sitting47 in th e midst of th e 2doctors
,both hea ring them
,and a sking them questions : and a ll
48 tha t heard him were amazed at h is understanding and h is answers . And when theysaw him,
they were astonished : and h is mother sa id unto him,
‘ 3Son,wh y hast thou
49 thus dealt with us ? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. And h e saidunto them,
How is it tha t ye sought m e ? wist ye not that I must be 4 in my Fa ther’s50, 51 house ? And they understood not th e saying which h e spake unto them. And h e
went down with them,and came to Na za reth ; and h e wa s subject unto them : and h is
mother kept all these 5 sayings in h er heart.52 And Jesus advanced in wisdom and 6 stature and in 7 fa vour with God and m en.
1 Gr. becom ing full of wisdom .2 Or , tea chers 4 Or , a bout my F a th er
’
s business Gr . inthe th i ngs of my Fa th er .
5 Or , th ing s 5 Or , age
[NOTE Th e sacred volume does not record anythi ng tha t occur red during th e next 18yea rs ; except in th e general summa ry conta ined in th e last verse above (Luke ii.Pa rt II . resum es th e narrative when Jesus h ad atta ined th e a ge of 30 years ]
Ho sea x i . 1 . Exod . xxiii. 14— 17 :— Deuteronom y xvi .See Luke i . 2 6 , 6 , a nd Luke 11. 4 , 11 . 5 - 7 , 16.
See note D, page xxxviii .
20]
Matt. i ii. 34 0.
Make h is paths straight.
Now John himselfhad h is raiment ofcamel’s ha ir
,and
a lea thern girdlea bout h is loins ;and h i s food wa s
locusts and wild honey.
Then went outunto him
Jerusalem,
and a ll Judaea ,and all th e regionround about Jordan ;
and they were baptized ofhim in th e river Jordan
,
confessing their sins .
But when h e saw
many of th e Pharisees*and Sadducees* coming
to h is ba ptism,
h e saidunto them
,
Ye offspring of vipers , whowarned you to flee fromth e wrath to come ? Bringforth therefore frui t wo r
9 thy of 2 repentance : and
think not to say wi thinyourselves
,We have Abra
h am to our fa ther : for Isay un to you, that God isable of these stones toraise up children unto
10 Abraham. And even now3 i s th e a xe laid unto th eroot of th e trees : everytree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit i shewn down
,and cast into
th e fire.
Mark i. 4—6.
Make h is paths straight.
and th ey were baptized ofhim in th e river Jordan
,
confessing their s ins .
See note E , pages xlii and xli ii .
THE MINISTRY OF THE FORERUNNER.
Luke ii i. 4—10.Make hi s path s straight.
5 Everyvalley shall be filled,And every mounta in andhill sha llbe broughtlow
And th e crooked shall become stra ight,
And th e rough wayssmooth
6 And all flesh shall see th esalvation of God.
1‘ See note G, page xlvn .
And Johnwa s clothed withcamel’s hair
,and
ha d a leathern girdleabout h is loins
,
and did eatlocusts and wi ld honey.
5 And there went outunto him
a ll th e country ofJudaca
,and all they ofJerusalem ;
7 He said therefore to th emultitudes that went outto be baptiz ed of him ,
Ye offspring of vi pers, whowarned you to flee from
8 th e wrath to come ? Bringforth therefore fruits worthy of 2 repentance
,and
begin not to say withinyourselves
,We haveAbra
ham to our fa ther : for Isay unto you, that God isable of these stones tora ise up children unto
9 Abraham. And even now3 is th e axe also laid untoth e root of th e trees everytree therefore tha t bringeth not forth good frui t ishewn down, and cast into
10 th e fire . And th e multitudes a sked him
, saying-r,What then must we do ?
THE MINISTRY OF THE FORERUNNER. 20
Ma tt. i i i:11, 12.
I indeed baptize you4with water
unto repentance :but h e tha t cometh
after m e
is mightierthan I
,
whose shoes I am not6worthy to bear"
h e sha ll baptize you4with th e 6Holy Ghost
and wi th fir e
whose fan i s in h ish and
,and h e will
throughly cleanseh i s threshing floor ;and h e will gather h iswheat into th e ga rner
,
but th e cha ff h e willburn up with
Ma rk i . 7, 8. Luke ii i. 11—17.
11 And h e answereda nd sa idunto them
,He tha t hath
two coats,let him impa rt
to him that hath none ;and h e tha t hath food
,let
12 him do likewise . And
there came a lso 8publi cansto be baptized
,and they
said unto him,9Master ,
13 what must we do ? Andh e said unto them
,Extort
no more th an that which14 i s appointed you. And10 soldiers also asked him
,
saying,And we, what mustwe do ? And h e sa id untothem,
11Do violence to nom an
,neither 12exact a ny
th ing wrongfully ; and becontent with your wages .
15 And a s th e people werein expectation
,and all
m en reasoned in theirhearts concerning John
,
whether haply h e were th e16 Christ ; John answered,
I baptized you4with water ; but
h e shall ba ptize you4with th e 6Holy Ghost .
sayingunto them all
,
I indeed baptize youwith water ;
but there cometh
h e that i s migh tierthan I
,
th e latchet of whosesh oes I am not
5worthy to
unloose
See Acts i. 5 ii 2 4 ; xi .
there comethafter m e
h e that i s m i ghtierthan I
,
th e latch et of whoseshoes I am not5worthy to
stoop down and
unloose.
h e sha ll baptize *you4with th e 6Holy Ghost
and with fire :
whose fan is in h ishand
,
throughly to cleanseh is threshing-floor ,and to ga ther th e
wheat into h is ga rner ;bu t th e ch a ff h e willburn up with
20 , 2 1]
Ma tt. ii i. 12.
unquencha ble fire.
1 O r , th rough6 Or , Holy Sp i r i tta xes : see note E , page x] .v i olence (Am en)
Thencometh Jesus from
Ga lileeto th e Jordan unto John
,
to be baptized of him.
14 But John would havehindered him, saying
,I
have need to be baptizedof thee, and comest thou
15 to m e ? But Jesus an
swer ing sa id unto him,
Suffer l i t now : for thusit becometh us to fulfila ll righteousness. Thenh e sufi
'
ereth him.
And Jesus,
when h e wa s baptized,
went up stra ightwayfrom th e water :
and lo,
th e hea vens were openedunto him
,and h e saw
th e Spir it of Goddescending a s a clove,
and coming upon him ;and lo
,a voice out
of th e heavens,saying,
3This i s my belovedSon
,in whom
I-am well pleased.
1 O r , m e
p lea sed . See ch . xu. 18, 5 48.
2 Or , your r ep entance0
7 Som e anc1ent au th or 1t1es r ead in th e p r op h ets.9 Or , Tea ch er 10 Gr . sold ier s on ser vice.
13 O r , a ccuse any one
2 Som e ancient auth or ities om it unto h im .
9 Gr . i nto.
THE MINISTRY OF THE FORERUNNER.
Luke i i i. 17, 18.
unquenchable fire.
18 With many other ex
hortations therefore preached h e 13good tidings unto19 th e people ; [but Herod th e tetrarch, being reprovedby him for Herodi as h i s brother’s wife
,and for all th e
20 evil things which Herod had done,added yet this
a bove all,that h e shut up John in prison
13 Or. the g osp el
and wa s baptized ofJohn 4 in th e Jordan.
And
straightway coming upout of th e water
,
h e saw
th e heavens rent asunder,
and th e Spirita s a dove descending
upon him :
and a voice came outof th e heavens,
Thou a rt my belovedSon
,in thee
I am well pleased.
5 Or . Holy Sp i r i t
3 Or th e axe lieth a t (Am en )8 Th at is, collectors o r r enter s of Roman
Or , in 5 Gr . sufiici ent.
11 Or , Extor tf rom no m an by
Luke iii . 21, 22.
21 Now it came to pass,
when all th e peoplewere baptized
,that
,
Jesus alsohaving been baptiz ed
,
and praying,
th e hea ven was opened,
22 and th e 5Holy Ghostdescended in a bodi lyform
,a s a dove
,
upon him,
and a voice came outof heaven
,
Thou a rt my belovedSon ; in thee
I am well pleased.
8 Or , Th is is my Son ; my beloved in wh om I am well
Sta ted h ere by antici pa tion , see 29 .
14:
2 1. BAPTISM or JEsus.
Betha ba ra beyond Jordan.
Mark i. 9—11.0 And it came to pass
in those days,that
Jesus came fromNazareth ofGa lilee,
22,231
Ma tt. iv. 7—11.
Thou sha lt not 3 tempt th e Lordthy God.
8 Aga in,th e devil taketh him unto
an exceeding high mountain,
and sheweth him all th ekingdoms of th e world,and th e glory of them ;
and h e said unto him,
All these thingswill I give thee,
Then saith Jesusunto him,
Get thee hence, Sa tan : for* it i s written , Thou shalt worshipth e Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve .
Then th e devil
leaveth him ;
and behold, angels came and
ministered unto him .
THE MINISTRY OF THE FORERUNNER.
Luke iv. 12, 5—8, 13.
Thou shalt not 3 tempt the Lordthy God.
And h e led himUP,
and sh ewed him all th ekingdoms of 6 th e world
in a moment of time .
And th e devil sa id unto him,
To thee will I giveall this authority
,and th e glory
of them : for it hath beendelivered unto m e ; and towhomsoever I wi ll I give it.If thou therefore wilt
worship before m e,
it shall a ll be thine .
And Jesus answered and sa idunto him
,
*It is written,Thou shalt worship
th e Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve .
And when th e devilhad completed every temptation
,
h e depa rted from him7 for a season .
1 Gr . loa yes .2 G1}. wine.
3 Or , try, or m a ke tr i a l of (Am en ) 5 Or , a loaf 6 Gr.the inh a bited ea r th . Or ,
‘
unti l
23 . THE BAPTIST’S -I RENEWED TESTIMONY To THE MESSIAH .
B eth a ny (or Beth a ba ra ).
John i . 19—39.19 And this i s th e witness of John, when th e Jews sent .unto him from Jerusa
20 lem priests and Levites to a sk him, Who art thou ? IAnd h e confessed, and
21 denied not ; and h e confessed , I am not th e Christ. And they a sked him,Wha t
then ? Art thou Elijah ? ”And h e saith, I am not . Art thou th e prophet ?22 fllAnd h e answered
,N0 . They sa id therefore unto him
, Wh o art thou ? that we23 may give an answer to them tha t sent us . What sayest thou of thyself ? He
said,I am th e voice of one crying in th e wilderness
,Make straight th e way of
I See note G, page xlvi i.I] See Ma l. iv. 5. Th is expecta tion of th e
im m edi ate com ing o f Elija h i s i llustra ted inLuke ix . 8 , &c . , § 90 z Ma rk vi ii. 28, § 101 :Ma tt. xv n. 10 , 103
,with th e pa rallelpa ssages
in ea ch ca se .
‘ll Deut. xvi i i . 15 , 18 .
Deut. vi . 13 .
1‘ Th e clea r and positive testim ony o f a ll
th r ee gospels , and especia lly of Ma rk i . 12 ,§ 22 , sh ews th a t th e baptism of Jesus wa sfollowed im m edi ately by h i s tem pta tion . He
m ust th erefore h a ve returned to Beth aba ra(or Beth any) and h ave m et Joh n aga in .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD . 23,24
Joh n i . 23— 39.
24 th e Lord , a s said Isaiah * th e prophet. 1 And they had been sent fr om th e Pha ri25 sees. And they asked him,
and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, i f
26 thou art not th e Christ,neither Eli jah
,neither th e prophet ? John answered
them,saying, I baptize 2with wa ter : in th e midst of you standeth one whom
27 ye know not , even h e that cometh a fter m e,th e latchet of whose Shoe I am not
28 worthy to u nloose . These things were done in 3 Bethany beyond Jordan,where
John wa s baptizing.
29 On th e morrow h e seeth Jesus coming unto him,and sa ith , Behold, th e Lamb
30 of God, which 4 taketh away th e s in of th e world " This i s h e of whom I said,
After m e cometh a m an which i s become before m e : for h e wa s 6 before m e .
31 And I knew him not + ; but that h e Should be made manifest to Israel, for32 this cause came I baptizing 2 with water. And John ba re witness
,saying
,I have
beheld th e Spirit descending a s a dove out of heaven ; and it abode upon him .
33 And I knew him not1'
: but h e that sent m e to baptize 2 with water, h e saidunto m e
,Upon whomsoever thou shalt see th e Spirit descending
,and abiding
34 upon him,th e same is h e that baptizeth 2 wi th th e Holy Spirit. And I have
seen,and have borne witness that this i s th e Son of God .
35, 36 Again on th e morrow John wa s standing,and two of h i s disciples ; and
37 h e looked upon Jesus a s h e wa lked,and saith
,Behold , th e Lamb of God " And
38 th e two disciples heard him speak,a nd they followed Jesus . And Jesus turned
,
and beh eld them following,and sa ith unto them
,What seek ye ? And they
said unto him,Rabbi (which i s to say, being interpreted, 6Ma ster), where abidest
39 thou ? He saith unto them, Come, and ye shall see . They came therefore and
1s
l
a
wwhere h e abode ; and they abode with him that day : it wa s about th e tenth
our.
1 O r , And certa in h a d been sentfr om among th ePh a r isees. 2 Or , in 3 Many a ncient a uth or ities readBethaba r a h , som e, B eth a r a ba h. 4 Or , bea r eth th e s in
5 Gr . fir st in r ega rd of m e.6 Or , Tea ch er
PART I II .
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Tim e.—Proba bly a bout th r ee yea rs. See note H , page 1.
24 . THE ADMISS ION OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES, ANDREW AND ANOTHER (JOHN ),PETER
,PHILIP, NATHANAEL.
Luke i i i . 23.
23 And Jesus himself, when h e began to tea ch,wa s about th irty j: years of age.
Joh n i . 40— 5L
40 One of th e two tha t heard John sp ea k, and followed h i m,wa s Andrew, S imon
41 Peter’s brother. He findeth first h i s own brother Simon,and saith unto him,
42We have found th e Messiah (which i s, being interpreted, 1Christ). He broughthim unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said
,Thou art Simon th e son of
2 John : thou shalt be called Cepha s (which is by interpretation, 3 Peter) .43 On th e morrow h e wa s minded to go forth into Ga lilee, and h e findeth Philip
Isa iah x1. 3 . upon th e service , to do th e work in th e tent
See note G, pa ge xlvn . of m eeting .
” See Num b. iv . 3 , 35 , 39 , 43 , 47
Th e age a t wh i ch th e priests “entered
W.
24, 25] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Joh n i. 43—5L44 and Jesus saith unto him,
Follow m e . Now Philip was from Bethsa ida,of th e
45 city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathana el, and saith unto him, We
have found him,of whom Moses in th e law, and th e prophets
,di d write, Jesus
46 of Nazareth, th e son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him , Can any good47 thing come out of Nazareth ? Philip saith unto h im ,
Come and see. Jesus saw
Nathanael coming to him , and sa ith of hi m,Behold
,an Israelite indeed, in whom
48 is no gui le " Nathanael saith unto h im , Whence knowest thou m e ? Jesus an
swered and said unto him,Before Phili p called thee
,when thou wast under th e
49 fig tree, I saw thee . Nathanael answered him,Rabbi, thou art th e Son of God ;
50 thou art King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto h im,Because I said
unto thee,I saw thee underneath th e fig tree
,beli evest thou ? thou shalt see
51 greater thi ngs than these . And h e saith unto hi m,Verily
,verily, I say un to
you,Ye shall see th e hea ven opened
,and th e angels of God ascending and
descending upon th e Son of m an
1 Th at is, Ano inted .2 Gr . Joanes, ca lled in Ma tt. xvi . 17, J ona h. 3 Th a t is, Rock or Stone.
25. CHRIST’S FIRST MIRACLE . HE TURNS WATER INTO WINE .
Joh n ii . 1—12.1 And th e th ird i day there was a ma rriage in Cana of Galilee ; and th e mother2 of Jesus wa s there : and Jesus also wa s bidden, and h is disciples , to th e mar3 ri age . And when th e wine fa iled
,th e mother of Jesus saith unto hi m ,
They4 have no wine. And Jesus saith unto h er
,Woman
,what have I to do with thee ?
5 mine hour i s not yet come . His mother saith unto th e servants,Whatsoever
6 h e saith unto you,do it. Now there were six waterpots of stone set there after
7 th e Jews ’ manner of purifying, containi ng two or three | | firkins apiece. Jesussaith unto them
,Fill th e waterpots with water. And they filled them up to
8 th e brim. And h e saith unto them,Draw out now,
and bear unto th e 1 ruler9 of th e feast. And they bare it. And when the ruler of th e feast tasted th e
water 2 now become wine, and knew not whence it wa s (but th e servants whi ch10 had drawn th e water knew), th e ruler of th e feast calleth th e bridegroom,
and
saith unto him,Every m an setteth on first th e good wine ; and when m en have
drunk freely,th en that which i s worse : thou hast kept th e good wine until now.
11 Thi s beginning of h i s s igns did Jesus in Cana of Ga lilee,and manifested h is
glory ; and h is disciples believed on him.
12 After this h e went down to Caperna um,h e, and h is mother, and h is brethr en,
and h is disciples : and there they abode not many days .
1 Or , stewa r d 2 Or , th a t i t h ad becom e
Com pa re Ps . lxxiii . 1 and Rom . i i . 28 , 29 .
1' Thi s i s th e first tim e th is nam e i s givento Jesus . It i s to be noted th a t, - h e h im selfsuggests i t ,— i t i s given a s th e pa rallel to“ th e Son of God ”
(verse — and it i s pa rtof a proph ecy involvi ng h i s di vine auth or ity .
1 Th i s would seem to be th e th ird day fromth e m orrow
”m entioned in Joh n i . 43 in th e
la st section . On th at day h e wa s m inded to
go forth into Ga li lee , and probably sta rtedon h i s journey ; h aving h ad th e interviewwi th Na th ana el just befor e h i s departure.
He would th erefore h ave nea rly four days inwh ich to rea ch Cana . Th i s would a fford
am ple tim e fo r th e journey, wh ich would beabout fifty m iles a ccording to Robinson
’s ca l
cula tion . On th e adm irable m ap in Sm ith’s
Atla s of ancient geography”th e di stance
would appear to be a little m ore .
N See note Q , page lxxvi . Alford ca lcula testh e entire quantity of wa ter a t about 126gallons . Th is supply wa s provided for th e
num erous wa sh ings both of per sons and of
vessels prescr ibed by th e Jewish r itua l or
custom , see Ma tt. xv. 2 , and Mark vi i . 2— 5 ,94 . According to thi s “ tradi tion of th e
elders”th e Ph a r i seeswa sh ed before and a fter
m ea t,not m erely for purposes of cleanli ness
and conveni ence , but a s a religi ous duty. Th e
om i ssion o f th is duty wa s a crim e equal tofornica tion , and puni sh able by excom m uni
ca tion . One of th e r abbis says ,“ h e th a t
taketh m ea t with unwa sh en h ands i s worthyof dea th .
”
27, 28] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
John i ii. 8—21.9 cometh, and whither it goeth : so i s every one tha t i s born of th e Spirit. Nico10 demus answered and sa id Unto him
,How can these things be ? Jesus answered
and sa id unto him, Art thou th e tea cher of Israel, and understandest not these11 things ? Verily, verily, I say unto thee , We speak that we do know
,and bear
12 witness of tha t we have seen ; and ye receive not our witness . If I told youearthly things , and ye believe not
,how shall ye believe, if I tell you hea venly
13 thi ngs ? And no m an hath ascended into heaven,but h e tha t descended out of
14 heaven, even th e Son of m an,3 which i s in heaven . And a s Moses li fted up th e
15 * serpent in th e wilderness, even so must th e Son of m an be lifted up : thatwhosoever 4believeth may in hi m have eternal life .
16 For God so loved th e world, that h e ga ve h is only begotten Son,that whoso
17 ever believeth on him should not perish,but ha ve etern a l life . For God sent
not th e Son into th e wor ld to judge th e world ; but th at th e wor ld should be18 saved through him. He that believeth on him is not judged : h e that believethnot hath been judged a lr eady
,beca use h e ha th not believed on th e name of th e
19 only begotten Son of God. And this i s th e judgement,that th e light is come
into th e world, and m en loved th e da rkness rather than th e light ; for their20 works were evil . For every one that 5 doeth 6 ill ha teth th e light
,and cometh
21 not to th e light, lest h is works should be 7 reproved . But h e that doeth th etruth cometh to th e light, that h is works m ay be made mani fest
,8 that they
have been wrought in God.
1 Or ,f r om above 2 Or , Th e Sp i r it br ea th eth 3 Many a ncient a uth or ities om i t wh ich i s in h ea ven.
believeth in h im m ay h ave5 Or , p r actiseth
6 Or, evi l (Am en ) 7 O r
, convicted 8 Or , because
28 . JOHN THE BAPTIST’S LAST TESTIMONY To JESUS As THE CHRIST .
E non nea r Sa lim .
John ii i. 22—36.22 After these things came Jesus and h i s disciples into th e land of Judaea ; and23 there h e tar ried with them, and baptized . And John also wa s baptizing inE non near to Salim,
because there 1 wa s much water there : and they came,and were baptiz ed. For John wa s not yet cast into prison . There ar ose
therefore a questioning on th e part of John’s di sciples with a Jew about pur ify
26 ing. And they came unto John,a nd said to him
,Rabbi
,h e tha t was with
thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou ha st borne witness , behold, th e same baptizeth,
27 and all m en come to him. John answered and sa id,A m an can receive nothi ng
,
28 except it ha ve been given h im from heaven . Ye yourselves bear m e witness ,29 that I said , I am not th e Christ
,but
,that I am sent before him. He tha t
hath th e bride is th e bridegroom : but th e friend of th e bridegroom,which
standeth and heareth hi m,rej oiceth greatly because of th e bridegroom’
s voice :30 this my joy therefore is 2 fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease .
31 He that cometh fr om above is above all : h e that i s of th e earth i s of th eea rth, and of th e ea rth h e speaketh :
3 h e that cometh from heaven is above32 all . Wh at h e hath seen and heard
,of tha t h e beareth witness ; and no m an
33 receiveth h is witness . He that ha th received h is witness hath set h is seal to34 th i s
,that God i s true. For h e Whom God ha th sent speaketh th e words of
35 God : for h e giveth not th e Spirit by mea sure . Th e Fa ther loveth th e Son, and36 ha th given all things into h is hand. He that believeth on th e Son hath eternallife ; but h e tha t 4 obeyeth not th e Son shall not see life, but th e wrath of Godabideth on him.
1 Gr . wer e m a ny wa ters 2 Or , is m a def ull (Am en) 8 Som e ancient auth ori ties read h e th a t cometh f r omh eaven bea reth witness of wh a t h e h ath seen and h ea rd .
4 Or, believeth not
Num bers xxi . 8, &c.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
2 9 . THE FORERUNNER’S TESTIMONY CLOSED BY HIS IMPRISONMENT.
Pri son Ma chaer us. (See Note G,Ma rk vi . 17—20. ii i.
17 For Herod himself
h ad
laid hold on John,
and bound hi m,and
put him in pri son shut up John in prison .
-for th e sake ofHerodias
,hi s brother
Philip’s wife.
4 For John said untohim
,It is not lawful
for thee to haveh er .
5 An d when h e wouldhave put him to death
,
h e feared th e multitude,because they counted hima s a prophet.
1 Many anci ent a uth ori ties read d id m any th ings.2 Or, a dded th is a lso to them all (Am er.)
30 . JESUS DEPARTS FROM JUD1EA To GALILEE .
h e heard that after thatJohn wa s delivered up*, John wa s delivered up
,
See 29 , 53 , 89 .
21
page xlv n. )Luke ii i. 19, 20.
But Herodth e tetrarch, being te
proved by him for Herodia s h is brother’s wife, andfor all th e evil thingswhich Herod had done ,
202added yet this above all
tha t h ehad sent forth andla id hold upon John
,
and bound himin prison
for th e sake ofHerodias
,h is brother
Philip’s wife :for he had married h er .
18 For John said untoHerod
,It i s not lawful
for thee to havethy brother’s wi fe .
19 And Herodias set herselfaga inst him
,and des ired
to ki ll him ; and sh e could20 not ; for Herod fearedJohn
,knowing that h e
was a righteous m an and
a holy,and kept him safe .
And when h e hea rd him ,
h e 1was much perplexed ;and h e hea rd him gladly.
John iv. 1—3.
1 Wh en thereforeth e Lord knew how thatth e Pha risees had heardthat Jesus wa s makingand baptizing more disci
2 ples than John, (a lthoughJesus himself baptizednot, but hi s disciples),
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Joh n iv. 3.
3 h e left Judaea, and
departed a gain intoGalilee.
31. ON HIS WAY To GALILEE JESUS PASSES THROUGH SYCHAR,AND TEACHES A
WOMAN OF SAMARIA.
Sycha r .
John iv. 4—42.4, 5 And h e must needs pass through Samaria. So h e cometh to a city of Samaria
,called * Sychar
,near to th e parcel of ground that Jacob gave to h is son
6 Joseph : and Jacob’s 1 well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with h is7 j ourney, sa t 2 thus by th e 1 well. It wa s a bout th e f s ixth hour . There cometh a8 woman of Samaria to draw water : Jesus saith unto h er
,Give m e to drink. For
9 hi s disciples were gone away into th e city to buy food. Th e Samaritan womantherefore saith unto him,
How i s it tha t thou, being a Jew, askest drink of m e,
whi ch am a Samari tan woman ? (3 For Jews have no dealings with Sama ritans. )10 Jesus answered and said unto h er
,If thou knewest th e gift of God
, and who iti s that saith to thee
,Give m e to drink ; thou wouldest have asked of hi m ,
and
11 h e would have given thee livi ng water. Th e woman saith unto him,4 Sir
,thou
hast nothing to draw with,and th e well is deep : from whence then hast
12 thou that living water ? Art thou greater than our fa ther Jacob,whi ch gave
13 us th e well, and drank thereof himself, and h is sons, and h i s cattle ? Jesus answered and sa id unto h er
,Every one that drinketh of this water shall thir st again
14 but whosoever drinketh of th e water that I shall give him shall never thi rst ;but th e water that I shall give him shall become in him a 1 well of water
15 springing up unto eternal life . Th e woman saith unto him,4 Sir
,give m e this
16 water,that I thirst not
,neither come all th e way hither to draw. Jesus saith unto
17 h er,Go
,ca ll thy husband
,and come hither. Th e woman answered and sa id unto
hi m,I have no husband. Jesus sa ith unto h er
,Thou saidst well
,I have no
18 husband : for thou hast had five husbands ; and h e whom thou now hast i s not
19 thy husba nd : this ha st thou said truly. Th e woman sa ith unto him,4 Sir , I
20 perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this Im ounta in ;21 and ye say, tha t in Jerusa lem is th e place where m en ought to worship. Jesussa ith unto h er
,Woman
,believe m e , th e hour cometh, when neither in this
22 mountain,nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship th e Fa ther. Ye worship that
which ye know not : we worshi p that which we know : for Hsalvation is
23 from th e Jews . But th e hour cometh, and now is,when th e true worshippers
shall worship th e Father in Spirit and truth : 6 for such doth th e Father seek
24 to be h is worshippers .
6 God i s a Spirit : and they tha t worship him must wor25 Ship in Spirit and truth . T h e woman saith unto him , I know that Mess iahcometh (which i s called Christ) : when h e i s come, h e will declare unto us all
26 things. Jesus saith unto h er , I that speak unto thee am he.
27 And upon this came hi s disciples ; and they marvelled that h e wa s speakingwith a woman ; yet no m an said
,Wha t seekest thou ? or
,Why speakest thou
28 wi th h er ? So th e woman left h er waterpot, and went away into th e city, and
Th e ancient Sh ech em . Th e nam e Sy I Th e m ounta in wa s Ger i z im . Sych a r (orch a r wa s probably der ived from th e Hebrewsa cha r , to purch a se, in m em ory o f th e pur
ch a se by Ja cob o i th e plot of ground a s de
scr ibed in Gen . xxxii i. 19 , and Josh ua xxiv.
32 , wi th wh ich com pa re Gen . xlvii i. 22 , th em a rgina l readi ng in th e Revised Version .
About m idday . Jesus h ad th ereforewalked for several h ours in th e fierce h eatand wa s “wea ried” and ath irst.
Sh ech em ) lay between i t and m ount Eba l.See Deuteronom y xi . 29 , 30 , and Judges ix. 7 .
Th ere h ad form erly been a la rge and celebrated tem ple on Ger iz im , but Joh n HyrcanusMa ccabee h ad destroyed i t about a h undredand th i rty-nine yea rs before th e vi sit o f ourLord. It wa s sa id to h ave been bui lt bySanballat, m entioned by E zra and Neh em iah .
I] Isa ia h ii . 2—4 .
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
John iv. 50—54.
51 h is way. And a s h e wa s now going down, h is 3 servants m et him , saying, that hi s52 son lived. So h e inquir ed of them th e hour when h e began to amend. They said53 therefore unto him,
Yesterday at th e seventh* hour th e fever left him. So th efather knew that i t wa s a t that hour in whi ch Jesus said unto him
,Thy son liveth
54 and h im self beli eved, and h i s whole house . This i s again th e second 1 Sign that Jesusdid
,having come out of Judaea into Ga lilee .
32. 33]
1 Or , king’
s ofiicer 2 Or , Lord 3 Gr. bondser vants.
33. JESUS TEACHES AT NAZARETH AND Is REJECTED THERE .
N a z a reth .
Luke iv. 16—30.
16 And h e came to Nazareth, where h e had been brought up : and h e entered, a s hi s17 custom wa s
,into th e synagogue on th e sabbath day, and stood up to read. And
there Wa s delivered unto him 1 th e book of th e prophet Isaiah . And h e Opened th e2 book
, and found th e place where it wa s wri tten I,18 Th e Spirit of th e Lord is upon m e
,
3Because h e anointed § m e to prea ch 4good tidings to th e poor :He hath sent m e to procla im release to th e captives ,And recovering of sight to th e blind
,
To set at liberty them that a re brui sed,19 To proclaim th e acceptable year of th e Lord .
20 And be closed th e 2 book,and gave it ba ck to th e attendant II, and sa t down : and th e
21 eyes of all in th e synagogue were fa stened on him. And h e began to say unto them,
22 To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ea rs . And a ll bare him Witness,and wondered a t th e words of grace which proceeded out of h is mouth : and they
23 said , Is not thi s Joseph’s son ? And h e said unto them, Doubtless ye will say unto
m e thi s parable, Phys ician , hea l thyself whatsoever we have heard done at Caper24 na um
‘ll, do also here in thine own country. And h e said,Verily I say unto you, No
25 prophet is acceptable in h is own country. But of a truth I say unto you, Therewere many widows in Israel in th e days of Elijah, when th e heaven was shut up
26 three years and Six months, when there came a great famine over all th e land ; andunto none of them wa s Elijah sent
,but only to in th e land of Sidon,
27 unto a woman tha t wa s a wi dow. And there were many lepers in Israel in th e timeof Eli sha th e prophet ; and none of them wa s cleansed, bu t only H Naaman th e
28 Syrian. And they were all filled with wrath in th e synagogue , a s they hea rd these29 things ; and they rose up, and cast him forth out of th e city, and led him unto th ebrow of th e hill whereon their city wa s built
,that they might throw hi m down
30 headlong. But h e passing through th e midst of them went h is way.
1 Or , a r oll 2 Or , r oll 3 Or , Wh er efor e 4 Or, th e gosp el5 Gr . Sa rep ta .
See note J, pa ge li i .See Joh n ii . 11 , 25 .
I See Isa iah lxi . 1,2, wh ere th e litera l
rendering i s “ th e yea r of th e Lord ’
s goodplea sure , or
,
“of a cceptance
”— th e year in
wh ich h e will accept. (See Isa iah xlix . 8 ;lvi ii . 5 ; lx .
By applying th i s proph ecy to h im self,our Lord cla im ed to be “Th e anointed one
th a t i s , —in th e Greek ,— “ th e Ch rist ” ; and,in th e Hebrew ,
— “ th e Messiah .
Or clerk, or serva nt, wh ose duty i t wa sto take ch a rge of th e sa cred book s a nd of th e
oth er furniture and property of th e synagogue
Th e so -ca lled books were m ore properly descr ibed a s rolls ; being wr i tten , not on leaves
and bound togeth er , but on long continuoussh eets o f pa rchm ent fa stened a t each end toa round rod on wh ich th ey were rolled andunrolled , displaying in th e m iddle between th erolls wh a tever portion of th e wr iting wa s
desired.
‘ll Nam ely, th e h ea ling of th e noblem an’
s
son,recorded in th e la st section . Joh n iv.
46— 54 .
1 Kings xvii . 8— 16.
H 2 Kings v. 1—14 .
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD . 34
34. JESUS FIxEs HIS ABODE AT CAPERNAUM AND PREACHES THE GOSPEL OF GOD .
Cap erna um .
Matt. iv. 13—17. Ma rk i. 14, 15.
13 And lea ving Nazareth,
h e came Jesus came intoand dwelt* inCapernaum
,
Galilee ,]which i s by th e sea
,in
th e borders of Zebulun14 and Naph ta li : that itmight be fulfilled whichwa s spoken 1by Isaiahth e prophet
, saying15 Th e land of Zebu
lun and th e land ofNaph tali ,
2Toward th e sea , beyond Jordan ,
Gali lee of th e 3Gentiles,16 Th e people which sa t
in darknessSaw a grea t light
,“
And to them which satin th e regi on and
shadow of death,To them did lightspring up.
17 From that time beganJesus to preach
,
and to say,Repent ye ; for
th e k ingdom of heaveni s at hand .
1 Or , th r ough 2 Gr. Th eway of the sea .
preachingth e 4gospel of God
,
and saying,
Th e time i s fulfilled, andth e kingdom of God
is at hand :repent ye , and beli eve
in th e 4gospel.
T h is m a rks a very im portant epoch in our
Lord’s h i story . He now selected th e pla cewh ere m ost of h i s m inistry would be exerci sedand m ost of h i s works done. Th e successionof events i s a s follows — After th e baptism byJoh n , Jesus went from Beth aba ra to Canaand from th ence on a tem pora ry vi sit to Capernaum (John i i . 12 , From th e fa ctth at “h e and h i s m oth er and h i s breth ren ”
went togeth er , we m ay probably a ssum e th at
Joseph wa s dead and th e fam ily residence inNa z a r eth discontinued . Our Lord th en a t
tended th e Pa ssover 26) in Jerusa lem and
a fterwards departed a ga in into Ga lilee 30 )pa ssing th rough Sych ar 31 ) to Na za reth33) wh ere h e h ad been brough t up (Luke
fl
Luk e iv. 31.
31 And h e came down to
Capernaum,
a city of Galilee .
3 Gr . na ti ons. 4 Or, good tid ings
iv. and wh er e th e people were accustom ed
to h ea r h im take pa rt in th e service of th e
synagogue . If th ey h ad received h im , it m aybe th a t h ewould h ave r esum ed h i s abode th ere ;but th ey expelled h im with violence (Lukeiv. 29 , and leaving Na za reth h e cam e
“and dwelt ” in Capernaum. Th is becam e
h i s ch ief residence or m ission h ouse duringth e rem a inder of h i s life. H i s journeyingswere m any and alm ost incessant ; but th iswa shi s h om e ,
— th e h ouse m entioned in Matt. xi ii .1 , 69 and elsewh ere . Having th us ch osen h i sr egula r and fixed abode (see m a rginal note 7to Mark iii . 19 , h e ca lled h i s di sciples
and began th e work o f h i s m ission .
'I' Isa iah ix . 1 , 2 .
35, 36] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
35 . THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES*
Sea of Ga li lee.
Ma tt. iv. 18. Ma rk i 16 Luke v. 1—10.
And walking byth e sea of Galilee, h e
saw two brethren, Simonwh o i s called Peter, andAndr ew h is brother,
casting a net into th esea ; for they were
fishers.
1 Or , J acob
36 . JESUS CALLS PETER AND ANDREW ; AND AF TERWARDS JAMES AND JOHNTo THE MINISTRY"
By the Sea of Ga li lee.
Ma tt . iv. 19- 23 Mark i. 17—20. Luke v.
19 And h e saith unto 17 And Jesus said unto 10 And Jesus sa id untothem, them
,Simon,Fear not ;
Come ye after m e,and Come ye after m e
,and
from henceforth
See note K, page lii . See Exod. xx . 19 , Judges xiii . 22,Isa iah vi . 5 .
26
6.
And passing along byth e sea of Galilee
,h e
saw Simonand
Andr ew th e brother ofSimon
casting a net in th esea : for they were
fish ers .
1 Now it came to pas s,while th e multitude press
ed upon him and heard th e word of God, that h e wa s2 standing by th e lake of Gennesaret ; and h e saw twoboats standing by th e lake : but th e fishermen h ad
3 gone out of them,and were washi ng their nets . And
h e entered into one of th e boats,which was S imon’
s ,
and asked him to put out a little fr om th e land. And
h e sat down and taught th e multitudes out of th e boat.4 And when h e h ad left speaking, h e sa id unto Simon,Put out into th e deep
,and let down your nets for a
5 draught. And Simon answered and"
said, Master, wetoiled all ni ght
,and took nothi ng : but at thy word
6 I will let down th e nets . And when they had thi sdone, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes ; and
7 their nets were break ing ; and they beckoned unto theirpartners in th e other boat
,that they should come and
help them. And they came,and filled both th e boats
,
8 so that they began to sink. But S imon Peter, whenh e saw it
,fell down at Jesus’ knees, sayi ng, Depar t
9 from m e ; for I am a Sinful m an, 0 Lord For h e was
amazed, and a ll that were with him,at th e dr aught of
10 th e fishes whi ch they h ad taken ; and so were also1James and John
, sons of Zebedee, whi ch Wfi aa i nan m e
with Simon . ey heard these"I'
m unto th e( l a wn
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma rk i. 26—28.
came out of him.
And they were all am a zed,
insomuch that they questionedamong themselves
,saying
,
What Is this ? a new teaching .
with authority
h e commandeth even th e uncleanSpir its ,
and they obey him.
and they come out.And th e report of him went out And there went forth a rumour
straightway
everywhere into allconcerning himInto every place
th e region of Galilee round about. of th e region round about.1 Or , i t 2 Or , convulsing 2 Gr. d emo n. 4 Or, Let a lone 5 Or , th is wor d , th a twith
com e out9
38. JESUS HEALS PETER’S WIFE’S MOTHER AND OTHERS.
Matt. vi i i . 14—17.
wa s come intoPeter’s house,
h e saw
h is wife’s m oth er i'
lying sickof a fever.
And h e
touched h er hand,
and th e fever left h er ;and
sh e arose , andministered unto him .
And when
Ieven wa s come,
Ma rk i. 29—34. Luke iv. 38 41.
And h e rose up
from th e syna gogue,
and entered intoth e house of Simon.
And
S imon ’s wife’s m oth er i ‘
wa s holdenwith a great fever ;
and theybesought him for h er .
And h e
stood over h er,
took h er by th e hand,
and raised h er up ;and rebuked th e fever ;
and the fever left h er , and it left h er :and and immedia telysh e Sh e rose up and
ministered unto them. ministered unto them.
And And whenat even
,
when th e sun did setI, th e sun wa s Isetting, all
And th erefore th e word “ tea r ing in I And wh en (th e sun being set) , th e SabMark i . 26 does not indica te a ph ysica l lacera bath [see 37] wa s legally pa st : and th e
tion,and th e m a rgina l reading of th a t pa ssage friends could br ing th e S i ck Wi th out offend
“convu lsing
” i s th e m ore accura te .
1' See 1 Cor . ix. 5 .
ing th e r igid prejudices of th e scr ibes andPh a r isees.
Luke iv. 35—37.
h e came out of him,
ha ving done him no hur t*.
And amazement came upon a ll,
and they spaketogether, one with another, saying,
Wh at is 5 this word ?for with authority
and powerh e commandeth th e unclean
spirits,
And straightway,
3when they were comeout of th e synagogue,they came into
th e house of Simonand An drew,
with 4James and John.
NowSimon’
s wife’s m oth er i~
lay s ickof a fever ;
and straightway theytell him of h er :
and h e
came and
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Matt. vii i. 16, 17. Ma rk i . 32, 34. Luke iv. 40, 41.
they tha t had any s ickwith di vers di seases
they brought unto him they brought unto h im brought them unto himall that were Sick ,
“many and them that were1possessed with devils 1possessed with devi ls.
33 And all th e city wa sga thered together at
th e door.and h e cast out th espirits with a word,
and h e laid h is handson every one of them,
and healed all 34 And h e healed many and healed them.
that were s ick that were Sickwith divers diseases, and 41
cast out many 5devils ;
and h e
suffered not th e 5devi lsto speak + , because they
knew him 6.
17 tha t it might be fulfilled which wa s spoken 2byIsaiah th e prophet, saying
,Himself took our
infirm ities, and bare our diseases*.
1 Or, demoni acs
2 0 1, th r ough 3 Som e
6ancient a u th or ities read wh en he wa s com e out of the synagogue,
h e cam e 4 Or, Ja cob5 Gr. dem ons.
5 Many a ncient auth or ities add to be Ch r ist. Sec Luke iv.
39 . JESUS MAKES HIS FIRST CIRCUIT OF GALILEE .
Ma tt. iv. 23—25. Ma rk i . 35— 39. Luke iv. 42— 44.
35 An d in th e morning,a grea t wh i le beforeday, h e rose up
42 And when it wa s day,
and went out, a nd h e came out anddeparted into a desert went into a desert
place, place :and there prayed.
and the multitudessought after hi m ,
Isa i . liii . 4,5 . 1: Com p . Acts xvi . 16— 18 .
And S imon and theythat were with hi mfollowed after him ;and they found him
,
and say unto him,
All a re seek ing thee .
And h e saith untothem
,Let us go else
where into th e nexttowns
,that I may
And5devils also came outfrom many
,crying
out,and sa ying
,Thou
a rt th e Son of God.
And rebuking them,
h e suffered them not
to speak +, becaus e theyknew
tha t h e wa s th e Chr ist.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke iv. 42—44.
S 39. 401Matt. iv. 23 25. Ma rk i. 38, 39.
prea ch there also ; forto this end came I forth.
And 1Jesus went And h e wentabout in all Galilee,teaching in their into theirsynagogues , and synagogues
thr oughout all Galilee,prea ching th e .
2gospel preach ingof th e kingdom,
and casting out 4devils .
and healing all mannerof disease and all
24 manner of sickness among th e people . And th e report of him went forth into allSyria : and they brought unto him all th at were s ick
,holden wi th divers di seases
and torments, 3possessed with 4devils , a nd epileptic, and palsied and be healed25 them. And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis" and
Jerusa lem and Judaea andfrom beyond Jordan .
1 Som e ancient auth orities read h e.2 Or , good tid ings
3 Or, demom’
acs 4 Gr. dem ons.
gosp el6 Very m any ancient auth orities read Judcea .
40 . THE FIRST CLEANSING OF A LEPER BY JESUS.
Pr oba bly Ch ora z in.
Ma rk 1. 40—45. Luke v. 12—16.And 12 And it came to pass ,
while h e was in one ofbehold
,th e cities
,behold,
there came to him there cometh to hi ma leper a leper
,a m an full of leprosand when h e saw e
sus,h e fell on h i s face,
and worshipped him,
beseeching him,1and and besought h im ,
kneeling down to him,
saying, and saying unto him,saying
,
Th at i s “ Ten -City th e nam e given to
a distr ict conta ining ten cities wh ich leaguedtogeth er aga inst th e Ma ccabees . Th ey were
ph ana . But probably Capi tolia s ough t to besubstituted for Dam a scus . (Abila , CaesareaPh ilippi and oth er towns and villages h ave
Situa ted ch iefly on th e ea st side of Jordanand in th e nor th -ea st pa rt of Pa lestine . Th eycannot be identified with absolute certa inty .
Pliny enum era tes th em a s follows — Scyth opoli s , Hippos , Gada r a , Pella , Ph iladelph ia ,
Gera sa , Dion , Cana th a , Dam a scus and Ra
been included in th e li st by different wri ters . )Th e ten cities constituting th is distri ct h adbeen rebui lt and endowed with peculia r p rivileges at th e tim e of th e conquest o f Syr ia byth e Rom ans
,B . c. 65 .
and came unto him ,
and would have stayedhi m
,that h e should
not go fr om them.
But h e said unto them,
I must preach th e5good tidings of thekingdom of God to th eother cities also ; fortherefore was I sent.
And h e wa s
4 1]
41.
Matt. ix. 1
1 And h e entered intoa boat
,and crossed over,
and came intoh is own city.
And behold,
they brought to him am an sick of th e palsy,lying on a bed :
and Jesusseeing their faithsaid un to th e Sickof th e palsy,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
JESUS HEALS A MAN SICK OF THE PALSY.
Cap erna um .
Ma rk 11. 1—12. Luke v. 17— 26.
1 And when h e entered
17 And it came to passon one of those days,
h e spake th e word that h e wa s teaching ;unto them .
And they come,bringi ng unto hi m am an sick of th e pa lsy
,
borne of four.
And wh en they could
not 5 come n igh unto himfor th e crowd ,
they uncovered th e roofwhere h e was : and whenthey had broken it up
,
they let down
th e bed whereon th esick of th e palsy lay.
into th e m i dst beforeJesus .
And Jesus AndSeeing their faith seeing their faith ,sai th unto th e sick h e said
,
of th e palsy,
32
a gain intoCa pernaum
after some days,it wa s
noised tha t h e wa s 4 in
2 th e house . And manywer e gathered together
,
so that there was no
longer room for them ,no
,
not even about th e door :and
and there were Phar iseesand doctors of th e law
s itting by,which were
come out of every vi lla geof Galilee and Jndasa andJerusalem : and th e powerof th e Lord was with him6 to heal.
And behold,
m en bring on a bed am an that was palsied :
and they sought tobring hi m in, and tolay him before him.
And not finding bywhat way they mightbring him in becauseof th e multitude
,
they went up to th ehouse-top,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD . 41
Ma tt. ix. 2—8.
1Son ,be of good cheer ;thy sins a re forgiven . thy sins a re forgiventhy s ins a re forgiven .
thee.
6 But there were certainof th e scribes And th e scribes
3 And behold, certa in
and th e Pha riseesof th e scribes
began to rea son, sayi ng,saidwithin themselves
,
This m an Wh o i s this tha tbla sphemeth. speaketh blasphemies ?
Who can forgive sins,
but God alone ?And But
Jesus perceivingJesus 2knowing
their reasonings,their thoughts
answered and saidunto them
,
Wherefore think ye 7What reason yeevi l in your hea rts ? in your hearts ?For whether i s ea sier, Whether i s easier,
to say, to say,
Thy sins a re forgiven ; Thy sins a re forgivenor to say, Arise, thee ; or to say, Arise
and wa lk ? But tha t ye6 and wa lk ? But tha t yemay know that th e Son may know tha t th e Sonof m an hath 3 power of m an ha th 3poweron earth to forgive " on ea rth to forgive*s ins -
(then saith h e to sins (h e sa id untoth e Sick of th e palsy), him tha t wa s pa lsied),
I say unto thee ,Ar ise
,and take up thy Arise
,and take up thy
bed, couch,
and go unto thy house. and go un to thy house .
And And immediatelyh e arose
, h e rose up before them,
and tookup that whereon h e lay,
and departed toh is house .
But insomuch tha twhen th e multitudes
saw it,they were afr a id
,
A d t t kn am a z em en 0 0they were all amazed, 26
hold on a ll,
and glorified God, and glorified God , and they glorified God ;
which h ad given such
See Luke vi i . 48— 50 , 54 , and Acts v. 3 1 .
sitting there,and reasoningin their hea r ts
,
7 Why doth this m an thusSpeak ? h e blasphemeth :wh o can forgive s insbut one , even God ?And stra ightwayJesus
,per ceiving
in h i s Spirit thatthey so reasonedwithin themselves,
saithunto them
,
I’Vh y rea son ye thesethings in your hearts ?
9 Whether i s ea s ier ,to say
to th e sick of th e pa lsy,
Thy sins a re forgiven ;or to say, Arise,
and take up thy bed,10 and walk ? But that ye
m ay know tha t th e Sonof m an ba th 3poweron earth to forgive*s ins (h e saith to
th e sick of th e pa lsy),I say unto thee ,Arise
,take up thybed,
and go unto thy house .
And
h e arose,
and straightway tookup th e bed,
and went forth beforethem all ;
41— 43]
Ma tt. ix. 8.
3power unto m en.
1 Gr . Ch ild .
ancient a uth or ities r ead br i ng h im unto h im .
sh ould h ea l them .7 Or , Wh y
Ma tt. ix. 9.
And a s Jesuspassed by from thence
,
h e saw a m an,
ca lled Matthew,
s itting at th e place oftoll : and h e saith untoh im
,Follow m e .
And h e a roseand followed him.
43 .
Ma tt. ix. 10 17.
10 And it came to pass,
a s h e 1sa t
a t meatin th e house
,
behold,many + pub
licane and sinnerscame and sa t down
Jesus and h is disciples .
More correctly, ta x-collector .
2 Many ancient auth or ities read6
seeing .
42 .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma rk 11. 12. Luke v. 26.
and they were filledwith fear
,
saying,We have seen
s trange things to-day.
saying,We never
saw it on this fashion.
4 Or , a t h om e 5 Man
Many ancient a uth or ities read th a t h e
3 Or , a uth or i tyG Gr . th a t h e sh ould h ea l.
THE CALL OF MATTHEW.
By th e sea side a t Caperna um .
Ma rk 11. 13, 14.
An d
h e went forthagain by th e sea s ide ;and all th e multituderesorted unto him
,
and h e taught them.
And a s h e
pa ssed by,
h e saw
Levi th e son of Alphaeuss itting at th e pla ce oftoll, a nd h e saith untohim
,Follow m e .
Luke v. 27, 28.
And after thesethings h e went forth,
beheld a *publican,
named Levi,Sitting a t th e place oftoll
,and said unto
him, Follow m e.
28 And h e forsook all,a nd rose up
and followed him.
And h e aroseand followed hi m .
THE FEAST AT MATTHEW’S HOUSE .
At Cap erna um .
Ma rk 11. 15— 22. Luke v. 29—39.
29 And Levi made him agreat feast
15 And it came to pass,
tha t h e 1wa s Sittinga t mea t
in h is house,
in h is house :and there was a greatmultitude of 1 publicans and of otherstha t were s ittinga t mea t withthem.
and many + publica ns a nd sinners
sa t downwith
Jesus and h is disciplesfo r there were many
,
a nd they followed him.
See note E , page xl.
More correctly, ta x-collectors.
34
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. ix. 15- 17.
when th e bridegroom sha ll be takenaway from them
,and
then will they fast.
Ma rk 11. 20—22.
when th e bridegroom sh all be takenaway from them ,
and
then will they fa stin tha t day.
16 And no m an putteth apiece of undressedcloth upon an old ga rment for that which
should fill it uptaketh from th e ga rment
,
and a worse rent ismade .
Neither do m en putnew wine into old
5wine -sk inselse
th e skins burst,
and th e winei s spilled
,
and th e sk insperish : but
they put new wineinto fresh wine- sk ins ,
and both a re preserved.
1 Gr . r eclined.2 Or , Tea ch er 3 Gr . str ong .
used a s bottles3 Som e ancient a uth or ities om i t a nd dr inketh .
ancient a uth or iti es r ead better .
Pa r a ble is a word bor rowed from th e
Greek p a r a bole (n a paflohfi) , and m eans liter a lly , a p la cing si de by si de, a s of sh ips inba ttle . In th e New Testam ent it s ignifiesfigura tively comp a r i son,
sim i li tude , a s in Ma rkiv. 30, 75. Its specia l m eaning i s , - a di s
course , usua lly a na rr a tive , under wh i ch som e
truth or doctr ine i s figured ; or in wh ich th efictitious i s em ployed to represent and illustra te th e rea l. Th i s i s a favor ite m ode of
or ienta l teach ing , and wa s m uch em ployed by
4 Som e ancient au th or ities om it of t.6 Som e ancient auth or ities read a nd th e Ph a r i sees.
9 Or , th e Ph a r i sees a nd th e scr i bes am ong th e m
9 And no m an having drunkold wine desireth new :
for h e saith , Th e old i s10good.
0
5 Th a t is, skinsOr , How 18 i t th a t h e
10 Many
our Sa viour , (m ore often in th e first th ree
gospels) ; but not elsewh ere in th e New Testam ent (Robinson
’s Greek Lexi con to th e New
Testam ent) . Th e pa rables of th e sower 69and and of th e prodiga l son a r e
very com plete and typica l i llu str ations o f th ism eth od of tea ch ing , and of i ts m a rvellousva lue for instructing th e m ind and a t th e
sam e tim e touch ing th e hea rt. Our Lord ’s
special r ea sons for adopting th is m ode o f im
pa r ting divine truth a re set for th in 70 .
N0 m an seweth apiece of undressedcloth on an old garment : else tha t which
should fill it uptaketh from it,
th e new from th e old,and a worse rent i s
made .
And no m an puttethnew wine into old
6wine- skinselse the wine
will burst th e skins,and th e wineperisheth ,
and th e skins :but
th ey pu t new wineinto fresh wine -skins .
Luke v. 35—39.
and when th e bridegroom sha ll be takenaway from them
,
then will they fa stin those days .
And h e spake a lso apa ra ble" unto them ;N 0 m an rendeth a piecefrom a new ga rment
and putteth it upon an
old ga rment ; else h ewill rend th e new
,and
also th e piece fromth e new will notagree with th e old .
And no m an puttethnew wine into old
5Wine -sk inselse th e new winewill burst th e skins
,
and itselfwill be spilled
,
and th e sk ins willperish . But
new wine must be putinto fresh wine-skins .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
[Proba bly th e second yea r of ou r Lord’s ministry commenced aboutthis time ]
44 . JESUs HEALs A SICK MAN AT THE POOL OF BETHEsnA. THE JEwsSEEK To KILL HIM.
Jerusa lem .
Joh n v. 1—18.
1 After th ese things there wa s 1a fea st* of th e Jews ; and Jesus went up to Jeru
sa lem .
Now there i s in Jerusalem by th e sheep g a te a pool, which i s called + in Hebrew3QBeth esda
,having five porches . In these lay a multitude of them tha t were sick
,
5 blind, ha lt, withered 3. And a certain m an wa s there,which had been thirty and
6 e ight years in h is infirm ity. When Jesus saw him lying,and knew that h e had been
7 now a long time in th a t case, h e sa ith unto him, Wouldest thou be m ade whole ? Th e
s ick m an a nswered h im ,4 Si r
,I h a ve no m an
,when th e wa ter i s troubled
,to put m e
8 into th e pool : but while I am coming, another steppeth down before m e . Jesus9 sa ith unto him,
Arise,take up thy bed
,a nd walk . And stra ightwa y th e m an wa s
made whole,a nd took up h is bed and walked.
10 Now it wa s th e sabba th on that day . So th e Jews said unto him tha t wa s cured,
11 It is th e sabbath,and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bedI. But h e answered
them,He tha t made m e whole
,th e same sa id unto m e
,Take up thy bed
,a nd wa lk .
12 They a sked h im,Who is th e m an that sa id unto thee
,Take up thy bed, and walk ?
13 But h e tha t wa s healed wist not wh o it wa s : for Jesus h ad conveyed h imself away,14 a multitude being in th e pla ce . Afterward Jesus findeth him in th e temple, and
said unto him,Behold
,thou a r t made whole : s in no more
,lest a worse thing befall
15 thee. Th e m an went away, and told th e Jews that it wa s Jesus which h ad made16 him whole . And for this cause did th e Jews persecute Jesus
,because h e did these
17 things on th e sabba th . But Jesu s answered them,My Fa ther worketh even until
18 now,and I work . For this cause therefore th e Jews sought th e more to k ill h im
,
because h e not only brake th e sabbath,but also ca lled God h i s own Father
,maki ng
himself equal with God § .1 Many ancient a uth or ities r ea d th ef ea st. 2 Som e ancient auth or ities read Beth sa id a , oth ers, B eth z a th a .
3 Manyancient a u th or ities insert, wh olly o r in pa rt, wa i ting f or th e m oving of th e w tter : 4f or a n a ng el of the Lor d went d owna t cer ta in sea sons into th e Pool, a nd tr oubled th ewa ter . wh osoever th enfi rst af ter th e tr oubling of th e wa ter steppedi n wa s m a de wh ole, w ith wh a tsoever d isea se h e wa s h olden.
4 O r , Lord
§ 45 . JESUS VINDICATES HIS OWN CONDUCT AND REPROVES THE PERSECUTINGJEws .
J erusa lem .
John v. 19— 47
19 Jesus therefore answered and said unto themVerily
,ver ily
,I say unto you , Th e Son can do nothing of himself
,but what h e
seeth th e Fa ther doing : for what things soever h e doeth,these th e Son a lso doeth
20 in like m anner . For th e Father loveth th e Son, and sheweth him all things tha thimself doeth and grea ter works than these will h e shew him
,tha t ye may ma rvel.
21 For a s th e Fa ther ra iseth th e dead . and quickeneth them , even so th e Son also22 quickeneth whom h e will. For neither doth th e Father judge a ny m an
,but h e ha th
See note H , page 1. a tree of th at kind wh ich oversh adowed th eBeth esda
’? is genera lly sa id to be der ived pool, or h ad form er ly done so . See Sp ea ker
’
s
from words m eaning Th e h ouse of m ercy. Comm . on th is pa ssage .
Th is der iva tion i s descriptive but stra ined . I Com p . Jer . xvn . 2 1,22 .
Th e m ore accura te rendering i s“Th e h ouse See Joh n H. 30 , 33 , 118 ; xvn . 5 , 11 , 22 ,
o f th e olive ,”and wa s probably obta ined from 194 ; Ph il. ii . 6 .
45,46] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Joh n v. 22—47.
23 given all judgement unto th e Son ; tha t all m ay honour th e Son, even a s theyhonour th e Father. He tha t honoureth not th e Son honoureth not th e Fa ther which
24 sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He tha t hea reth my word, and believeth
him that sent m e,ha th eternal life , and cometh not into judgement
,but hath passed
25 out of death into life. Veri ly,verily, I say unto you, Th e hour cometh, and now is
,
when th e dea d sha ll bea r th e voice of th e Son of God and they tha t hea r sha ll live.
26 For a s th e Fa ther ha th life in himself, even so gave h e to th e Son a lso to have life27 in himself and h e gave h im authority to execute judgement, because h e i s 1 th e Son28 of m an . Ma rvel not at this : for th e hour cometh
,in which all tha t a re in th e
29 tombs shall hea r h is voice, and sha ll come forth ; they th at have done good, untoth e resurrection of life ; and they that have 2done 3 ill
,unto th e resurr ection of
judgement*.
30 I can of myself do nothing : a s I hea r, I judge : and my judgement is righteous ;31 because I seek not mine own will
,but th e will of him tha t sent m e . If I bea r
32 witness of myself, my witness is not true . It is another th a t bea reth wi tness of33 m e and I know tha t th e witness which h e witnesseth of m e i s true . Ye have sent34 unto John , a nd h e hath borne witness unto th e truth. But th e witness which I re35 ceive is not from m an howbeit I say these things, that ye m ay be saved. He wa sth e lamp that burneth and Shineth and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in
36 h is light. But th e witness whi ch I have i s grea ter than th a t of John for th e workswhich th e Father ha th given m e to accomplish
,th e very works tha t I do
,bea r
37 witness of m e,that th e Father ha th sent m e . And th e Father which sent m e
,h e
ha th borne witness of m e. Ye have neither heard h i s voice at any time, nor seen
38 h is form. And ye h ave not h is word abiding in you : for whom h e sent,him ye
39 beli eve not. 4Ye search th e scriptur es , beca use ye think that in them ye ha ve40 eternal life ; and these a re they which bear witness of m e -l and ye will not come41, 42 to m e , that ye m ay have life. I receive not glory from m en . But I know you
,
43 tha t ye have not th e love of God in yourselves . I am come in my Father’s name,
and ye receive m e not : if another shall come in h is own name , him ye will receive .
44 How can ye believe, which rece ive glory one of another,and th e glory that com eth
45 from 6 th e only God ye seek no t ? Think not tha t I will accuse you to th e Father46 there i s one that a ccuseth you, even Moses , on whom ye have set your hope . For47 if ye believed Moses, ye would believe m e ; for h e wrote of m eI. But if ye believenot h is writings , how shall ye believe my words ?
1 Or , a son of m an 2 Or, p r a ctised3 Or , evi l (Am en ) 4 Or , Sea rch th e scri p tur es See Acts xvu. 11.
5 Som e ancient auth or ities read the only one.
46 . JESUS TEACHES THE LAWFULNESS or WORKS OF NECESSITY ON THESABBATH.
Nea r Cap erna um .
Ma tt. 1—8. Ma rk 11. 23—28. Luke vi. 1— 5.
23 And it came to pa ss, 1 Now it came to pa ss,
on a 5 sabbath,
At that sea sonJesus went tha t h e wa s going that h e wa s going
on th e sabba th day on th e sabba th daythrough th e cornfields ; through th e cornfields ; through th e cornfields ;
and h is disciples and h is disciples and h is discipleswere an hungred,
and began
Com p . D a n . x1l . 2 . 1: Gen . i i i . 15 ; xlix. 10 ; Num b . xxiv. 17
1" See Luke xxiv. 27 , 245. Dent. xviii . 15— 18 .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xi i. 8. Ma rk 11. 27. 28.
And h e said untothem
,Th e sabba th
wa s made for m an,
a nd not m an for th esabbath : so tha t
8 For th e Son of m an is th e Son of m an is Th e Son of m an islord of th e sabba th. lord even of th e sabba th . lord of th e sabbath.
1 Som e ancient auth or ities read th ey d i d ea t. 2 Gr . a gr ea ter th ing .3 Gr . bega n to m a ke th eir wa y plucking .
4 Som e ancient auth o r ities read in th e d ays of Abi a th a r th e h igh p r iest. And th is would seem th e better r endering .
Fo r th e precedent to wh ich our Lord refers d id occur“ in th e days o f Abia th a r ,” and probably in h is presence, but not
wh i le h e wa s h igh-
pr iest. See 1 Sam . xxi . 1—6, wh ere it a ppea r s th at th e o ffi ce was a t th a t tim e h eld by h is fa th er
A h im elech . Abia th a r (wh o succeeded Ah im elech ) i s proba bly m entioned a s h avinglbeen a m uch m ore prom inent m an
in Jewxsh hi story.5 Many ancient auth orities insert second-fi rst. See note p . l.
§ 47. JESUS TEACHES THE LAWFULNESS OF WORKS OF MERCY ON THE SABBATH.
Ga lilee. At Caperna um ?
Ma rk i i i. 1—6. Luke vi. 6 11.
went into h e entered aga in intotheir synagogue th e synagogue ;
and behold,a m an and there wa s a m an
having there which h ada withered hand . h i s hand withered.
And they
wa tched him,whether
h e would heal himon th e sabbath day ;
And they asked him,
saying,IS it lawful
to heal on th e sa bba thday
that they might that they mightaccuse h im . accuse him.
And h e saithunto th e m an that hadh is hand withered
,
1Stand forth.
4 And h e saith untothem
,
Is it lawful on th esabba th day to do good
,
or to do ha rm ? to savea life
,or to ki ll ? But
they held their pea ce.
11 And h e sa id unto them,
Wha t m an sha ll there be
And it came to passon another sabba th
,
tha t h e entered intoth e synagogueand taught :
and there wa s a m an
there,and h is right
hand wa s withered .
And th e scribes andth e Pha risees
watched him,whether
h e would healon th e sabbath ;
tha t they might findhow to a ccuse him.
But h e knew theirthoughts ;and h e said
to th e m an that hadh is h and withered
,
Rise up,and
stand forthin th e midst. And h ea rose and stood for th.
And Jesus sa id untothem
,
I a sk you,
IS it lawful on th esa bba th to do good
,
or to do ha rm ? to sa vea life
,or to destroy it ?
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. X11. 11—14.
of you,that shall have
one sheep,and if this fa ll
into a pit on th e sa bbathday, will h e not lay holdon it
, and lift it out ?12 How much then is a m an
of more value than asheep Wherefore it islawful to do good on th e
sabbath day.
Then
sa ith h e to th e m an,
Stretch forth thy hand .
And be stretched itforth ; and itwa s restored
whole,a s th e other.
14 But th e Pha risees
went out, and
took counsel a ga insthim
,how they mightdestroy him.
1 Gr . A r ise into th e m i dst.
Ma rk i i i . 5, 6.
And when h e h a dlooked round a bout
on themwith anger
,being
grieved a t th e ha rdeningof their hea r t
,
h e sa ith unto th e m an,
Stretch forth thy handAnd be stretched itforth : and h is hand
wa s restored.
5 And th e Phar i sees
went out,and
straightwaywith th e Herodianstook counsel a gainsthim
,how they mightdestroy hi m .
2 Or , f oolishness
Luke vi . 10, 11
And h e
looked round a bouton them all,
a nd sa id unto him,
Stretch forth thy hand .
And h e did so :and h is handwa s restored .
But theywere filled with 2m ad
ness : and communedone with another whatthey might do to Jesus .
§ 48. JESUS WITHD RAws To THE SEASIDE TO AVOID THE CONSPIRACIES AGAINST HISLIFE ; Is FOLLOWED BY GREAT MULTITUDES ; AND WORKS MANY MIRACLES .
By th e sea of Ga li lee.
withdrew from thenceand many
followed him
i . e. th e conspira cy to m urder h im ; See Ma tt . xi i . 14 , 47 .
with h i s discipleswithdrew to th e sea :
and a great multitudefrom Ga lileefollowed :
8 and from Judeea , and from Jerusalem,
and from Idumaea,and beyond Jordan,
and a bout Tyre and Sidon, a grea t m u l
t itude,hearing 3wha t great things h e
9 did , came unto him. And h e spake to
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xu. 15—21. Ma rk i ii. 9—12.
h is disciples,that a li ttle boat should
wa it on him because of th e crowd , lest10 they should th rong h im : for h e hadhealed many ; insomuch tha t a s manya s h ad 4plagues 5pressed upon him thatthey might touch him .
and h e healed them a ll,
11And th e unclean spirits,whensoever
they beheld him,fell down before him,
and cried, saying, Thou art th e Son of
God.
and charged th em tha t 12 And h e charged them much tha tthey should not make him known : they should not make him known.
that it might be fu lfilled whichwa s spoken 1by Isaiah th e prophet,
sayings18 Behold
,my servant whom I have chosen ;
My beloved in whom m y soul is well pleased :I will put my Spirit upon him
,
And h e shall declare judgement to th e 2Gentiles .
19 He shall not strive,nor cry aloud ;
Neither shall any one hear h i s voice in th e streets .
20 A bruised reed Shall h e not break,
And smok ing flax Shall h e not quench,Till h e send forth judgement unto victory.
21 And in h is name shall th e 2Gentiles hope .
1 Or , th r oug h 2 Gr. na ti ons .3 Or , a ll the th ings th a t h e did
4 Gr . scourges.5 C r .fell.
49 . THE CALLING AND APPOINTMENT OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. (See
note L , page liv. )
N ea r Cap erna um .
[Matt x. 2 Mark i ii. 13- 19.
13 And h e goeth up intoth e mountain
,
and ca lleth unto himwhom h e himself would :and they went unto him.
14 And be appointed and h e chose fromtwelve
,4 them twelve, whom
a lso h e named *apostles ;tha t they might bewith him
,and tha t h e
1: For ver ses 18— 20 sec Isa . xln . 1— 3 ; for ta inly th a t i t wa s not so ; see John i . 42 , § 24 .
verse 21 see Isa . xi . 10 . As to th e nam e“apostles ,
”see note L
, page
It does not follow,because th e nam es liv. Th e nam e Boanerges m ay h ave been
“Peter ,” “Boanerges”
and “apostles
”a re given in connexion wi th th e incident na rra ted
th us m entioned , th a t th ey were given a t th is in 130 .
tim e. With respect to Peter , we know cer
Luke vi . 12—19.
And it came to passin these days
,tha t
h e went out intoth e mounta in to pray ;and h e continued a ll
night in prayer to God .
And when it was day,
h e called h is disciples :
§ 50] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. v. 2— 16.
and h e Opened h is moutha nd taught them,
saying, a nd sa id,
Blessed a re th e poor in spir it : * Blessed a re ye poor :for their s is th e kingdon of hea ven . for yours is th e k ingdom Of God .
1Blessed a re they tha t mourn : 1 Blessed a re ye tha t weep nowfor they sha ll be comforted. for ye shall laugh.
Blessed a re th e meek : Ifor they shall inherit th e ea rth.
Blessed a re they tha t hunger Blessed a r e ye that hunger now :
a nd thirst a fter r ighteousness :for they sha ll be filled .H for ye sh all be filled .
Blessed a re th e m ercifu l :for they sha ll Obta in mercy.
Blessed a re th e pure in heartfor they sha ll see God .
‘ll
Blessed a re th e peacemakersfor they shall be ca lled sons of God.
Blessed a re they tha t have beenpersecuted for righteousness ’ sake :for theirs is th e k ingdom of h eaven .
Blessed ar e ye when m en shall 22 Blessed a re ye , when m en sha ll hateyou
,and when they shall separateyou from their comp a ny, and
reproa ch you, reproa ch you,and persecute you, and say allmanner of evil aga inst you falsely,
and be exceeding glad :for
great i s your reward in hea venfor so persecuted they
th e prophets which were before you .
13 Ye a re th e salt of th e earth : but if th esa lt have lost i ts savour, wherewith sh allit be salted ? it i s thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out a nd trodden
14 under foot of m en . Ye a re th e light of th e wor ld . A city set on a hill cannot be15 h id. Neither do m en light a lamp, and put it under th e bushel, but on th e stand ;16 a nd it shineth unto all tha t a re in the house. Even so let your light shine before
inen
,tha t they m ay see your good works
,a nd glorify your Fa ther which i s in
eaven.
Isa . lxvi . 2 . i i See Heb. xi i . 14 ; wh ich probably referred1' Isa . lxi . 2
,3 . to th i s word o f our Lord .
Psa lm xxxvi i . 11 , 22 , 29. See 1 Kings xix . 10 ; 2 Ch ron . xxiv. 19
Isa . lv. 1 , 2 .2 1 ; Jer . xxvi. 20— 23 .
and cast out your name a s evi lfor th e Son of man ’
s sake .
Rejoicein tha t day,
and leap for j oyfor behold
,
your reward i s grea t in hea venfor in th e same manner did their fathers
unto th e prophets .
24 But woe unto you that a re r ich"for ye25 ha ve received your consola tion. Woe
unto you, ye tha t a re full now"for ye
shall hunger. Woe unto you , ye tha tlaugh now "for ye sha ll mourn and weep.
26Woe unto you, when all m en sha ll speakwell of you"for in th e same manner didtheir fa thers to th e fa lse prophets .
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD. 50
Ma tt. v. 17— 42.
17 Think not tha t I came to destroy th e law or th e prophets : I came not to destroy,
18 but to fulfil . For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away; one jotor one tittle sha ll in no wise pass away from th e law , till all things be accom plished .
19 Whosoever therefore sha ll break one of these lea st commandments,a nd sha ll teach
m en so,shall be called least in th e kingdom of heaven : but whosoever sha ll do and
20 teach them,h e sha ll be called great in th e kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you,
tha t except your righteousness sha ll exceed the r igh teousness of th e scribes and Pha risees
, ye shall in no wise enter into th e k ingdom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it wa s said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill * ; and22 whosoever shall kill sha ll be in danger of th e judgement : but I say unto you , tha t
every one wh o is angry with h is brother 2 shall be in danger of th e judgement ; andwhosoever shall say to h is brother,
3Raca, shall be in danger of th e council ; and23 whosoever shall say, 4Thou fool , shall be in danger
5 of th e 6hell of fir e If therefore thou art offering thy gift at th e altar, and there rememberest tha t thy brother
24 ha th aught a ga inst thee, lea ve there thy gift before th e altar, and go thy way, first25 be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thineadversary quickly, whiles thou a rt with him in th e way ; lest haply th e adversa rydeliver thee to th e judge , and th e j udge 7deliver thee to th e Officer, and thou be ca st
26 into prison . Ver ily I say unto thee, Thou sha lt by no means come out thence, tillthou have paid th e last farthing.
27, 28 Ye have hea rd that it wa s said,Thou shalt not commit adulteryI : but I say
unto you,that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after h er hath committed
29 adultery with h er a lready in h is hea rt. And if thy right eye § causeth thee tostumble , pluck it out, and ea st it from thee : for it is profitable for thee tha t one Of
30 thy members should perish, a nd not thy whole body be cast into 8hell . And if thy"right hand cau seth thee to stumble , cut it Off, and cast it from thee : for it isprofitable for thee that one of thy members should perish
,and not thy whole body
31 go into 8hell. It wa s said also, i lWh osoever shall put away h i s wife
,let him give
32 h er a writing of divorcement : but I say unto you, that every one that putteth awayh is wife
,saving for th e cause of fornication
,maketh h er an adulteress : and whosoever
sha ll ma rry h er when sh e i s put away committeth adultery.
33 Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of Old time
,
“H Thou shalt not for34 swear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths : but I say unto you,35 Swear not at all ; neither by th e heaven, for it is th e th rone of God ; nor by th e
ea rth , for it i s th e footstool of h is feet ; nor 9by Jerusa lem,for it is th e city of
36 th e great King. Neither sha lt thou swea r by thy head,for thou canst not make
37 one hair white or black .
1°But let your speech be,Yea
, yea ; Nay, nay : and whatsoever i s more than these is of 11th e evil one.
38 Ye have hea rd that it wa s seid,H Luke Vi . 29- 31 ; 27» 28 ; 32—36
An eye for an eye, and a tooth for39 a tooth : but I say unto you, Resist
not 12him tha t is evil butwhosoever smiteth thee on thy right 29 To him that smiteth thee on th e one
cheek,turn to h im th e other also . cheek offer also th e other ;
40 And if any m an would go to law and from h im tha twith thee
,and
take away thy coa t, taketh away thy clokelet him ha ve thy cloke a lso. withhold not thy coa t a lso .
41 And whosoever sha ll 13 com pel theeto go one mile, go with him twa in.
Give to h im tha t a sketh thee, 30 Give to every one tha t a sketh thee ;
E xod . xx. 13 ; Levit. xxiv. 2 1 . i i Deut. xxiv. 1 .
"I' See note N , page lxvi i i . E xod. xx . 7 ; see m arg ina l reading in1 E xod . xx . 14 . Revi sed Version . Levit . xix. 12 .
Ma tt . xvi ii . 9 , 109 . H Exod . xxi . 24 ; Levi t. xxiv. 19 , 20 .
1] Ma tt. xviii . 8 , 109 .
§ 50] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. v. 42—48 ; vi. 1—7. Luke vi. 30—36.
and from him that would borrowof thee turn not thou away.
and of him that taketh away thygoods a sk them not again. And
a s ye would that m en should doto you, do ye also to them likewise.
Ye have heard that it wa s sa id,
Thou sha lt love thy neighbour,*
and hate thine enemy : 1but I say unto you, But I say unto you which hear,Love your enemies
,Love your enemies
,
do good to them tha t hate youq:bless them that curse you ,
and pray for them tha t persecute pray for them tha t despitefullyyou ; use you.
45 that ye m ay be sons of your Fa therwhich i s in heaven : for h e maketh h issun to rise on th e evil and th e good
,and
sendeth ra in § on th e just and th e unjust.46 For if ye love them tha t love you, 32 And if ye love them that love you,
what reward have ye ? do not even what thank have ye ? for eventh e 14publicans"th e same
’
.l s inners love those that love them.
47 And if ye salute your brethr en only,what do ye more th a n oth ers ?
do not even th e Gentiles th e same ?
48 Ye therefore sha ll be perfect,a s your
heavenly Father i s perfect.
Ma tt. Vi.
1 Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before m en, to be seen of them :'
else ye ha ve no reward with your Father which is in heaven .
2 When therefore thou doest a lms,sound not a trumpet before thee, a s th e hypo
crites do in the synagogues and in th e streets,that they may have glory of m en.
3 Verily I say unto you, They have rece ived the ir reward . But when thou doest alms,4 let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth : tha t thine alms may bein secret : a nd thy Fa ther which seeth in secret shall recompense thee.
5 And when ye pray, ye sh all not be a s th e hypocrites : for they love to standand pray in th e synagogues and in th e corners of th e streets, tha t they may be seen
6 of m en . Verily I say unto you, They have rece ived their rewar d. But thou, whenthou prayest
,enter into thine inner chamber
,and having shut thy door , pray to thy
Father which i s in secret,a nd thy Father which seeth in secret sha ll recompense
7 thee . And in praying use not vain repetitions , a s th e Gentiles do : for they think
Lev. xi x. 18. vi sed Version .
Deut. xxii i . 6 . See Acts x iv. 17 .
See Prov. xxv. 21, m a rgina l r eading , Re 11 See note E , page xl.
33 And if ye do good to them that do goodto you
,what thank have ye ? for even
34 s inners do th e same . And if ye lend tothem Of whom ye hope to receive, whatthank have ye ? even s inners lend to
35 sinners , to rece ive again a s much. But
love your enemies,and do them good
,
and lend, 26never despa iring ; and yourreward shall be grea t, and ye sha ll besons of th e Most High : for h e is kind
36 towa rd th e unthankful and evil. Be ye
merciful , even a s your Father i s merciful.
§ 50] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. vi . 30—34 vn. 1—4 .
But if God doth so clothe th egrass of th e field
,which to -day
is,and to-morrow is ca st into
th e oven, sh a ll he not much moreclothe you , O ye of little faith ?Be not therefore a nxious
,saying,
Wha t shall we ea t ? or, Wha tshall we drink ? or, Wherewithal
shall we be clothed ?
For after all these things do th e20Gentiles seek ;
for your hea venly Fa ther knoweththat ye ha ve need of all thesethings. But seek ye first h iskingdom , and h is righteousness ;and all these things Sha ll be addedunto you. Be not therefore
anxious for th e morrow : for th emor row will be anxious for itself.Sufficient unto th e day is th e evi l
thereof.
Luke vi. 37—42.
And judge not,and ye shall
not be judged :and condemn not
,and ye sha ll
not be condemned :2 For with what judgement ye judge,
ye shall be judged :
and with what measure ye mete,it shall be mea sured unto you .
3 And wh y beholdest thou th e motethat i s in thy brother ’s eye, butconsiderest not th e beam tha t isin thine own eye ? Or how wiltthou say to thy brother ,
Let m e cast out th e mote out
Luke x11. 28—34 ; vi. 37—42 .
But if God doth so clothe th egrass in th e field
,which to-day
is,and to-morrow i s ca st into
th e oven ; how m uch more sh a ll heclothe you, O ye of little faith ?
And seek not ye
what ye sh all ea t, and whatye shall drink
,
neither be ye of doubtful mind .
For all these things do th enations of th e world seek after :but your Fa ther knoweththat ye ha ve need of these
things . Howbeit, seek ye27h is
k ingdom,
and these things sha ll be addedunto you.
32 Fear not , little flock ; for it is you rFa ther’s good pleasure to give you th e
33 kingdom. Sell that ye have, a nd givealms ; make for yourselves purses whi chwax not Old
,a treasure in th e heavens
that faileth not,where no thief draweth
34 near, ne ither moth destroyeth . For
where your treasure i s,there will your
hea rt be also
relea se, and ye shall be relea sed :give, and it shal l be given untoyou ; good mea sure, pressed down ,shaken together
,running over
,
sha ll they give into your bosom.
For with what measure ye meteit shall be mea sur ed to you aga in .
39 And h e spake a lso a para ble unt othem
, Can th e blind guide th e blind ?shall they not both fa ll into a pit ?
40 Th e disciple i s not a bove h is 28master :but every one when h e is perfected sha llbe a s h is 28master.
41 An d why beholdest thou th e motetha t is in thy brother’s eye , butconsiderest not th e beam tha t isin thine own eye ? Or h ow canstthou say to thy brother , Brother,let m e cast out th e mote tha t is
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD . 50
Ma tt. vn. 4— 23 Luke vi . 42—46.
of thine eye ; and in thine eye, when thou thy'self
lo,th e beam is in beholdest not th e beam that i s in
5 thine own eye ? Thou hypocrite,ca st thine own eye ? Thou hypocrite, cast
out first th e beam out of thine own eye ; out fir st th e beam out of thine own eye,and then sha lt thou see clea rly to cast and then shalt thou see clea rly to ca stout th e mote out of thy brother’s eye . out th e mote tha t i s in thy brother’s eye .
6 Give not that which i s holy unto th edogs
,neither ca st your pearls before th e
swine,lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you .
7 *Ask,and it shall be given you seek
,and ye shall find ; knock, and it sha ll be Opened
8 unto you : for every one tha t asketh receiveth ; and h e that seeketh findeth ; and to9 him tha t knocketh it sha ll be Opened. Or wha t m an i s there of you ,
wh o,if h is
10 son shall a sk him for a loaf,will give hi m a stone ; or if h e shall a sk for a fish ,
11 will give him a serpent ? If ye then, being evil,know how to give good gifts unto
your children,how much more sha ll your Fa ther which i s in heaven give good things
12 to them that a sk him ? All things ther efore wha tsoever ye would that m en shoulddo unto you
,even so do ye also unto them : for this i s th e law and th e prophets.
13 Enter ye in by th e narrow gate : for wide 21 i s th e ga te, and bread i s th e way, tha t14 leadeth to destruction
,and many be they that enter in thereby.
22For narrow i sth e gate
,and straitened th e way, that leadeth unto life, and few be they that find it.
15 Bewa re of fa lse prophets,whi ch come to you in sh eep
’
s'
cloth ing , but inwardly16 a re ravening wolves By their fruits ye shall know them. D O m en gather grapes17 of thorns , or figs of thistles ? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit ;but th e corrupt tree bringeth forth evilfrui t. Luke vi. 43—46.
A good tree cannot bring 43 For there i s no good tree that bringethforth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt forth corrupt frui t ; nor a ga in a corrupt
tr ee bring forth good frui t . tree that bringeth forth good fruit.19 Every tree tha t bringeth not forth goodfrui t i s hewn down
,and cast into th e fire .
20 Therefore by their fruits ye shallknow them.
21 Not every one that saith unto m e,Lord
,
Lord,shall enter into th e k ingdom of
heaven ; but h e that doeth th e will of22 my Fa ther which i s in heaven . Manywill say to m e in tha t day
,Lord
,Lord
,
did we not prophesy by thy name,and
by thy name cast out 23devils,and by
thy name do many 24mighty works ?23 And then will I profess unto them
,I
Com pa re th e following pa ssa ge wi th Com pa re Acts xx.
Luke xi . 9— 13 , 121.
W.
For each tree is known by itsown fruit.
For of thorns m en do not gather figs,nor of a bramble bush gather they
45 grapes . Th e good m an out of th e goodtrea sur e of h i s heart bringeth forth thatwhi ch is good ; and th e evil m a n out ofth e evil tr ea sure bringeth forth thatwhich i s evil : for out of th e abundanceOf th e heart hi s mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye m e,Lord
,Lord
,and
do not th e things which I say ?
§ 50] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. vn. 23— 29 vii i . 1.
never knew you : depa rt from m e, ye
that work iniquity.
Every one therefore which
hear eth these words Of mine,and doeth them,
shall be likened unto awise
m an,which built h i s house
upon th e rockand th e r a in descended
,
and th e floods came,
and th e winds blew,and beat upon tha t house ;
a nd it fell not :
for it wa s founded upon th e rock .
And every one tha t h eareththese words of mine
,
and doeth them not,
shall be likened unto afoolish
m an,which bu ilt h is h ouseupon th e sand
and th e rain descended, and th efloods came
,and th e winds blew,
and smote upon tha t houseand it fell :
and grea t wa s th e fall thereof.28 And it came to pass, when Jesusended these words , th e multitudes were
29 a stonished at h i s teaching for h e
taught them a s one having authority,and not a s their scribes .
Ma tt. vi i i. 1 .
1 And when h e wa s come down fromth e mounta in
,grea t multitudes followed
him .
1 Som e ancient auth or ities transpose ver . 4 and 5.
expression Of contem pt.
Geh enna of fir e.a ncient auth orities read But your speech sh a ll be.14 Th a t is, collector s or r enter s of Rom an ta xes : see no te EFa th er .
16 Gr . our brea d f or th e com i ng day.
th e m ea sure of h i s lif e (Am er . ) 20 Gr . na ti ons.
ancient auth orities read How na r r ow is th e g a te, &0 .
a uth or ities read d espaa i r ing of no m a n.
~6 O r , soul28 Or, tea ch er
4 Or , Ma r ch , a Hebrew expression o f condem na tion.
7 Som e ancient a uth or ities om it deliver th ee.11 Or , evi l : a s in ver . 39 ; vi . 13.
age xl.
Luke vi. 47—49 ; vn. 1.
Every one tha tcometh unto m e
,and
heareth my words,
and doeth them,
I will shew you to whom h e i s like :h e i s like a
m an building a house,
who digged and went deep,and laid a foundationupon th e rock
and when a flood arose,th e stream
brake aga inst that house,
and could not Shake it :
29 because it had been well builded .
But h e tha t heareth,
and doeth not,
i s like a
m an tha t hunt a houseupon th e earth
without a founda tion ;
against which th e stream brake,
and straightway it fell in ;and th e ruin of tha t house wa s great.
Luke v n. 1.
After h e h ad ended a ll h is sayingsin th e ears of th e people
,
h e entered into Capernaum.
2 Many ancient auth ori ties insert wi th out ca use. 3 An5 Gr . unto o r into.
3 Gr.
8 Gr . Geh enna .9 Or , towa r d 10 Som e
12 Or , evi l13 Gr . im p ress.
15 Som e ancient auth or ities read God yourMany auth orities, som e a nci ent, but wi th va r i a tions, add
For th ine i s th e kingdom , and th e p ower , a nd the glory, f or ever . Am en.18 Gr . d ig th r ough .
21 Som e ancient auth or i ties om i t is th e ga te.
28 Gr . dem ons .24 Gr . p ower s.
27 Many ancient au th or ities read th e kingdom of God.Many ancient a uth omtics read f or i t h ad beenf ounded up on th e r ock : a s in Ma tt. vi i . 25.
19 Or , a ge ; o r ,Many
25 Som e ancient
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. vi i i. 8—13.
but only say 3 th e word, and my 1servant9 shall be hea led. For I also am a m an
4under authority, ha ving under myselfsoldiers and I say to this one
,Go
,and
h e goeth ; and to another,Come , and
h e cometh ; and to my 6 servant,Do
this,and h e doeth it.And when Jesus heard it,
h e marvelled,
and said to themthat followed,Verily
I say unto you,6 I ha ve not found I say un to you, I have not found
so great faith, no , not in Israel. SO great fa ith, no , not in Israel.
11 And I say unto you, that many shallcome from th e east a nd th e west, and
shall 7s it down with Abraham,and
Isaac , and Jacob, in th e kingdom of12 heaven : but th e sons of th e kingdomsha ll be ca st forth into th e outer darkness : there shall be th e weeping and
13 gnashing of teeth And Jesus sa idunto th e centur ion, Go thy way ; a s
thou hast believed, so be it done untothee. And th e 1servant wa s healed inthat hour.
10 And they that were sent,returning to
th e house,found th e 5 servant whole.
1 Or, boy2 Gr . subletent. 3 Gr. with a word .
4 Som e ancient auth or ities insert set : a s in Luke vn. 8.5 Gr . bond serva nt. 6 Many ancient auth ori ti es read Wi th no m an i n Isr a el h a ve I f ound so great fa i th. 7 Gr.
r ecline. 8 Or , p recious to h im Or, h onour ablewi th h im
52 . JESUS RAISES FROM THE DEAD THE SON OF A WIDOW AT NAIN.
Na in.
Luke v11. 11—17.
11 And it came to pass 1soon afterwards , that h e went to a city called Na in ; and12 h is disciples went with him,
and a great multitude. Now when h e drew near to th ega te of th e city, behold, there wa s carried out one tha t wa s dead, th e only son of h is
13 mother, and sh e wa s a widow : and much people Of th e city wa s with h er . Andwhen th e Lord saw h er
,h e h ad compassion on h er
,and said unto h er
,Weep not .
14 And h e came nigh and touched th e bier and th e bearers stood still . And h e sa id,
15 Young m an,I say unto thee, Arise . And h e tha t wa s dead sa t up, and began to
16 speak. And h e gave him to h is mother. And fea r took hold on all : and theyglorified God, saying, A great prophet is arisen among us and
,God ha th vis ited h is
17 people . And this report went forth concerning him in th e whole Of Judaca,and all
th e region round about.
1 Many ancient auth orities read on th e next day.
Com pa re Luke xiii 28,29 , 136.
Luke vu. 7— 10.
7 wherefore neither thought I myselfworthy to come unto thee :
but say3th e word
,and my 1servant
8 shall be healed . For I also am a m an
set under authority,having under myself
soldiers a nd I say to thi s one, Go, andh e goeth and to another
,Come
,and
h e cometh ; and to my 5 servant, DOthis
,and h e doeth it.
9 And when Jesus heard these things,
h e marvelled at him,
and turnedand sa id unto th e multitude
that followed him,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
53 . JOHN (IN PRISON) SENDS MESSENGERS TO JESUS .
53
JESUS DISCOURSES
To THE MULTITUDES CONCERNING JOHN .
Cap erna um .
Ma tt. xi . 2—19.
Now when John hea rd in th e* prison th e works of th e Christ,
h e sent by h is disciples,
and said unto hi m,Art thou h e
that cometh, or look we for another ?
4 And Jesus answered and said untothem
,Go your way and tell John th e
5 things which ye do hear and see : th e
blind receive their sight-f, and th e lamewalk
,th e lepers a re cleansed
,and th e
deaf hea r,and th e dead a re raised
up,and th e poor have 1good tidings
6 prea ched to them . And blessed i s h e,
whosoever Sha ll find none occasion ofstumbling in m e .
7 And a s thesewent the ir way, Jesus began to sayunto th e mult itudes concerningJohn
,What went ye out into th e
wilderness to behold ? a reed shakenwith th e wind ? But what went yeout for to see ? a m an clothed insoft r a im ent ? Behold
,they that
wear soft r a im ent
a re in kings’ houses .
2But
wherefore went ye out ?to see a prophet
Yea , I say unto you , and much more10 than a prophet. This is h e , of whom itis written
,
IBeh old, I send my messenger beforethy fa ce
,
See note G, pa ge xlix.
1: Isa i . xxxv. 5 , 6 .
Luke vi i. 18—35.
And th e disciples of John toldhim of a ll these things .
And Joh n
calling unto him 10 two of h is disciplessent them to th e Lord,saying
,Art thou h e
that cometh,or look we for another ?
20 And when th e m en were come unto him,
they sa id,John th e Baptist ha th sent us
unto thee,saying, Art thou h e that
21 cometh, or look we for another ? In
that hour h e cured many of di sea sesand 11plagues and evil spirits ; and on
many that were blind h e bestowed s ight.22 And h e answered and said un to them ,
Go your way,and tell John what things
ye ha ve seen and heard th e blindreceive their sight+, th e lame walk , th elepers a re cleansed, a nd th e deaf hear
,
th e dead a re raised up, th e poor have23 1good tidings prea ched to them. And
blessed is h e,whosoever shall find none
occa s ion of stumbling in m e .
:1: See Mala ch i iii . 1 .
24 And when th e messengers of Johnwere depa rted, h e began to sayunto th e multitudes concerningJohn
,Wha t went ye out into th e
wi lderness to behold ? a ree’d shaken
25 with th e wind ? But what went yeout to see ? a m an clothed in
soft ra iment ? Behold, they which
a re gorgeously appa relled,and live delica tely,
a re in kings ’ courts . But
what went ye out to see ?a prophet ?
Yea,I say unto you, and much more
27 than a prophet. This is h e of whom iti s written
,
IBeh old, I send my messenger beforethy face
,
53]
Ma tt. xi . 10—19.
Who shall prepa re thy way beforethee .
11 Verily I say unto you, Among themthat ar e born of wom en there hathnot arisen a greater than John
th e Ba ptist :yet h e tha t i s 3 but little in th e
kingdom of heaven i s greater than h e .
12 And from th e days Of John th e Baptistuntil now th e kingdom of heavensuffereth violence
,and m en of violence
13 take it by force .
if ye a re willing to rece ive 4 i t, this i s15 Elijah
,which i s to come*.
hath ears 6 to hear, let him hear.
But wh ereunto shall I likenthis genera tion ?
It i s like unto children sittingin th e marketpla ces
,which call unto
their fellows,and say, We piped
unto you,and ye did not dance ; we
wailed,and ye did not 6mourn.
For John cameneither eating nor drink ing
,
and they say, He ha th a 7devil . Th e
Son Of m an came eating and drink ing,and they say, Behold
,a gluttonous
m an,and a winebibber
,a fr iend of
+ publicans and s inners " And wisdom8 is justified by h er 9works 1
‘
.
1 Or , th e gospel1 Or , h im 5 Som e anci ent a uth orities om i t to h ea r .
9 Many ancient au th or ities r ead ch i ldr en : a s in Luke vn. 35.h a ving been
13 O r , not h a ving been
SeeMa la ch i iv. 5 .
See note E , page x1.
Robinson (p . 41) says : Th is obscuresentence h a s beenwell expla ined, in h a rm onywith th e context, th us,— Th e di vinewi sdom ,
“wh ich h a s done a ll th a t wa s possible to
draw h er ch ildren to h erself,by using di
verse m eth ods in th e m inistry of Joh n and
For all th e prophets14 and th e law prophesied until John . And
He that
2 Many ancient auth or ities read But wh a twent ye out to see 9 a
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
’
Luke vn. 27— 35.
Who Shall prepare thy way beforethee.
I say unto you, Among themtha t a r e born of women there i s
none greater than John
yet h e that is 3bu t l ittle in th ekingdom of God i s greater than h e.
a7pr oph et ..
9
Gr . dem on.
11 Gr . scourges.Gr . bea t th e br ea st.10 Gr . cer ta in two.
“ in th a t o f Ch r ist ( see verses 16— 19 ) i s inth is m anner absolved from th e com pla intsof h er ch ildren , nam ely, th e waywa rd Jewi sh
“people , wh o a re ca lled a lso ‘ th e sons o f‘ th e kingdom (Ma tt . vii i . 12 , § 51) and ‘ th e
“ ‘sons o f th e proph ets a nd o f th e cove
‘nant
’
(Acts iii .
29 And all th e people when they heard,and th e +publicans, justified God, 12being baptized with th e baptism Of John.
30 But th e Pharisees and th e lawyersrejected for themselves th e counsel OfGod , 13 being not baptized of him .
Whereunto then shall I likenth e m en of this genera tion
,
and to wha t a re they like ?32 They a re like unto children tha t sit
in th e marketpla ce, and call one toanother which say, We piped
unto you,and ye did not dance we
wailed,and ye did not weep.
For John th e Baptist is com e
eating no bread nor drinking wine34 and ye say, He ba th a 7devi l . Th eSon of m an i s come eating and drinkingand ye say, Behold, a gluttonous m an
,
and a winebibber,a friend of + publicans
35 and sinners " And wisdom 8 i s justifiedof all h er children I.
§ 56] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
56 . JESUS HEALS A DEMONIAC AND HIS ENEMIES BLASPHEME.
Ma tt. x11. 22— 37.
22 Then was brought untohim 1 one possessed witha devil
,blind and dumb :
and h e healed him ,
insomuch that
th e dumb m an spakeand saw.
23 And all th e multitudeswere amazed
,
and said, 2 Is this th eson of David ?
24 But when th e Pharisees
heard it,they said
,
This m an doth notcast out 3devi ls, but4by Beelzebub *th e prince ofth e 3devils .
And
knowing their thoughts
Ga li lee.
Ma rk iii . 19—30. Luke xi . 14— 23.
19 And h e cometh 7 into a20 house . And th e multitude cometh together a
gain,so that they cou ld
not so much a s eat bread.
21 And when h is fri endsheard it
,they went out
to lay hold on him : forthey sa id
,He i s beside
himself.
14 And h e was casting outa 8devi l wh ich wa s dumb .
And it came to pass,
when th e 8devil wa sgone out
,
th e dumb m an spake
and th e multitudesmarvelled.
15 But some of themAnd th e scribes
which came down fromJerusalem
He ha th Beelzebub 4By Beelzebub*and
,4By th e prince Of th e prince of
th e 3devils casteth th e 3devils ca stethhe out th e 3devils . h e out 3devi ls .
And others,
9 temptinghim
,sought of him a
+ sign from heaven.
And h e But h e,
knowing their thoughts,called them unto him
,
B eelz ebub, or m ore correctly Beelz ebu l Isra eli tes to express th eir contem pt fo r th a tth e form er nam e sign ifies lord of fli es and “ idol, and th eir sense o f th e filth iness of
“ belonged to an idol of th e Ph i li stines (2 “ i dola try. Hence th i s becam e a nam e for
Kings i . 2) wh ich th ey fancied could protect th e devi l, a s th e god o f idola ter s .
” Robinson,
“a ga inst th e annoyance of such in sects ; th e page 43 .
“ la tter (differ ing only in a single letter ) signi 1" See note i ' on 98 .
fies lord of dung , and wa s em ployed by th e
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. 1111. 25—31.
h e said unto them,
Every kingdomdivided against itselfi s brought to desolation and every city or
house divi dedagainst itself
shall not standand if Satan
casteth out Satan , h eis divided against himself how then shallh is kingdom stand ?
27 And if I 4by Beelzebubcast out 3devils, 4by whomdo your sons cast themout ? therefore shall they
28 be your judges . But ifI 4 by th e Spirit of Godcast out 3devils
,then is
th e k ingdom of God comeupon you.
29 Or how can one enterinto th e house of th e
strong m an, and Spoil h isgoods
,except h e first bind
the strong m a n ?
and then h ewill spoil h is house.
30 He tha t i s not with m e
i s aga inst m e and h e
that gathereth not withm e scattereth .
31 Therefore I say untoyou
,Every sin
and blasphemyshall be forgiven 6 unto
m en
27 But no one can enterinto th e house of th e
strong m a n,and spoil h i s
goods,except h e first bind
th e strong m a n
28
Ma rk iii . 23— 28.
and said unto themin parables, How can
Satan ca st out Satan ?And if a ki ngdom be
divi ded aga inst itself,
that kingdom cannotstand . And if ahouse be dividedagainst itself,that house will
not be able to stand .
And if Satan hathrisen up against himself, and i s divided,
h e cannot stand,
but hath an end.
and then h eWill spoil h is house .
Verily I say untoyou
,All their sins
shall be forgiven untoth e sons of m en
,
and their blasphemieswherewith soever they
57
56
Luke xi . 17— 23.
said unto them,
Every k ingdomdivided against itselfi s brought to desolation 10and ahouse dividedaga inst a house
falleth .
And if Sa tan a lso
i s divided a gainst himself
,how sha ll
h i s k ingdom stand ?
22 but when a stronger thanh e shall come upon him
,
and overcome him,h e
taketh from h im h i s
whole armour Wherein betrusted
,
and
divideth h is spoils .
23 He tha t i s not with m e
is against m e ; and h e
tha t ga thereth not withm e sca ttereth.
because ye say that I castout 3devils 4 by Beelzebub .
19 And if I 4by Beelzebubcast out 3devils
,by whom
do your sons cast themout ? therefore shall they
20 be your judges . But ifI by th e finger of Godcast out 3devils
,then is
th e kingdom of God comeupon you .
21 When th e strong m a n
fu lly armed guardeth h isown court
,h is goods a re
in peace
§ § 5e, 57] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. x11. 31—37. Ma rk iii. 28—30.
sh all blasphemebut th e but whosoever
bla sphemy* sh all blaspheme *against th e Spirit against th e Holy Spirit
sha ll not be forgiven. ha th never forgiveness,32 Andwhosoever shall speaka word against th e Sonof m an
,it shall be for
given him ; but whosoever sha ll speak againstth e Holy Spirit
,it sha ll
not be forgiven him,
neither in this 6wor ld,
nor in tha t which i s tocome .
but i s guilty of an eter30 na l S in : because theysaid. He hath an uncleanspirit.
33 Either make th e treegood
,and i ts fruit good ;
or make th e tree + corrupt
,and i ts fruit cor
43 rupt : for th e tree i s known by i ts fruit. Ye Offspring of vipers,how can ye,
being evil,Speak good things ? for out of th e abundance of th e heart th e mouth
35 speaketh. Th e good m an out of h i s good treasure bringeth forth good things and
36 th e evil m an out of h is evil treasure bringeth forth evil things . And I say unto you,that every idle word that m en Shall speak , they Shall give account thereof in th e day
37 of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified , and by thy words thousha lt be condemned .
1 Or , a dem oni a c 2 Or , Ca n th i s be th e son of D avid ? Com pa re Joh n iv. 29, 31. (Am en) 3 Gr .
dem ons .4 O r , in.
5 Som e ancient a uth ori ties read unto you m en.6 O r , a ge 7 O r , h om e (See note to
Ma tt. iv. 13, 8 Gr . dem on.9 Or , try ing , or , m a king tr i al of (Am en ) 10 Or , and h ousef a lleth. up on house.
§ 57 . THE ScRIBEs AND PHARISEES SEEK AFTER A SIGN : JESUS GIVES “THESIGN OF JONAH,
” AND REPROVES THEIR UNB ELIEF.
Ga li lee.
Ma tt. x11. 38 —42. Luke xi . 29— 32.
38 Then certa in of th e scribes and Phari And others,tempting h im
,
sees answered him,saying
,
1Master,we sought of him a Sign from heaven ]
would see a Sign from thee.
But h e answereda nd said unto them
,
An evil and adu lterous generationseeketh after a Sign and theresha ll no s ign be given to it butth e Sign of Jonah th e prophet
See"
Luke xi i . 10 , 63. 1' Ma tt . vi i . 16— 18 , 50 .
And when th e multitudes werega thering together unto him
,
h e
began to say,This generation isan evil genera tion
it seeketh after a Sign and thereshall no Sign be given to it but
th e Sign of Jonah.
60 , 61] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
60 . JESUS DECLARES THE SOURCE OF TRUE BLESSEDNESS.
Cap ernaum .
Luke xi . 27, 28.
27 And it came to pass , a s h e said these things , a certa in woman out of th e multitudelifted up h er voice, and sa id unto him
,Blessed is th e wom b tha t bare thee
,and th e
28 breasts which thou didst suck . But h e sa id, Yea ra ther, blessed a re they that hea rth e word of God, and keep it.
§ 61. JESUS DECLARES THAT HIS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES ARE HIS TRUE KINDRED.
rna um .
Ma tt. x11. 46—50. Ma rk ii i. 31— 35. Luke vi ii . 19—21.
And And
46While h e wa s yet speaki ngto th e multitudes , behold,
there came to himh i s mother and h is mother andh i s brethren brethr en
,
and they could not comea t h im for th e crowd .
stood without, and, standing wi thout,they sent unto him,
ca lling him.
seek ing to Speak to him.
471And one sa id unto him, 20 And it wa s told him
,
Behold,
thy mother and thy Thy mother and thybrethren stand without, brethren stand withoutseeking to speak to thee . desir ing to see thee .
But h e answered Bu t h e answeredand sa id and sa id
unto hi m tha t told him,unto them
,
Wh o is my mother ? and Who i s my mother andwh o a re m y brethren ? my brethren ?
49 And h e stretched forth h i shand towa rd h is disciples,
34 And look ing round on
them which sa t roundand sa id
,about him, h e sa ith
,
Behold, my mother Behold,my mother My mother
and my bre thren and my brethren and my brethrena re these which hea r
th e word Of God, and do it.
50 For whosoever Shall do 35 For whosoever shall doth e will of my Father th e will of God
,
which i s in heaven,h e i s my brother, th e same i s my brother
,
and sister,and mother. and s ister
,and mother.
1 Som e ancient auth orities om it ver . 47.
And a multitude wa ssitting about him
and they say unto him,
Behold,
thy mother and thybrethren without
seek for thee .
And h e answereththem
,and sa ith
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD. 62
62 . JESUS DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN FORMALISM AND TRUE RELIGION. HE
DENOUNCES THE PHARISEES.
Cap erna um .
Luke xi. 37—54 (com pa re Ma tt. xxi ii. ,
37 Now a s h e spake , a Pha risee a sketh him to 1dine with him : and h e went in,and
382 sa t down to meat. And when th e Pha risee saw it, h e marvelled tha t h e had not
39 firs t 3washed before 1dinner. And th e Lord sa id unto him,Now do ye Pharisees
cleanse * th e outside of th e cup and of th e pla tter ; but your inwa rd pa rt i s full of40 extortion and wickedness. Ye foolish ones, did not h e that made th e outside make41 th e inside also ? Howbeit give for alms those things which 4
a r e within and behold,all things a re clean unto you.
42 But woe unto you Pharisees"for ye tithe +mint and rue and every herb,and pass
Over 6judgement and th e love Of God : but these ought ye to have done, and not to43 leave th e other undone. Woe unto you Pharisees " for ye love th e Ich ief seats in44 th e synagogues
,and th e saluta tions in th e marketplaces . Woe unto you"for ye a re
a s th e tombs”which appear not, and th e m en tha t walk over th em know it not .
45 And one Of th e lawyer s i l answering saith unto him,6Ma ster , in saying this thou
46 reproachest us also. And h e said,Woe unto you lawyers also"for ye lade m en with
bur dens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not th e burdens with one of47 your fingers . Woe unto you"for ye build th e tombs ** of th e prophets , and your48 fathers killed them. SO ye a re witnesses and consent unto th e works of your fa thers :49 for they killed them,
and ye bu ild thei r tom bs. Therefore also said th e ++wisdom Of
God,I will send unto them prophets and a postles ; and som e of them they Sha ll k ill
50 and persecute ; that th e blood of all th e prophets , which wa s Shed from th e founda
51 tion of th e world,may be requi r ed of this generation ; from th e blood ofAbeljji unto
th e blood of Zacharia h wh o perished between th e altar and th e 7 sanctua ry : yea , I52 say unto you, it sha ll be required of this genera tion. Woe unto you lawyers"for yetook away th e key of knowledgeTl
‘ll : ye entered not in yourselves , and them tha t wereentering in ye hindered.
53 And when h e wa s come out from thence, th e scribes and th e Pha risees began to54 8press upon h im vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of 9many things ; layingwait for h im
,to catch something out of h is mouth .
1 Gr . br ea kf ast. 2 Or , r eclined 3 Or , ba th ed h im self (Am en ) Com pa re Ma rk vn. 3—5, 94. 1 Or , ye can5 Or , j ustice (Am en ) 6 O r , Tea cher 7 Gr . h ouse. See no te B , page xxx, fo otnote 1. 8 Or , set th em selvesvehem ently aga inst h im
9 Or , m or e
Ma tt. xxiii . 25 , 26, 170 .
1‘ Ma tt. xxiii . 23 , 170 .
I Ma tt. xxiii . 6, 170 .
I] Ma tt . xxi ii . 27, 170 .
‘ll See note E , page xli .
Ma tt. xxiii . 29— 36,170 .
'H' Th ere i s no pa ssa ge in th e Old Testam entwhi ch conta ins th ese exa ct words, nor a re
th ey to be found in th e Book o f Wisdom in
th eApocryph a . Th er e a re th ree explana tion sof th e expression h ere used. (1) It m ay be
taken from som e wr iting fam ili a r to th e Jewsin our Lord ’
s day , but now lost ; see rem a rks
on th e possibili ty, and indeed probabi lity of
th is in note D , p . xxxix . Or , (2) by th e nam e
th e Wisdom o f God,”our Lord m ay intend
to descr ibe h im self ; and th ewordswh ich followa re th e applica tion and expans ion o f th e
na rra tive and wa rning in 2 Ch ron . xxiv. 1922 . See especially th e beginning o f th e 19th
a nd th e conclusion o f th e 22nd verse . See
1 Cor . i . 24 , wh ere th i s nam e“ th e wi sdom of
God ” i s specifica lly given to Ch r i st. Ob
serve a lso th a t in th e corr esponding utterancein Ma tt. xxiii . 34 , § 170 , our Lord declaresth a t h e per sona lly does th e a ct h ere a scr ibedto th e “ wi sdom of God “Beh old 1 ”
(Jesus)send
,
”th e . He th us decla res h i s own eterna l
purpose a fter th e m anner o f an anci ent pr o
ph ecy ; with an a llusion probably to Prov. i .20
,24— 31 . Or
, (3) th ese words m ay be read
a s being th e r evela tion by th e Son of Godo f th e a lm i gh ty and om n i scient r esolve of
Jeh ova h . As we a re perm i tted in Gen . i .3,6 , 9 , 11 , 14 , 20 , &c. to h ea r th e D ivine
soliloquy, so h ere th e pa ssa ge pa r aph ra sed
would r ead “Th er efore God in H i s wi sdomresolved and solem nly decla red
‘ I wi ll send‘unto th em proph ets and And
th e concludi ng denuncia tion i s ra tified by th ea uth or ita tive confirm a tion by th e Son ,
“yea ,
“ I SAY UNTO YOU,i t sh all be requ ired of th is
generation .
”
1: Gen . iv. 8 .
H”2 Ch ron . xxi v. 20— 22 .
Till Matt. xx111 . 13 .
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
63 . JESUS DESCRIBES TRUE COURAGE IN GODLINESS.
Ga li lee.
Luke xi i . 1—12.
1 In th e mean time , when 1 th e many thousands Of th e multitude were gatheredtogether
,insom uch tha t they trode one upon another, h e began to 2 say unto hi s
disciples first of all, *Beware ye of th e leaven of the Pha risees , which is hypocrisy.
2 But there i s nothing f covered up, that shall not be revea led : and hid , tha t shall not3 be known . Wherefore wha tsoever ye have sa id in th e darkness sha ll be heard in th elight ; and wha t ye have spoken in th e ea r in th e inner chambers shall be procla imed
4 upon th e housetops . And I say unto you my friends, Be not a fraid Of them which5 k ill th e body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn youwhom ye sha ll fea r : Fea r him
,which after h e hath ln
'
lled ha th 3 power to cast into64hell : yea , I say unto you, Fea r him. Are not five sparrows sold for two 5 farthings ?
7 a nd not one of them i s forgotten in th e sight of God. But th e very hairs of your8 head a re all numbered . Fea r not : ye a re of more value than many sparrows . And
I say unto you, Every one who shall confess 6m e before m en,7h im shall th e Son of
9 m an also confess before th e angels of God : but h e that denieth m e in th e presence of10 m en shall be denied in th e presence of th e angels of God. And every one wh o shallspeak a word against th e Son of m an
,it shall be forgiven him : but unto him that
11 blasphemeth against th e Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven . And when they bringyou before th e synagogues , and th e rulers, and th e authorities, Ibe not anxi ous how
12 or wha t ye shall answer, or what ye shall say : for th e Holy Spirit shall teach you inthat very hour what ye ought to say.
1 Gr . th e myr i a ds of .2 O r , sa y unto h i s di sci ples , F irst of a ll bewa r e ye 3 Or , a uth or i ty
Gehenna .5 Or , p ence (Am en ) See note Q, page lxxiv.
0 Gr . in m e. 7 Gr . in h im .
64 . THE PARABLE OF THE SELF-DELUDED RICH MAN .
Ga li lee.
Luke xi i . 13— 21.
13 And one out Of th e multitude sa id unto him,1Ma ster, bid my brother divide th e
14 inheritance with m e . But h e said unto him,Man
,wh o ma de m e a judge or a divider
15 over you ? And h e said unto them,Take heed
,and keep yourselves from all covetous
ness :2 for a man’
s life consisteth not in th e a bundance of th e th ings which h e
16 possesseth. And h e spake a parable unto them,saying
,Th e ground of a certain rich
17 m an brought forth plentifully : and h e rea soned within himself, saying, What shall I18 do, because I have not where to bestow my frui ts ? And h e sa id
,Thi s will I do : I
will pull down my barns,and build greater ; and there will I bestow a ll my corn and
19 my goods . And I will say to my3soul
,3 Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for
20 many yea rs ; take thine ea se,ea t, drink , be merry. But God sa id unto him ,
Thoufoolish one, this n ight 4 i s thy 3 soul required of thee ; and th e th ings which thou ha st
21 prepa r ed,whose sha ll they be ? SO i s h e tha t layeth up treasure for himself, and i s
not rich towa rd God.
1 Or , Tea ch er 2 Gr . f or not in a m a n’
s a bundance cons isteth h is lif e, f rom th e th ing s wh ich h ep ossesseth .3 Or , life 4 Gr . th ey r equ ire thy soul.
See Ma tt . xvi . 6 , 99 . I See Ma tt. x . 19 , 20 , 87.
1‘ See Ma tt. x . 26— 33
,87 .
66— 69] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke xii . 51— 59.
52 Nay ; but ra ther division : for there shall be from henceforth five in one house53 divided, three against two, and two a ga inst three. They sha ll be divided
,father
a gainst son, and son aga inst father ; mother a ga inst daughter, and daughter aga insth er mother ; mother in law against h er daughter in law, and daughter in law a gainsth er mother in law.
54 And h e said to th e multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising in th e west,55 straightway ye say, There cometh a shower ; and SO it cometh to pass . And whenye see a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a 2 scorching heat ; and it cometh
56 to pass . Ye hypocrites, ye know how to 3 interpret th e fa ce Of th e earth and th e57 heaven ; but how is it that ye know not how to 3 interpret this time ? And why even58 Of yourselves judge ye not what is right ? For a s thou art going with thi ne adver
sary before th e ma gistrate, *on th e way give diligence to be quit of him ; lesthaply h e hale thee unto th e judge
,and th e judge shall deliver thee to th e 4 Officer
,and
59 th e 4Officer sha ll ca st thee into prison . I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means
come out thence, till thou have pa id th e very last mite.
Or , wh a t do I desire ? Or , h ow I would th a t i twer e a lr eady k indled (Am en ) 2 Or , h otwind 3 Gr. p rove.4 Gr . exa ctor .
67. THE SLAUGHTER OF CERTAIN GALILE ANS.Cap erna um ?
Luk e xi ii . 1—5.
1 Now there were some present a t that very season which told hi m of the2 Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices . And h e answeredand said unto them, Thi nk ye that these Gali laeans were s inners above all th e
3 Galilaeans, because they ha ve suffer ed these things ? I tell you,Nay : but
,except ye
4 repent, ye shall all in like manner perish. Or those eighteen
,upon whom th e tower
in S iloam fell, and k illed them , think ye that th ey were 1Offenders above all th e m en
5 that dwell in Jerusa lem ? I tell you, Nay : but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewiseperish.
1 Gr . debtor s.
68. THE PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG TREE.
Cap erna um ?
Luke xi i i. 6— 9.
6 And h e spake this parable ; A certain m an h ad a fig tree planted in h is vineyard ;7 and h e came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. And h e said unto th e Vinedresser
,Behold
,these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none :
8 cut it down ; why doth it a lso cumber th e ground ? And h e answering saith unto9 h im ,
Lord,let it a lone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it : and if it
bea r frui t thenceforth,well ; but if not, thou shalt cut it down .
§ 69 . THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER. [See
Sea of Ga li lee. Nea r Caperna um .
Ma tt. xi ii . 1—9. Ma rk iv. 1—9. Luke vi i i. 4—8.
1 On that day wentJesus out of th e h ouse
and sa t
1 And again h e beganto teach
by th e sea s ide . by th e sea s ide.
And there were An d there is And whenga thered unto him gathered unto h imgreat multitudes, very grea t multitude a great multitude
See Ma tt. v. 25,50 . See Ma tt. iv. 13
,34.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD. 69
Ma tt. xi ii . 2—9. Ma rk iv. 1—9. Luke vii i . 4—8.came together
,and
they Of every cityresorted unto him,
so tha t h e enteredinto a boa t, and sa t
and a ll th e multitudestood
on th e bea ch .
3 And h e spake to th emmany things in parables ,
saying,
Behold,th e sower went forth Th e sower went forth
to sow to sow h is seedand and
a s h e sowed , some seeds a s h e sowed,some
fell by th e way side,
fell by th e way s ide ;and it was troddenunder foot,
and the birds and th e birds and th e birdsOf th e heaven
came and
devoured them devoured it.5 and oth ers fell upon 6 And other fell onth e rocky pla ces
,where th e rock
they had not much ea rthand straightway theysprang up , beca use theyh ad no deepness of earth :
6 and when th e sun wa s
ri sen, they were scorched ;and because they had no
root,they withered away.
and a s soon a s
it grew,
it withered away,because it h ad no
moistur e .
7 And others fell upon 7 And other fell amidstth e thorns and th e th e thorns and th e
thorns grew up, thorns grew with it,and choked them and choked it.
and others fell upon 8 And other fell intoth e good ground, and th e good ground, andyielded fruit,
grew,
and brought forth fruitsome a hundredfold, som e a hundredfold .
sixty,some thir ty.
AS h e saidthese things , h e cried,
9 He that hath ears 1, Who hath ears to He that ha th ears tolet him hear. hear
,let him hear . hea r
,let him hear.
1 Som e ancient a uth orities add h ere, to hea r : a s in th e par a llel pa ssages, Ma rk iv. 9 and Luke vi ii . 8.
so that h e enteredinto a boa t, and sa t
in th e sea
and a ll th e multitudewere by th e sea
on th e land .
2 And h e taught themmany things in parables ,
and said untothem in h is tea ching,Hearken Behold,th e sower went forth
to sow :
and it came to pas sa s h e sowed
,some seed
fell by th e way side,
came anddevoured it.
5 And other fell onth e rocky ground, whereit had not much earth ;and stra ightway itsprang up
,because it
h ad no deepness of ea rth6 and when th e sun wa s
risen,it wa s scorched ;
and because it had no
root, it withered away.
And other fell amongth e thorns
,and th e
thorns grew up,
and choked it,
and it yielded no frui t.And others fell intoth e good ground
,and
yielded fruit,
growing up andincrea s ing ;
and brought forth,thirtyfold
,and s ixtyfold,
and a hundr edfold.
9 And h e sa id,
§ 701 THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
70 . JESUS EXPLAINS PRIVATELY TO HIS DISCIPLES THAT HIS TEACHING BY PARABLESIs THE RESULT AND JUDICIAL PUN ISHMENT OF THE OBSTINACY AND UNBELIEF OFTHE JEws .
Ma tt. xi i i . 10, 11 ; 13—1
And
th e disciples came andsaid unto him
,
Why speakest thou untothem i n para bles ?And h e answered
and said unto them,
Unto you it i s givento know th e mysteriesof the k ingdom of
heaven,
but to them it is notgiven.
Therefore Speak I tothem
in parables" ;because seeingthey see not , and
hear ing they hea r not,neither do theyunderstand.
Mark iv. 10—12.
And
when h e wa s alone ,they that were abouthim with th e twelve
a sked of him
th e pa rables.
And h e
said unto .them,
Unto you is giventh e mystery
Of th e k ingdom Of
God
in parables* ;that seeing they m ay
not see,
and hearing they maynot
understand.
14 And unto them i s fulfilledth e +prophecy Of Isa iah,which saith
,
By hearing ye shall bea r , a nd Sha ll in no wise understandAnd seeing ye shall see, and sha ll in no wi se perceiveFor this people’s heart i s waxed gross
,
And the ir ea rs a re dull Of hearing,
And their eyes they have closedLest haply they should perceive with their eyes
,
And bea r with the ir ears,
And understand with their heart,And should turn again,And I should h eal them.
16, 17 But blessed a re your eyes, for they see ; and your ears, for they hear . For verily Isay unto you, that many prophets and righteous m en des ired to see th e things which
ye see , a nd saw them not ; and to hea r th e things which ye hear, and heard them not.
See Ma tt . xiii. 34 , 75 . Isa . vi . 9 , 10 .
h is disciplesasked himwhat this
parable might be.
And h e
sa id,
Unto you it is givento know th e mysteriesOf th e kingdom Of
God
but im tothem tha t a re without
,
a ll things a re donein pa rables* :
that see ing they m aysee, and not perceiveand hea ring they mayhear
, and not
understandlest haply they shouldturn a ga in
,and it should
be forgiven them.
§ 72] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xiii . 194 3. Mark iv. 15—20. Luke vi i i. 12—15.
19 When any one hea reth when they have heard, they tha t have heardth e word Of th e kingdom ,
and understandeth it not,then cometh th e evil stra ightway cometh then cometh th e
one, and sna tch eth away Satan,and taketh away devil , and taketh away
that which hath been th e word whi ch hath been th e word fromsown in h is heart. sown in them. their hea rt,
that they m ay not believeand be saved.
This i s h e tha t was sownby th e way side .
And h e that wassown upon th e rocky And those on th e rockplaces , this is h e that a re they which
,when
heareth th e word, and they have heard,
stra ightway with j oy receive th e wordreceiveth it yet ha th with joy ; and theseh e not root in himself, ha ve no root
,which
but endureth for a while ; for a while believe,and when tribula tion and in time Ofor persecution tempta tionariseth because of
th e word, straightwayh e stumbleth. fall away.
And h e And that whichthat wa s sown among fell amongth e thorns, this is h e th e thorns
,these are
that hea reth they that have heard,
th e word andand a s they go on theirway they a re choked with
th e care of th e 1world, th e ca res of th e 1world, caresand th e deceitfulness and th e deceitfulness
Of riches, of riches , and th e and riches andlusts of other things pleas ures of th is li fe,
choke entering in,choke
th e word, and h e th e word,and it and bring
becometh unfr uitful . becometh unfruitful . no frui t to perfection.
And h e And those a re they And that inthat wa s sown upon tha t were sown uponth e good ground, th e good ground th e good ground
,
this is h e that such a s these are such a s in an
honest and good hea rt,heareth th e word, and hear th e word
,having hea rd th e word
,
unders tandeth Itand accept it,
hold it fast,
wh o verily beareth fruit, and bear fruit, and bring forth fruitwi th pa tience .
and bringeth forth ,some a hundredfold, some thirtyfold
, and s ixtyfold,Sixty
,som e thirty. and a hundredfold.
1 Or , age
16 And these in like mannera re they tha t a re
sown upon th e rocky
p la ces, who, when theyhave heard th e word,straightway receive it
17 with joy ; and they haveno root in themselves
,
but endure for a while ;then, when tribulationor persecutionariseth because Of
th e word,straightway
they stumble .
And others a re theythat a re sown amongth e thorns these a re
they that have heardth e word, and
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.— 75
73 . PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES.
Ma tt. x1i i. 24—30.
24 Another parable set h e before them,saying, Th e k ingdom Of heaven i s likened
25 unto a m an that sowed good seed in h is field : but While m en Slept,h is enemy came
26 and sowed l ta res also among th e Wheat, and went away. But when th e blade sprang27 up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared th e tares als o. And th e 2
servants of th ehouseh older came and said unto him, S ir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field ?
28 whence then hath it tares ? And h e said unto them,3An enemy hath done this.
And th e 2servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up ?29 But h e saith
, Nay ; lest h aply While ye gather up th e tares, ye root up th e Wheat30 with them. Let both grow together until th e harvest : and in th e time Of th e harvestI will say to th e reapers, Gather up first th e tares, and bind them in bundles to burnthem : but gather th e Wheat into my barn.
1 Or, da rnel 2 Gr . bondser va nts. 3 Gr . A ma n th at is a n enemy.
74 . PARABLE o r THE SEED CAST UPON THE EARTH.
Caperna um .
Ma rk iv. 26—29.
26 And h e said, So is th e kingdom of God, a s if a m an Should cast seed upon th e
27 ea rth ; and Should sleep and rise night and day, and th e seed should spring up and
28 grow, h e knoweth not how. Th e earth 1bea reth fruit Of herself ; first th e blade, then29 th e ear
,then th e full corn in th e ea r . But when th e frui t 2 is ripe
,straightway h e
3 putteth forth th e Sickle because th e harvest is come.
2 Or, a lloweth 3 Or, sendeth f or th
75 . PARABLE-S OF THE MUSTARD SEED ; AND OF THE LEAVEN.
The sea of Ga li lee ; nea r Cap erna um .
Ma tt. xii i 31—35. Ma rk iv. 30 - 34. Luke xii i . 18—21.
31 Another parable set
h e before them,
saying,Th e
k ingdom Of heaven
i s like unto a grain ofmustard seed, whicha m an took
,and sowed
in h is fieldwhich indeed is lessthan all seeds
but when it
is grown, and it grew,
it is greaterthan th e herbs,
and becometh a tree, and became a tree ;a nd putteth out great
branches
And h e said,
How sha ll we liken thekingdom of God ? orin wha t pa rable sha llwe set it forth ? 4It
i s like a gra in ofmustard seed
,which,
when it i s sownupon th e earth
,
though it be lessthan all th e seeds
that are upon th e earth,yet when iti s sown ,
groweth up,and becometh greaterthan all th e herbs
,
He sa id therefore,
Unto what i s th ekingdom Of God like ‘
Iand whereunto sha llI liken it ? It
is like unto a grain ofmustard seed
,which
a m an took,and cast
into h is own garden
75, 76] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xii i. 32—35. Mark iv. 32 -34. Luke xi i i . 19—21.
so that th e birds of th e so that the birds of th e and th e birds Of th eheaven come a nd lodge in heaven can lodge under heaven lodged inth e branches thereof. th e shadow thereof. th e branches thereof.Another para ble
spake h e unto them 20 And again h e said,Whereunto sha ll I liken
Th e kingdom of heaven th e k ingdom of God ?is like unto leaven , which 21 It is likeunto leaven
,wh ich
a woman took, and hid in a woman took and hid in
three 1mea sures of meal, three 1mea sures of meal,
till it wa s all leavened . till it wa s all leavened.
31 All these things spakeJesus in pa rables untoth e multitudes
33 And with many such parables spake h e the wordunto them , a s they wereable to hea r it
and without a parable 34 and without a parablespake h e nothing unto spake h e not unto
them them35 that it might be fulfilledwhich wa s spoken 2by th e
prophet,* saying
,
I will open my mouthin parablesI will utter thingshidden from th e foundation 3
of th e world .
but privately to h is own
disciples h e expoundeda ll things .
1 Th e word in th e Greek denotes th e Hebrew sea h , a m ea sure conta ining nea rly a peck and a h a lf. Or , thr ough3 Many ancient auth or ities om i t of theworld .
4 Gr . As unto.
76 . JESUS EXPLAINS TO HIS DISCIPLES THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TAREs.
In the house where Jesus dwelt a t Cap erna um .
Ma tt. xi i i. 36—43.
36 Then h e left th e multitudes, and went into the house and h is disciples came unto37 him,
saying, Explain unto u s th e para ble Of th e tares of th e field. And h e answered38 and sa id
,He that soweth th e good seed is th e Son of m an ; and th e field is th e world ;
and th e good seed, th ese a re th e sons of th e k ingdom and th e ta res a re th e sons of39 th e evil one ; and th e enemy tha t sowed them i s th e devil : and th e harvest is 1 th e40 end of th e world ; and th e reapers a re angels . As therefore th e tares a re gathered u41 and burned with fire ; so shall it be in 1the end of the world. Th e Son of m an sh a 1
send forth h is angels , and they sha ll gather out of h is kingdom all things that cause42 stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and sha ll cast them into th e furnace of fire43 there shall be th e weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then shall th e righteous shineforth a s th e sun in th e kingdom of their Father. He that hath ea rs z
,let him hear.
1 O r , the consumma tion of the age 2 Som e ancient auth or ities add h ere, to h ea r : seeMa tt. xi i i. 9, 69.
Psalm lxxviii . 2 .
70
79]
24 And behold, there arosea great tempestin th e sea ,
insomuch that theboat wa s coveredwith th e waves :
25 And they came to him,
and awoke him,
saying,
Save,Lord ;
we perish.
Then h e arose,rebuked th e winds
and
th e sea ;
and there wasa great ca lm.
And h e sa ith unto them,
Why a re ye fearful,O ye of little faith ?And th e m en
What m anner of m an
i s this , that
Ma rk iv. 36—41.
36 And leaving th e multitude
,they take him with
them,even a s h e was , in
th e boa t. And other boatswere with him.
And there arisetha grea t storm of wind
,
and th e waves heatinto th e boat
,
insomuch tha t th e
boat was now filling.
And h e himself wa sin th e stern, asleepon th e cushion
and they awake him,
and say unto him,
lMa ster,
carest thou not thatwe perish ?
And h e awoke,
and rebuked th e wind,
and said untoth e sea
,
Peace,be still.
And th e Wind ceased,
and there wa sa grea t calm .
And h e said unto them,
Why are ye fearful ?ha ve ye not yet faith ?
And theyfeared exceedingly
,
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Luke vii i. 22—25.
and they were fillingwi th wa ter
,
and were in jeopardy.
24 And they came to hi m,
and awoke him,
saying,
Master, master,
we perish.
And h e awoke,
and rebuked th e windand
th e raging of th e water
and they ceased,and there wa sa ca lm .
25 And h e said unto them,
a nd h e sa ith unto them,
Let us go over unto th eother s ide of th e lakeand they launchedBut a s they sailed h e fellasleepand there came downa storm of windon th e lake
Where is your faith ?And
being afra id theyma rvelled
,
sayingone to another
,
Who theni s this , that
h e commandetheven the windsa nd th e wa ter
,
a nd they Obey him ?
28
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD. so
§ 80 . JESUS HEALS TWO DEMONIACS. (See Introduction, Note S, page lxxviii. )
Gera sa . South -ea st of sea of Ga li lee.
Ma tt. vi i i. 28—34. Ma rk v. 1—21.
And when h e wa s And theycome to th e other side came to th e other side
of th e sea ,into th e country of th e into th e country of th e th e country of th e
Gada renes,
Gera senes .
4Gerasenes , which isover against Galilee .
2 And when h e wa s come And when h e wa s comeout of th e boat, forth upon th e land,
there m et straightway there m et there m et
him two l possessed h im him a certain m an
out of th e city,out of th e tombs* a m an
with devils, coming with an unclean spirit, who h ad 2devilsand for a long time h ehad worn no clothes ,
wh o h ad h is and abode not in a n
forth out of th e tombs,
dwelling in th e tombs : house, but in th e tom s .
exceeding fierce,so that
no m an could pass bythat way.
And behold,
they cried out,saying,
What have we to dowith thee
,thou
Son of
God ?art thou come hither to
Th ese tom bs were frequently cavitiesin th e rocks , eith er na tura l caverns a s th e
cave of Mach pelah (Gen . xxiii. 9 , 17 , 19 , 20)or excavations h ewn for th e purpose a s th e
tom b in wh ich our Lord wa s la id (Ma tt. xxvii
when saw
60 and para llel pa ssa ges , Th ey wereused by h ouseless people eith er before th eyh a d been occupied for th eir intended purposeor a fter th e corpses la id in th em h ad m ouldered away.
And no m an could anymore bind him,
no,not
4 w ith a chain ; becausethat h e had been Oftenbound with fetters and
chains,and th e chains
had been rent asunderby him
,and th e fetters
broken in pieces : a nd
no m an had strength to5 tame him. And always
,
night and day,in th e
tombs * and in th e mounta ins
,h e wa s crying out,
and cutting himself withstones .
6 And when h e saw Jesusfrom afar
,h e ran and
worshipped himand crying out witha loud voice
,h e saith
,
What have I to dowith thee
,Jesus, thou
Son ofth e Most High
God 2
h e cr ied out,and
fell down before him,
and witha loud voice sa id,What have I to dowith thee, Jesus , thou
Son ofth e Most High
God
80]
Ma tt. vi i i . 29—33. Ma rk v. 7—14.
torment us before th e
time ?
I adjure thee by God,
torment m e not .
8 For h e sa id unto him,
Come forth,
thou unclean spirit,
out of th e m an .
9 And h e asked him,
What i s thy name ?And h e saith unto
him,
My name is Legion ;for we a re many.
10 And h e besought himmuch that h e wouldnot send them away
out of th e country.
30 Now there was afar 11 Now there wa s thereOff from them
on th e mounta in sidea great herd of swine
feeding.
And theybesought him, saying,
a herd of many swinefeeding.
And th e 2devilsbesought him,
saying,If thou cast us out,
send us away into th eherd of swine.
And
h e sa id unto them ,Go .
Andthey
came out,
and went into th eswine : and behold , th ewhole herd rusheddown th e steep into
th e sea ,
29
THE PUBLIC VMINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Luke vi ii. 28—34.
I beseech thee,
torment m e not.
For h e 6 commanded
Legion
for many 2devils wereentered into him.
31 And they intrea tedh im that h e would
not command them todepart
into th e abyss .
32 Now there was there
a herd of many swinefeeding on th e mountain :
and theyintreated him that
and 8were choked .
34 And when they thatfed them
Send us into th eswine
,tha t We may
enter into them. Andh e gave them leave.
And
th e unclean spiritscame out
,
and entered into th eswine : and th eherd rushed
down th e steep intoth e sea
,
in number about twothousand
and they were chokedin th e sea .
And they thatfed them
74
th e unclean spir it tocome out from th e m an .
For 6 oftentimes it hadseized him : and h e waskept under guard
,and
bound with ch ains and
fetters ; and breakingth e bands as under, h e
wa s driven of th e 7devilinto th e deserts .
And Jesus asked him,
What i s thy name ?And h e said
,
h e would givethem leave to
enter into them. And
h e gave them leave .
And
th e 2devilscame out from th e m an
,
and entered into th eswine : and th eherd rushed
down th e steep intoth e lake
,
80, 81]
1 Or, demonia cs
Gad a r enes. See note S , p. lxxviii.8 Or , were drowned (Am en )
81.
Ma tt. ix.
18 While h e spake thesethings unto them
,
behold there came
1 a ruler,
a nd worshipped him,
saying,My daughter i seven now dead :
butcome and lay thy handupon h er
,and sh e
shall live.
19 And Jesus arose, andfollowed him,
a nd so did h is disciples .
2 Gr. demons.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Mark v. 19—21. Luke viii. 39—40.
done for thee, done for thee.
and how h e had mercyon thee.
20 And h e went his way, And h e went h is way,
and began to publish publishing throughoutth e whole city
how great things Jesush ad done for him.
th e multitude
welcomed him ; for theywere all waiting for him.
and h e wa s by th e sea .
3 Or , th e dem oni ac 4 Many ancient auth orities rea d Gergesenes ; oth ers5 Or , wa s comm a nd ing (Am en ) Gr. d6 Or , of a long tim e 7 m en.
9 Or, saved
JAIRUS BESEECHES JESUS To SAVE HIS DYING CHILD .
Luke vii i. 41, 42.
And
there cometh
one of th e ru lers ofth e syna gogue
,Ja
'
i rus
by nam e ; and seeing hi m ,
h e fa lleth at h is feet,
andbeseech eth him much,
aying,
My little daughter Is atth e point of death .
I p r ay thee, tha t thoucom e and lay thy hands
on h er,that sh e
may be 2made whole,and live.
And h e
went with h im .
1 Gr . one r uler .2 Or
, sa ved
To Capernaum , see note to Matt. iv. 13, 34 .
76
in Decapoli show great things Jesushad done for him
and all m en did marvel.And when Jesus had
crossedover aga in in th e boatunto th e other s ide,a great multitude
wa s ga thered unto him
And
behold, there camea m an named Jaim s,
and h e wa s a ruler ofth e synagogue
and h e
fell down at Jesus’ feet,
andbesought him to
come into h is house ; forh e had an only daughter
,
about twelve years ofage, and sh e lay a dying.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD. 82
82 . JESUS HEALS A WOMAN HAVING AN ISSUE OF BLOOD .
Ma tt. ix. 20—22.
20 And behold,a woman
,
who had an issue ofblood twelve years ,
a um .
Ma rk v. 24—34.
thronged him .
And a womanhaving an issue ofblood twelve years
,
which 4had spent allh er living
upon physicians,
and couldnot be healed of any,
and was nothing bettered,
but rather grew worse,
27 having heard th e thingsconcerning Jesus
,
came came camein th e crowd
beh ind himand touchedth e border ofh i s ga rment :for sh e sa idwi thin herself,
If I do but touch h isgarment
,I shall be
1mad e whole.
And h is disciples
Th e disea se from wh i ch th is poor wom an
suffered wa s one wh ich by contact com m unica ted uncleanness (Lev. xv. 25 Hence
h er anxiety to escape notice wh ile Sh e m ingledwith th e crowd or approa ch ed our Lord . Sh e
behindand touched
and immediately th eissue of h er blood
stanched.
An d Jesus sa id,
Who Is it that touchedm e
And when a ll denied,
Peter said,
6and they
cam e unobservedly “beh ind ”
; sh e touch edbut th e “ border o f h i s ga rm ent
”
; and sh e
cam e fea ring and trem bli ng”to “decla re in
“ th e presence of a ll th e people wh at sh e h addone and “ for wh at cause sh e touch ed h im .
And a grea t multitudefollowed him
,and
they thronged him.
And a woman ,
which h ad an issue ofblood twelve yea rs
,
and had suffered manythings of many phys icians
,and had spent allthat sh e h ad,
If I touch but h isgarments
,I shall be
1made whole .
29 And straightway th e
fountain of h er bloodwa s dried up ; and Sh e
felt in h er body tha tsh e wa s healed of h er
303plague . And straightway Jesus , perceiving inhimself that th e power
p r oceeding from him hadgone forth
,turned him
a bout in th e crowd,
a nd sa id,
Who touchedmy ga rments ?
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. ix. 22. Ma rk v. 31—34. Luke vii i. 45—48.
sa id unto him,
that were with him,
Master,Thou seest
th e multitude thr onging th e multitudes pressthee
,thee and crush thee.
and sayest thou,Who
touched m e ?
46 But Jesus said,Some
one did touch m e ; forI perce ived that powerhad gone forth from me.
32 And h e looked rounda bout to see h er thath ad done this thing.
But th e woman 47 And when th e womansaw that sh e wa s not
bid,Sh e came
fearing and trembling,
trembling,
knowing what had beendone to h er
,came
and fell down before and falling down beforeh im
,and told him all him decla red in th eth e truth. presence of all th e people
for what cause Sh e
touched him,and how
sh e wa s hea led immedia tely.
22 But Jesus turning andseeing h er
sa id, 34 And h e said unto h er , 48 And h e sa id un to h er
,
Daughter, Da ughter,
Daughter,
be of good cheer ;thy fa ith hath 2made thy faith hath 2made thy faith ha th 2made
thee whole. thee whole ; thee whole ;go in pea ce
,and go in peace.
be Whole of thy 3pla gue.
And th e woman wa s1made Whole from tha thour .
1 Or, sa ved2 Or , sa ved thee
9 Gr . scourge.4 Som e ancient auth or ities om it h a d sp ent a ll h er living
upon p hys ici ans, and .5 Som e ancient auth o r ities om it a nd th ey th a twere wi th h im .
83. JESUS RAISES To LIFE THE DEAD DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS.
Cap erna um .
Ma tt. ix. 23— 26. Ma rk v. 35—43. m
While h e yet spake,they come from
th e ruler of th e synagogue
’
s h ouse,saying
,
Thy daughter i s deadwhy troublest thou th e2Ma ster any further ?
But Jesus,
78
Luke vi i i. 49— 56.
While be yet spake,there cometh one fromth e ruler of th e synagogue
’s house
,saying
,
Thy daughter i s dead ;trouble not th e
2Master.But Jesus
83— 85]
th e damsel arose.
26 And 1 th e fame hereofwent forth into all thatland.
1 Gr . th is f a m e.2 Or , Teach er
th e damsel rose up,
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma rk v. 42, 43.
And straightwayLuke vii i. 55, 56.
Andh er spir it returned,and sh e rose upimmediately :
And h er parentswere amazed :
but h e cha rged themto tell no m an wha thad been done .
55 And h e commandedtha t som eth ing
be given h er to ea t.
8 Or , over h ea r ing 4 Or , sa ved
§ 84. JESUS HEALS Two BLIND MEN ' AND A DUMB DEMONIAC.
Ma tt. ix. 27—34.
27 And a s Jesus passed by from thence, two* blind m en followed him,crying out
, and
2s saying, Have mercy on us,thou son of David . And when h e wa s come into th e
house, th e blind m en came to him : and Jesus saith unto them,Believe ye that I am
29 able to do thi s ? They say unto him,Yea
, Lord. Then touched h e their eyes , saying,30 According to your faith be it done unto you.
31 Jesus 1 strictly cha rged them, saying, See that no m an know it.An d their eyes were opened. And
But they went forth,
and Spread abroad h is fame in all that land .
32 And a s they went forth, behold , there wa s brought to him a dumb m an possessed33 with a 2devil.34 multitudes ma rvelled, saying, It wa s never so seen in Israel.
And when th e 2 devil wa s cast out,th e dumb m an spake : and th e
But th e Pharisees said,3By th e prince of th e
4devils casteth h e out 4devils .
1 Or , sternly 2 Gr. dem on.3 Or , In 4 Gr. demons.
85. THE MEN OF HIS OWN COUNTRY ARE JEALOUS OF JESUS.N a za r eth .
Ma tt. xi ii . 54—58.
54 And coming into h is own country 1
See Ma tt. xx. 30— 34 , 152 .
1' Hi s own country h ere m eans Na z a reth ,
a s th e pla ce wh ere h e h ad been brough t up ,see Luke iv. 16
,23 , 24 , 33 , and wh ere h i s
ea rlier m a nh ood h ad pa ssed (see note 1' p . 81)
Ma rk vi. 1—6.
And h e went out from thence ;and h e cometh into h is own country t ;
a nd h is disciples follow him .
Our Lord m akes th e sam e rem ark wi th respectto th e sam e town in Luke iv. 24
, § 33 . In
Joh n iv. 44, § 32 , i t i s appli ed to Judaea a s th epla ce wh ere h e wa s born , a s contra sted withGa lilee.
and walked for sh ewa s twelve years old.
And theywere amazed
straightway with agrea t amazement.
And h e charged themmuch tha t no m an
should know thisa nd h e commandedthat som eth ing shouldbe given h er to ea t.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xiii . 54— 58.
h e ta ught them in their synagogue,insomuch that they were
astonished, and said,Whence hath
this m an
this wisdom,
and these1mighty works ?
IS not this th e carpenter’s son ?i s not h is mother called Mary ?
and h is brethren ,* James
,and Joseph ,
and Simon , and Judas ?And h is s isters, a re they not a llwith us ?
whence then hath this m an allthese things ?
And they were 2offended in him.
But Jesus said unto them ,
A prophet i s not without honour,save in h is own country
,
and in h i s own house . And h e
did not many 1mighty works there
because of their unbelief.1 Gr. p owers.
2 Gr. caused to stum ble.3 Som e ancient auth or ities insert the.
86 . JESUS MAKES A THIRD CIRCUIT IN GALILEE,AND PROCLAIMS THE ABUNDANCE
OF THE HARVEST AND THE LACK OF THE LABOURERS.
Ga li lee.
Ma tt. ix. 35—38. Ma rk vi . 6.
And Jesus went about And h e went round aboutall th e cities
and th e Villages,teaching th e Villages teaching.
in their synagogues, and preaching th egospel of th e kingdom, and healing allmanner of disease and all manner of
36 sickness . But when h e saw th e multi
See Acts i . 14 .
1: Joseph , th e h usband o f Ma ry, took h erand Jesus to th e pa ssover wh en Jesus wa s12 year s old (Luke ii . 41— 52 , Fromth a t tim e we read no m ore of h im . Wh enth e na rr a tive of our Lord ’
s li fe recom m ences ,
Joseph h ad no doubt died ; and (from th e
description in Ma rk Vi . Jesus a s eldestson seem s to h ave continued h i s fa th er ’sbusiness, and to h ave undertaken th e re
sponsibi li ti es of th e h eadsh ip of th e fam ilyuntil such t im e a s h i s broth ers were able toprovi de for th ei r m oth er and sister s . Th ism ay a fford a rea son wh y th e public m inistry
W.
Ma rk vi . 2— 6.
And when th e sabbath wa s come,h e began to teach in th e synagogue :
a nd 3many hearing him wereastonished
,saying
,Whence hath
this m an these things ? and,What i s th e wisdom that is given
unto this m an,
and wh a t m ea n such1m ighty works wrought by h i s hands ?
IS not this th e carpenterth e son ofMary,
and brother* of James, and Joses,and Judas
,and Simon ?
and a re not h is sisters here with us ?
And they were 2 offended in h im .
And Jesus said un to them,
A prophet i s not without honour,save in h is own country
,
and among h is own kin,and in h is own house . And h e
could there do no 4mighty work,
save tha t h e laid h is hands upon a fewsick folk
,and hea led them.
6 And h e marvelledbecause of the ir unbelief.
4 Gr . p ower .
o f our Lord wa s not comm enced dur ing h i sea rlier m anh ood. He wa s th en giving th e
exam ple o f a per fect pri va te life and filia lconduct, Wh ile th e m en of h i s town a lreadyrecogn i sed h i s ch a racter and wi sdom
,and
looked to h im for th e perform ance of publicreli gious duty . We ga th er th is from Luke
iv. 16 , 33 . Th e words “a s h i s custom wa s
”
indica te clear ly th e qua si-o ffici al positionh e occupied. Th us both pr iva tely and pub
licly , as th e ca rpenter of Na za reth or th e
Savi our of th e world , i t “becam e h im to fulfilall r ighteousness .
” Ma tt. 111 . 15, § 21 .
87] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Matt. ix. 36—38.
tudes , h e wa s moved with compass ion for them, because they were distressed and
37 sca ttered, a s sheep not having a Shepherd . Then sa ith h e unto h is disciples ,38 Th e harvest truly is plenteous , but th e labourers a re few. Pray ye therefore th e
Lord of th e harvest, tha t h e send forth labourers into h is ha rvest*
87. JESUS CHARGES THE TWELVE APOSTLES, AND SENDS THEM FORTH .
(See note L , page liv.)
Cap erna um .
Ma tt. x. 1— 42. Ma rk vi . 7— 11. Luke ix. 1— 5.
1 And h e ca lled unto 7 And h e called unto And he ca lledhim h i s twelve him th e twelve
,th e twelve together
,
disciplesand
began to send themforth by two and two
and gave them and h e gave them and gave themauthority over authority over th e power and authorityunclean Spirits
,unclean spirits ; over all 3devils, and
to ca st them out, andto hea l all mannerof disea se and a ll
manner Of s ickness .
2 Now th e names of th etwelve apostles a re these :Th e first
,Simon
,wh o i s called Peter, and Andrew
h i s brother ; James th e son of Zebedee, and John3 h is brother ; Philip
,and Ba rtholomew ; Thomas ,
and Ma tthew th e publican ; James th e son ofAlphaeus
,and Thaddaeus ;
4 Simon th e 1Cananaean ,and Judas Isca riot, wh oa lso 2betrayed him.
5 These twelve And
Jesus sent forth, and h e sent them forth toprea ch th e kingdom ofGod
,and to heal 20 th e
Ma rk Vi . 8. sick .
And h e And h e
charged them,saying
,charged them tha t said unto them,
GO not into any way they shouldof th e Gentiles
,and enter
not into any city of th e6 Sama ritans : but go ratherto th e Ilost sheep Of th e
7 house of Isra el . And a s
ye go, preach , saying, Th ekingdom of heaven i s a t
Our Lord repea ts th is decla ra tion and sh ould be ca refully colla ted th rough out .invoca tion wh en h e sends forth th e seventy See 49 , and a lso Note L, p . liv.
on th eir evangelistic m i ssion . See Luke x . 2 , ;t Wh o h ad excited h i s pity. See preceding132 . Our Lo rd
’s address on th at occa sion section, Ma tt. ix. 36 ; and Ma rk Vi . 34, § 91 .
§ 87] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. x. 15—42 .
15 Verily I say unto you, It sha ll be more tolera ble for th e land of Sodom and
Gomorrha in th e day of judgement, than for that city.
16 Behold, I send you forth a s Sheep in th e midst of wolves : be ye therefore Wise a s
17 serpents , and 6harmless a s doves . But bewa re of m en : for they will deliver you up18 to councils , and in their synagogues they will scour ge you yea and before governorsand kings sha ll ye be brought for my sake
,for a testimony to them and to th e
19 Gentiles . But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or wha t ye shall speak20 for it sha ll be given you in tha t hour what ye shall speak . For it is not ye tha t21 speak , but th e Spirit of your Father that spea keth in you. And brother shall deliverup brother to dea th, and th e father h is child : and children shall r ise up a gainst
22 parents, and 6 cause them to be put to death. And ye sha ll be hated of all m en formy name’s sake : but h e that endureth to th e end
,th e same sha ll be saved.
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee into th e next : for verily I sayunto you
,Ye shall not have gone through th e cities of Isra el
,till th e Son of m an be
come .
24, 25 A disciple i s not above h i s 7master, nor a 8servant a bove h is lord . It i s enoughfor th e disciple that h e be a s h is 7ma ster, and th e 8servant a s h is lord. If they havecalled th e master of th e house 9Beelzebub, h ow much more sh a ll they ca ll them of
26 h is household " Fear them not therefore : for th ere i s nothing covered,tha t sha ll not
27 be revea led ; and hi d, that sha ll not be known. Wha t I tell you in th e darkness,
speak ye in th e light : and what ye hear in th e ea r , proclaim upon th e housetops .
28 And be not a fra id of them which k ill th e body, but a re not a ble to kill th e soul : but29 rather fear him which i s able to destroy both soul and body in 10hell. Are not two
sparrows sold for a l l fa r th ing ? and not one of them sha ll fall on th e ground without30, 31 your Father : but th e very hairs of your head a re a ll numbered. Fear not there32 fore ; ye a re of more value than many sparrows . Every one therefore who sh a llconfess 12m e before m en
,13him will I also confess before my Father which is in
33 heaven. But whosoever shall deny m e before m en,him will I also deny before my
Father whi ch i s in heaven .
34 Think not tha t I came to 14send peace on th e earth : * I came not to 14send pea ce ,35 but a sword. For I came to set a m an a t va riance aga inst h is father
,and th e daughter
36 against h er mother, and th e daughter in law a ga inst h er mother in law : t and a
37 man ’
s foes sha ll be they of h is own household . He tha t loveth fa ther or mothermore than m e i s not worthy of m e : and h e tha t loveth son or daughter more than
38 m e i s not worthy of m e . And h e tha t doth not take h is cross }: and follow after m e,
39 is not worthy of m e . He that 16findeth h is 18 life shall lose it ; and h e tha t 17 losethh is 16 life for my sake shall find it.
40 He that receiveth you receiveth m e,and h e that receiveth m e receiveth him tha t
41 sent m e. He that receiveth a prophet in th e name of a prophet shall rece ive a
prophet’s reward ; and h e tha t receiveth a righteous m an in th e name of a righteous42 m an sha ll receive a righteous man’
s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink untoone Of these li ttle ones a cup Of cold water only
,in th e name of a disciple
,verily I
say unto you, h e sha ll in no wise lose h i s rewa rd .
1 Or , Zea lot. See Luke vi . 15, 49. Acts 1. 13, 254. 2 Or , deli ver ed h im up3 Gr . d em ons.
4 Gr . i rd les.5 O r , simp le 6 Or , p ut th em to dea th 7 Or , tea ch er 3 Gr . bondser va nt.
9 Gr . eelz ebul . 10 Gr . Geh enna .11 Or , p enny (Am er .) 12 Gr . in m e. 13 Gr . in h nn.
14 Gr . ca st.15 Or , f ound 16 O r , soul 17 O r , lost 13 Gr . br ass. 19 Gr . g i r dle. 20 Som e ancient auth or ities om i t
the s i ck.
See Luke x i i . 49— 53 , 66 . m ent of despera te cr im ina ls . It wa s th eObviously referring to Micah VII . 6 . sh am efu l fa te of th e Lord . E ven to th isTh a t i s to say,
—for th e purpose o f ca rry end m u st h i s disciples be prepa red to “ following it to th e place o f crucifixion and th ere to a fter ” h im .
be crucified. Th is wa s pa rt of th e punish
1
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
88 .JESUS PREACHES IN THE CITIES, AND THE TWELVE IN THE VILLAGES .
Ga li lee.
Ma tt. xi. 1. Ma rk vi . 12, 13. Luke ix. 6.
And it came to pass,wh en Jesus had made an
end of commanding h istwelve disciples, h e de
pa rted thence to teachand preach in their cities .
12 And they went out, 6 And they departed,and went throughout
th e Villages,
and prea ched preachingth e gospel,
that m en shou ld repent.13 And they ca st out many1devils, and anointed withoil many that were sick
,
and hea led them.
1 Gr. d emons.
89 . HEROD BEHEADS JOHN THE BAPTIST IN PRISON .
For tress of Ma ch ter us*.
Ma tt. xiv. 6 Ma rk vi 21—29.
But whenHerod ’s b irthday came,
th e daughterof Herodia s
danced in th e midst, and plea sedHerod .
Whereupon h e promised
with a n oath to give h er wha tsoeversh e should a sk .
And sh e,
being put forward by h er mother,came in stra ightway with hasteunto th e k ing
,and a sked
,
saith , saying, I wi ll that thou forthwithGive m e here in a charger th e head give m e in a charger th e hea d
See note G, page xlix .
85
1.
And when a convenient day wa scome , that Herod on h is birthdaymade a supper to h is lords
,and th e
1high captains,and th e chief m en
of Ga lilee ; and when 2 th e daughterof Herodia s herself came in and
danced,3 sh e plea sed
Herod and them that sa t a t mea twith him ; and th e king sa id untoth e damsel
,Ask of m e whatsoever
thou wilt, and I will give it thee .
And h e swa re unto h er,Wh atsoever
thou shalt a sk of m e, I will give itthee , unto th e ha lf of my k ingdom .
And sh e went out, and sa id unto h er
mother, Wha t sha ll I ask ? And sh e
said, Th e hea d of John 4 th e Baptist.And sh e
89,90] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xiv. 8—12. Ma rk vi . 25— 29.
9 of John th e Baptist. And th e king 26 of John 4th e Baptist. And th e kingwa s grieved ; but for th e wa s exceeding sorry ; but for th e
sake Of h is oa ths , and of them which sake of h is oaths, and of them that
sa t a t meat with him,sa t a t mea t
,
h e would not reject h er .
h e commanded it to be given ;and h e sent, And stra ightway th e k ing sent for th
a soldier of h is guard,a nd commanded
to bring h is hea d : and h e wentand beheaded John in th e prison. and beheaded him in th e prison,
11 And h is head wa s brought in a cha rger,
and brought h is head in a cha rger,and given to th e damsel : and ga ve it to th e damsel ;
and sh e brought it to h er mother . and th e damsel ga ve it to h er mother.And h is disciples And when h i s disciples heard thereof ,
came, and took up th e corpse , they came and took up h is corpse,
and bur ied him ; and la id it in a tomb.
and they went a nd told Jesus .
1 Or , m i li ta ry tr i bunes Gr. ch i li a rch s, li tera lly, comm ander s of a th ousa nd m en.2 Som e ancient auth or ities
read h is da ugh ter Herod i as.3 r , i t 4 Gr. th e Bap ti z er .
90 . HEROD IS PERPLEXED AT THE GROWING FAME OF JESUS . THE TWELVERETURN FROM THEIR CIRCUIT AND REPORT TO THEIR MASTER .
Ga li lee.
Ma tt. xiv. 1, 2, 13. Luke ix. 7— 10. John vi . 1.
I At that season Now
Herod th e te Herod th e tetra rch hea rd th e t ra rch heard ofreport concerning all that wa s done :
Jesu s,for h is name h adbecome known :
and h e wa s muchperplexed
,because
tha t it wa s saidby some
,that John
wa s risen from th edead ;
and 1h e sa id
8 and by some,tha t
Elijah hada ppea red : a nd byothers
,that
9 1]
§ 9 1. THE MULTITUDES FOLLOW JESUS .
In the deser t of Bethsa ida .
Matt. xiv. 134 1. Ma rk vi . 33—44;
13 And when th emultitudes 33 And the co le
heard thereof,29 10
saw them going,
and many knewthem
,and they
ran theretogether 1on footfrom all th e citiesand outwent them .
they followed him1on foot
from th e cities .
and saw agreat multitude
,
and Saw a
grea t multitude,
and h e h ad compa ssion on them,
because they werea s sheep not h av
ing a shepherd
and h e h ad compassion on them,
and h e began toteach them manythings .
“of th e sea of Ga lilee (John vi . Th is
m ust th erefore h ave been Beth sa ida (Juli a s)and th e m ira cle occurred in th e com pa ratively unpeopled distr ict a round i t on th e
north -ea st of th e lake .
T h e m ira culous feeding of th e 4000 97)probably took pla ce in or nea r th e sam e
desert, but about 7 or 8 m iles to th e south of
th e pla ce descr ibed in 91 , and opposite th em iddle o f th e lake . Th i s would seem to
follow from th e h istory o f events just before
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
HE FEEDS FIVE THOUSAND BY MIRACLE .
Nor th -ea st of the sea of Ga li lee.
followed him followed him,
because they beheld th e signswhich h e di d on
them that weresick .
3 And Jesus
went up into th e
mountain,
and
there h e sa t with4 h is disciples . Now
th e passover,th e
feast of th e Jews ,5 was at hand . Jesustherefore lift ingup h is eyes
,and
seeing that agreat mu ltitudecometh unto him,
and h e
welcomed them,
and spake to them
and a fter i t . Jesus cam e from th e pa rts of
Tyre and Sidon 95 and 96)“ th rough th e
m idst Of th e borders o fDecapolis ” (Ma rk vi i .31 , Th is would indi ca te th at h e h adm ade h i s way pa st th e lake to th e south -ea st
of it. Th at h e th en went northwa rds for a
few m iles towa rds Beth sa ida (Julia s) , and
about h a lfway down th e lake, i s suggested byth e fact th a t a fter th e m ir a cle h e crossed ina boa t, and landed a t Magda la in th e di str ictOf Da lm anuth a . See m ap .
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD . 9 1
Ma tt. xiv. 14—16 . Ma rk vi . 35 -38. Luke ix. 11 13. Joh n vi . 5- 7.of th e kingdom ofGod
, and themand tha t h ad need of
hea led their s ick . hea ling h e healed .
15 And when even 35 And when th e day 12 And th e day beganwa s com e
, wa s now fa r spent, to wea r away ;sa ith unto Phili p,Whence a re we tobuy 4 bread
,that
these may ea t ?
6 And this h e saidto prove him : forh e himself knewwhat h e would do.
th e Villa ges,and
buy themselvesfood .
37 But h e answered 13
and saidunto them
,
Give ye them Give ye themto eat . to ea t .
And they say un
to him,Sha ll we
go and buy twohundred 3pennyworth Of brea d
,
and give them toea t ?
7 Philip answeredhim , Two hundred3 pennyworth of4 bread i s not sufhcient for them ,
that every one
may take a little .
38 And h e saith untothem
,How m any
See note a t th e end of la st section .
89
9 1]
Ma tt. xiv. 17— 19. Ma rk vi. 38—41.
loa ves have ye ?And
when they knew,
go a nd see .
17 And they say they say,un to him,
Five,and two fishes.
18 And h e said,Br ing them hitherto m e .
19 And h e com 39 And be com
m anded m anded themth e m ultitudes tha t all shouldto 2 s it down 2 Sit down
by companies
upon th e greenon th e gra ss grass .
and h e took th e
five loaves , and five loaves and
th e two fishes, and th e two fishes,and
looki ng up to looking up toh eaven
,h e blessed, heaven, h e blessed,
and brake
andgave th e loa vesto th e disciples,
and th e disciplesto th e multitudes .
41 And h e took th e
Luke ix. 13— 16.
And they Sa id,
We ha ve no morethan five loa vesand two fishes ;
except we shouldgo and buy foodfor a ll this people ,
[For they wereabout five thousand m en ]
And h e sa id untoh is disciples
,
Make them2sit down
in companiesa bout fifty each.
n Q" And they did so
,
and ma de themall 2 s it down .
16 And h e took th e
five leaves and
th e two fishes,and
look ing up toheaven
,h e blessedthem
,
and brake ;
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
John vi . 8— 11.
8 One ofh i s disciples,
Andrew,
SimonPeter’s brother
,
sa ithunto h im ,
9 There i s a ladhere
,which hath
five bar ley loaves,
and two fishes
10 Jesus sa id,
Make th e peoples it down .
in number aboutfive thousand .
11 Jesus thereforetook th e loaves
and having giventhanks
,
h e distributed
a s much a s theywould.
9 2]
Matt. xiv. 22 -26.
boat, and to go beforehim unto th e other s ide
,
Ma rk vi . 45— 50.
boat,and to go before
h im unto th e other side
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Joh n vi . 15— 19.
to Bethsa ida,till h e Should sendth e multitudes away.
23 And a fter h e had sentth e multitudes away
,
h e went up intoth e mountain
apa rtto pray
and when even wa s come,
h e wa s there alone .
24 But th e boa t 1wa s now inth e midst of th e sea
h e depa rted intoth e mounta in
th e boa t wa s inth e midst of th e sea
,
while h e himself sendethth e multitude away.
46 And after h e had takenleave of them,
perceiving that they werea bout to come and takehim by force
,to make
him king,
withdrew again intoth e mounta inhimself alone .
to pray47 And
'
wh en even wa s come, 16 And when evening came
,
h is disciples went down17 unto th e sea ; a nd theyentered into a boat
,
and were going overth e sea unto Ca pernaum .
and h e alone on th e land.
distressed by th e wavesfor th e wind wa s con
tra ry. And in
th e fourth wa tch* ofth e night h e cam e
unto them,walk ing
upon th e sea . And
when th e disciples
saw
him walk ing on th esea
,
they were troubled, saying, It i s an appa rition
and they cried out
a s th e even ing cam e on . By th e tim e th ere
fore th a t th ey were ready to depa rt , th e da rknesswa s rapidly deepening and th eyn a tura llydisliked th e prospect of such a ni gh t journeya ga inst a strong h ead wind (see above
,Joh n
vi . 18, and Ma tt. xiv. Th e boa t wa sprobably sm a ll . (See John vi . 22- 24 , § 93
when they sawh im wa lk ing on th e
sea,
And it wa s now da rk,
and Jesus h ad not yet
18 come to them. Andth e '
Sea wa s rising byreason of a grea t windtha t blew.
19 When therefore theyhad rowed a bout fiveand twenty or thirtyfurlongs
,they behold
Jesus wa lking on th e
sea, and drawing nigh
unto th e boatsupposed tha t
it wa s an a ppa rition,
and cried out for
m a rg . red .1 and It wa s an open rowing
boa t (Mark Vi . 48 a nd Joh n Vi . 19 in th issection) ; and th ey were exper ienced m en , and
foresaw th e difficulty and danger .
Between th ree o’clock and six in th e
m orning .
And seeing themdistressed in rowing
,
for th e wind wa s contra ry unto them,
a boutth e fourth wa tch" Of
th e night h e comethunto them
,walk ing
on th e sea ; and
h e would have pa ssedby thembut they,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD. 92
Ma tt. xiv. 26 —35.
for fear*.
27 But straightway Jesusspake unto them
,
saying,
Be of good cheerit is I be not afraid .
28 And Peter answeredhim and sa id
,Lord
,if it
be thou,bid m e come
unto thee upon th ewaters .
29 And h e said,Come . And
Peter went down fromth e boat
, and walkedupon th e waters
,
2 to come30 to Jesus . But when h e
saw th e wind 3,h e wa s
afraid and beginning tosink , h e cried out, saying,
31 Lord, save m e. And im
mediately Jesus stretchedforth h is hand
,and took
hold of him, and saithunto him
,0 thou of little
fa ith,wherefore didst
thou doubt ?
32 And when th ey weregone up into th e boat
,
th e wind ceased.
33 And they that were in
th e boat worshipped him,
saying,Of a truth thou
art th e Son of God f .
And when they hadcrossed over, they came toth e land
,unto Gennesa ret.
And when
See Luke xxiv. 37 , 248 .
"
I: See Ma tt. xxvi i . 54 a nd Ma rk xv. 39 in
51 And h e went up untothem into th e boat ;
and th e wind ceased
and they were sore a
i h themselves52 for they understood not
And when they h ad4crossed over
,they came to
th e land unto Gennesaret,
and moored to th e shore .
And when they werecome out of th e boat,
Joh n vi . 19 —21.
and they were a fra id.
But h e
saith unto them,
It i s I be not a fra id .
21 They were willing therefore to receive him intoth e boat
and stra ightway th e boa twa s at th e land whitherthey were going.
226 . Luke i . 35,6 . Rom . i . 4 .
Ma rk Vi . 50—54.
they all saw him,
and were troubled .
But h e stra ightwayspake with them
,
a nd saith unto themBe of good cheerit i s I be not afraid.
92. 93]
Ma tt. xiv. 35, 36.
th e m en Of that place knew him,
they sent into a ll that region round about,and brought unto himall that were s ick
36 and they besought him that they mightonly tou ch th e border Of h i sga rment and a s many a s touched
were made whole .
1 Som e ancient auth orities read wa s m a ny f ur longs d i stantfr om th e la nd .
a nd ca me. 3 Many ancient auth or i ties add str ong .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Mark vi . 54— 56.
stra ightway the p eop le knew him,
55 and ran round a bout tha t whole region,
and began to ca rry about on the ir bedsthose tha t were Sick
,
where they heard h e wa s.
56 And wheresoever h e entered,into Vi l
lages,or into cities
,or into th e country,
they la id th e s ick in th e ma rketpla ces,
and besought him tha t they mighttouch if it were but th e border of h i sga rment : a nd a s m a ny a s touched 5him
were made whole .
2 Som e ancient auth or ities read4 Or , crossed over to th e land , th ey ca me unto Gennesa r et5 Or, i t
§ 93 . JESUS HAVING RETURNED To CAPERNAUM,THE MULTITUDES FOLLOW HIM AND
HE DISCOURSES To THEM IN THE SYNAGOGUE .
Caperna um .
John vi. 22—71 ; vn. 1.
22 On th e morrow th e multitude which stood on th e oth er s ide of the sea saw thatthere wa s none other 1 boat there
,sa ve one
,and that Jesus entered not wi th h i s
23 disciples into th e boa t , but th a t h is disciples went away alone (howbeit there came2 boats from Tiberi a s nigh unto th e pla ce where they a te th e bread after th e Lord had
24 given thanks) : when th e multitude therefore saw that Jesus wa s not there,neither
h i s disciples,they themselves got into th e 2 boa ts
,and came to Capernaum
,seeking
25 Jesus . And when they found him on th e other Side of th e sea,they sa id unto him
,
26 Rabbi,when cam est thou hither ? Jesus answered them and said
,Verily
,verily
,I
sa y unto you,Ye seek m e
,not because ye saw signs , but because ye a te Of the lea ves ,
27 and were filled . Work not for th e m eat which perish eth,but for th e mea t which
abideth unto eternal life,which th e Son of m an sha ll give unto you : for him th e
28 Fa ther, even God, hath sea led * . They sa id therefore unto h im,What must we do
,
29 tha t we m ay work th e works of God ? Jesus answered and sa id unto them,Th is is
30 th e work of God, that ye believe on him whom 3 h e hath sent. They said thereforeunto him
,What then doest thou for a Sign , that we m ay see
, and believe thee ?31 wha t workest th ou ? Our fa thers a te th e manna+ in th e wilderness a s it i s wr ittenI ,32 He gave them bread out of heaven to ea t . Jesus therefore sa id unto them
,Verily
,
verily,I say unto you ,
It was not Moses that ga ve you th e bread out of hea ven : but33 my Fa ther giveth you th e true bread out Of heaven . For th e bread of God is that34 which cometh down out of hea ven, and giveth life unto th e wor ld . They sa id there
TO sea l m eans h ere “ to set a sea l o r
m ark on anyth ing in token of i ts beingg enuine and approved .
”See Rev. vi i . 3— 8 .
Jesus wa s th us “sea led ,
”or a ccredited —by
th e angels a t h i s bir th , —by th e sta r of th e
Ma gi , -by th e descent of th e Holy Spirit, -byth e divine power of m ira cle working 860 .
SeeActs Here h e probably r efers to th eproof of h i s D ivinity a fforded in th e m ira cleo f th e feeding of th e five th ousand wh ich h e
m entions in verse 26 . See Robinson ’
s Gk.
Lear. to N .T . under th e word c¢pa ylfw.
1' E xod . xvi . 13— 31 .
1 Ps . lxxviii . 23— 25. Th e m anna i s ca lled“ bread from hea ven
”a s an antith esis to
“ bread f r om ea r th .
” Instead o f growing inth e ordina ry fa sh ion from th e soil i t “ fell“upon
”th e ground m ira culously every m orn
ing like th e dew “ from h eaven .
”Num b.
xi . 9 .
§ 94] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
94 . JESUS TEACHES THE REAL CAUSE OF DEFILEMENT ,’ AND DISCOURSES
ON PHARISAIC TRADITIONS.
(Th e th ird *p a ssover dur ing our Lord ’
s p ubli c m inistry . )Mark vi i .Ma tt. xv. 1— 20.
1 And there a re gather ed together unto hi mThen there come to Jesusfrom Jerusalem
Pha r i sees and scribes,
saying, Whydo thy disciples tra nsgressth e tradition of th e elders ?for they wash not their handswhen they ea t bread. but ea t their brea d
with 6defi led hands ?And h e answered
And h e said unto them,
and sa id unto them,
Ye hypocrites ,well did Isaiah prophesy of you,
saying+,8 This people honoureth m e with their
li sBu t
pth;
ei r hea rt i s far from m e.
9 Bu t in va in do they worship m e,
Tea ching a s th eir doctrines th e precepts of m en.
Why do ye a lso transgressth e commandment of Godbecause of your tradition
For God sa id i ,Honour thy fa ther and thy mother .
and,He that speaketh evil of father
or mother,let h im 1die th e death
5 But ye say, Whosoever Shall say to h isfa th er or h is mother , That wherewith
From Joh n vi . 4 , 91, we lea rn th a t th is Ga lilee .
wa s th e tim e o f th e pa ssover . Joh n vi i . 1,
Isa iah xxix . 13 .
§ 93 , tells us th a t Jesus did not go to Jeru I Exod . xx . 12 , and Deut. v . 16.
sa lem on th i s occa sion , and why h e stayed in l] Exod. xxi . 17 . Levi t. xx . 9 .
th e Phar isees, and certa in of th e scribes,
which had come from Jerusalem,
2 and h ad seen tha t some ofh is disciples a tetheir bread with 6defiled
,tha t is
,un
3 wa shen, hands . For th e Pharisees,and
a ll th e Jews,except they wash their
hands 7diligently,ea t not
,holding th e
4 tradition of th e elders : and when theycom e from th e marketpla ce
,except they
8wa sh themselves,they ea t not a nd
many other things there be,which they
have rece ived to hold,
9washings of cups,
5 and pots , and brasen And
th e Phar isees and th e scr ibesa sk him
,Why
walk not th y disciples a ccording toth e tra dition of th e e lders
,
Well did Isa iah prophesy of youhypocrites
,
a s it is writtenThis people honoureth m e with th eirlips
,
But their hear t is fa r from m e .
7 But in vain do they worship m e,
Tea ching a s their doctrines th e pr ecepts of m en .
8 Ye lea ve th e comm andment of God,a nd
hold fast th e tradition of m en .
9 And h e sa id un to them,
Full well do ye rejectth e commandm ent of God ,
tha t ye m ay keep your tradition.
For Moses said i ,Honour thy father and thy mother ;and
,He that speaketh evil of fa ther
or mother,let him 1die th e dea th
11 but ye say, If a m an shall say to h isfather or h is mother
,Tha t wherewi th
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xv. 5— 19.
thou mightest ha ve been profited bym e is
given to Goalh e shall not
honour h is father2.And ye ha ve made void th e
3wordof God because of your tradition.
10 And h e called to him th e multitude,and said unto them,
Hea r,
and understandNot that which
entereth into th e mouth defilethth e m an but that which proceedeth outof th e mouth, this defileth th e m an.
Then came th e disciples,and said unto him,
Knowest thou thatth e Pharisees were 4 oflended
,when they
13 heard this saying ? But h e answeredand said
,Every 6plant whi ch my
heavenly Father planted not,shall be
14 rooted up. Let them alone : they a re
blind gui des. And if th e blind guideth e blind, both shall fall into a pit
15 And Peter answered and said unto hi m ,
Declare unto us th e para ble .
16 And h e sa id,Are ye also even yet
without understanding ?Perceive ye not , that whatsoever
goeth into th e mouth
pa sseth
into th e be lly,
and is cast out into th e draught ?
18 But th e things which proceed outof th e mouth
come forth out of th e heart and
they defile th e m an. Forout of th e heart
Corban m eans li tera lly any offer ing toGod, but especia lly an offer ing in fulfilm ent
o f a vow. Any th ing wh ich a m an’s pa rents
m i gh t be likely to need m igh t be th us vowedto God , and wh en th e necessity for i t a rose ,th e son’
s answer m i gh t be “I t i s a gif t ,— an“ offering consecra ted to God , and th erefore Icannot apply it to your benefit. Th a t in wh i ch
94
Ma rk vn. 11— 21.
thou mightest have.
been profited bym e Is
* Corban, tha t is to say,Given to God ;
ye no longer suffer himto do aught for h i s father or h is mother ;
making void th e wordof God by your tradition
,
which ye have delivered and
many such li ke things ye do.
14 And h e ca lled to him th e multitudeaga in
,and said unto them
,Hear m e
all of you,
and understand15 there i s nothing from without th e m an
,
that going into him can defilehim but th e things which proceed outof th e m an a re those that defile th e m a n .
11
17 And when h e wa s entered into th e
house from th e multitude,
21 tha t defileth th e m an . For from within ,out of th e heart of m en
,
h i s disciples asked of himth e pa ra ble .
And h e saith unto them,Are ye so
without understanding a lso ?Perceive ye not , that wha tsoeverfrom without goeth into th e m an
,
i t cannot defile him ;beca use it goeth
not into h is hea rt, butinto h i s belly
,
and goeth ou t into th e dra ught ?Th is he sa id
,mak ing all meats clean.
And h e said,That which proceedeth out
of th e m an,
th oum igh test h ave been benefited by m e , h a s“ been vowed and h a llowed by m e to God as“a gi ft to h im ; and th erefore cannot with outsa cr ilege be a li ena ted from h im and applied
“to th y u se .
”
(Wordsworth on Matt. xv.
Th e Ph ar isees taugh t th at such a vow, th oughinspired in fact by unfili al selfish ness , wa s
of h igh er obliga tion th an th e natura l duty.
7
94, 95] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xv. 19, 20. Ma rk vn. 21— 23.
come forth evil thoughts, murders,12evil thoughts proceed, fornica
adulteries,fornications, thefts, tions, thefts, murders, adulteries ,
false witness,covetlngs , W i ckednesses , decei t,la scw lousness
,an evi l eye,
ra ilings ra iling,pride
,foolishness
these a re th e things which a ll these evil thingsproceed from within
,and
defile th e m an defile th e m an.
but to ea t with unwashen handsdefileth not th e m an.
1 Or , su r ely d ie2 Som e ancient auth orities add or h is m oth er .
3 Som e ancient a uth or ities read la w.
4 Gr . ca used to stum ble. 5 Gr . pla nting .6 Or , comm on 7 Or , up to th e elbow Gr . wi th thefist. 8 Gr .
bagti z e.Som e ancient auth or ities read sp r inkle th emselves. T h e Am er ican revi sers read ba the (com p. Luke xi . 38, 62
9 r . bapti z ing s.10 Many ancient auth ori ties add a nd couches .
11 Many ancient auth ori ties insert ver . 16 fany ma n h a th ea rs to h ea r , let h im h ea r .
12 Gr . th ough ts th a t a re evi l.
95. JESUS HEALS THE DAUGHTER or A SYRorHcENICIAN WOMAN.
N ea r Sa rep ta .
Ma tt. xv. 21— 28.
And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into th e parts of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Cana anitish woman
cameout from those borders,
and fell down a t h is feet.Now th e woman wa s a 4Greek ,a Syrophoenician by race .
and cried, saying, Have mercy on m e, O
Lord,thou son of David ; my daughter
i s grievously vexed with a 1devil.And sh e besought him that h e would castforth th e 1devil out of h er da ughter.
23 But h e answered h er not a word
Th ere were th ree stages in th e tr i a l o f
th i s wom an . To h er first request th ere wa sno reply (Matt. xv. Her second wa s
answered by a cold refusa l (xv. Th e
th ird wa s m et by an insult" ‘
Th e silencewh ich seem ed so supercilious ,— th e repulse
wh ich appea red so bigoted ,— and th e taunt
wh ich sounded so cruel,m ay well excite our
surpr ise a t first . Such conduct and wordsfrom a ny m an would h a ve been h a rsh . How
m arvellous th a t th ey sh ould be recorded of
th e gra cious and loving SaviourIt cannot be th a t our Lo rd was h ere conde
scending to th e prejudi ces of th e Apostlesth a t h is course wa s di ctated by ca relessnesso f th e poor wom an
’s distress , o r actual con
tem pt o f h er a s a Gentile ;— or th at h e wa ssim ply overcom e by h er fa ith ful im portunity(Ellicott
’s Life of our Lord , p . It m ay
be adm i tted th a t under m ost circum stances
Ma rk v n. 24—30.
21 And from thence h e a rose,and went
away into th e borders of Tyre 3and Sidon .
And h e entered into a house, and wouldhave no m an know it : and h e couldnot be hid .
But straightway a woman,
whose little daughter h ad a n uncleanspirit, ha ving heard of him,
came
such an ordea l would h ave been unjustifiableand m erci less . But we m ust keep constantlypresent to th e m ind th a t He knew wh a t wa s“ in m an .
”He knew everyth ing
— th e strength
and ea rnestness of th is m oth er’s love and
fa ith ; th e tria l sh e could suffer , and th e testsh e could stand. He foresaw everyth ing ; th epa tience ,— th e conflict, —th e vi ctory. And h e
took th is opportunity o f giving , a t 1a st,— toth is noble wom an ,
— th e blessingwh ich efia cedwith i ts overwh elm ing joy allrecollection o f th estruggle wh ich h ad a ch ieved i t and
,— to th e
Ch urch ,— a lesson of fa ith and recom pense
wh ich wi ll be pr iceless so long a s th e worldsh all la st. Thi s th reefold entreaty rem indsus th at Pa ul “besough t th e Lord th rice ”
before h i s answer cam e (2 Cor . xi i . and our
blessed Saviour ’s prayer in Geth sem ane wa s
th r ice repea ted , in th e sam e words (Ma tt.xxvi . 44
,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xv. 30, 31. Ma rk vn. 35—37.
tongue wa s loosed, and h e spake plain .
36 And h e cha rged* them that they shouldtell no m an ; but th e more h e chargedthem ,
so much th e more a great dealthey published it.
And there came unto him great multitudes
,having with them th e lame
,blind
,
dumb,maimed
,and many others ; and
they cast them down a t h is feet ; andh e hea led them : insomu ch that And
th e multitude wondered, they were beyond measure astonished ,when they saw th e dumb Speak ing
,th e
maimed whole,and th e lame walking
,
and the blind seeing :saying
,He hath done a ll things well : h e
maketh even th e deaf to hea r,and th e
dumb to speak .
and they glorified th e God of Israel.
97. JESUS FEEDS FOUR THOUSAND BY MIRACLE .
In the deser t of Bethsa ida (Juli a s). To th e ea st of the sea of Ga li lee.
Ma tt. xv. 32— 39. iii
And Jesus ca lled unto himh is disciples
,a nd said
,
I have compassion on th e multitude,because they continue with m e now threedays
,and have nothing to ea t :
and I would not send them away fasting,
lest haply they faint in th e way.
And th e disciples say unto him,
Whence Should we have so manyloa ves in a desert place
,a s
to fill so grea t a multitude ? to fill these m en
with 1brea d here in a desert place ?34 And Jesus saith unto them
,How many 5 An d h e asked them ,
How manyloaves have ye ? And they sa id , Seven, loaves have ye ? And they sa id, Seven.
and a few small fishes .
35 And h e commanded th e multitude to Sit 6 And h e commanded th e multitude to sit36 down on th e ground and h e down on th e ground : and h e
took th e seven loa ves took th e seven loaves,and th e fishes ;
and h e gave thanks and brake, and ha ving given thanks , h e brake,and gave to th e disciples , and gave to h is disciples ,
to set before them 3and th e disciples and theyto th e multitudes . set them befor e th e multitude .
Ma tt. viii . 4, 40 ; xi l . 16, 48 .
100
Ma rk vii i . 1—10.
1 In those days,when there wa s again a
great mu ltitude,and they had nothingto ea t
,
h e called unto himhi s disciples , and sa ith unto them
,
2 I have compassion on th e multitude,
because they continue with m e now threedays
,and ha ve nothing to ea t
and if I send them away fastingto their home,
they will faint in th e wayand some of them a re come from fa r .
4 And h i s disciples answered him,
Whence shall one be able
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xv. 37—39 .
And they did a ll eat,and were
filled : and they took up that whichrema ined over of th e broken pieces ,seven baskets full . And they thatdid eat were four thousand m en,
beside women and chi ldren .
39 And h e sent away th e multitudes,
and entered into th e boa t,
and came into th e borders ofMagadan.
l§§ 97, 98
ii i
and h e sent them away.
10 And stra ightway h e entered into th e boa twith h is disciples,
and came into th e parts ofDa lmanutha*
1 Gr . loaves.
98. THE PHARISEES ASK “A SIGN FROM HEAVEN WHICH JESUS REFUSES.
Magda la (or Magada n) .
Ma tt. xvi . 1—4.
And th e Phariseesand Sadducees
came,
and 1 tempting himasked him to shew thema Sign from h eavenf .
But h eanswered and sa id unto them,
2Wh en it i s evening, ye say, It wi ll be
fa ir weather : for th e heaven i s red.
No auth entic record fixes th e position of
D alm anuth a . T ri stram th inks th at h e foundtr aces of it in a little open va lley th e Ain-el
Baredeh , very nea r to Mejdel , wh ich i s genera lly identified with Magda la . Som e h oweversuggest with m uch probabi lity th at Da lm an
uth a wa s th e di str ict of wh ich Ma gda la (orMagadan) form ed pa rt. All th a t we can a ssertwith certa inty i s th a t i t eith er included or wa sclose by Magda la .
1 In Luke xi . 16, 56, th e sam e request i sm ade under pa r a llel cir cum stances and in th e
sam e captions spir it . In th a t ca se h e wa s
ca sting out devi ls and h ea ling m en , and h i s
Opponents sneer ingly cha llenged h im not to
sh ew h i s power over th e inh abitants of h ell orth e dweller s on ea r th , but to sh ew som e
“sign
from h eaven .
” Th e obvious answer would ofcour se be, th at th e m ira cles wrough t by Jesus,conquer ing fiends and blessing m en , provedbeyond di spute th e possession o f divi ne au
th or ity and power . To rebut th is h oweverth e fault-finder s boldly a lleged th a t h i s in ~
fiuence wa s devilish and not divine, and
Ma rk viii . 11— 13.
And th e Pha risees
came forth,
and began to question with him,
seeking of hima sign from heaven
1 tempting him .
12 And h e sighed deeply in h is spirit,and sa ith
,
Why doth this genera tion seek a Sign ?
received th e wa rn ing and condem nation wh ichfollowed .
In th e ca se descr ibed in th e text Jesus h addone wonder s so num erous and so great th atunbeliever s were left with out excuse . He h adca st th e devil out o f a gir l h e h ad
h ea led a m an wh o wa s a lm ost dumb and
quite dea f He followed th is by th eh ea ling o f th e lam e , blind, dum b, m a im ed ,a nd m any oth ers , till th e am a z ed m ultitudeglor ified God With seven loaves and
a few sm a ll fish es be fed and sa tisfied fourth ousand m en beside wom en and ch i ldr en
And now h i s enem ies tr ied to m eet
th ese m iracles by h a rp ing on th e old str ing ,Give us a Sign from hea ven .
”Sa rcasm and
indi gna tion a re m ingled in th e reply. If th eya ctua lly saw som e h eavenly portent theywould pay no m ore r espect to i t th an to th e
pa ssing a tm osph er ic ch a nges from day to day .
And th ese m en so observant of th e weath erand i ts indica tions stood self-condem ned a s
blind to th e sign s o f repeated m iracles by th eSon of God h im self.
101
Mark vii i . 7—10.
7 And they had a few small fishes : andha ving blessed them
,h e commanded to
set these a lso before them .
8 And they did ea t, and werefilled : and they took up , of
broken pieces tha t remained over,seven baskets . And theywere about four thousand :
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xvi . 3, 4. Ma rk vi ii. 12, 12.
3 And in th e morning,I t wi ll be foul
weather to-day : for th e hea ven is redand lowr ing. Ye know how to discernth e face of th e hea ven ; but ye cannot
4 discern th e signs of th e times . An eviland adulterous generation seeketh a ftera Sign
Verily I say unto you,and there sha ll no s ign be given There sha ll no Sign be given
unto it, unto this genera tion “i".
but th e Sign of Jonah.
And h e left them,
And h e left them,
and and again entering into the boa tdeparted . departed to th e other Side .
1 Or, making tr i a l of (Am en ) 2 Th e following words, to th e end of ver. 3, a re om itted by som e of th e m ostancient and oth er im portant a uth or ities.
99 . JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES AGAINST THE “LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES
“AND SADDUCEES,
” AND “THE LEAVEN OF HEROD. See note E,pp. xlii
,xliii.
N or th -ea st coa st of sea of Ga li lee.
Ma tt. xvi. 5—12.
And th e disciplescame to th e other s ide andforgot to take 1bread. forgot to take bread
and they had no t in th e boa t with themmore than one loa f.
And Jesus said unto them ,And h e cha rged them
,saying
,
Take heed and +beware of th e leaven Take heed, + beware of th e leavenof th e Pharisees and of th e Pharisees and
Sadducees . th e leaven of Herod.
And they reasoned And they reasonedamong themselves, saying, one with another, 4 saying,
2We took no 1 bread. And Jesus 5we have no bread. And Jesusperceiving it said, perceiving it sa ith unto them
,
0 ye of little fa ith ,why reason ye among your selves ,because ye ha ve no 1 bread ?Do ye not yet per ceive ,
neither rememberth e
Ifive loaves of th e five thousand,and h ow many 3ba skets
ye took up ?
Neither ”th e seven loaves of th efour thousand, and how many 3baskets
ye took up ?
Th a t i s , no such additiona l Sign a s th ey Jonah .
insisted upon —no sign fr om h ea ven. Th e 1‘ See Luke xi i . 1 , 63 .
pa ra llel pa ssage in Ma tth ew sh ews th at th ey I See 91 .
h ad a sufficient Sign— th e Sign of th e proph et See 97 .
102
Why rea son ye,because ye have no bread ?do ye not yet perceive,
neither understand ? have ye your hea r t18 hardened ? Having eyes
,see ye not ?
and having ea rs, hear ye not ?and do ye not remember ?IWh en I brake th e
five loaves among th e five thousand,how many 6 basketsfull of broken piecestook ye up ?
They say unto him,Twelve .
20 And when th e ”seven among th efour thousand
,how many 6basketfuls of
broken pieces took ye up ?And they say unto him, Seven .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xvi . 14—20. Ma rk vii i. 28—30.
one of th e prophets. One of th e prophets.
15 He saith un to them,
29 And h e asked themBut who say ye that But who say ye tha t
16 I am ? And Simon I am ?Peter answered and Peter answereth and
sa id, sa ith unto him,
Thou art th e Christ, Thou art th e Christ.th e Son Of th e living God .
17 And Jesus answered and
sa id unto him, Blesseda rt thou
,Simon Ba r
Jonah : for flesh and bloodha th not revea led it untothee
,but my Father which
l8 is in heaven. And I alsosay unto thee , that thoua r t 2 Peter*
,and upon
this 3 rock I will build mychurch -r; and th e gatesof Hades sha ll not pre
19 va il aga inst it. I willgive unto thee th e keysof th e k ingdom of heaven :andwhatsoever thou sh altbind on earth shall bebound in heaven : and
wh atsoever thou sha ltloose on ea rth shall beloosed in heaven.
Then charged h e And h e charged But h e chargedth e disciples them them
,
and commanded themthat they should tell that they should tell to tell thisno m an that h e was no m an of him. to no m an.
th e Christ.1 Many anci ent a u th ori ties read th a t I th e Son of man am . SeeMa rk viii. 27 ; Luke ix. 18. 2 Gr. Petros.
3 Gr . p etr a .4 Or , ap a r t (Am en )
102 . JESUS BEGINS To FORETELL HIS ATONEMENT AND EXALTATION .
Nea r Coesa rea Ph ilipp i .
Ma tt. xvi . 21—28. viii Luke ix. 22—27.
From th a t time [He charged them]began 1 Jesus to shew saying,unto h is disciples,how tha t h e
mus t go unto Jerusa lem,
a nd suffer many thi ngsof th e
elders and chiefpr iests a nd scri bes ,
and be k illed,
and th e third day ):
Joh n i . 42,24 .
'I' See Note P, p . lxx . See Note I, p . 11.
104
Ma rk viii . 31—38 ; ix. 1.
And
h e began to teachthem
,
that th e Son of m an
mu stsuffer many things ,
and be rejected by th eelders
,and th e chief
priests,and th e scribes
,
and be ki lled,and after three days ]:
Luke ix. 19—21.
one Of th e Old prophetsi s risen again .
And h e said unto them,But wh o say ye that
I am ?And Peter answering
sa id,
Th e Chr istof God .
Th e Son of m an
mustsuffer many things
,
and be rejected of th eelders and chiefpr iests and scr ibes
,
a nd be ki lled,
a nd th e third day}:
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
22 And Peter took h im , andbegan to rebuke him
,
saying, 2Be it far fromthee
,Lord : this shall
never be unto thee .
But h e turned,
and sa id unto Peter,Get thee behind m e
,
Satanthou art a stumblingblock unto m e :
for thou mindest notth e things of God, butth e things of m en.
Then sa id Jesus untoh i s disciples
,
If any m an would comeafter m e
,let him deny
himself,and take up h is
cross,
25 and follow m e. For wh osoever would save h is 3 lifeshall lose it : and whosoever sha ll lose h is 3 life formy sake
shall find it".
26 For what sha ll a m an
be profited,if h e shall
gain th e whole world,
and forfeit h is 3 life ?or what Sha ll a
m an give in exchangefor h is 3 life ?
27 For th e Son Of m an
shall come
Ma rk vi ii . 31—38.
rise again .
And h e spake th esaying Openly.
And Peter took him, and
began to rebuke him.
But h e turning about,
and seeing h is disciples,
rebukedPeter
,and saith
,
Get thee behind m e,
Satan :
and forfeit h is 3 life ?For wha t should a
m an give in exchangefor h i s 3 life ?
For whosoever sha llbe ashamed of m e and
of my wordsin this adulterous
and sinful generation,
th e Son Of m an also shallbe ashamedof him
,
when h e cometh
See Joh n x11 25 , 160.
102
23 And h e sa id unto3
If any m an would comeafter m e
,let him deny
himself,and take up h i s
crossdail
24 and follow m e
?For wh o
soever would save h is 3 lifesha ll lose it ; but whosoever Shall lose h is 3 life formy sake
,
th e same shall save it25 For what i s a m an
profited,if h e
ga in th e whole world,and lose
or forfeit h i s own self ?
26 For whosoever sha llbe ashamed of m e and
Of my words,
of himshall the Son Of m an
be ashamed,
when h e comethin h is own glory
,
for thou mindest notth e things of God, butth e thi ngs of m en .
34 And h e called unto himth e multitude with h is
disciples,
and sa id untothem,
If any m an would comeafter m e
,let him deny
himself,and take up h is
cross,
and follow m e . For whosoever would sa ve h is 3 lifeshall lose it ; and whosoever shall lose h is 3 life formy sake
and th e gospel’sshall save i t*.
For what doth itprofit a m an
,to
ga in th e whole world,
102 , 103]
Ma tt. xvi . 27, 28.
in th e glory ofh i s Father
with h i s angels ;and then shall h e renderunto every m an accordingto h is 4deeds
2s Verily I say unto you,There be some Of themthat stand here,
which shall in no wiseta ste of death , till
they see th e Son of m ancoming in h iskingdom.
Ma rk vi ii . 38 ; ix. 1 .
in th e glory ofh is Fa ther
with th e holy angels .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke ix. 26, 27.
and the glory ofth e Father
,
and of th e holy angels.
27 But I tell you of a truth,There be some of themthat stand here
,
which sha ll in no wisetaste of death, till
they see
th e kingdom of God th e k ingdom of God.
come with power.2 Or, God h ave m ercy on thee
3 O r, soul 4 Gr . doing.1 Som e‘
ancient auth orities read Jesus Chr i st.
103 . THE TRANSFIGURATION.
Mount Herm on (See note R,page lxxvii . )
Ma tt. xvn. 1—13.
1 And after s ix days 2
Jesus taketh with himPeter,
and James, and Johnh is brother
,
and bringeth them upinto a high mountain
apart :
and
h e wa s transfigured
before them :
Rom . 11. 6 .
Th e translator s of th eAuth or ised Ver sionby beginn ing th e fresh ch a pter (in Ma rk ) withth i s proph ecy, h ave connected itwith th e transfigura tion . It cannot h ave been our Lord ’
s
intention th at th e prediction sh ould h ave th i sapplica tion ; and i t cannot h ave been th us
fulfilled. Th e transfigur a tion h ad no con
nexi on with th a t “ com ing of th e Son OfManof wh ich h e h ad‘ been speaking . In th e pre
vions ver ses h e h a d descri bed th e La st Judgm ent wh en m en sh ould see th e Son of Man“com ing on th e clouds Of h eaven with powerand great glory
”
(Ma tt . xxiv. 30 , But
anoth er “com ing Of th e Son o f Man wa s
foretold in va r ious pa ssages a s occurring a t
th e destruction of Jerusalem . See for exam pleMatt. xxiv. 16 , 172 , wh ich cannot refer toth e end of th e world . It i s Obvious th a t th ewarning to flee from Judsea to th e m ounta ins
Ma rk ix. 2- 13.
And after six days
Jesus taketh with himPeter
,
and James,and John,
and bringeth them upinto a high mountainapart by themselves
and
h e wa s transfigured
before them :
Luke ix. 28— 36.
28 And it came to passabout eight daysafter these sayings,h e took with him
Peterand John and James
,
and went upinto th e mountain
to pray.
29 And a s h e wa s praying,
th e fashion Of h is countenance wa s a ltered ,
can only apply to th e taking of th e city and
th e cruelties of hum an foes . At th e Grea tJudgm ent th e mounta ins wi ll a fford no escapeor refuge from Him th a t sitteth upon th e
Th rone. But th e terror s and agonies causedby th at fierce siege were th e type Of th e eterna lwoes of th e Last Day . In th is proph ecy our
Lord pa sses from one of th ese awful eventsto th e oth er , and foretells th a t th e first coming o f th e Son of Man sh a ll h appen beforea ll th ose th en present sh ould h ave “ta sted
dea th .
”Ti tus took Jerusa lem on th e 8th
of Sept . A.D . 70 . Th e city and temple weresa cked and burnt , and m ore th anJews were destroyed. We cannot nam e wi th
certa inty all o f our Lord ’s h ea rers wh o were
th en still living . Joh n wrote th e Gospel andth e Apoca lypse long a fter th e destruction .
Tradition adds th e nam es o f Ph ilip a nd
oth ers , a s survivors .
Ma rk ix. If.
1 And h e sa id unto themVerily I say unto you,There be some hereof them that stand by,which shall in no wisetaste of death, till
they see
103]
Ma tt. xvii . 5 -11.
and behold , a voiceou t of th e cloud, saying,This is my beloved
Son,
in whom I am wellpleased ;hea r ye him.
6 And when th e discipleshea rd it, they fell on theirfa ce, and were sore a
7 fraid And Jesus cameand touched them and
sa id, Ar ise, and be not
afraid.
lifting up th eir eyes ,
they saw no one,
save Jesus only.
9 And a s they werecoming down from th e
mounta in,Jesus com
m anded them,saying
,
Tell th e vision to nom an ,
until th e Son ofm an be risenfrom th e dea d.
And h i s disciplesasked him,
saying,Wh y then
say th e scribes that+Elijah must first come ?And h e answered
and sa id,Elij ah indeed cometh,
and sha ll restoreall things
For oth er instances Of thi s overpower ingterror Of even h oly m en in th e presence Of
Ma rk ix. 7—12.
and there came a voiceout of th e cloud
,
This i s my belovedSon
hear ye him.
And suddenly
questioning among themselves wha t th e ris ingagain from th e deadshould mean.
And theyasked him, saying,
2Th e scribes say that+Elij ah must first come.
And h e
said unto them,
Elijah indeed comethfirst, and restoreth
a ll things :and how i s it written ofth e Son of m an, that h e
th e m anifestation of God’s glory, see Isa i ah
108
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Luke ix. 35, 36.
35 And a voice cameout of th e cloud
,saying
,
This is 6m ySon,
my chosen
hear ye him.
And
when th e vome 6 came,
Jesus wa s found alone.
And they held theirpea ce
,and told no m an
in those days any of th ethings which they hadseen.
vi . 5 ; E z ek . i . 28 ; Habak. i i i . 16 ; Rev. i . 17."I" See note I], 23.
look ing round about,
they saw no one anymore
,save Jesus only
with themselves.
9 And a s they werecoming down from themountain , h e cha rgedthem that they shouldtell no m an whatthings they had seen ,save when th e Son Of
m an Should ha ve risenaga in from th e dead.
10 And they kept th esaying,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma rk ix. 12, 13.
should sufl'
er many th ings and be set
at nought ?13 But I say unto you, that Elij ah is come,
Ma tt. xvn. 12, 13.
12 but I say Im to you, that Emah i s come *already, and they knew him not, but
and they have alsodid unto him whatsoever they listed . done unto him wha tsoever they listed,
even a s it is written of him .
Even so shall th e Son of m an also suffer13 of them. Then understood th e disciplesthat h e spake unto them of John th e
Baptist.1 Or , booth s 2 Or , How is it th a t the scr i bes say . com e ? 3 Or , dep a r tur e 2 Or , h a ving r ema ined awa ke
5 Many ancient auth orities read my beloved Son. See Ma tt. xvu . 5 ; Ma rk Ix.6 Or , wa s p a st
104 . JESUS CASTS A DUMB AND DEAF SPIRIT OUT OF A CHILD .
Nea r Caesa rea Phi lipp i .
Luke ix. 37— 43.
37 And it came to pass, onth e next day1 when theywere come down from th emountain
,
Matt. xvn. 14—20. Ma rk ix. 14 —29.
And when theywere come
And when theycame
to th e disciples , theysaw a grea t multitudeabout them
,and scribes
question ing with them .
15 And straightway all th e
multitude,when they saw
him,were grea tlyam a z edi ,
and runn ing to himsaluted him.
16 And h e asked them,Wha t
question ye with them ?And one 38
of th e multitude
to th e multitude,
a great multitude
there came to h im m et him .
a m an,
And behold, a m an
fr om th e multitudekneeling to him,
and saying,
answered him,
cried,saying,
15 Lord,have mercy 3Master, I brought 3Master
,I beseech thee
on my son unto thee my son,
to look upon my sonfor h e i s mine only child
for h e i s epilepticll, which hath a dum b spirit ;
See note G, pa ge xlvi i.And it would th erefore seem th a t th e
tr ansfiguration, including th e tim e spent ingoing to th e m ounta in and returning from i t,h ad occupied a wh ole day , if not m ore .
I Wh a t caused th eir “am a z ement
”? May
we not rea sonably suggest th a t th e glory of
th e transfigura ti on h ad not entirely pa ssedaway ? Such wa s th e exper ience of Moses .
Com pa re Exod . xxxiv. 29—35 and 2 Cor . iii . 13
MTh i s m ay m ean , eith er th a t th e externa leffects on th e vi ctim were such a s would beproduced by epilepsy , or th a t th e repeateda tta cks of th e evi l spirit h ad a ctua lly pro
duced an epileptic condition . Th a t th e ca se
was one Of rea l dem on ia c possession i s quiteclea r , not only from th e fuller descr iptions ofth e oth er Evangelists but from th e language
of Ma tth ew in verse 18.
10 4]
Ma tt. xvu . 15—17.
and sufiereth grievouslyfor oft-times h e fallethinto th e fir e
,and oft-times
into th e water.
16 And I brought him tothy disciples,
and they could notcure him .
And Jesus answeredand sa id
,
O faithlessand perverse
gener ation, how longsha ll I be with you ?how long shall I bear
with you ?bring him hither to m e .
Mark ix. 18 -24.
18 and wheresoever it takethhim,
it 4da sheth him downa nd h e foameth,
and gr indeth h is teeth,and pineth away :
a nd I spake tothy disciples that theyshould ca st it out ;
and they were not able.
And h e answereththem and saith,O faithless
generation, how longshall I be with youhow long shall I bear
with you ?bring him unto m e.
20 And they brought himunto him :
a nd
when h e saw him,
straightway th e spir it
6 tare him gr ievouslyand h e fell on th e ground,and wallowed foaming.
21 And h e a sked h is father,
How long time i s it sincethis hath come unto him ?And h e said
,From a
22 child . And oft-times itha th cast him both intoth e fir e and into th e
waters,to destroy him
but if thou canst do anything
,have compass ion
23 on us,and help us . And
Jesus said unto him,If
thou canst " All thingsa re poss ible to him that
24 believeth. Straightwayth e father of th e childcried out
,and said 6
,I be
110
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke ix. 39—42.
39 and behold, a spirit takethh im
,and h e suddenly
crieth out ;
and it 9 teareth h imthat h e foameth
,
and it hardly depar tethfrom him
,bruising h im
sorely.
And I besoughtthy disciplesto cast it out
and they could not.
And Jesus answeredand said
,
O faithlessand perverse
genera tion,how long
shall I be wi th you,
and bearwith you ?
bring hither thy son.
And
as he wa s yet a com i ng,
th e 1devil10dashed him down , and5 tare h im grievously.
105, 106] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
105. JESUS A SECOND TIME (see 102 ) PREDICTS HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION.
Ga li lee.
Matt. xvn. 22, 23. Ma rk ix. 30—32. Luke ix. 43—45.
30 And they went forthfrom thence , and pa ssedthr ough Ga lilee ; and h e
would not that any m an
should know it.22 And while they 1abodein Galilee,
43 But while all were marvelling at all th e thi ngswhich h e did
,
For h e taught h is disJesus said unto ciples , and said unto h e said unto
them, them,
h is disciples,
44 Let these words sink intoyour ea rs for
Th e Son of m an shall be Th e Son of m an is th e Son of m an shall bedelivered up into delivered up into delivered up intoth e hands of m en ; th e hands of m en , th e hands of m en.
23 and they shall k ill him, and they sha ll k ill himand when h e i s ki lled,
and th e th ird day h e after three days h esha ll be ra ised up. sha ll rise again .
And they were exceedingsorry.
32 But they understood 45 But they understoodnot th e saying, not this saying
,
and it wa s concealed fromthem
,that they should
not perce ive it :and were afra id to a sk and th eywere a fraid to a sk
him a bout this saying.1 Som e ancient auth or ities read were g a th er ing th emselves together .
106 . JESUS PAYS THE TRIBUTE MONEY.
Caperna um .
Ma tt. xvn. 24—27. Ma rk ix. 33.
Ma rk ix. 33.
And they came to CapernaumMa tt. xvii. 24, 25.
24 And when they were come to Capernaum,they th a t received th e 1ha lf- shekel* came
25 to Peter, and said , Doth not your 2master pay th e 1half-Shekel ? He sa ith, Yea .
And when h e came into th e house,Jesus spake first to him,
saying,Wh a t thinkest
thou, Sim on ? th e ki ngs of th e earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute ?
See Note Q , p . lxxv. under ti tles didr a chm and sta ter .
112
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xv u. 25—27.
26 from their sons , or from strangers ? And when h e said, From strangers , Jesus said27 unto him,
Therefore th e sons a re free . But, lest we cause them to stumble, go thouto th e sea , and cast a hook , and take up th e fish tha t first cometh up ; and when thouhast Opened h is mouth, thou shalt find a 3 shekel : that take , and give unto them form e and thee.
1 Gr . d idr a chma .2 Or , tea ch er 2 Gr. sta ter .
107. JESUS TEACHES HUMILITY.
Luke ix. 46—48.
46 And there arose* areasoning among them,
which of them 2 shouldbe 1greatest.
Ma tt. xvii i. 1—5.
33 And when h e was inth e house
1 In that hour came th edisciples unto Jesus, saying,Who then is
1greatest
in th e kingdom of hea ven ?h e asked them, Whatwere ye reasoning in th e
34 way ? But they heldtheir pea ce : for theyhad disputed one withanother in th e way
,who
wa s th e 1 greatest.And 47 But when Jesus saw th e
reasoning of their heart,h e sa t down
,and ca lled
th e twelve ; and h e saithunto them,
If any m an
would be first,h e sha ll
be la st of a ll, and ministerof all .
2 And h e called to him And h e took h e tooka little child, and set him a little child
,and set him a little child, and set him
by h is s ide,
in th e midst of them,in th e midst of them :
and taking h im in h is arms,and said, h e sa id unto them
, 48 and sa id unto them,
Probably a rising from our Lord’s words
to Peter , Ma tt. xvi . 17— 19 , 101 . If th eyh ad caused any am bition in Peter ’s h ea rt, o rany jea lousy on th e pa r t Of th e rest o f th e
twelve, th e words and conduct of Jesus were
perfectly adapted to correct both tem pta tions.
Peter and th e oth ers a re equa lly taugh t th a tth eir glory i s to be in ch i ldlike h um ility, andnot in auth ori ty or precedence . T h e m ode inwh ich th i s lesson cam e i s worth y of note .
Fir st, th e disciples h ave th eir pr iva te conten
tion a s th ey a re in th e public road, but out ofth e h ea ring of Jesus . Th ough h e sees and
knows all, h e preserves silence till th ey enterth e h ouse and th en th ey a sk wh a t th ey th ink
will look li ke a genera l question , but wh ichth ey w ill be able to apply so as to settle th eirdi spute . Jesus gives no answer ; but a sks
th em a t once and pointedly th e questionwh ich sh ews th a t h e knew a ll th at h ad h appened , and th a t h e saw th rough th eir pretence .
Receiving from th em in th eir confusion no
answer , h e rebukes th em with touch ing gentleness and fulness both by word and by illustra tion.
w. 113
107— 109] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xvi ii. 3—5.Verily I say unto you,Except ye turn , and be
come a s little children , ye
Sha ll in no wise enter intoth e kingdom of heaven .
4 Whosoever therefore sha llhumble himself a s thislittle child
,th e same i s
th e 1grea test in th e k ingdom Of hea ven .
5 And whoso shall receiveone such littlechild in my namereceiveth m e .
Mark ix. 37. Luke ix. 48.
Whosoever shall receivethi s little
child in my namereceiveth m e
andwhosoevershall receivem e receiveth
him that sent m e
for h e that i s 3 leastamong you all
,th e same
18 grea t.3 Gr. lesser .
1 Gr . grea ter .2 Or , wa s the gr ea test (Am en )
108. JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES AGAINST SPIRITUAL EXCLUSIVENESS.
Ma rk ix. 38- 4 1. Luke ix. 49, 50.
38 John said unto h im,
1Ma ster,we 49 And John answered and Said
,Master, we
saw one casting out 2devils in thy nameand we forbade him
,beca use h e followeth
50 not with us . But Jesus said unto him,
Forbid h im not :
saw one casting out 2devils in thy nameand we forbade him ,
because h e followed39 not us. But Jesus said,
Forbid him not :
for there is no m an which shall do a3mighty work in my name
,and be able
quickly to speak evil of m e.
40 For h e that i s not against us is for us .
41 For whosoever sha ll give you a cup Of
water to drink,4 because ye a re Christ’s ,
verily I say unto you, h e shall in no
wise lose h i s rewa rd.
for h e that i s not against you is for you.
1 Or, Teach er 2 Gr . dem ons. 3 Gr. p ower . 4 Gr. in name th a t ye a re.
109. JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES AGAINST STUMBLING, OR CAUSING OTHERSTO no so .
Matt. xvii i. 6—20.6 But whoso shall cause one of these
little ones which believe on m e tostumble , it i s profitable for him that 1agreat millstone " Should be hanged about
Th e ordina ry h and-m i ll consi sted of an
upper and a lower stone ; th e lower fixed andconta ining a cavity into wh ich th e upper
fitted. Th e upper wa s furnish ed with one
or two h andles by wh ich two wom en sitting
Ma rk ix. 42—50.
42 And whosoever shall ca use one of theselittle ones that believe 8 0 11 th e to
stumble,it were better for him if 1 a
great millstone* were ha nged about
Opposite to each oth er m ade th e upper stonerevolve and grind th e m ea l . It wa s such a
m illstone th a t th e wom an th rew upon Abim elech and killed h im , Judges ix. 53 , Revi sedVersion. But th ere were oth er m ills much
111
Whosoever shall receiveone of such littlechildren in my name
,
receiveth m e :
and whosoever receivethm e
,receiveth
not m e,but
him that sent m e .
109— 111] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xvi ii . 17—20.
18 publican. Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye Shall bind on ea rth Shall bebound in heaven : and wha t things soever ye shall loose on ea rth sha ll be loosed in
19 heaven . Aga in I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth a s touchinganything that they sha ll a sk , it sha ll be done for them of my Father which i s in
20 hea ven. For where two or three a re ga thered together in my name,there am I in
th e midst of them .
1 Gr . a m i llstone turned by a n a ss. 2 Gr . Geh enna ofkfir e. 8 Many auth orities, som e ancient, insert ver.
For th e Son 0 m an came to sa ve th a t wh ich wa s lost. See Lu e xix. 10, 151. 4 Gr . 0 th tng wi lled bef or e yourF a th er .
5 om e ancient auth orities read m y.6 Som e ancient auth or ities om it aga inst th ee.
7 Or , congrega tion8 Many ancient auth orities om it on m e. 9 Gr. Geh enna .
1° Ve r . 44 and 46 (wh ich a re identica l with ver . 48)a re Om itted by th e best ancient auth or i ties. 11 Many ancient au th or iti es add a nd every sa crifice sh a ll be sa ltedwi th sa lt. See Lev. i i . 13
110 . JESUS,IN THE PARABLE OF A KING AND HIS SERVANTS, TEACHES THE
DISCIPLES To FORGIVE INJURIES.
Cap er na um .
Ma tt . xvii i . 21—35.
21 Then came Peter, and sa id to him,Lord
,how oft Sha ll my brother 8 111 a ga i nst m e
,
22 and I forgive him ? until seven times ? Jesus sa ith unto him,I say not unto thee
,
23 Until seven times ; but, Until 1seventy times seven . Therefore i s th e k ingdom ofheaven likened unto a certa in king, which would make a reckoning with h is 2 servants .
24 And when h e had begun to reckon , one wa s brought unto him,which owed him ten
25 thousand 3 talents . But forasmuch a s h e had not wher ewi th to pay, h i s lord comm anded him to be sold and h i s wife , and children , and a ll tha t h e h ad
,and payment
26 to be made . Th e 4servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord,27 ha ve patience with m e
,and I will pay thee a ll. And th e lord of tha t 4 servant
,being
28 moved with compassion, released h im ,and forgave h im th e 5debt. But tha t 4 servant
went out,and found one of h is fellow-servants
,which owed him a hundred 6pence
a nd h e laid hold on him,and took h im by th e throat
,saying
,Pay what thou owest.
29 So h is fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have pa tience with m e, and
30 I will pay thee. And h e would not : but went and cast him into prison, till h e shou ld31 pay tha t which wa s due . SO when h is fellow-servants saw wha t wa s done
,they were
32 exceeding sorry, and came and told unto the ir lord a ll tha t wa s done . Then h is lordca lled him unto him
,and saith to him
,Thou wicked 4
servant,I forga ve thee all tha t
33 debt because thou besough test m e : shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy34 fellow-servant
,even a s I had mercy on thee 2 And h i s lord wa s wroth
,and delivered
35 him to th e tormentors,till h e should pay a ll tha t wa s due. So sha ll a lso my heavenly
Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one h is brother from your hearts .
1 Or , seventy times a nd seven 2 Gr . bond ser va nts. 3 Th is ta lent wa s probably worth about £240.4 Gr . bondserva nt. 5 Gr . loan.
6 O r , sh i llings (Am en ) Th e wo rd in th e Greek denotes a co in worth a bout
eigh t pence h a lfpenny. See Note Q , pages lxxiv, lxxvi .
111. JESUS,BEING URGED BY HIS BRETHREN To Go To JUD fEA, ATTENDS THE
FEAST PRIVATELY .
On the way from Cap erna um to Jerusa lem .
Joh n vu . 2—13.
2, 3 Now th e fea st of th e Jews , th e feast of tabernaclesM, wa s at hand. His brethrentherefore said unto him
,Depa rt hence
,and go into Judaea
,that thy disciples also m ay
4 behold thy works which thou doest . For no m a n doeth anything in secret, 1and
himself seeketh to be known openly. If fnou doest these things , manifest thyself to5, 6 th e world. For even h is breth ren did not believe on him. Jesus therefore saith
See Ma tt . xvi . 19 , 101 . Th e servant refused to forgive £3 . 103 . 10d.
Lev. xxv . 39 . Lev. xxi ii . 34— 43 : Deut. xvi . 13— 15.
Th e king forgave th e servant
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
John vn. 6—13.
7 unto them,My time i s not yet come ; but your time i s alway ready. Th e world can
not hate you ; but m e it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works a re evi l .8 GO ye up unto th e feast : I go not up
2yet unto this feast ; because my time is not yet
9 fulfilled. And ha ving said these thi ngs unto them,h e abode still in Ga lilee.
10 But when h is brethren were gone up unto th e feast, then went h e also up, not11 publicly, but a s it were in secret. Th e Jews therefore sought him a t th e feast, and12 said
,Where is h e ? And there wa s much murmuring among th e multitudes concern
ing him : some said,He i s a good m an ; others sa id
,Not so
,but h e leadeth th e
13 multitude astray. Howbeit no m an spake Openly of him for fear of th e Jews .
1 Som e ancient auth or ities read and seeketh i t to be known openly.2 Many ancient auth or ities om it yet.
IN THE MIDST OF THE FEAST JESUS TEACHES PUBLICLY IN THE TEMPLE.
THE OFFICERS SENT TO TAKE HIM ARE RESTRAINED FROM DOING SO.
112.
Jer usa lem .
John vn. vii i. 1.
14 But when it wa s now th e midst of th e feast Jesus went up into th e temple,and
15 taught. Th e Jews therefore marvelled, saying, How knoweth this m an letters , having16 never lea rned ? Jesus therefore answered them
,and said
,My teaching i s not mine
,
17 but h is that sent m e. If anym an willeth to do h is will,h e sha ll know of th e teaching
,
18 whether it be of God,or whether I speak from myself. He that speaketh from himself
seeketh h is own glory : but h e tha t seeketh th e glory of him that sent him,th e same
19 i s true, a nd no unrighteousness i s in him . Did not Moses give you th e law, and yet20 none of you doeth th e law ? Why seek ye to k ill m e ? Th e multitude answered
,
21 Thou hast a 1devil : wh o seeketh to kill thee ? Jesus answered and said unto them,I
22 did one work , a nd ye all2marvel. For this cause ha th Moses given you circumcis ion
(not tha t it is ofMoses , but Of th e fa thers) ; a nd on th e sabbath ye circumcise a m an.
23 If a m an receiveth circumcision on th e sabbath,tha t th e law of Moses may not be
broken ; a re ye wroth with m e, because I made a 3m an every whit whole on th e
24 sabbath Judge not according to appearance,but judge righteous judgement.
25 Some therefore of them of Jerusalem said,IS not this h e whom they seek to ki ll ?
26 And lo, h e speaketh Openly,and th ey say nothing unto him . Can it be that th e
27 rulers indeed k now tha t this i s th e Christ ? Howbeit we know this m an whence h e28 is : but when th e Christ cometh, no one knoweth whence h e i s . Jesus therefore criedin th e temple, tea ching and saying, Ye both know m e
,and k now whence I am ; and
29 I am not come of myself,but h e tha t sent m e i s true
,whom ye know not. I know
30 him ; because I am from him,and h e sent m e. They sought therefore to take him
31 and no m an laid h is hand on him,because h is hour wa s not yet come . Bu t of th e
multitude many believed on him and they said,When th e Christ sha ll come, will h e
32 do more signs than those which this m an hath done ? Th e Pharisees hea rd th e
m ultitude murmuring these things concerning h im ; and th e chief priests and th e
33 Phar isees sent Officers to take him. Jesus therefore sa id,Yet a li ttle while am I with
34 you,and I go unto him that sent m e . Ye shall seek m e
,and Shall not find m e : and
35 where I am, ye cannot come . Th e Jews therefore said among themselves , Whither
will this m an go tha t we Shall not find him ? will h e go unto th e Dispersion 4 among36 th e Greeks, and teach th e Greeks What i s this word that h e sa id
,Ye shall seek m e
,
and shall not find m e and where I am, ye cannot come ?
37 Now on th e last day, th e great +day of th e feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If
See 47 and Joh n v. 5—9 , 44.
Th e fea st of tabernacles la sted eight days.
Dur ing th e first seven th ey professed to offersa crifices for - th e “
seventy na tions ” Of th eea rth . On th e eigh th th ey Offered sacr ificesfo r Isra el. Th is day wa s th erefore th e grea t“ day
”o f th e fea st to th em . To th e r itua l
prescribed by th e law th e Jews h ad in laterdays added two interesting cerem onies , andour Lord ava iled h im self of each Of th ese togive efiect to h i s teach ing .
Th e first wa s a solem n procession wh i ch
brough t wa ter from th e pool o f Siloam to
pour a s a liba tion on th e a lta r . Th is cere
117
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Joh n vn. 37— 53 viii . 1.
38 any m an thirst, let h im come unto m e,and drink . He that believeth on m e
,a s th e
39 scr ipture ha th said, 5 out of h is belly sha ll flow rivers of living water . But this spakeh e of th e Spirit
,which they tha t believed on him were to receive : 6for th e Spirit wa s
40 not yet g iven ; because Jesus wa s not yet glorified. Som e of th e multitude therefore,
41 when they hea rd these words, sa id, This i s of a truth th e prophet. Others sa id, This42 i s th e Chri st. But some said , What, doth th e Christ come out Of Galilee ? Ha th notth e scripture sa id th at th e Christ cometh Of th e *seed of Da vid, and from Bethlehem-f,
43 th e village where David wa s ? So there a rose a division in th e multitude because of44 h im . And some of them would have taken him ; but no m an laid hands on him .
45 Th e Officers therefore came to th e chief priests and Pharisees and they sa id unto46 them,
Why did ye not bring him ? Th e Offi cers answered,Never m an so spake.
47, 48 Th e Pha risees therefore answered them,
Are ye also led astray ? Hath any Of th e
49 ru lers believed on him,or of th e Pharisees ? But this mu ltitude which knoweth not
50 th e law a re accursed. N icodemus saith unto them (h e th at came to him beforeI, being51 one of them), Doth our law judge a m an
,except it first hea r from himself and know
52 wh a t h e doeth ? They answered a nd sa id unto him, Art th ou also of Galilee ? Sea rch,and 7 see tha t out of Ga lilee ariseth no prophet.
53 8 [And they went every m an unto h is own h ouse
John vi ii . 1.
1 but Jesus went unto th e mount of Olives .
1 Gr . dem on.2 Or , m a r vel because of th i s. Moses h a th g iven you ci rcunwi s ion 3 Gr . a whole m a n
sound (Am en ) 4 Gr. 0 5 Onf r om wi th i n h im (Am en ) 6 Som e ancient auth orities read f or th eHolySp ir i twa s not yet g iven.
7 Or, see . f or out of Gali lee 3 See note 1 i n next secti on.
113. THE ADULTERESS BROUGHT To JESUS . 1
Jerusa lem .
Joh n vi i i. 2—11.
2 [And early in th e morning h e came aga in into th e temple, and a ll th e people came3 unto him ; and h e sa t down ,
and taught them And th e scribes a nd th e Pharisees4 bring a woman taken in adultery ; and having set h er in th e midst
,they say unto
5 him,
2Ma ster,this woman hath been taken in adultery
, in th e very act. Now in6 th e law Moses"commanded us to stone such : wha t then sayest thou of h er ? And
this they sa id,
3 tempting him,tha t they might h a ve whereof to accuse him. But
7 Jesus stooped down ,and with h is finger wrote on th e ground . But when they con
t inued asking him,h e lifted up himself
,and said unto them
,He tha t i s without S in
8 among you, let him fir st cast a stone a t h er . And again h e stooped down,and with
9 h is finger wrote on th e ground . And they, when they heard it, went out one by one,beginning from th e eldest, even unto th e la st : and Jesus wa s left a lone
, and th e10 woman, where sh e wa s , in th e midst. And Jesus lifted up himself
,and sa id unto h er
,
11Woman,where a re they ? did no m an condemn thee ? And sh e said
,No m an
,Lord .
And Jesus sa id,Neither do I condemn thee : go thy way ; from henceforth s in no
more ]1 Most of th e ancient auth or ities om it Joh n vi i . 53—vi ii . 11. Th ose wh ich conta in it va ry m uch from each oth er .
2 Or , Tea cher 2 O r , trym g
m ony wa s a ccom pa nied by m usic and h a llel
ujah s ; th e crowd singing th e words fromIsa iah xii . 3
,
“With joy Sh all ye draw wa ter“out Of th e wells o f sa lva tion .
” Probablyth is wa s actua lly being per form ed wh en our
Lord th us (vv. 37 , 38) procla im ed th e true
m eaning o f th e type .
Th e second wa s th e illum ina tion of th e
Tem ple by th e num erous ligh ts of four goldencandelabra . To th is our Lord probablyrefers in John vi ii . 12 , 114 .
Th is day of h oly convocation wa s th e la stday o f th e fea st and th e la st of th e annualfestiva l sea son . It celebra ted not only th edeliverance of th e na tion (Lev. xxiii . 34 , 42 )but th e Ha rvest Hom e (Exod . xx111 . 16 , Lev.
xxiii. and wa s th e m ost joyful day of th e
yea r .
Psa lm lxxxix. 4 °
cxxxn. 11.‘l' Micah v. 2 .
1 Joh n i i i . 1, 2 , 27 .
Lev. xx. 10 ; Deut. xxn . 21— 24 .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Joh n vi i i . 44—59.
45 a lia r, and th e fa ther thereof." But because I say th e truth, ye believe m e not.46 Wh ich of you convicteth m e of Sin ? If I say truth, why do ye not believe me ?47 He that i s Of God heareth th e words Of God : 1 for this cause ye hea r them not, because48 ye a re not of God. Th e Jews answered and said unto him
,Say we not well tha t thou
49 a r t a Sama ritan , and hast a 12devil ? Jesus answered, I have not a 12devil ; but I50 honour my Father, and ye dishonour m e . But I seek not mine own glory : there i s51 one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, veri ly, I say unto you , If a m an keep my word,52 h e Sha ll never see death. Th e Jews said unto him, Now we know that thou hast
a 12devil. Abraham 13 i s dead,and the prophets and thou sayest
,If a m an keep my
53 word, h e shall never ta ste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham,
54 which 13 i s dead ? and th e prophets 13 a re dead : whom makest thou thyself ? Jesusanswered
,If I glorify myself
,my glory is nothing : it is my Father that glorifieth
55 m e of whom ye say, that h e is your God and ye have not known him but I knowhim ; and if I should say, I know him not
,I Shall be like unto you
,a liar : but
56 I know him,and keep h is word . IYour father Abraham rej oiced 14 to see my day ;
57 and h e saw it, and wa s glad. Th e Jews therefore said unto him,Thou art not yet
58 fifty yea rs Old, and hast thou seen Abraham ? Jesus said unto them,Verily
,verily,
59 I say unto you, Before Abraham15wa s
, I am. They took up stones therefore to ca stat him but Jesus 16hid himself, and went out of th e temple 17.1 Or, I a m
2 Or,How is it th a t I even sp ea k to you a t a ll? O r, A ltogether tha t wh ich I a lso speak unto you
(Am en ) 8 Gr . into.4 Or , I am Or, I am h e : a nd I do 5 Or , h a th no p lace in you
6 O r , the Fath erdo ye a lso there ar e th e th ings wh ich ye h ea r d f r om th e Fa ther .
7 Gr . a r e. 8 Som e a nci ent auth or ities read yed o th eworks A bra h am .
9 Or , know10 Som e suc1ent auth or ities rea d sta ndeth .
11 O r, Wh en one sp eaketha lee, h e speaketh of h is own : f or h is f a th er a lso is a li a r .
12 Gr . demon.13 O r , d ied Com pa re vi. 49, 58, 93,
p . 95 (Am en ) 14 Or, tha t h e sh ould see15 Gr. wa s bor n.
16 Or , was h i dden, a nd went do. 7 Manya ncient auth or ities add a nd going th r oug h the m id st of them went h is way, a nd so p a ssed by.
115. JESUS GIVES SIGHT To A MAN BORN BLIND.
Jerusa lem .
John ix. 1—41.
1, 2 And a s h e passed by
,h e saw a m an blind from h is birth. And h is disciples asked
him,saying
,Rabbi
,who did s in
,this m an
,or h is parents
,tha t h e Should be born
3 blind ? Jesus answered, Ne ither did thi s m an s in, nor h is pa rents : but th at th e4 works of God Should be made manifest in him. We must work th e works Of him5 tha t sent m e
,while it i s day : th e night cometh, when no m an ca n work. When
6 I am in th e world,I am th e light of th e world. When h e h ad thus spoken
,h e Spat
on th e ground, and made clay Of th e Spittle , 1 and anointed h is eyes with th e clay,
7 and sa id unto him, GO, wash in th e pool of S iloam (which i s by interpretation, Sent).8 He went away therefore, and washed, and came seeing. Th e neighbours therefore
,
and they which saw him aforetime , tha t h e wa s a beggar, said, Is not this h e that9 sat and begged ? Others sa id, It is h e : others said
,NO
,but h e is like him. He
10 sa id, I am h e. They said therefore unto him,How then were thine eyes opened ?
11 He answered,Th e m an that i s called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes
,and
sa id unto m e,Go to Siloam
,and wash : SO I went away and wa shed, and I received
12 Sight. And they sa id unto him,Where i s h e ? He saith
,I know not.
13, 14 They bring to th e Pharisees him that aforetime wa s blind. Now it was th e
15 sa bba th on th e day when Jesus made th e clay, and Opened h is eyes. Again thereforeth e Pharisees also a sked him h ow h e received h is s ight. And h e sa id unto them
,
16 He put clay upon mine eyes , and I wa shed, and do see . Some therefore of th e Phariseessaid
,This m an i s not from God”, because h e keepeth not th e sa bbath. But others
said,HOW can a m an that i s a sinner do such Signs And there wa s a division
'
17 am ong them. They say therefore unto th e blind m an aga in, What sayest thou of18 him
,in tha t h e Opened thine eyes ? And h e sa id, He is a proph etfii . Th e Jews
MJoh n i i i . 2 , 27 .
11 John iv. 19, § 31 .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
John ix. 18—41.
therefore did not believe concerning him, tha t h e h ad been blind, and had received19 h is sight, until they called th e pa rents Of him that had received h i s Sight, and askedthem,
saying, Is this your son, who ye say wa s born blind ? how then doth h e now20 see ? His pa rents answered and said
,We know that this i s our son,
and that h e21 wa s born blind : but how h e now seeth, we know not ; or who opened h i s eyes, we22 know not : a sk him ; h e i s of age ; h e shall speak for himself. These things saidh is parents , because they feared th e Jews : for th e Jews h ad agreed already, that ifany m an should confess him to be Christ, h e Should be put out of th e synagogue.
23, 24 Therefore said h is parents, He i s of age ; a sk h im . SO they called a second timeth e m an that wa s blind, and said unto him, Give glory to God* : we know that this
25 m an i s a s inner. He therefore answered, Wheth er h e be a sinner, I know not : one
26 thing I know, that, wherea s I wa s blind, now I see . They said therefore unto hi m ,
27 What did h e to thee ? how Opened h e thine eyes ? He answered them,
‘I told youeven now, and ye di d not hear : wherefore would ye hear it a ga in ? would ye also
28 become h is disciples ? And they reviled him,and said
,Thou a rt h is disciple ; but
29 we a re disciples of Moses . We know tha t God hath spoken unto Moses : but a s30 for this m an
,we know not whence h e i s . Th e m an answered and said unto them
,
Why, herein i s th e ma rvel, tha t ye know not whence h e is , and yet h e Opened mine31 eyes . We know that God hea reth not Sinners + z but if any m an be a worshipper32 of God, and do h is will, him he heareth. Since th e world began it wa s never hea rdas that any one Opened th e eyes Of a m an born blind . If this m an were not from God
,
34 h e could do nothing. They answered and said unto h im,Thou wast altogether born
in s ins,and dost thou teach us ? And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out ; and finding him,h e said
,Dost thou
36 believe on 2th e Son Of God ? He answered and said,And wh o is h e
,Lord
,that I may
37 believe on him ? Jesus said unto him ,Thou ha st both seen him, and h e it i s that
38, 39 speaketh with thee . And h e said,Lord
,I believe . And h e worshipped him. And
Jesus said, For judgement came I into this world, tha t they which see not may40 see ; and tha t they which see m ay become blindx. Those of th e Pharisees which41 were with h im heard these things , and sa id unto him
, Are we also blind ? Jesussa id unto them,
If ye were blind, ye would have no s in but now ye say,We see
your s in rema ineth.
1 Or , a nd wi th the cla y th ereof a nointed h is eyes 2 Many ancient auth or ities rea d th e Son Qf‘
m an.
116 . JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
Jerusa lem .
Joh n x. 1— 21.
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He tha t entereth not by th e door into th e fold of th e2 sheep, but climbeth up some other way, th e same i s a
' th ief and a robber. But h e
3 that entereth in by th e door i s 1 th e shepherd of th e sheep. To him th e porterOpeneth ; and th e sh eep hea r h is voice and h e ca lleth h is own Sheep by name
,and
4 leadeth them out. When h e hath put forth a ll h is own,h e goeth before them
,and
Th e Auth or ised Ver sion renders th isph ra se by
“Give God th e pra ise .
” Th i s
suggests th a t th e Jews were inviting hi m to
gi ve th e pra ise for h i s h ea ling— th e glory of
th e m iracle— to God and not to Jesus. Th isidea doubtless underlay th e words ; but th eirpr im a ry m eaning wa s different . Th ey were‘a solem n ch a rge to decla re th e wh ole truth .
‘See Josh ua vi i . 19 . Th e m an by h is form er
‘decla ra tion (v. 17) h ad r ea lly (so th ey im ply)‘done dish onour to God . He was now re
‘quired to confess h i s error , to recognise in th e‘auth or ita tive voice Of “ th e Jews ” h i s own
‘condem na tion
,and to adm it th e truth Of it. ’
(Sp ea ker’s Comm . ) It wa s equiva lent to say
ing We ch a rge you to glorify God by tellingth e wh ole and unva rn ish ed truth about th issupposed or rea l m i ra cle .
1 Isa i ah i . 15 .
1 Ma tt. xiii . 13 , 70 .
I] Joh n xv. 22— 24,
193 .
116, 117] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
John x. 4— 21.
5 th e sheep follow him : for they know h is voice . And a stranger will they not follow,
6 but will flee from him : for they know not th e voice of strangers . This 2parablespake Jesus unto them ; but they understood not what things they were which h espake unto them.
7 Jesus therefore said unto them again ,Verily
,verily
,I say unto you, I am th e door
8 of th e sheep . All that came before m e a re thieves and robbers but th e sheep did9 not hear them. I am th e door* by m e if any m an enter in
,h e Shall be saved
,and
10 Sha ll go in and go out, and sha ll find pasture . Th e thief cometh not, but tha t h e maysteal
,and ki ll, a nd destroy I came th at they m ay have life , and m ay
3have i t11 a bundantly. I am th e good shepherd th e good shepherd layeth down h is life for th e12 sheep. He tha t i s a hireling, and not a shepherd, Whose own th e Sheep a re not
,
beholdeth th e wolf coming, and leaveth th e sh eep, and fleeth , and th e wolf sna tch eth
13 them ,and sca ttereth th em : hefleeth becau se h e is a hireling, and ca reth not for th e
14 sheep. I am th e good shepherd and I Iknow mine own,and mine own know m e,
15 even a s th e Father knoweth m e,a nd I know th e Fa ther and I lay down my life for
16 th e Sheep. And other sheep I have , which a re not of this fold“: them also I must4 bring, and they shall hear my voice and 6 they shall become one flock
,one Shepherd .
17 Therefore doth th e Father love m e,because I lay down my life, tha t I may take it
18 aga in. N0 one 6 taketh it away from m e,but I lay it down of myself. I have 7power
to lay it down, and I have 7power to take it a ga in. This commandment received Ifrom my Father.
19, 20 There a rose a division again among th e Jews because of these words . And
2 1 many of them said,He hath a 8devil
,and i s m ad ; wh y hea r ye him Others said ,
These a r e not th e sayings of one possessed with a 8devil. Can a 8devil open th e eyesof th e blind 11
1 Or , a sh eph erd 2 Or , p roverb 2 Or . h a ve a bundance 4 Or , lea d 5 Or , there sh a ll be onefl ock6 Som e a ncient auth or ities read took i t away.
7 Or , r igh t8 Gr. demon.
117. THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
Jerusa lem : in the temp le.
Luke x. 25— 37. Joh n x. 22, 23.
John x. 22, 23.
22, 231And it wa s th e feast of th e dedication** at Jerusalem : itwa s winter ; and Jesus
wa s walking in th e temple in Solomon’s porch .
Luke x. 25—37.
95 And behold, a certa in lawyer stood up and 2 tempted him,saying
,3Master
,what
26 shall I do to inherit eterna l life ? And h e sa id unto h im , What i s written in th e law ?27 h ow readest thou ? And h e answering said, Thou shalt love th e Lord thy God 4withall thy hea rt, and with all thy soul
,and with all thy strength
,and with a ll thy mind ;
28Hand thy neighbour a s thyself. And h e sa id unto him, Thou hast answered right29 this do, and thou sha lt live . But h e
,desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus , And
Joh n xiv. 6 , 191 . Eph . 11. 18 .
1' E z ek . xxxiv. 5 , 8 .
I 2 Tim . 11. 19 .
ll Isa . lvi . 8 .
i i See la st section .
Th i s festiva l of specia l rejoicing beganon th e 25th day Of th e m onth Ch i sleu and
la sted eigh t days . Th a t m onth began wi th
th e new m oon of Decem ber , and th e fea stth erefore wa s a t th e very end o f th e yea r
acco rding to our tim e . It wa s instituted byJuda s Maccabaaus to com m em ora te th e ded i
ca tion o f th e new a lta r o f burnt Offer ing ; a fterth e profana tion Of th e tem ple and th e Olda lta r by Antioch us Epiph anes . Th e great
festiva ls prescr ibed by th e lawwere celebra teda t Jerusa lem a nd in connexion with th etem ple servi ce ; but th is wa s celebrated overth e wh ole country and wa s m a rked by genera lillum ina tions Of th e h ouses and oth er expressions o f joy .
H Deut . vi . 5 .
11: Levi t . xix . 18 .
119— 121] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Luke x. 39 -42.
40 Mary , which also sa t at th e Lord’s feet
,and heard h is word. But Martha was 1 cum
bered about much serving ; and sh e came up to h im ,and sa id, Lord, dost thou not
care that my s ister did leave m e to serve alone ? bid h er therefore that she help m e.
41 But th e Lord answered and said unto h er , 2Ma rtha,Martha, thou art anxious and
42 troubled about many things : 3 but one thing i s needful : for Mary hath chosen th egood part
,which Shall not be taken away from h er .
1 Gr . d istr acted .2 A few ancient a uth orities read Ma r th a , Ma r th a , th ou a r t troubled Ma ry h a th ch osen 8-0 .
3 Many ancient auth or ities read butf ew th ings a r e needf ul, or one.
120 . JESUS CONTINUES H IS JOURNEY FROM BETHANY To BETHABARA.
Joh n x. 40—42.
40 And h e went away again beyond Jordan into th e pla ce where John wa s at th e first41 baptizing ; and there h e a bode. And many came unto him ; and they said
,John
indeed did no Sign : but all things whatsoever John spake of this m an were true .
42 And many believed on him there.
12 1. JESUS TEACHES PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER.
Nea r J erusa lem .
Luke xi . 1— 13.
1 And it came to pass , a s h e wa s praying in a certa in place", that when h e ceased,one of h i s disciples said unto him ,
Lord, tea ch us to pray, even a s John also taught2 h is disciples. And h e said unto them , When ye pray, say, 1Father, Ha llowed be thy3, 4 name . Thy k ingdom come .
2 Give us day by day 3 our daily bread. And forgive u sour Sins for we ourselves also forgive every one tha t is indebted to us. And bringus not into temptation“.
5 And h e said unto them,Which Of you Sha ll ha ve a friend
,and Shall go unto him at
6 midnight, and say to him,Friend
,lend m e three loaves ; for a friend of mine i s come
7 to m e from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him ; and h e from within shallanswer and say, Trouble m e not : th e door i s now Shut, and my children a re with m e
8 in bed ; I cannot rise and give thee ? I say unto you, Though he will not rise and givehim
,because h e i s h i s friend, yet because of h is importunity h e will arise a nd give
9 him 5a s many a s h e needeth. And I say unto you, TAsk, a nd it Sha ll be given you :10 seek , and ye Sha ll find knock
,and it Sha ll be Opened unto you. For every one tha t
a sketh receiveth ; a nd h e tha t seeketh findeth ; and to him that knocketh it Sha ll be11 opened. And Of which of you tha t is a father sha ll h is son a sk 6 a loaf
,and h e give
12 hi m a stone ? or a fish,and be for a fish give him a serpent ? Or if h e shall a sk
13 an egg , will h e give him a scorpion ? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
wi th th is visit . Th e nam e of La z a rus appea r s
for th e fir st tim e in 122 , where we a re told,not th at h e lived in th e sam e h ouse ,
—but th ath ewa s of th e sam e village a sMa rth a andMary.
La za rus , h owever , soon becam e a discipleof Jesus ; for before our Lord ’
s next visitLa za rus i s described (Joh n xi . 3 , 122) a s“ h e wh om th ou lovest .
”
See th e corresponding pa ssage in Matt.vi . 9— 13 , 50 . But it i s clea r th a t th isna rra tive refers to som e occa sion oth er th anth e Serm on on th e Mount. Our Lord h ererepeats th e form h e h ad th ere given . He h ad
th en delivered i t a s pa rt o f a long address
and am ongst a ll th e lessons of va st im por tance wh ich th a t address conta ined, i t wa sna tura l th a t th e m em ories Of h i s di sciplesSh ould not h ave reta ined th is “ form of soundwords .
” Th e two pa ragraph s of th is sectionform one tea ch ing, and answer one request .
In answer to th eir desire,tea ch us to
pray— th e Lord im pa rts to th em in verses
2 to 4 th e form of prayer , in verses 5 to 8 th e
spir i t Of prayer in i ts ea rnest im portunity,and in verses 9 to 13 th e encoura gem ents tofa i th in th e a ssurance o f a nswer .
“I“ See Ma tt. vi i . 7— 11 , 50 .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke xi . 13.
gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give th e HolySpirit to them tha t a sk him ?1 Many ancient a u th or ities read Ou r Fa ther , wh i ch a r t in h ea ven. SeeMa tt. vi . 9, 50. 2 Many ancient auth or ities
add Thy wi ll be done, a s in h ea ven , so on ea r th . See Ma tt. vi . 10, 0. 3 Gr . our brea d for th e com ing d a y. Or ,our needfu l br ea d (Am en) 4 Many ancient a uth orities a dd but deliver us f r o m th e evi l one (or , f r om evi l). SeeMa tt. vi . 13, 50. 5 Or , wh a tsoever th ings
5 Som e a ncient a u th or ities om it a loaf; a nd h e g ive h im a stone ? or .
122 . JESUS HEARS THAT LAZARUS IS SICK AND ANNOUNCES To THE DISCIPLESTHAT HE Is DEAD .
Betha ba r a
Joh n xi . 1—16.
1 Now a certain m an wa s s ick, Lazarus of Bethany, Of th e villa ge of Ma ry and h er2 sister Martha . And it wa s that Mary which anointed th e Lord with ointment*
,and
3 wiped h is feet with h er ha ir, whose brother La zarus wa s Sick . Th e sisters therefore4 sent unto him,
saying, Lord, behold , h e wh om thou lovest i s s ick . But when Jesushea rd it
,h e sa id, This Sickness is not unto dea th, but for th e glory of God, that th e
5 Son of God m ay be glorified thereby . Now Jesus loved Ma rtha, and h er Sister, and6 Lazarus . When therefore h e heard tha t h e wa s sick , h e abode a t tha t time two days7 in th e place where h e wa s . Then after this h e sa ith to th e disciples
,Let us go into
8 Judeea aga in. Th e disciples say unto him,Rabbi
,th e Jews were but now seek ing to
9 stone thee ; and goest thou thither again ? Jesus answered, Are there not twelvehours in th e day? If a m an wa lk in th e day, h e stumbleth not , becaus e h e seeth th e
10 light of this world . But if a m an wa lk in th e night,h e stumbleth , because th e light
11 i s not in him. These things Spake h e : and after this h e sa ith unto them, Our friend12 Lazarus is fa llen asleep ; but I go, that I m ay awake him out of Sleep. Th e di sciples13 therefore said unto him
,Lord
,if h e i s fa llen a sleep
,h e will 1 recover. Now Jesus h ad
14 spoken Of h is death : but they thought that h e spake of taking rest in sleep. Then15 Jesus therefor e sa id unto them pla inly , La za rus i s dead . And I am gla d for yoursakes tha t I wa s no t there, to th e intent ye m ay believe ; nevertheless let us go unto
16 him . Thom a s therefore , wh o is ca lled 2Didymus , sa id unto h is fellow-disciples, Letus also go, that we m ay die with him .
1 Gr. be sa ved .2 Th at is, Twin.
NOTE . [Th e following sections , 123— 127 , record th e incidents of th e journey to Beth any,wh ich occupied probably four days (see Joh n xi . 17 , 39 , For th e a ccount Of th eevents whi ch took place wh en Jesus a r rived a t Beth any , see 128 and following sections ]
123. JESUS TEACHES PERSEVERANCE IN RELIGION.
On the way to Betha ny.
Luke xiv. 25— 35.
25 Now there went with him great multitudes : and h e turned, a nd sa id unto them ,
26 If any m an cometh unto m e,a nd ha teth not h is own fa ther+, and mother, and wife,
and children , and brethren, and sisters, yea , and h is own life a lso
,h e cannot be my
27 disciple . Whosoever doth not h ea r h i s own cross i , and come after m e,cannot be m y
28 disciple . For which of you, desiring to build a tower , doth not first si t down and
29 count th e cost, whether h e ha ve wherewi th to complete it ? Lest haply, when h e hath30 la id a foundation, and i s not able to finish, all tha t behold begin to mock him,
saying,31 This m an began to build
,and wa s not able to finish. Or wha t k ing
,a s h e goeth to
encounter“ another king in wa r , will not s it down first and take counsel whether h e is
See 179 . 1' Ma tt . x. 35— 37 , 87 . 1; Ma tt . x . 38 , 87 ; xvi . 24 , 102 .
125
123— 125] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Luke xiv. 31—35.
a ble with ten thousand to meet him tha t cometh a ga inst him with twenty thousand ?32 Or else , while th e other i s yet a grea t way o ff, h e sendeth an ambassage
,and asketh
33 conditions of pea ce . So therefore whosoever h e be of you that renounceth not all that34 h e hath
,h e cannot be my disciple . Salt therefore is good * : but if even th e sa lt have
35 lost i ts sa vour,wherewith sha ll it be seasoned ? It i s fit neither for th e land nor for
th e dunghill : men ca st it out. He tha t hath ears to hea r,let him hear.
124 . THE PARABLES OF THE LOST SHEEP AND THE LOST PIECE OF SILVER.
On the way to Betha ny.
Luke xv. 1—10.
1 Now all th e publicans and sinners were drawing near unto him for to hear him.
2 And both th e Pharisees a nd th e scribes murmured,saying
,This m an receiveth
s inners,and ea teth with them .
3, 4 And h e spake unto them th is parable, saying, What m an of you,having a hundred
sh eep i'
, and having lost one of them , doth not leave th e ninety and nine in th e
5 wilderness , and go after that which i s lost, until h e find it And when h e hath found6 it
,h e layeth it on h is Shoulders , rej oicing. And when h e cometh home
,h e calleth
together h is fr iends a nd h is neighbours , saying unto them,Rejoice with m e, for I have
7 found my sheep which wa s lost. I say unto you, that even so there shall be j oy inheaven over one sinner tha t repenteth, m ore than over ninety and n ine righteouspersons
,which need no repentance .
8 Or wha t woman having ten 1pieces of s ilver,if sh e lose one piece, doth not light a
9 lamp, and sweep th e house, and seek diligently until Sh e find it ? And when Sh e hathfound it, sh e ca lleth together h er friends and neighbours, saying, Rej oice with m e, for
10 I have found th e piece which I had lost. Even so,I say unto you, there is j oy in th e
presence of th e angels of God over one sinner that repenteth .
1 Gr . dr a chm a , a co in wor th about eigh t pence. See note Q , page lxxv.
125. THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON.
On the way to Beth any.
Luke xv. 11—32.
11,12 And h e said
,A certa in m an had two sons : and th e younger of them said to h is
father,Father
,give m e th e portion of 1thy substance tha t fa lleth to m e . And h e
13 divided unto them h is living. And not many days after th e younger son ga thered a lltogeth er
,and took h is journey into a fa r country ; and there be wa sted h is substance
14 with riotous living. And when h e h ad Spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that15 country ; a nd h e began to be in want. And h e went and j oined himself to one of th e16 citizens of tha t country ; and h e sent him into h is fields to feed swine . And h e wouldfain have been filled with 2 th e husks that th e swine did ea t : and no m an gave unto
17 him. But when h e came to himself h e said, How many hired servants of my fa ther’
s
18 have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger" I will a rise and goto my father
,a nd will say unto him,
Father,I h ave sinned aga inst heaven, a nd in thy
19 Sight : I am no more worthy to be ca lled thy son : make m e a s one of thy hired20 servants . And h e a rose
,and came to h is fa ther. But while h e wa s yet afa r off, h is
fa ther saw him,and wa s moved with compa ssion, and ran
,a nd fell on h is neck
,and
21 3ki ssed him . And th e son sa id unto h im,Fa ther, I ha ve s inned aga inst heaven
, and
22 in thy sight : I am no more worth y to be called thy son 4. But th e father said to h is5 servants , Bring forth quickly th e best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on h is
23 hand, and shoes on h is feet : a nd br ing th e fa tted calf, a nd ki ll it, and let us ea t, and24 make merry : for this my son wa s dea d, and is alive aga in ; h e wa s lost, and is found.
Ma tt. v. 13, 50 . Ma rk ix. 50 , 109 . 1' Ma tt. xviii . 12 , 109 .
126
126— 128] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY O F OUR LORD.
Luke xvi . 15—18.
16 an abomination in th e sight of God. Th e law and th e prophets were until John* :from that time th e gospel of th e kingdom of God is preached
, and every m an entereth17 Violently into it. But it i s easier for heaven and earth to pa ss away
,than for one
18 tittle of th e law to fa ll . Every one that putteth away h is wife,and marrieth another
,
committeth adultery : and h e tha t marrieth one that i s put away from a husbandcommitteth adultery1 Gr . ba th s, th e ba th being a Hebrew m easure. See Ez ek . xlv. 10, 11, 14. See a lso Note Q , p. lxxvi . 2 Gr.
wr i tings. 3 Gr . cor s , th e cor being a Hebrew m ea su re. See Ez ek. xlv. 14. See a lso Note Q , p. lxxvi i.4 Gr . th e stewa rd of unr igh teousness.
5 Or , age 6 Gr . out of .7 Som e ancient auth orities read our own.
6 Gr . househ old -serva nt.
127. THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND THE BEGGAR .
App roa ching Betha ny.
Luke xvi. 19—31.
19 Now there wa s a certain rich m an,and h e wa s clothed in purple and fine linen
,
201fa ring sumptuously every day : and a certa in beggar named La za rus wa s laid at h is
21 ga te, full Of sores, and desiring to be fed with th e crum bs tha t fell from th e rich man’s
22 table ; yea , even th e dogs came and licked h is sores . And it came to pass,that th e
beggar died, and that h e wa s ca rried away by the angels into Abraham’s bosom I : and
23 th e rich m an also died,and was buried . And in Hades h e lifted up h is eyes
,being
24 in torments, and seeth Abraham afar Off,and Lazarus in h is bosom. And h e cried
and sa id, Father Abraham,have mercy on m e
,and send Lazarus
,tha t h e may dip th e
tip of h is finger in water, and cool my tongue ; for I am in anguish in this flame .
25 But Abraham sa id,2Son
,remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good
things,and Lazarus in like manner evil things : but now here h e is comforted
,and
26 thou a r t in anguish . And 3beside a ll this , between us and you there i s a great gulffixed, tha t they which would pass from hence to you m ay not be able, and that none
27 may cross over from thence to us . And h e said, I pray thee therefore, father, that28 thou wouldest send him to my father’s house ; for I have five brethren ; tha t h e may29 testify unto them,
lest they also come into this pla ce of torment. But Abraham saith,
30 They have Moses and th e prophets ; let them hea r them . And h e sa id,Nay
,fa ther
31 Abraham : but if one go to them from th e dead, they will repent. And h e sa id untohim
,If they hear not Moses and th e prophets , neither will they be persuaded, if one
rise from th e dead“.1 Or
, living in m ir th a nd sp lendour ever y day2 Gr . Ch i ld.
8 Or , in a ll th ese th i ngs.
128. JESUS RAISES LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD.
Beth a ny.
Joh n xi. 17—46.
17 So when Jesus came, h e found that h e h ad been in th e tomb four days already.
18, 19 Now Bethany wa s nigh unto Jerusalem,abou t fifteen furlongs i i Off and many of
th e Jews had come to Ma rtha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.20 Martha therefore, when Sh e hea rd that Jesu s wa s coming, went and m et him : but21Ma ry still sa t in th e house. Ma rtha therefore sa id unto Jesus , Lord , if thou hads t22 been here , my brother h ad not died. And even now I know tha t, whatsoever thou23 sha lt a sk of God, God will give thee . Jesus saith unto h er
,Thy brother shall rise
24 aga in . Ma rtha sa ith unto him,I know that h e shall rise aga in in th e resurrection at
25 th e la st day. Jesus said unto h er , I am th e resurrection,and th e life : h e that
Ma tt. x i . 12 , 13 , 53 . confirm ed by th e ra ising o f La za rus ; see § 128 ;1 Ma tt . v. 32 , 50 . and com pa re th erewi th John xi i . 9—11,I See note T , pa ge lxxix. 154 .
nTh is reproof h e a t once illustra ted and 71 See note Q , page lxxvi.
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Joh n xi. 25—46.
26 beli eveth on m e,though h e die
, yet shall h e live : and whosoever liveth and believeth27 on m e sha ll never die . Believest thou this ? Sh e saith unto him, Yea , Lord I ha vebeli eved that thou a rt th e Christ, th e Son of God, even h e that cometh into th e world .
28 And when sh e had said this,sh e went away
, and ca lled Mary 1h er s ister secretly,
29 saying, Th e 2Ma ster is here,and calleth thee . And Sh e, when sh e hea rd it
,arose
so quickly, a nd went unto him . (Now Jesus was not yet come into th e village, but wa s31 still in th e place where Martha m et him . ) Th e Jews then which were with h er in th ehouse, and were comfort ing h er , when they saw Mary, that Sh e rose up quickly andwent out, followed h er , supposing tha t Sh e wa s going unto th e tomb to 3weep there .
32 Mary therefore, when sh e came where Jesus wa s,and saw him
,fell down at h is feet,
33 saying unto him,Lord
,if thou ha dst been here , my brother h ad not died. When
Jesus therefore saw h er 4weeping,and th e Jews a lso 4weeping which came with h er
,
34 h e 5groaned in th e Spirit, and 6wa s troubled,and said
,Where have ye laid him ?
35, 36 They say unto him,Lord , come a nd see . Jesus wept. Th e Jews therefore sa id ,
37 Behold h ow h e loved him " But some of them said,Could not this m an
,which
Opened th e eyes of h im‘
th a t wa s blind", ha ve ca used tha t this m an a lso Should not die ?38 Jesus therefore again 7groaning in himself cometh to th e tomb. Now it wa s a cave
,
39 and a stone lay 8aga inst i t .+ Jesus sa ith,Take ye away th e s tone . Martha
,th e
s ister of him that wa s dead, sa ith unto him,Lord
,by thi s time h e stinketh : for h e
40 hath been dead four Jesus sa ith unto h er,Sa id I not unto thee , that, if thou
41 believedst, thou shouldest see th e glory of God ? So they took away th e stone. And
42 Jesus lifted up h is eyes, and said, Father, I tha nk thee that thou heardest m e . And
I knew that thou hearest m e a lways : but beca use of th e multitude which standeth43 around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send m e . And when h e h ad44 thus spoken, h e cried wi th a loud voice, Lazarus , come forth . He that wa s dead cameforth
,bound hand and foot with 9grave -cloth es ; and h is face wa s bound about with a
napk in . Jesus saith unto them,Loose him
,and let him go .
45 Many therefore of th e Jews , which came to Mary and beheld ” that which h e did,
46 believed on him . But some of them went away to th e Pharisees, and told them th e
things which Jesus h ad done .
1 Or , h er s ister , saying secr etly2 Or , Tea ch er 3 Gr. wa i l. 4 Gr . wa i ling .
5 Or , wa s m oved wi thi nd igna ti on in th e spi r it
6 Gr . tr oubled h im self: 7 Or , bei ng m oved w i th ind igna ti on in h imself 6 Or, up on
9 O r, gr a ve-bands10 Many anc1ent a uth ori ti es rea d th e th i ngs wh ich h e di d .
129 . CONSPIRACY OF THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND PHARISEES To MURDER JESUS.
Jer usa lem . Ep h ra im .
Joh n xi. 47—54.
47 Th e chief priests therefore and th e Pharisees ga thered a council,and said
,Wha t do
48 we ? for this m an doeth many Signs . If we let him thus a lone, all m en will believeon him : and th e Romans will come and take away both our pla ce and our na tion.
49 But a certain one of them,Caia pha s
,being high priest tha t yea r
,sa id unto them
,Ye
Joh n ix. 115 .
See note to Ma rk v. 5 , 80 .
21: Sh e Obviously th ough t th a t Jesus wi sh edto h ave a la st sigh t of th e fa ce o f h i s dead
fr iend ; and did no t anticipate th a t La za ruswould be m i r a culously restored to life . Our
Lord h ad a lrea dy twice wrough t th e crowningm i r acle Of rai sing th e dead, vi z . in th e ca se
Of th e widow’s son a t Na in , 52 , and in th a t
o f th e daugh ter o f Ja irus, § 83 . It i s di fficult
to believe th atMa r th a h ad not h ea rd o f th ese
m ira cles but in h er deep di stress Sh e h a rdlyda red to h ope th a t so m arvellous a. blessing
wa s in stor e for h er . Her expressions inverse 22 seem to im ply tha t such a possibilityh ad suggested itself to h er m ind. But sh etook th e words o f Jesus in ver ses 23— 26 a s
th e sta tem ent of a doctrine r a th er th an th e
prom ise of a m ira cle. See a lso , a s th rowingsom e ligh t upon h er sta te Of m ind , th e note 1"to 148 . We see th ere th a t th e di sciplesgenera lly were a s unable to understand or
a ccept our Lord ’s predi ctions o f h i s own
dea th and resur rection , a s Ma rth a wa s to
enterta in h ope in th e ca se of h er broth er .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Joh n xi . 119—54.
50 know nothing at a ll, nor do ye take account that it i s expedient for you that one m an
51 should die for the people, and tha t th e whole nation perish not .
* Now this h e sa idnot of himself : but being high pr iest that yea r, he prophes ied tha t Jesus shou ld diefor th e na tion ; and not for th e na tion only
,but tha t h e might a lso ga ther together
53 into one th e children of God that a re scattered abroad. SO from that day forth theytook counsel that they might put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore wa lked no m ore openly among th e Jews , but depa rted thence intoth e country nea r to th e wilderness, into a city ca lled Ephr aim“ and there h e tarriedwith th e disciples .
129 , 130]
130 . JESUS i s REJECTED BY THE SAMARITANS ; AND REBUKES THE CRUEL ANGEROF JAMES AND JOHN.
On the r oa d through Sa m a r i a fr om Ga li lee to Jerusa lem .
Matt. xix. 1, 2.
1 And it came to pa sswhen Jesu s h ad finish ed
these words ,
Luke ix. 51— 56.
51 And it came to pass,
when th e days 1were wellnigh come tha t h e shouldbe received up
,
h e arose from thence,
h e departed from GalileeI,
John xviii . 14, 199 .
1‘ Robinson identifies th is city with Eph ronm entioned in 2 Ch ron . xii i . 19 . See m a rginalnote to th at ver se in th e Revised Version .
1 It i s very difficult to decide to wh ich of
our Lord’s journeys th ese verses refer . It
would seem th a t h e h ad left th e city Eph ra imand sojourned a ga in for a tim e in Ga lileebefore th e visit h ere m entioned. Most h arm
’onists h old th a t th is pa ssage refers to an'
ea rlier date ; but differ grea tly on th e subject
Th e notes o f tim e wh ich h ave led m e to
a dopt th e la ter da te a re th ese — It i s th e la stjourney recorded byMa tth ew and Ma rk andseeLuke ix . 51 , above , wh ich seem s to connectth e th ree Gospels on th is vi si t . Luke x. 1 , 132
fixes th e m ission Of th e seventy“a fter th ese
th ings”
; and from th a t tim e th e narra tive inLuke seem s continuous unti l 135 , a t wh ichpoint th e order I h ave ch osen rejoins th egenera l stream Of h a rm oni sts .
See Joh n iv. 9 , 31 .
h e stedfastlyset h is face to52 go to Jerusalem
,and sent
messengers before h is
fa ce : and they went,and
entered into a village Of
th e Samar itans,to m ake
53 ready for him . And theydid not r eceive himH, becau se h is fa ce wa s a s
though he wer e going'
to
54 Jerusa lem . And whenh is disciples Jam es and
Joh n saw th is,they said
,
Lord, wilt thou tha t webid fire to come downfrom heaven
,and consume
55 th em z ? But h e turned,
and r ebuked them.
3
132—134] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD
Luke L 9—12.
10 is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye sha ll enter,and they receive
11 you not, go out into th e streets thereof a nd say, Even th e dust from your city,that
cleaveth to our feet,we do wipe off aga inst you : howbeit know this, tha t th e
12 kingdom Of God i s come nigh. I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable in tha tday for Sodom
,than for that city.
1 Many ancient auth oriti es a dd a nd two : and so in ver. 17, 134. 2 Or , enter fi r st, say 3 Or , i t
133. THE IMPENITENT CITIES OF GALILEE DENOUNCED .
N ea r Sa m a r ia .
Ma tt. xi. 20—24.
20 Then began h e to upbraid th e citieswhere in most of h is 1mighty works weredone, because they repented not.
21Woe unto thee,Chorazin woe unto
thee , Bethsaida " for if th e 1 mightyworks h ad been done in Tyr e and S idonwhich were done in you
,they would
ha ve repented long ago
in sackcloth and ashes.
Howbeit I say unto you,it sh all be more tolerable for Tyre and
S idon in th e day of judgement,23 than for you. An d thou , Capernaum,
shalt thou be exalted unto heaven ? thoushalt 2go down unto Hades :
for if th e 1mighty works had been donein Sodom which were done in thee , itwould have rema ined un til this day.
24 Howbeit I say unto you, that it shallbe more tolerable for th e land Of Sodomin th e day of judgement, than for thee .
1 Gr . p owers.
Luke x. 13—16.
13Woe unto thee,Chorazin woe unto
thee,Bethsa ida for if th e 1 mighty
works h ad been done in Tyre and Sidon,
which were done in you,they would
have repented long ago,
s ittingin sa ckcloth and ashes.
Howbeitit shall be more tolerable for Tyre and
Sidon in th e judgement,
15 than for you. And thou,Capernaum
,
sha lt thou be exalted unto hea ven ? thoushalt be brought down unto Hades.
16 He that heareth you heareth m e ; andh e that rejecteth you rejecteth m e ; and
h e tha t rejecteth m e rejecteth him thatsent m e .
2 Many ancient auth orities r ead be brough t down.
134 . RETURN OF THE SEVENTY.
Proba bly a t some p la ce on the roa d from Sam a r i a to Jerusa lem .
Ma tt. xi . 25—30.
Robinson (p . 99) suggests th at th e seventywere appointed in Sam a r i a a nd returned to
th e Lord a t or near Jerusa lem . Th is seem s
to be inadm issible . It i s not ea sy to fix th e
da tes and routes of th e journeys m ade by our
Lord a t th i s tim e , (see § 130 note 1) but i twould seem th a t wh en th e tim e for h i s fina l
Luke x. 17— 24.
17 And th e seventy * returned with joy,
saying, Lord, even th e 3devils a re subject
visit to Jerusa lem and h i s crucifixion ap
proa ch ed (Luke ix . 51 , h e com m encedh i s journey, tea ch ing a s h e went (Ma rk x. 1 ,130 ) and th a t “ a fter th ese th ings, h e sent
th e seventy before h i s fa ce ”
(Luke x. 1,Luke rela tes th eir return in im m edi a te
connexionwith th eir appointm ent. Robinson
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Matt. xi. 25— 30.
At tha t season
Jesus answeredand said
,I 1 thank thee
,0 Father
,Lord
of heaven and earth, tha t thou didsthide these things from th e wise and
understanding,and didst reveal them
26 unto ba bes : yea , Father ,2for so it wa s
27 well-pleasing in thy s ight. All thingsh ave been delivered unto m e Of myFather : and
no one knoweth th e Son,
save th e Fa ther ;neither doth any know th e Fa ther,save th e Son, a nd h e to whomsoever
th e Son willeth to revea l h im .
28 Come unto m e,a ll ye tha t labour and
a re heavy laden,and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and lea rn Of
m e ; for I am meek and lowly in hea rt :and ye shall find rest unto your souls .
30 For my yoke is ea sy,and my burden
i s light.
1 Or, pr a ise 2 Or
, th a t
th inks th i s i s done “ by anticipa tion , and
a ccordingly transfer s th e return to a la ter
da te. I see no sufficient justifica tion for th is .
Th e Gospel na r ra tive indica tes th a t th e
seventy did not leave h im in Sam a r ia , andrejoin h im in Jerusa lem , but th at th ey r e
turned .
”Th e wh ole tone of th e na rr ative
seem s to suggest a h a sty and indeed im m e
diate return ; and i ts cause i s revea led byth eir language and dem eanour . As soon a s
134
23 And turning to th e disciples,h e said
priva tely,Blessed a re th e eyes whi ch
24 see th e things tha t ye see : for I sayunto you
,that many prophets and ki ngs
desired to see th e things which ye see,
and saw them not ; and to hear thethings which ye hear, and heard themnot .
3 Gr . dem ons. 4 Or , by
Luke x. 17—24.
18 unto us in th y name . And h e saidunto them ,
I beheld Satan fa lling a s
19 lightning from hea ven. Behold, I ha vegiven you author ity to tread upon ser
pents and scorpions,and over all th e
power of th e enemy : and nothing sha ll20 in any wise hurt you. Howbeit in thisrejoice not, that th e Spirits a re subjectunto you ; but rej oice that your names*a re written in heaven .
In that same hourh e rej oiced 4 in th e Holy Spirit
,
and said, I 1 thank thee , 0 Father, LordOf hea ven and earth
,that thou didst
hide these things from th e wise and
understanding, and didst reveal themunto ba bes : yea , Fa ther ; 2 for so it waswell-pleasing in thy sight. All thingsha ve been delivered unto m e of myFather : and
no one knoweth wh o th e Son is ,save th e Fa ther ;
and wh o th e Father i s,
save th e Son,and h e to whomsoever
th e Son willeth to reveal h im .
th ey began th eir m ission th ey found th em
selves endued with an unsuspected m i raculouspower . Overwh elm ed with gladness and awe
th ey a t once returned with joy”to report
th e news to th eir Lord. And once m orecom m issioned by hi m th ey probably renewed
th eir work , and we h ave no r ecord th a t th eyever r ea ssem bled unti l a fter th e crucifixion .
See Ph il . iv. 3 , and com pare th erewithExod . xxxii. 32, and Rev. iii . 5 .
135,136] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
135. JESUS HEALS AN INFIRM WOMAN ON THE SABBATH , AND REPROVES THEFAULT-FINDING RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE.
a um .
Luke xi ii. 10— 17.
10, 11 And h e wa s tea ching in one Of th e synagogues on th e sabbath day. And behold,
a woman which h ad a Spirit Of infirmity e ighteen yea rs ; a nd sh e wa s bowed together ,12 and could in no wise lift herself up. And when Jesus saw h er , h e called h er , and13 sa id to h er , Woman, thou a rt loosed from thine infirmity. And h e laid h is hands14 upon h er : and immediately sh e wa s ma de straight, and glorified God. And the rulerof th e synagogue, being moved with indignation beca use Jesus h ad hea led on th e
sabba th, answered and sa id to th e multitude,There a re six days in which m en ought
to work : in them therefore come and be hea led, and not on th e day Of th e sabbath.
15 But th e Lord answered him,and said, Ye hyp ocrites , doth not each one Of you on th e
16 sabbath loose h is ox or h i s a ss from th e 1 stall, and lead him away to watering ? Andought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham , whom Sa tan had bound
,10
,
these eighteen yea rs , to have been loosed from this bond on th e day of th e sabba th17 And a s h e said these things, all h is adversaries were put to shame : and a ll th e multitude rejoiced for a ll th e glorious things that were done by him.
1 Gr . m a nger .
136 . INCIDENTS OF THE JOURNEY TO BETHANY.
Luke xi i i. 22—35.
22 And h e went on h is way through cities and villa ges,teaching
,and j ourneying on
23 unto Jerusa lem. And one sa id unto him, Lord, a re they few tha t be sa ved ? And24 h e said unto them, Strive to enter in by th e narrow door : for many, I say unto you,25 sha ll seek to enter in ,
and sha ll not be 1a ble. When once th e master of th e house is
risen up, and hath shut to th e door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock atth e door, saying, Lord, Open to us ; and h e shall answer and say to you, I know you
26 not whence ye a re ; then sha ll ye begin to say, We did ea t and drink in thy presence,27 and thou didst tea ch in our streets ; a nd h e shall say, I tell you , I know not whence28 ye a re ; depart from m e
,all ye workers of iniquity. There sha ll be th e weeping and
gna shing Of teeth,* when ye sha ll see Abraham,and Isaac, and Jacob, a nd all th e
29 prophets, in th e kingdom of God, and yourselves ca st forth without. And they sha llcome from th e ea st and west, and from th e north and south
,a nd Shall 2 s it down in
30 th e kingdom Of God. And behold,there a re la st which Shall be first
,and there a re
first which shall be la st.31 In tha t very hour there came certa in Pharisees
,saying to him
,Get thee out
,and go
32 hence : + for Herod would fa in ki ll thee. And h e sa id unto them,Go and say to that
fox,Behold, I ca st out 3devils and perform cur es to-day and to-morrow
,a nd th e third
33 day41 am perfected. Howbeit I must go on my way to-day and to-morrow and th e
34 day following : for it cannot be that a prophet perish out Of Jerusalem. 0 Jerusalem,
Jerusa lem, Iwh ich k illeth th e prophets, and stoneth them that a re sent unto h er "how Often would I have ga th ered thy children together
,even a s a h en g a ther eth h er
35 own brood under h er wings, a nd ye would not " Behold,your house is left unto you
desola te : and I say unto you , Ye sha ll not see m e,until ye shall say, “Blessed is h e
tha t cometh in th e name Of th e Lord .
1 O r , a ble, wh en once 2 Gr . r ecline. 3 Gr. dem ons. 4 O r , I end m y cour se (Am en)
See Matt. vi ii . 11 , 12 , 51 . Heb. 11 . 10 .
T Th i s seem s to indica te th a t th e Lord wa s 1 See Ma tt. xxiii. 37— 39 , 170 .
a t th is tim e in Peraea , wh ich wa s under Herod’s li Predicting h i s tr ium ph a l entry on h is
jur isdiction . He wa s steadi ly m aking h i s next visi t to Jerusa lem . See Ma tt. xxi . 9way to Jerusa lem to be per fected,
”
(to end and pa ra llel pa ssa ges in 155 .
h i s course , see m a rgina l note and com pa re
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
139 . JESUS TEACHES FORBEARANCE,FAITH AND HUMILITY.
Luke xvn. 1—10.
1 And h e sa id unto h is disciples, It i s impossible but tha t occasions Of stumbling2 should come : but woe unto h im ,
through whom they come " It were well for hi m ifa millstone were hanged about h is neck
,and h e were thrown into th e sea
,rather than
3 that h e should cau se one Of these little ones to stumble . T ake heed to yourselves : if4 thy brother s in , rebuke him ; and if h e repent, forgive him. And if h e s in aga instthee seven tim es in th e day, and seven times turn again to thee
, saying, I repent ;thou sha lt forgive him.
5, 6 And th e a postles sa id unto th e Lord,Increa se our fa ith. And th e Lord said
,If
ye1have faith a s a grain Of mustard seed ye would say unto this sycamine tree , Be
7 thou rooted up, and be thou planted in th e sea ; and it 2would have obeyed you. But
who i s there of you, having a 3 servant plowing or keeping sheep,tha t will say unto
8 him,when h e i s come in from th e field
,Come stra ightway and sit down to meat ; and
will not rather say unto him,Make ready wherewith I m ay sup , and gird thyself, and
serve m e, till I have eaten and drunken ; and afterward thou shalt ea t and drink ?9 Doth h e thank th e 3 ser vant because h e di d th e things that were commanded10 Even so ye a lso
,when ye shall have done a ll th e things that a re commanded you
,say,
We a re unprofitable 4servants : we have done that which it wa s our duty to do.
1 Or , h a d (Am en ) 2 Or , would obey (Am en ) 3 Gr. bondserva nt. 2 Gn bondser va nts.
140 . THE CLEANSING OF TEN LEPERS.
A village of Sam a r ia .
Luke xvi i . 11—19.
11 And it came to pass, 1a s they were on th e way to Jerusa lem,that h e wa s passing
12 2through th e midst Of Sama ria and Ga lilee . And a s h e entered into a certain village,13 there m et him ten m en tha t wer e lepers
,which stood afa r Off : and they lifted up their
14 voices , saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us . And when h e saw them,h e said unto
them,GO and shew yourselves unto th e priests And it came to pa ss
,a s they went,
15 they were cleansed. And one Of them,when h e saw tha t h e wa s healed
,turned back
,
16 with a loud voice glorifying God ; a nd h e fell upon h is fa ce at h is feet, giving him17 thanks : and h e wa s a Sama ritan . And Jesus answering sa id
,Were not th e ten
18 cleansed ? but wh ere a re th e nine ? 3Were there none found that returned to give19 glory to God, save this 4 stranger ? And h e said unto him ,
Arise,and go thy way :
thy fa ith h ath 5made thee whole.
1 Or , a s h ewa s2 O r , between Or , a long th e bor ders of (Am en ) 3 Or , Th ere were none th i s
str anger . Or , a lien 5 Or , sa ved th ee
14 1. JESUS FORETELLS THE SUDDENNESS OF JUDGMENT .
(Th is secti on,a nd those imm edi a tely following , conta in the a ccount of our Lord
’
s a cts a nd
tea ch ings on h i s wa y to Jerusa lem for the la st time . T h ey cannot be more str i ctly loca li sed
wi th cer ta inty. )Luke xvii. 20—37.
20 And being a sked by th e Phar isees , when th e kingdom of God cometh, h e answered21 them and said, Th e k ingdom of God cometh not with Observa tion : neither shall they
say, LO, here "or, There "for 10 , th e k ingdom of God i s1withi n you .
22 And h e sa id unto th e disciples,Th e days will come
,when ye sha ll desire to see one
23 Of th e days of th e Son Of m an,and ye sha ll not see it. And they shall say to you,
24 LO, there "LO, here go not away, nor follow after them : for a s th e lightning,when it
lighteneth out of th e one pa rt under th e heaven,shineth unto th e other part under
25 hea ven ; so sha ll th e Son Of m an be 2 in h is day. But first must h e suffer many things26 and be rejected of this genera tion. And a s it came to pas s in th e days of Noah
,even so
Com pa re Ma tt. xvii. 20, 104 Lev. xiii. 2 etc.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke xvu. 26 - 37.
27 shall it be a lso in th e days Of th e Son Of m an They a te,they drank , they married,
they were given in ma rriage,until th e day that Noah entered into th e a rk
, and th e’28 flood came
,and destroyed them a ll. Likewise even a s it cam e to pa ss in th e days Of
29 Lot ; they a te, they drank, they bought, they sold,they planted
,they builded ; but + in
th e day tha t Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from hea ven, and30 destroyed them all : after th e same manner shall it be in th e day that th e Son of m an
31 is revea led. In tha t day, h e which sha ll be on th e housetop,and h is goods in th e
house,let him not go down to take them away : and let him that is in th e field like
32, 33 Wise not return back. Remember Lot’s wi fe I. Whosoever sha ll seek to ga in h is34 3 life shall lose it : but whosoever sha ll lose h i s 3 life shall 4preserve it. I say unto you ,In that night there shall be two m en on one bed ; th e one sha ll be taken, and th e
35 other shall be left. There sha ll be two women grinding together ; th e one shall be37 taken
,and th e other sha ll be left 5. And they answering say unto him,
Where,Lord ?
And
I
l
l
i e sa id unto them,Where th e body i s
,thither will th e 6eagles also be ga thered
toget er
1 Or , in th em idst of you 2 Som e ancient a uth or ities om it in h is da y.3 O r , soul 2 Gr . sa ve i t a live.
Som e ancign
éau th o r ities add ver. 36 Th er e sh a ll be two m en in th efield th e one sh a ll be ta ken, a nd th e oth er sh a ll ber, vu ltur es
142 . THE PARABLE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGE .
Luke xviii . 1—8.
1 And h e spake a para ble unto th em to th e end that they ought always to pray, and2 not to fa int ; saying, There wa s in a city a j udge , which fea red not God , and rega rded3 not m an : and there wa s a widow in that city ; and sh e came oft unto him
, saying,4 1Avenge m e Of mine adversary. And h e would not for a while : but a fterwa rd h e said5 within himself
,Though I fear not C od, . nor regard m an ; yet beca use this widow
troubleth m e,I will avenge h er , 2 lest sh e 3wear m e out by h er continua l coming.
And th e Lord said,Hear what 4th e unrighteous judge sa ith. And shall no t God
avenge h i s elect,wh ich cry to him day and night, 6 and h e is longsuffering over them ?
8 I say unto you, that h e will avenge them speedily. Howbeit when th e Son of m an
cometh, shall h e find 6 fa ith on th e earth ?1 Or , D o m e j ustice of : a nd so in ver. 5, 7, 8. 2 Or
,lest a t la st by her com ing she wea r m e out (Am en )
8 Gr . bru i se. 4 Gr . th e j udge of unr igh teousness. 5 Or , a nd yet h e Or , a nd i s h e slow to punish on thei r
beh a lf ? (Am en ) 5 Or , th e f a i th
143 . THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.
Luke xvii i . 9— 14.
9 And h e spake also this parable unto certa in which trusted in themselves tha t they10 were righteous, and set 1 all others at nought : Two m en went up into th e temple11 to pray th e one a Pharisee, and th e other a publican . Th e Pha r isee stood and
prayed thus with himself,God
,I thank thee
,tha t I am not a s th e rest Of m en
,
12 extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even a s this publican . I fa st twice in th e week ; I13 give tithes of a ll that I get. But th e publican
,standing afa r Off
,would not lift up so
much a s h is eyes unto heaven,but smote h is brea st, saying, God, 2 be merciful to m e
14 3 a sinner. I say unto you, This m an went down to h is house justified ra ther thanth e other : for every one that exa lteth himself sha ll be humbled but h e that humblethhimself sha ll be exalted.
1 Gr . th e r est. 2 Or, be prop i ti a ted 3 Or , th e s inner
Gen . vn. 4 , 13, 21, 22 . I Gen . xix . 26 .
1‘ Gen. xix . 24,25 . Ma tt. xxiv. 28 , 172 .
§ 144] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
144 . JESUS DISCOURSES ON MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE .
Ma tt. xix. 3— 12. Ma rk x. 2— 12.
3 And there came unto h im 1Pha risees, 2 And there came unto him Pharisees ,2 tempting him
,
and saying,Is it lawfulfor a and a sked him
,Is it lawful for a
m a n to put away h is w ife m an to put away h is wife ?for every cause ?
And h e answered and said
Have ye not read , tha t h e which3ma de them from th e beginning 6 But from th e beginning Of th e crea tion
,
made them male and female,
male and female made h e them.
5 and sa id,
For this cause shall a m an leave h isfa ther and mother
,a nd sha ll cleave to
h is wife ; a nd th e twa in shall become6 one flesh ? So tha t they a re no moretwa in
,but one flesh . Wha t therefore
God hath joined together,let not m an
put as under.
7 They say unto him,Why then did
Moses * command to give a bill ofdivorcement, a nd to put h er away ?
8 He sa ith unto them ,And h e saith unto them,
Moses for your ha rdness of heart sufferedyou to put away your wives : but fromth e beginning it ha th not been so .
9 And I say unto you,Whosoever sha ll put away h i s wife, Whosoever shall put away h is wife,
4except for fornica tion,
a nd shall ma rry another, and marry another,committeth adultery : committeth a dultery aga inst h er :
5and h e tha t ma rrieth h er when sh e i s
pu t away committeth adultery.
12 and if Sh e herself shall put away h erhusband
,and m a rry another, sh e comm i tteth adultery.
10 Th e disciples say unto him, If th e ca seof th e m an i s so with h is wife, it i s not
11 expedient to ma rry. Bu t h e sa id unto12 them
,All m en cannot receive this saying, but they to whom it is given. For there a re
eunuchs,which were so born from their mother’s womb : and there a re eunuchs , which
were made eunuchs by m en : and there a re eunuchs,which made th emselves eunuchs
for th e kingdom of heaven ’s sake. He tha t i s able to receive it, let him receive it.
1 Many auth orities, som e ancient, insert the.2 Or
, ma king tr i a l of (Am en ) 3 Som e ancient auth or itiesread cr ea ted.
4 Som e ancient a u th or ities rea d sa ving f or th e ca use of f or n ica ti on , m a keth h er a n a dulter ess a s
in ch . v. 32 , 50.
5 T h e following wo rds, to.
th e end of th e verse, a re om itted by som e ancient auth or1t1es.0 Som e ancient a uth or ities om it a nd sh a ll clea ve to h is wife.
Deut. xxiv. 1 .
138
2 tempting him .
3 And h e answered and said unto them,
4 What did Moses command you ? Andthey sa id
,*Moses suffered to write a
bill Of divorcement,and to put h er away.
5 But Jesus sa id unto them,For your
ha rdness of hea rt h e wrote you thiscommandment.
7 For this cause Sha ll a m an leave h isfa ther and mother
,6 a nd sha ll cleave to
8 h is wife ; and th e twa in shall becomeone flesh : so tha t they a r e no more
9 twa in, but one flesh . What thereforeGod hath joined together
,let not m an
put a sunder.10 And in th e house th e disciples asked
h im again of this matter.
146]
Ma tt. xix. 17— 22.
One there is who is good
but if thou wouldestenter into life
,keep th e
18 commandments . He sa ithunto him
,Which ? And
Jesus sa id,
Thou sha lt not k illThou sha lt not commit
adultery,Thou sha lt not steal
,
Thou shalt not bearfa lse witness ,
Honou r thy fa therand thy mother :
and,Thou sha lt love thy
neighbour a s thyself.Th e young m an sa ith
unto him,
19
20
All these things haveI Observed :
wha t la ck I yet ?Jesus
said unto him,
If thou wouldst beperfect,go
,sell tha t
thou ha st,and give
to th e poor,
and thou sha lt havetreasure in heaven :
and come,follow m e .
But when th e young
Ma rk x. 18— 22.
none i s good,sa ve one
,
19
even God.
Thou knowest th e
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke xvii i . 19—23.
none i s good, save one ,
even God.
Thou knowest th ecommandments
,commandments,
DO not commit adultery,D O not kill*
,
Honour thy fa therand mother.
20 And h e sa id And h e said,
unto him,
2Ma ster,
a ll these things have All these things haveI Observed I Observed
m an hea rd th e saying,
h e went awaysorrowful :
for h e wa s one thath ad great possess ions .
from my youth.
And Jesus
look ing upon himloved him
,
and sa id unto him,
One thing thou lackest :
go,sell wha tsoever
th ou ha st,and give
to th e poor,
a nd thou sha lt havetrea sure in hea ven :
and come,follow m e .
But
h is countenance fellat th e saying
,
and h e went awaysorrowful :
for h e wa s one tha t
fr om my youth up.
And when Jesusheard it
,
h e said unto him,
One thing thou lackestyet :
h e became exceedingsorrowful
h ad great possessions .
See Exod . xx . 3 &c . , and Deut. v. 6 &c.
140
D O not k ill*,
D O not commitadultery,
D O not stea l,D O not bea rfa lse witness
,
D O not defra ud,
Honour thy fa therand moth er.
sell all tha tthou hast
,and distribute
unto th e poor,and thou sha lt ha vetreasure in heaven :
and come, follow m e .
But when h eheard these things,
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Matt. xix. 23—27.
And Jesus
sa idunto h is disciples
,
Verily I say unto you,It i s hard for arich m an to enterinto th e k ingdom Of
heaven.
And again I say unto you,It is ea sier for acamel to go ’f
through a needle ’s eye ,than for a rich m an toenter into th e k ingdom
of God .
And whenth e disciples hea rd it,they were a stonished
exceedingly,saying
,
Who then can be sa ved ?And Jesus
looking upon themsa id to them ,
With m en this isimposs ible ;
a re poss ible + .
27 Then answer ed Peterand said unto him ,
LO,we ha ve left a ll,
and followed thee ;
looked round a bout,
and sa ithunto h is disciples
,
How hardly sha ll theythat have riches enterinto th e kingdom Of
God "24 And th e disciples wereama zed at h is words . But
Jesus answereth a gain,and saith unto them
,
Children,how hard is it
7 for them tha t trust inriches to enter into th ek ingdom of God"
It i s eas ier for acamel to go*
through a needle ’s eye ,than for a rich m an toenter into th e k ingdom
of God .
And
for all things
a re possible with God+ .
Peter beganto say unto him,
LO,we ha ve left all
,
and have followed thee.
146
How hardly shall theytha t ha ve riches enterinto th e k ingdom Of
God"
25 For it i s easier for acamel to enter in *through a needle ’s eye,than for a rich m an toenter into th e kingdom
Of God .
And
they that hea rd it
sa id,
Then wh o can be saved ?But h e
Th e things which a reimposs ible with m en
a re possible with GodAnd Peter
sa id,
LO,we have left 10 our own
,
and followed thee .
Va r iou s readings and th eor ies h ave beensuggested wi th th e Object Of expla ining o ur
Lord’s express ion ,by m aking i t descr ibe a
ta sk Of extrem e di fficulty , but not a ctua l
im possibility. All th ese a ttem pts a re fanci fuland futile . Th e liter a l render ing i s th e sa fest .
Th e language o f th e di sciples sh ews th a t th eyth ough t th e Ma ster
’s m eaning di d involve an
absolute im possibi lity, and h i s answer (Ma rk
x . 27 ) i s founded on th is understanding . He
adopts th e ver sion th us a ccepted by th em ,a nd
rests h i s lesson on God’s infinite love and
power a s m an’s only but a ll-sufficient r esource
in th e fa ce Of h i s own h elpless and h opelessself-despa i r . Sim ila r proverbs , a s strong andcrush ing , a re foun d in th e Ta lm ud and a re in
use in th e E a st to th is day ; and a str ikingpa r a llel i s found in Matt. xxi ii . 24 , 170 .
‘l' Gen . xvi ii . 14 .
they were astonishedexceedingly
,
saying 3 unto him,
Then wh o can be saved ?Jesus
look ing upon themsa ith
,
With m en it isimposs ible
,
but not with God :
146, 147] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xix. 27—30. Ma rk x. 29—31. Luke xvi i i. 29, 30.
what then shall we have ?*And Jesus said Jesus said, And h e sa idunto them
,unto them
,
Verily I say ,unto you ,
that ye which have followed m e
,in th e regener
a tion when th e Son ofm an sha ll sit on th e
throne Of h is glory ye
also sha ll s it upon twelvethrones
,judging th e
twelve tribes of Israel12.And every one thathath left houses ,
or brethren,or s isters
,
or fa ther,or mother“
,
or children,or lands
,
for my name ’s sake
sha ll receive 30
5 a hundredfold,
Verily I say unto you,
There is no m an thatha th left house
,
or brethren,or sisters ,
or mother,or father
,
o r children ,or lands
,
for my sake,and for
th e gospel’s sake ,but h e sha ll rece ive 30
a hundredfoldnow in this time
,
Verily I say unto you,
There i s no m an thatha th left house
,
or wife,
or brethren,
or pa rents,
or children,
for th ek ingdom Of God’s sake
,
wh o shall not receivemanifold morein this time,
houses,and brethren, and
s isters,and mothers
,and
children,and lands, with
persecutionsand sha ll inherit
eternal life .
30 But many sha ll be la sttha t a re first ; and firsttha t a re last. la st first.1 Som e a ncient a uth or ities read Good Ma ster See Ma rk x. 17 ; Luke xvi ii . 18.
ancient a uth o r ities read Why ca llest th ou m e good 9 N one i s good sa ve one, even God . See Ma rk x. 18 ;4 Many anci ent auth or ities add or wi fe : a s in Luke xvi ii . 29.
7 Som e
9
a nci ent a uth or ities om i t f or th em th a t trust i n r ich es.
Or , our own h om es
5 Or , on h i s wa yread am ong th em selves.
9 O r , age10
and and
in th e 9world to comeeterna l life .
31 But many th a t a re firstsha ll be la st ;
in th e 9world to comeeternal life.
and th e
3 Som e
Luke xvii i . 19.
5 Som e ancient a uth o r ities read m anif old .
2 Or , Tea ch er
8 Many ancient a uth orities
147 . THE PARABLE OF THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.
Ma tt. xx. 1—16.
1 For th e k ingdom of heaven i s like unto a m an 1 tha t is a householder,which went
2 out ea rly II in th e morning to hire labourers into h is vineyard. And when h e h ad3 a greed with th e labourers for a 2penny a day
,h e sent them into h is vineyard. And
Th e question suggested byMa rk (ver se 28)and by Luke (verse 2 8 ) and form a lly recorded
by Ma tth ew (verse 27) i s doubly answered.
F ir st, by th e proph etic prom ise wh ich followsit in th is section and secondly , by th e
parable in th e next section . Peter ’s selfish
desire for a rewa rd i s answered in both ca ses
by th e sam e words wh ich th us connect th emtogeth er . See Matt. xix . 30 and com pa reMa tt. xx . 16 in th e next section.
Ma tt. xxv. 31 , 176.
1: Luke xxii . 30 , 183 .
I) Th e fir st set of labourers were h iredea rly in th e m orning , probably a t six O ’clock ,th e usual com m encem ent o f th e labourer ’sworking day. Th e second set (verse 3 ) a tnine a .m . ; th e th ird set (ver se 5) a t m idday — th e fourth set (verse 5 ) a t th ree in
th e a fternoon. Th e la st set were sent intoth e vineyard (verse 6) a t five p .m . Th e
day’
s work ended an h our la ter , a t s ix
O ’clock . See Note J, page li i .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma rk x. 32—34. Luke xvi i i. 31— 34.
andbegan to tell them th e
things tha t were to h appen unto him,
h e sa id unto them,
Behold, we go upto Jerusa lem ;
Behold,we go up
to Jerusalem
and th e Son of m an
sha ll be delivered untoth e chief priests andscribes and theysha ll condemn him
to death,
and sha ll deliver himunto th e Gentilesto mock
,
and sha ll spit upon him,
and Sha ll scour ge him,
and sha ll ki ll him ;and a fter three daysh e shall rise again .
and to scourge ,and to crucify :
and the third dayh e shall be raised up.
1 Or , but some a s they f ollowed were af r a id 2 Or, th rough
149 . THE SELFISH AMBITION OF JAMES AND JOHN.
Ma tt. xx. 20— 28.
Then came to h imth e mother of"
th e sons of Z ebedee with h er sons,
worshipping h im ,a nd a sking a certain
thing of him.
And h e sa id unto h er ,What wouldest thou ?
Sh e sa ith unto him,Command 37
tha t these my two sons m ay s it,
one on thy right hand,and one on
thy left hand,in thy kingdom .
But Jesus answered and sa id,Ye
Ma rk x. 35— 45.
And there come nea r unto him
James and John,th e sons of Zebedee,
See note on Ma tt. viii . 5, 51 .
144
said unto them,
Behold,we go up
to Jerusalem,
and a ll th e things thata re written 2by th e proph ets sha ll be a ccomplished unto
and th e Son of m an th e Son of m an .
sha ll be delivered untoth e chi ef priests andth e scribes ; and theyshall condemn him
to dea th,
and sha ll deliver him 32 For h e shall be deliveredunto th e Gentiles : and up unto th e Gentiles
,
they shall mock him,
and sha ll be mocked,
a nd shamefully entreated ,and spit upon :
33 and they sha ll scourgeand ki ll h im :
and th e third dayh e sha ll rise a ga in.
34 And they understoodnone of these things ;and this saying wa s hidfrom them
,and they per
ceived not th e things tha twere sa id.
saying unto him,3Ma ster, we would that
thou shouldest do for us whatsoever weshall a sk of thee.
And h e sa id unto them,
What would ye tha t I should do for you 2And they sa id unto him,
Grantunto u s that we may s it
,
one on thy right hand, and one on
thy left hand , in thy glory.
But Jesus sa id unto them,Ye
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xx. 22—28.
know not wha t ye a sk . Are ye a bleto drink th e cup tha t Iam about to drink ?
They say unto him,We a re able .
He sa ith unto them,
My cup indeed ye shall drink :
but to Sit on my right hand, and on
my left hand, i s no t mine to give ,but i t isfor them for whom it ha thbeen prepa red Of my Father.
And when th e ten heard it, theywere moved with indigna tion
concerning th e two brethren . Bu t
Jesus called them unto him,and said,
Ye know thatth e rulers of
th e Gentiles lord it over them , and
their grea t ones exercise a uthorityover them . Not so Shall it be amongyou : but whosoever would become
great among you sha ll beyour 1minister ; and whosoeverwould be first among you shall beyour 2 servant : even a s th e Son
of m an came not to be ministeredunto
,but to minister
,and to give
h is life a ransom for many1 Or , serva nt 2 Gr . bondserva nt. 3 Or , Tea ch er
149— 151
Ma rk x. 38— 45.
know not wha t ye a sk . Are ye ableto drink th e cup that I
drink ‘
3*Or to be baptized with th e baptism
that I am baptized wi th39 And they said unto him
, We a re able.
And Jesus sa id unto them,
T h e cup that I drink ye shall drink ;and wi th th e baptism tha t I am baptizedwithal shall ye be baptized :
40 but to sit on my right hand or onmy left hand i s not mine to give :but i t i s for them for whom it ha th
been prepa red .
And when th e ten hea rd it,they
began to be moved with indignationconcerning James and John . And
Jesus called them to him,and sa ith
unto them, Ye know thatthey which a re accounted to rule overth e Gentiles lord it over them ; andtheir grea t ones exercise au thority
43 over them. But it i s not so amongyou : but whosoever would become
grea t among you, sha ll be
your 1m inister : and whosoeverwould be first am ong you
,sha ll be
servant of all . 4For verily th e SonOf m an came no t to be ministeredunto
,but to minister
,and to give
h is life a ransom for many .+4 Or, F or the Son of m a n a lso (Am en)
150 . ON HIS WAY To JEB ICHO JESUS SEES BAR-T IME US SITTING OUTSIDE THEGATE OF THE CITY BEGGING. (See Note U,
page lxxx. )Mark x. 46. Luke xvi ii. 35.
Luke xvi ii . 35.
35
way side begging.
46 And they come to Jericho.
15 1.
And it came to pass, a s h e drew nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind m an sa t by th e
Ma rk x. 46.
JESUS ENTERS JERICHO AND VISITS Z ACCHE US .
Jer icho.
Luke xix. 1—10.
1,2 And h e entered and wa s passing through Jericho. And behold
,a m an called by
3 name Zacchaeus ; and h e wa s a chief publican, and h e wa s rich . And h e sought tosee Jesus wh o h e wa s ; and could not for th e crowd
,beca use h e wa s little of sta ture .
4 And h e ran on before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him : for h e was to5 pass that way. And when Jesus came to th e place, h e looked up, and said unto him
,
6 Za cchaeus, make ha ste, and come down ; for to-day I must abide at thy house. And
7 h e made haste, and came down ,a nd received him joyfully. And when they saw it,
8 they all murmured , saying , He i s gone in to lodge with a m an tha t i s a sinner. And
See Luke xi i . 50 , 66. 1‘ See 1 T im . 11. 6 .
151,152] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke xix. 8
Z acchaeus stood, and sa id unto th e Lord,Behold
,Lord,th e ha lf of my goods I give to
th e poor ; and if I ha ve wrongfully exa cted aught of any m an,I restore fourfold
9 And Jesus sa id unto him,TO-day i s sa lva tion com e to this house
,for asm uch a s h e
10 also i s a son Of Abraham. For th e Son of m an came to seek and to save that whichwa s lost.
152 . As HE LEAVES JERIOHO JESUS AGAIN SEES BAR -T IMzEUS SITTING WITH ACOMPANION BY THE WAYSIDE AT THE GATE AND HEALS THEM BOTH .
Ma rk x. 46- 52. Luke xvii i. 36—43.
And a s h e wentout from Jer ich o
,
with h is disciplesand a gr ea t multitude,
35 [A certa in blind m an
th e son of T imaeus,
Bar timaeus,a blind begga r
,
wa s s ittingby th e way s ide.
when they heard tha tJesus
wa s pa ssing by,cr ied out
,
saying,
Lord,
Jesus,thou Son of Da vid
,
Za cch aeus , (th ough a collector of a Rom an
tax ,) wa s a Jew—“a son o f Abra h am (verse
By th e Mosa ic law (see Lev. vi . 2— 5 and
Num b . v . 6 , h e wa s bound , in every ca se
in wh i ch h e h ad been guilty o f extortion ,to
“m ake restitution for h i s gu ilt in full, andadd unto i t th e fifth part th ereof, and give i t
“unto h im in respect o f wh om h e h ad beenguilty .
”But Za cch aeus sh ews th e th orough
ness o f h is rem orse and reform a tion by th efulness of h i s restitution . He h ad in h i s
m ind , probably , th e Rom an law , and th e
penalties wh i ch it a ffixed to h i s wrong-doing .
Th a t law anciently recognised five form s o f
lega l procedure (legi s a cti ones) , one of wh ich
wa s ca lled th e procedure by seizure of pledge(aeti o p er p i gnor i s cap i onem ) . Ga ius iv. 12 .
Th is a ction i s discussed in Ga ius iv. 26— 29 .
By it a creditor wa s , under certa in cir cumstances , enabled to sei z e th e property of h is
debtor a s a pledge for th e paym ent of h i s
debt . By a Specia l provi sion o f th e law,th i s
righ t was given to th e p ubli cani to enableth em to collect th e taxes . Th e pledge (p ignus)wa s seized with certa in form a l words , and
And
when h e hea rd tha t it wa sJesus of Na za reth
,
h e began to cry out,
and say,
Jesus,thou son of
.
David,
h eld a s secur i ty fo r th e paym ent of th e tax
dem anded ; and if not duly redeem ed, i twouldbe sold to r a ise th e m oney . If th is powerwere abused , th e wrong-doer could be pun i sh edunder th e provisions o f specia l laws . See
Digest xxxix . Ti t . Iv. 1 , and com pa re 3 and4 , and a lso 9 , § 5 Of th e sam e title . Fromth ese pa ssages we lea rn th a t a m erely illega ldem and, no t supported by violence , wouldgive r ise to an a ction for double va lue Of th eproper ty taken ; i f th e “
publican resorted toforce , h e would be liable to an a ction for tr eblevalue (9 , In ca se o f ordina ry robberywi th violence , and with out any cla im of r igh t ,th e cr im ina l m i gh t be com pelled to m a ke toth e injured per son a qua drup le restitution .
Za cch aeus th erefore pen i tently puts h i s own
ca se beyond th e cla ss o f wrong-doer s in h i sprofession , and r anks h im self with th e lowestm a lefa ctor s . It i s observable a lso th a t h edoes th is a lth ough (by 1 , 4) h e could h a velega lly clea red h im selfv o f a ll li abi li ty bysim ply restor ing th e am ount o f h i s unjustga in before a ny a ction h ad been comm encedaga inst h im for i ts recovery.
sa t
by th e way s idebegging
and hea ring a mu ltitudegoing by
,h e inquired
wha t this meant.And
they told him,tha t
Jesus of Na za rethpa sseth by.
And h e cried,
saying,
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Luk e xix. 14— 28.
ha ted him,and sent an ambassage after him,
saying, We will not tha t this m an reign15 over us . And it came to pa ss , when h e wa s come back a gain
,ha ving received th e
k ingdom,that h e commanded these 1 servants , unto whom h e had given th e money, to
16 be ca lled to him,that h e might know wha t they had ga ined by trading. And th e
17 first came before him , saying, Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more . And h esaid unto him
,Well done
,thou good 3servant : because thou wa st found fa ithful in a
18 very little,have thou a uthority over ten cities . And th e second came
,saying, Thy
19 pound,Lord
,hath made five pounds. And h e said unto him a lso
,Be thou also over
20 five cities . And 4 another came,saying
,Lord
,behold
,h ere i s thy pound
,which I kept
21 laid up in a napk in : for I fea red thee,because thou a rt an austere m an : thou takest
22 up that thou layedst not down, and rea pest that thou didst not sow. He sa ith untohim
,Out of thine own mouth Will I judge thee, thou wicked 3 servant. Thou knewest
that I am an a ustere m an,taking up tha t I laid not down
,and reaping that I did not
23 sow then wherefore ga vest thou not my money into th e ba nk,and 5 1 a t my com ing
24 should have required it with interest ? And h e sa id unto them that stood by, Take25 away from him th e pound
,and give it unto him that hath th e ten pounds . And they
26 sa id unto him,Lord
,h e ha th ten pounds . I say unto you, that unto every one tha t
ha th sha ll be given ; but from him that hath not,even that which h e ha th Shall be
27 taken away from him . Howbeit these mine enemies,which would not that I should
reign over them,br ing hither
,a nd slay them before m e .
28 And when h e h ad thus spoken, h e went on before, going up to Jerusa lem.
2 M ina , h ere transla ted a pound, i s equa l to one h undred drachm a s, o r about £3. 23 . 6d .
3 Gr . bondser va nt. 4 Gr . th e oth er .5 Or , I sh ould h a ve gone and r equ ir ed
153 , 154]
1 Gr . bondserva nts.
See Note Q , page lxxvi.
THE LAST WEEK OF OUR LORD ’
S MORTAL HISTORY.
NOTE . [From Jer ich o Jesuswent to Bethany* ,a rr iving th ere sh ortly before sunset on Fr iday
even ing . Th is wa s six days before th e pa ssover (Joh n xi i . And , a ccordingly , on th e
Th ursday following , th e disciples 181) prepa red, and 182— 195) with th ei r Lordcelebra ted th e pa sch a l fea st . In th e m ean tim e Jesus (and probably h i s di sciples a lso , see
Ma rk x i . 11 , § 157 ; xi . 12 , § 158 : xi . 20 , 161) lodged a t Beth any every n igh t (Ma rk xi . 19 andLuke xxi . 37 , Luke only says th at be “ lodged in th e m ount o f Olives .
” Ma tth ewand Ma rk with grea ter precision fix th e village on th e m ount (Beth any) a t wh ich h e stayed
Every m orn ing be repa ired ea rly to th e tem ple (Luke xxi . 38 , § 161) wh ere th epeople crowded to h ea r h im ; and wh ere h e openly contended all day with h i s foes wi th outrestra int or fea r , knowing th at th e tim e wa s now com e for h i s pa ssion and dea th . ]
154 . JESUS ARRIVES AT BETHANY SIx DAYS BEFORE THE PASSOVER . THE SABBATHREST THERE . PUBLIC ExcITEMENT WITH REGARD To HIM AND LAZARUS. CON
SPIRACY OF THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND PHARISEES To KILL THEM BOTH.
Betha ny. (Fr iday a nd Sa turday . )
John xi . 55 to x11. 1 and 9—11.
55 Now th e pa ssover of the Jews wa s at hand : and many went up to Jerusalem out of56 th e country before th e pa ssover, to purify them selves . They sought therefore forJesus, and spake one With another
,a s they stood in th e temple, What think ye ?
Beth any wa s on th e South ern or ancientca ravan route from Jer ich o to Jerusa lem .
Th e distance between th ese pla ces wa s about17 m i les (Th om son ’
s T he La nd a nd the Book,
p . Beth any being nea rly two m i les fromJerusa lem , see Joh n xi . 18 , § 128 . Th e tim e of
our Lord’s a rr iva l a t Beth any i s fixed by th efact th at th e sabbath began a t sunset on th a t
day (Fr iday) a nd la sted till sunset on Sa turday. He m ust th erefore h ave been close toth e end o f h i s journey, if h e h a d not a ctua llyrea ch ed it a t sunset on Fr iday. After th a th our h e could not lawfully h ave gone m oreth an a
“sabba th day
’
s journey,” wh i ch wa s
2000 ya rds .
148
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Joh n xi. 56 to x11. 1 and 9—11.
57 That h e will not come to th e fea st ? Now th e chief priests and th e Pha risees hadgiven commandment, tha t, if a ny m an knew Where h e wa s, h e should shew it, thatthey might take him .
xii . 1 Jesus therefore six days before th e passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus wa s ,whom Jesus raised from the dea d.
9 The common people therefore of th e Jews learned that h e wa s there : and theycame, not for Jesus
’sake only
,but tha t they might see Lazarus also , Whom h e had
10 ra ised from th e dead. But th e chief priests took counsel tha t they might put Laza rus11 also to death ; beca use tha t by reason of him many of th e Jews went a way, andbelieved on Jesus .
155 . JESUS MAKES HIS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.
From Betha ny to Jerusa lem . (Sunday )Ma rk xi . 1—10. Luke xix. 29— 38. John xi i . 12—19.
And And
12 On th e morrow
unto th e mount
of Olives ,h e sendeth twoof h is disciples
,
2 and saith untothem
,
Go your wayinto th e villa gethat is over
aga inst you : andstraightway a sye enter into it
,
ye Shall find a
loose them,and
bring th emunto m e .
3 And if any one
say aughtunto you
,
31 And if any one
a sk
y0 11,
Why do yeloose him ?
thus shall ye say,Th e Lord ha thneed of him.
155]
Ma tt. xxi . 6.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Joh n xi i . 12, 13.
6 And th e disciples
went away,
and found
even a s h e h ad
said unto them .
33 And a s th eywere loosingth e colt
,
th e owners thereof5 And cer ta in ofthem tha t stood
theresa id unto them,
Wha t do ye ,loosing th e colt ?
6 And they sa idunto them evenas Jesus h ad sa id :
Th e Lord ha thneed Of him.
and they let themgo.
7 a great multitudethat h ad come toth e fea st
,when
they heard tha tJesus wa s coming
13 to Jerusalem,took
th e branches ofth e pa lm trees
,
a nd went forth tomeet h im , and
cried out,Hosan
na : Blessed i s h ethat cometh in
th e name of th eLord
,even th e
King of Isra el".
Th i s song o f trium ph appea rs to be di s
tinct from th a t m entioned in Ma tt . xxi . 9 and
th e pa r a llel pa ssages la ter on in th is section ;a ca reful com pa r ison of th e na rr a tives seem s
to sh ew th a t th e order o f events wa s a s fol
lows . Th e m ultitudes in Jerusalem , lea rn ingth a t Jesus i s about to enter th e city , leave i twith th e intention of m eeting h im . At th i s
very tim e h is di sciples h a ve been dispa tch edinto th e village to find and bring th e colt ; andh aving Obta ined i t h a ve th rown som e of th eir
ga rm ents upon i t, and h ave sea ted th eir Lord .
Th e approa ch ing crowd beh olds h im on h i sway. Th ey burst into a song o f welcom e and
of pra ise (Joh n xi i . 13 , and strew in h i spa th th e
“branch es wh ich th ey h ad cut fromth e fields ”
(Ma rk xi . 8, § 155) a s th ey cam e.
Th en , ca sting o ff th eir outer ga rm ents , th eypay h im th e h om a ge custom a ry to kings(2 Kings ix . by spreading th em in hi s
pa th (Luke x ix . 36 , AS th ey com e inSigh t of th e city of David and nea r its ga tes ,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma rk xi . 8— 10. Luke xix. 37, 38.
37 And a s h e wa s now drawing nigh
,even a t th e
descent of th e mount ofOlives
,
th e multitudes th e whole multitudeof th e disciples
began to rejoiceand praise Godwith a loud voice
for all th e 6mighty workswhich they had seen ;
saying,
saying,
Hosanna Hosannato th e son of David
Blessed i s Blessed is Blessed ish e tha t cometh h e that cometh th e King tha t cometh
in th e name of th e Lord ; in th e name of th e Lord in th e name of th e Lord10 Blessed is th e k ingdomtha t cometh
,the kingdom
of our father David :pea ce in heaven
, and
Hosanna in th e highest. Hosanna in th e highest. glory in th e highest*.
1 Or , th r ough Gr . sendeth .3 Or , aga in
4 Gr. la yer s of lea ves.5 O r , ca lled Olivet (Am en )
6 Gr. p owers. 7 Som e ancient a uth orities read th e comm on p eop le. 3 Or, Ye beh old
156 . JESUS WEEPS OVER JERUSALEM.
Luke xix. 39—44.
39 And some of th e Pharisees from th e multitude sa id unto him,1Ma ster
,rebuke thy
40 disciples . And h e a nswered and sa id,I tell you that, if these sha ll hold their peace
,
th e stones will cry out.41, 42 A nd when h e drew nigh
,h e saw th e city and wept over it, saying, 2 If thou hadst
known in this 3day, even thou, th e things which belong unto4peace but now they a re
43 hid from thine eyes . For the days sha ll com e upon th ee,when thine enemies sha ll
cast up a 5 bank about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every s ide,
44 and sha ll da sh thee to th e ground, and thy children within thee ; and they sha ll notleave in thee one stone upon another ; because th en knewest not th e time of thyvisitation.
1 Or , Tea cher Or , 0 th a t th ou h a dst known 3 Som e a ncient auth oriti es read thy d ay (Am en )4 Som e ancient auth or ities r ead thy p ea ce (Am en ) 5 Gr . p a lisa de.
157 . THE MULTITUDES IN THE CITY, AND THE CHILDREN IN THE TEMPLE PRAISETHE LORD.
Jerusa lem .
Ma tt. xxi. 10, 11, and 14—17. Ma rk xi. 11.
10 And when h e wa s come into Jerusa lem, 11 And h e entered into Jerusalem ,
all th e city wa s stirred , saying, Who is11 this ? And th e multitudes sa id , This is
Luke 11. 14 , 12 .
152
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xxi . 11, and 14—17.
th e prophet,Jesns *, from Nazareth of
14 Galilee . And th e blind and th e lameCame to him in th e temple : and h e
15 healed them. But when th e chief priestsand th e scribes saw th e wonderful thingsthat h e did
,and th e children that were
crying in th e temple and saying, Hosannato th e son of David ; they were moved
16 with indignation,and said unto him,
Hearest th ou what these a re saying ?And Jesus saith unto them
,Yea : did
ye never read, +Out of th e mouth of
babes and sucklings thou hast perfectedpraise
h e left them,
and went forth out of th e cityto Bethany,
and lodged there .
157, 153
Ma rk xi . 11.
into th e temple
and when h e had looked round aboutupon all things, it being new eventide,
[Luke xxi . 37,
37 [And every day h e wa s teaching in th e temple ; and every night h e went out, and38 lodged in th e moun t that is 1 called the m ount of Olives . And all th e people cameearly in th e morning to him in th e temple, to hear him. ]
1 Or, ca lled Olivet (Am en)
158. THE BARREN FIG TREE . (See
On the way fr om Betha ny to Jerusa lem . (Monday )Ma tt. xxi. 18, 19.
Now in th e morning
a s h e returned to th e city,
h e hungered .
And see ing 1 a fig tree
by th e wayside,
h e came to it,
and found nothing th ereon, butleaves only ;
and h e sa ith unto it,
Luke VII. 16 , 52 . Psa lm viii . 2 .
i Th is sum m a ry i s given by Luke a t th e
close of th e narr ative of our Lord’s tea ch ing
on th e Wednesday , and a fter h e h ad left th etem ple for th e la st tim e. Ch ronologica llyi t sh ould be placed a s above , see 161 .
llAbout thr ee quarters o f a m ile to th e ea st
Ma rk xi . 12—14.
And on th e morrow,
when they were come out fromBethany
,
h e hungered .
And seeing a [lfig treeafa r off
of Jerusa lem and on th e di rect road to Bethany, lay Beth ph age. It wa s just about th etop of th e h i ll ; wh ere traveller s from Beth anywou ld ga in th eir fir st sigh t of Jerusa lem lyinga t th e foot o f th e Mount. Its nam e , (wh ichsignifies Th e h ouse of figs), indica tes th a t figtrees were on th eMount a s well a s olive trees .
153
having leaves,
h e came,
if haply h e might find anything thereon :a nd when h e came to it
,
h e found nothing bu tleaves ;
for it wa s not th e sea son of figs .
14 And h e answered and said un to it,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xxi . 19. Ma rk xi . 14.
Let there be no fruit from thee NO m an ea t fruit from theehenceforwa rd for ever. henceforwa rd for ever.
And h is disciples hea rd it.And immedia tely th e fig tree
withered away.
1 O lr , a s i ng e
159 . THE SECOND PURGING OF THE TEMPLE . (See
J erusa lem . (Mond ay )Ma tt. xxi . 12, 13. Ma rk xi . 15— 18. Luke xix. 45 48.
15 And they come toJerusa lem
And Jesus entered and h e entered And h e enteredinto th e temple into th e temple
,into th e temple ,
1of God
,
and cast out and began to ca st outall them tha t sold them that sold
,
and boughtin th e temple
,
and overthrew th e tablesof th e money—changers
,
and th e sea ts of themthat sold th e *doves ;
and h e
saith unto them,
saying unto them,
+ It i s written, i My + It i s written, 1And myhouse shall be called house shall bea house of prayer : a house of prayer :
butye make ita den Of robbers .
18 And th e ch iefpriestsand th e scribes
hea rd it,and sought how theymight destroy himfor they feared him
,
48 and they could not find
wh a t they m ight do ;for all th e multitude for th e people a ll
wa s a stonished a t hung upon him,
h i s teaching. listening.
1 Many ancient auth o ri ties om it of God .
See Deut . xiv. 24 —2 6 and Lev. xi i . 6— 8 . s ignificance of h i s a ct, —a s an a ssertion o f"l' Isa i . lvi . 7 . See a lso Jerem . VII. 11 . h i s divine title ,— i s em ph a sized by th e fa ctI At th e fir st purging of th e tem ple 26) th a t th e presence of som e , i f no t a ll, of th ese
Jesus Spoke o f “My Fa ther’s h ouse . At th e anim a ls seem s to h a ve been justifiable a ccord
second h e cla im s it a s“My house .
”Th e ing to strict Mosa ic law. See note above.
and began to ca st outthem that sold
and them that boughtin th e temple
,
and overthrew th e tablesof th e money - changers
,
and th e sea ts of themthat sold th e * doves ;
16 and h e would no t suffertha t any m an shouldcarry a vessel throughth e temple .
17 And h e taught,and
sa id unto them,
+ Is it not written, 1Myhouse shall be ca lleda house of prayerfor a ll th e nations ?but ye have made ita den of robbers .
but ye ha ve made ita den Of robbers .
47 And h ewa s tea ching dailyin th e temple .
But th e chief priestsand th e scribes
and th e principal m en ofth e people
160,161] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Joh n xi i . 49, 50.
sent m e,h e hath given m e a commandment, what I should say, and what I should
50 speak . And I know that h is commandment i s life eterna l : th e things thereforewhich I speak , even a s th e Fa ther ha th sa id unto m e
,so I speak .
1 Or , soul 2 Or , h our ? 3 O r, a j udgem ent 4 Or , ou t of
7 Or , h im8 Or , th e glor y th a t i s of m en m or e th a n th e glory th a t i s of God (Am er .
161. THE WITHERING OF THE BARREN FIG TREE.
5 Or in 5 Or , wa s h iddenf rom th em
(See
On the way from Beth a ny to Jerusa lem .
Ma tt. xxi. 20—22.
19 And 1 every even ing 2h ewent forth out
Ma rk xi. 19—25. Luke xxi.'
37, 38.
37 And every day h e wa s
tea ching in th e temple ;and every night h e
went out,of th e city.
20 And when th e disciples saw it,they
marvelled, saying, How did th e fig treeimmedia tely wither away
21 And Jesus answered and said unto them,
Verily I say unto you ,If ye ha ve fa ith, and doubt not, ye sha llnot only do wha t is done to th e fig tree,
but even if yeShall say unto this mounta in,
Be thou taken up* and cast into th e sea ,
it shall be done .
And a ll things, whatsoever yesha ll a sk in prayer, believing,
ye sha ll receive.
1 Gr. wh enever evening cam e.2 Som e ancient auth o r ities read th ey.
and lodged in th e mounttha t is 5 called the m ount
38 of Olives. And all th epeople came ea rly in th emorning to him in th e
tem ple,to hea r him.
Ma rk xi . 20— 25.
20 And a s they pa ssed by in th e morning,they saw th e fig tree withered away from
th e roots .
21 And Peter ca lling to remembrance sa ithunto him
,Ra bbi
,behold
,th e fig tree
which thou cursedst is withered awa y.
22 And Jesus answering sa ith unto them,
Have fa ith in God .
Verily I say unto you,
Whosoeversha ll say unto this mountain,
Be thou taken up* and cast into th e sea ;
a nd sha ll not doubt in h is heart , butsha ll believe that what h e saith comethto pa ss ;
h e Shall have it.Therefor e I say unto you ,All things wha tsoever yepray and a sk for
,believe
3tha t ye have received them,
and ye shall ha ve them.
25 And whensoever ye stand praying,for
give , if ye ha ve a ught against any one ;tha t you r Father a lso which is in hea venmay forgive you your trespa sses .
4
3 Or, th a t ye r eceive (Am en )
4 Many ancient a uth o r ities a dd ver . 26 B ut if ye do not f org ive, nei th er will your Fa ther wh ich i s in h ea ven f org iveyour tr esp a sses. See Ma tt. vi . 15, 50.
5 O r , ca lled Olivet (Am en )
See 1 Cor . xii i . 2 , wh ere th e apostle seem s to be referring to th is pa ssage .
156
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
162 .
Ma tt. xxi. 23— 27.
And whenh e wa s come
into th e temple,
th e chief pr iests
and th e eldersof th e people came untohim a s h e wa s tea ching
,
and said,
By wha t au thority doestthou * these things ?
and wh o gavethee this authority ?
And Jesus answeredand said unto them
,
I a lso will a sk you one1question
,which if ye
tell m e,
I likewise will tell youby what a uthority Ido these things .
Th e baptism of John,
whence wa s it ? fromh eaven or from m en
And they reasoned withthemselves
,saying
,If we
shall say, From heaven ;h e will say unto us , Whythen did ye not believe
26 him ? But if we shall say,From m en ;
we fear th e multitude ;
for all hold
And they come again
162
THE CHIEF PRIESTS QUESTION THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS .
In the temp le.
Ma rk xi . 27—33. Luke xx. 1—8.
to Jerusalem
and a s
h e wa s walking
in th e temple,
there come to himth e chief pr iests
,
a nd th e scribes,
and th e elders ;
and they a nd they spake,
said unto him,saying unto him
,
Tell us :By wha t a uthority doestthou * these things ?or wh o is h e that gavethee this a uthority ?
And h e answereda nd sa id unto them
,
I also will a sk you a1question ; andtell m e :
4 Th e baptism of Joh n,wa s it from
heaven,or from m en
5 And they reasoned withthem selves
,saying
,If we
shall say, From hea ven ;h e will say, Whydid ye not believe
6 him ? But if we shall say,From m en ;
a llth e peoplewill stoneus3 for all veri ly heldJohn to be a prophet.
33 And th ey answeredJesus a nd say,We know not .
+John a s a prophet.27 And they answered
Jesus,and said,
We know not.
for they be persuadedtha t John wa s a prophet.
7 And they answered,
that they knew not
whence i t wa s .
Referr ing , no doubt, ch iefly to th e purg ing 1 Ma tt . xiv. 5, g 29 .
o f th e tem ple recorded in 159 .
And it came to pass,on one of th e days
,a s
h e wa s tea chingth e peoplein th e temple
,
and preaching th e gospelthere came upon himth e chief pr iestsand th e scribeswith th e elders ;
By what authority doestthou * these things ?or wh o gave
thee this authorityto do these things ?
And Jesu ssaid unto them
,
I will a sk of you one
1question,and
answer m e,
and I will tell youby what a uthority Ido these things .
30 Th e ba ptism Of John,
wa s it fromhea ven ,
or fr om m en ?
answer m e .
31 And they rea soned withthemselves
,saying, If we
Shall say, From heaven ;h e will say, Why
then did ye not believe32 him ? 2But should we say,
From m en
they feared th e people :
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xxi . 27.
He a lso said unto them,
Neither tell I you bywha t authority I do these
Ma rk xi . 33.
And Jesus saith untothem,
Neither tell I youby what authority I do
Luke xx. 8.
8 And Jesus said untothem
,Neither tell I you
thingsOr , But sh all we say, Fr om m en ?
these things.by what authority I dothese things .
3 Or , j or a ll h eld J ohn to be a p rop het indeed.
163. THE PARABLE OF THE Two SONS.
28 But what think ye ?
Jerusa lem .
Ma tt. xxi. 28— 32.
A m an had two sons ; and h e came to th e first, and said,29 1Son, go work to-day in th e vineyard. And h e answered and said
,I will not : but
30 afterward h e repented himself, and went.31 Wise .
And h e cam e to th e second,and said like
And h e answered and said,I g o, s ir : and went not. Whether of th e twain did
th e will Of h is father ? They say, Th e first. Jesus sa ith unto them,Verily I say unto
32 you , that th e publicans and th e ha rlots go into th e k ingdom of God before you. ForJohn came unto you in th e way of righteousness , and ye believed him not : but th epublicans a hd th e ha rlots believed him : and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repentyourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.
164.
Ma tt. xxi. 33—46.
Hear another parableThere wa s a m an tha twa s a householder
,
wh ich planted a vineyard,
and set a hedge about it,
and digged awinepress in it,
and built a tower,and
let it out to husbandmen,
and went into anothercountry.
34 And when th e sea sonOf th e fruits drew nea r
,
h e sent h is 1 ser vantsto th e husbandmen
,
to receive
2 h is fruits .
35 And th e husbandmentook h is 1 servants
,a nd
* bea t one,and
ki lled another,
and stoned another.
“Bea t one ;K illed anoth er ;
Jerem iah (Jer . xxxvn .
Ur ijah (Jen xxvi . 20
1 Gr. Ch i ld .
J erusa lem .
Ma rk xi i . 1— 12.
1 And h e began to speakunto themin parables .
A m an
planted a vineya rd,
and set a hedge about it,
and digged apit for th e winepress
,
and built a tower,and
let it out to hu sbandmen,
and went into anothercountry.
And a t th e season
158
Stoned anoth er ;
THE PARABLE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN AND THE VINEYARD .
Luke xx. 9—19.
9 And h e began to speakun to th e peoplethis pa rable :
A m an
planted a Vineyard,
andlet it out to husbandmen
,
and went into anothercountry
for-a long time.
10 And a t th e season
h e'
sent unto th e h usbandm en a
4servant
,
tha t they sh ould givehim
Of th e fruitOf th e vineyard :
but th e husbandmen
beat him,and
Zech ariah (2 Ch ron . xxiv.
h e sent to th e h usbandm en a 4 servant
,
that h e might receivefrom th e husbandmen
Of the fruitsOf th e
“ vineya rd .
And th eytook him
,and
bea t him,a nd
164]
Ma tt. xxi . 41—46.
miserably destroy thosemiserable m en
,and
will let out th e vineyardunto other
husbandmen, which shallrender him th e fruits intheir sea sons .
42 Jesus saith unto them,
Did ye never rea d in th e
scriptures*,Th e stone which th e
builders rejected,
Th e same wa s made th ehead of th e corner :This wa s from th e Lord
,
And it i s ma rvellous inour eyes ?
43 Therefore say I un to you,Th e k ingdom Of God sha llbe taken away from you
,
and sha ll be given to anation bringing forth th efruits thereof.+
443And h e that fa lleth on
this stone Sh all be brokento pieces : but on whomsoever it sha ll fa ll
,it will
sca tter him a s dust.And when
th e chief priests andth e Pharisees hea rd h isparables
,they perceived
tha t h e spake of them .
46 And when they soughtto lay hold on him,
they fea red th emultitudes
,
because they took him fora prophet.
1 Gr . bondserva nls.
5 Gr . Be i t not so.
Psalm cxviii . 22.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR
2 Or , thefi u i ts of i t
LORD .
Luke xx. 16—19.
destroy thesehusbandmen
,and
will give th e vineya rdunto others .
Ma rk x11. 9—12.
destroy th ehusbandmen
,and
will give th e vineyardunto others .
And when they heard it,
they said,
6God forbid .
17 But h e looked upon them,
and said,
Wha t then i s this thatis writtenTh e stone which th e
builders rejected,
Th e same wa s made th ehead of th e corner ?
18 Every one tha t fa lleth on
tha t stone shall be brokento pieces ; but on whomsoever it shall fa ll, it willscatter him a s dust .
And
th e scribes andth e chief priests
soughtto lay hands on himin tha t very hour ;and they fea red th e
people :
12 And they soughtto lay hold on him
and they fea red th emultitude ;
for they perceived thath e spake th e pa rable
aga inst them :
and they left him, and
went away.
for they perceived tha th e spa ke this parableaga inst them .
1 Gr . bond servant .8 Som e ancient a uth or ities om it ver . 44.
“I" Acts xiii. 46 —48 .
Have ye not read eventhis scripture" ;Th e stone which th e
builders rejected,
Th e same wa s made th ehea d of th e corner :This wa s from th e Lord
,
And it is ma rvellous inour eyes
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
165 . THE PARABLE OF THE KING’S MARRIAGE FEAST.
J erusa lem .
Ma tt. xxu . 1- 14.
1, 2 And Jesus answered and spake again in pa r a bles unto them,saying
,* Th e k ingdom
of hea ven is likened unto a certain k ing, which made a mar ria ge feas t for h is son,
3 and sent forth h is 1servants to call them that were bidden to th e marriage feast : and4 they would not come . Aga in h e sent forth other 1 servants , saying, Tell them tha t a rebidden , Behold, I ha ve made ready my d inner : my oxen and my fatlings a re killed,
5 and all things a re ready : come to th e marriage feast. But they made light of it, and6 went their wa ys , one to h is own farm
,another to h is merchandise : and th e rest laid
7 hold on h i s 1servants, and entreated them shamefully, and k illed them. But th e k ingwa s wroth ; and h e sent h i s armies , and destroyed those murderers , and burned their
8 city. Then saith h e to h is 1servants
,Th e wedding i s ready
,but they that were bidden
9 were not worthy. Go ye therefore unto th e partings of th e highways, and a s many a s10 ye sha ll find, bid to th e marriage feast. And those 1 servants went out into th e highways
,and ga thered together all a s many a s th ey found, both bad and good : and th e
11 wedding wa s filled with guests . But when th e king came in to behold th e guests , h e12 saw there a m an which had not on a wedding-garment : a nd h e saith unto him
,
Friend,how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment ? And h e wa s
13 speechless . Then th e k ing sa id to th e 2servants , Bind him hand and foot
,and cas t
him out into th e outer darkness there shall be th e weeping and gnashing of teeth .
14 For many a re called, but few chosen .
1 Gr . bondserva nts. 2 O r, m in isters
166 . THE SPIEs OF THE PHARISEES TRY To ENSNARE JESUS . THE TRIBUTE To
CzESAR.
J erusa lem .
Ma tt. xxii. 15—22. Ma rk x11. 13—17. Luke xx. 20—26.
15 Then went th e Pha ri [19 Th e scribes and th e
sees,
and took counsel chief priests sought tohow they might ensnare lay hands on h im .]him in h i s talk .
20 And they watchedAnd they send to 13 And they send unto him
,and sent forth
him their him certain Of th e
disciples, with th e Pharisees and of th eHerodians} ; HerodiansI,
spies , which feigned themselves to be righteous
,
that they might ca tch that they might take holdhim in ta lk . of hi s speech
,
SO a s to deliver him up toth e 4 rule and to th e authority of th e governor.
14 And when they werecome
,they And they
saying,
say unto him,asked h im ,
saying,
1Master, we know that 1Ma ster, we know tha t 1Master, we know tha tthou a rt true , and thou a rt true
,and thou sayest and
teachest th e way .of tea chest rightly,
God in truth,and
Luke xiv. 16— 18 , 138 . I See Note E , page xli ii .1“ Ma tt. viii . 12 , 51 .
W.
Ma tt. xxu. 16—22.carest not for any one
for thou regardest notth e person of m en .
Tell us therefore,Wh at thinkest thou ?
Is it lawful togive tribute untoCaesa r, or not ?
But Jesus perceivedtheir wickedness, and
said,
Why 2 tempt ye m e,
ye hypocrites ?Shew m e th e tribute
money.
And they brought untohim a 3penny. And
h e saith unto them,
Whose is this image andsuperscriptionThey say unto
him,Caesar’s . Then
saith h e unto them,
Render therefore untoCaesar th e things thata re Caesa r’s ; a nd untoGod th e things that
a re God’s .
22 And when they hea rd it,they marvelled,
and left him,a nd went
their way.
1 Or , Tea cher2 Or , do ye m a ke tr ia l of (Am en )
xvii i. 28, 110, and see also Note Q, pp. lxxiv, lxxv.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma rk xu. 14—17.
carest no t for any one
for thou regardest notth e person of m en
,
but of a truth tea chestth e way of God
Luke xx. 21— 26.
and a cceptest notth e person of a ny,
but of a truth tea chestth e way of God :
22 Is it lawful for us togive tribute untoCaesar
,or not ?
But h e perceivedtheir craftiness
,and
sa id unto them,
24 Shew m e a 3penny.
Wh ose image andsuperscription ha th it ?
And they said,
Caesa r’s . And
h e sa id unto them,
*Then render untoCaesar th e things tha ta re Caesar’s
,and unto
God th e thi ngs thatare God’s.
And they were not ableto take hold of th e sayingbefore th e people :
and
they ma rvelleda t h is a nswer,
and held their peace.
Andthey marvelled greatly
at h im .
3 Or , dena r ius t (Am en ) See m a rginal note on Ma tt.4 Or, ruling p ower (Am en)
167. JESUS REVEALS THE STATE OF THE SAINTS IN HEAVEN.
Matt. xxu . 23—33.
On that daythere came to him
Sadducees, 1which
Rom . xi ii . 7 .
Th is wa s th e Roman coin in wh ich th e
Jerusa lem .
Mark xi i . 18— 27. Luke xx. 27—40.
Andth ere came to himcertain of th e
Sadducees,they which
there come unto him
Sadducees,which
tribute or taxwa s pa id ; and wh ich wa s th erefore th e badge of th e Rom an suprem acy.
Is it lawful togive tribute untoCaesa r, or not ?
Shall we give, or shall wenot give ?
But h e,knowing
their hypocrisy,
said unto them,
Why 2 tempt ye m e ?
bring m e a 3penny ,tha t I may see it.
And they brought it.And
h e saith unto them,
Whose i s this image andsuperscription
And they sa id untohim
,Caesar’s. And
Jesus sa id unto them,
*Render untoCaesa r th e things thata re Caesar’s
,and unto
God th e things tha ta re God’s .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF O UR LORD .
Ma tt. xxu. 31— 33.
31 But as touching th eresurrection of th e dead,have ye not read that
even Moses" shewed,in thep la ce concerning
th e Bushwhich wa s spoken unto
you by God, saying,I am th e God of
Abraham,and th e God
of Isaa c, and th e Godof Jacob ? God i snot the God of th e
dead, but of th e living.
ye do grea tly err .
39 And certa in of th e scribesanswering sa id
,
2Ma ster,
40 thou hast well sai d . Forthey durst not anya sk him any question.
33 And when th e multitudesheard it, they were a stonish ed at h is teaching .
1 Gr . sa ying .2 Or , Tea ch er
3 Gr . sh a ll perf orm the duty of a husband’
s brother to h is wif e. Com pa reD ent. xxv. 5. 2 Gr . seven.
5 Many a ncient auth or ities add of God.6 Or , age
168 . JESUS ANNOUNCES “THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS.
Jer usa lem .
Matt . xxu. 34—4 0. Mark x11. 28—34
34 But th e Pharisees , when they heardthat h e h ad put th e Sadducees to silence,ga thered themselves together.
And one of them,a lawyer
,28 And one of th e scribes came, and
heard them questioning together, and
knowing that h e had answered them well,asked him a question, asked him,
1 tempting him,2Ma ster ,
which i s th e grea t commandmentin th e law ?
And h e said unto him,
Thou shalt love th e Lord thy God withall thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind.
38 This is th e great and first commandm ent.
Robinson observes th a t our Lord in O ld Testam ent we find am pler and clearerdea ling with th e Sadducees takes h i s proof proof ; e .g . D an. xi i . 2 ; -Hos . xiii . 14 quotedfrom th e Penta teuch ,
because to th at alone in 1 Cor inth . xv. 55 .
th ey a llowed divine auth ori ty. He m eets 1‘ Exod. iii . 4 , 6 .
th em on th eir own ground ; saying ,“even :1: Dent. vi . 4 , 5 .
Moses sh ewed ”&c. In oth er .books of th e
Ma rk xu. 26 27.
But a s touchi ng th edead
,that they are r a isedhave ye not read
in th e book ofMoses ,in th e p la ce concerning
th e Bush,+how God spake untohim
,saying,
I own th e God ofAbraham
,and th e God
of Isaac,and th e God
of Jacob He i s
not th e God of thedead
,but of th e livi ng
when h e ca lleth“
th e Lord_
th e God ofAbraham
, and th e Godof Isa a c
, and th e God38 o f Jacob. Now h e is
not th e God of th edead, but of th e living :for all live unto him.
What comma ndment is th e firstof all ?
Jesus answered,
Th e first i s, IHea r
,O Israel ; 4Th e Lord
our God, th e Lord is one : andthou sha lt love th e Lord thy God 5withall thy heart, and 5with all thy soul, and
5with all thy mind,
and 5with all thy stren
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD
Ma tt. xxi i . 39, 40. Ma rk xi i . 31 —34.
3And a second Th e secondlike unto i t
is this,*Thou sha lt love thy neighbour i s this
,*Thou shalt love thy neighbour
a s thyself. a s thyself.There i s none other commandmentgreater than these .
40 On these two commandments hangethth e whole law, and th e prophets.
32 And th e scribe sa id unto him,Of a truth
,
2Master,thou ha st well sa id tha t h e is
one ; and there i s none other but h e :33 and to love him with a ll th e hea rt
,and
with a ll th e understanding, and with all th e strength, and to love h is neighbour a s
34 himself, i s much more th an all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesussaw that h e answered discreetly, h e said unto him,
Thou art not fa r from th e k ingdomof God. And no m an after that durst a sk him any question .
1 Or, m a king tr i a l of (Am en ) 2 Or , Tea cher3 Or, And a second i s like unto i t, Th ou sh a lt love so.
4 Or , Th eLord is our God th e Lord i s one 5 Gr . f r om
169 . THE CHRIST i s DAVID’S SON AND DAVID’S LORD .
Jerusalem .
Ma tt. xxn. 41—46. Ma rk xi i . 35—37. Luke xx. 41—44.
41 Now while th e Phar iseeswere gathered together,Jesus asked them a ques
42 tion, saying, What think
ye of th eChrist ?whose soni s be ? They say unto him,
The son of David.
He And h e
sai th unto them,said unto them,
How say theytha t th e Chri st isDavid’s son ?
How then doth David 36 For David himselfin th e Spir it
'
t saithcall him Lord
,saying l,
Th e Lord said unto myLord
,
Si t thou on my righthand
,
Ti ll I put thine ene
mies underneath thyfeet ?l|If David then calleth
him Lord,how i s h e h is son ?
Lev. xix. 18 . See Lnkex . 27, 117 . I Psa lm ex; 1 .
“t See 2 Sam . xxiii . 2 . See Acts 11. 34 , 35.
And Jesusanswered and said,
a s h e taught in th e temple,How say th e scribesthat th e Chr ist i sth e son of David ?Da vid himself
sa id in th e Holy Spirit,
Th e Lord said unto myLord ,
Sit thou on my righthand
,
Till I make thine ene
mies 1 th e footstool ofthy feet. II
David h imself callethhi m Lord ; and
whence i s h e h is son 2
in th e book of Psalms,Th e Lord said unto myLord
,
Sit thou on my righthand,
Till I make thine ene
mies th e footstool ofthy feet. 1]
David therefore callethhim Lord
, and
how i s b e h is son ?
169 , 170] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma rk xi i . 37.Ma tt. xxi i. 46 .
46 And no one wa s able to answer h im aword
,neither dur st any m an from that
day forth a sk him any more questions .
And 2 th e common people heard h im
gladly.
1 Som e ancient a uth or ities read undernea th thefeet. 2 Or, theg rea t multi tude
170 . JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES AGAINST THE EVIL EXAMPLES OF rrHE SCRIBESAND PHARISEES ; AND LAMENTS OVER JERUSALEM. Compare 62 .
Ma tt. xxiii . 1—39. Ma rk
1 Then spake Jesus toth e multitudes and to And in h is teaching h e
2 h i s disciples, sa ying,Th e scri bes Bewa re Of th e scribes ,
and th e Pharisees s it on
3 Moses’ seat : all thi ngstherefore whatsoever theybid you, these do and oh
serve : but do not ye a ftertheir works ; for they say,
4 and do not *. Yea, they
bind heavy burdens 1a nd
grievous to be borne, andlay them on men’
s Shoulders ; but they themselveswill not move them with
5 their finger. But a ll theirworks they do for to beseen of m en : for theymake broad their ph yla cter ies and enlarge th ebordersI of thei r ga rm ents
,
Rom . i i . 20— 23 .
1 Th e word “ph yla ctery i s derived from
th e Greek to “keep or“gua rd .
”
It h a s been va r iously interpreted a s sign ieith er, th at th e ph yla ctery wa s a m e
m ento to th e wearer to “keep” th e law — or
(2 ) th a t itwa s a ch a rm or am ulet to “gua rd
”
h im from h a rm ,and especia lly h a rm caused
by evil Spirits . Th is i s th e better opin ion .
Th e phylactery consisted of four str ips o f
pa rchment inscr ibed with th e four followingpa ssages of th e Pentateuch respectively — vi z .
Exod. xii i . 2— 10 ; E xod . xi ii. 11— 16 ; Deut .vi . 4 - 9 ; and Deut. xi . 13— 21. T h ese wererolled up and pla ced in sepa r a te com pa rtm ents Of a ca se m ade of bla ck ca lf skin . Th i s
wa s fa stened to a piece of stiffer lea th er ,wh i ch aga in wa s a ttach ed to a long th ong ,by wh ich i t m igh t be bound to th e foreh ead.
Anoth er set of th ese pa ssages wa s wr itten on
a single parch m ent,and sim ila rly fitted to
be bound to th e a rm . Their use a rose from
xii. 38—40.
said,
45
46
Luke xx. 45
And in th e hearingof a ll th e people h e sa idunto h is disciples
,
Beware of th e scribes ,
reading li tera lly th e words in Ex’
. m u . 9 and16 , Deut. vi . 8 and xi . 18 .
Th e expression “m ake broad th eir phylacter1es does not refer to th e phylacteryitself,— th e pa rchm ent wr iting,— wh ich wa s
appa rently of uni form siz e prescribed by ruleand tra di tion ; but to th e ca se in wh i ch i t
wa s conta ined , and wh i ch th e Ph ar i sees m adea s prom inent a s possible, in a ccordance withth eir inva r i able h abit of pa rading th eir religions form a lities and Observances.
Th e word ph ylactery occur s in th is pa ssageonly , and answers to th e Hebrew word whi choccur s only in th ree of th e above cited pa ssages, and in our versions i s transla tedfrontlets .
"See a full descr iption in Sm ith
’s
B i ble D i et. title “FRONTLE T .
”
i In Num b . xv. 38 , 39 th e Lord bade th eJews to “
a dd to th e fr inges of th e borders(of th eir outer garm ent) a th r ead of blue.
See rendering in th e Sp ea ker’s Comm ent. and
note on th e passage. Th is ga rm ent wa s a
170, 171] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xxi i i . 25—39.
25 Woe unto you,scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites "for ye cleanse th e outs ide of th e
26 cup and Of th e platter, but wi thin they are full from extortion and excess . Thoublind Pharisee, cleanse first th e inside of th e cup and of th e pla tter, that th e outsidethereof may become clean also.
27 Woe'
unto you,scribes and Pharisees , hypocrites "for ye a re like unto whited sepul
chres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones ,
28 and Of a ll uncleanness . Even so ye also outwardly appea r righteous unto m en, butinwardly ye a re full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites "for ye build th e sepulchres of th e30 prophets , and garnish th e tombs Of th e righteous, and say, If we had been in th e daysof our fa thers
,we should not have been partakers wi th them in th e blood of th e pro
31 ph ets . Wherefore ye witness to your selves, tha t ye a re sons of them that slew th e32, 33 prophets. Fill ye up then th e measure of your fa thers . Ye serpents, ye offspring
34 of vipers, h ow shall ye escape th e judgement Of 7 hell ? Therefore, behold, I send untoyou prophets
,and wise m en
,and scribes : some" of them shall ye k ill and crucify
a nd some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues , and persecute from city to35 city : that upon you may come all th e righteous blood shed on th e earth, from th e
blood Of "I'Abel the righteous unto th e blood Of Zachariah }: son Of Ba ra ch iah , whom36 ye slew between th e sanctuary and th e altar. Verily I say unto you, All these thingsSha ll come upon thi s genera tion.
37 n0 Jerusalem,Jerusalem, which k illeth the prophets , and stoneth them that a re
sent unto h er "how often would I have gathered thy children together, even a s a h en38 gathereth h er chickens under h er wings , a nd ye would not " Behold
,your house i s
39 left .unto you 12desolate"“ For I say unto you, Ye shall not see m e henceforth,till ye
sha ll say , Blessed is h e that cometh in th e name of th e Lord1 Many ancient auth ori ties om i t and gr ievous to be borne. 2 Gr . the h ea venly. Or, even h e wh o i s in hea ven
(Am en ) 3 Gr. grea ter . Or , m inis ter 5 Gr. bef or e. 6 Som e a u th orities insert h ere, or a fter ver. 12,ver . 14 Woe unto you, scr i bes a nd Ph a r isees , h ypocr i tes"f or ye devour widows
’h ouses, even wh i le for a p r etence ye
m a ke long pr ay th erefor e ye sh a ll r eceive gr ea ter condemna tion. See Ma rk xii. 40 ; Luk e xx. 47, above.
7 Gr. Geh enna . sa nctu a ry : a s in ver . 35. See Introduction, Note B , p. xxx.9 Or, bound by h is oa th
10 Or, d i ll or j udgement, read j ustice. (Am en) 12 Som e ancient auth or ities om i t desola te.13 Or, evenwh i le for a pr etence th ey m ake
171. THE WIDOW’S MITES.
Ma rk xu. 41—44. Luke xxi . 1—4.
And h e s a t down over aga instth e treasuryfl ,
and beh eld And h e looked up , 3and saw
See Luke xi . 49—51, g 62 . See a lso164 , note p . 158 .
1' Gen . iv. 8 .
1 Th e structure of th is pa ssage indica tesan intention to em bra ce th e wh ole list ofm a rtyrs from th e ea rli est to th e latest tim es .
It cannot th erefore h ave referred to th e
Za ch a r ia s m entioned,in 2 Ch ron . xxiv. 20
22 . Th e stra ined interpretations by wh ichi t h a s been sough t to m ake Jeh oiada (th enam e of th e fath er of th at Za ch ariah ) equivalent to Ba rach iah a re th erefore altogeth erva in . Th e Scr iptures give no furth er informa tion a s to th e dea th o f th e Zech a ri ah h erem entioned . Probably h e wa s th e Zech a r ia hwh ose proph ecies are included in th e sacred
canon . See Zech . i . 1 .,Our Lord ’
s wordsseem
lto convey th at h e wa s put to a violent
dea th by th e Jews, and wa s probably th e la stproph et wh o thus sea led h i s m essage with
h i s blood.
I] Luke m m. 34,35 , 136.
i i Psa lm lxix. 25 .
See Psa lm cxvi ii . 26 .
H In th e second court Of th e tem ple th erewere thi r teen ch ests placed to receive offer ingsfor sacred uses . One o f th ese wa s used byth e wom en
, th e oth er twelve received th e
Offer ings of th e m en . Probably they werea llotted to th e twelve tribes, one for each .
Th e nam e“ trea sury
”wa s applied to th at
part Of th e court wh ere th e ch ests were placed.
Every one wa s to ca st into th e treasurywh a tever h e could
,m uch o r little ; provided
(according to Rabbinical rule , ) th a t it wa snot less th an two pru ta hs, th e sm a llestHebrewcoin
,ca lled in th e text lep ta , and rendered by
us , m i tes . It wa s in th is trea sury or justOpposite to it th at our Lord taugh t th e people,Joh n viii . 20
,114 .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD . 171, 172
Ma rk 1111. 41—44. Luke xxi . 1— 4.
how th e multitudecast 1money into th e treasury
and many that were rich th e rich m en that werecast in much . casting their gifts into th e trea sury.
And there came 2a poor widow, 2 And h e saw a certain poor widow
and sh e cast in two mites, casting in thither two mites .
which make a fa rthing.
And h e called unto him h is disciples ,and said unto them,
And h e said,Verily I say unto you, Thi s Of a truth I say unto you, This
poor widow cast in more than a ll they poor widow cast in more than they allwhich a re casting into th e treasury :for they all did cast in of their for all these did Of their
superflu ity superfiuity ca st in unto th e gifts :but sh e Of h er want did cast in a ll but sh e Of h er want di d cast in all
that sh e had,even all h er living th e living that sh e had
1 Gr. bra ss. 2 Gr . one. 3 Or , a nd saw th em a nd th ey were r ich .
172 . JESUS FORETELLS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE , AND OF JERUSALEM ;AND THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN.
Jerusa lem ; nea r the temp le.
Ma tt. xxiv. 1— 31. Mark xii i. 1—27. Luke xxi. 5— 28.
And Jesus went 1 And a s h e went forthout from th e temple
,out Of th e temple ,
and wa s going on h i s way ;and h is disciples one of h is disciples And a s somecame to him saith unto him,
spake of th e temple ,how it wa s adorned
to shew him th e 12Mas ter, behold, whatmanner Of stones with goodly stones
and Offerings,and what manner of
bui ldings of th e temple . buildings2 But h e answered and said 2 And Jesus said h e sa id,
u nto them, See ye not un to him,Seest thou 6 AS for these things
all these things ? these great buildings ? which ye behold,verily I say unto you,
th d'
11e ays W1 come,in which
There Shall not be left there shall not be lefthere one stone upon an here one stone upon a h
other,that sha ll not be other, tha t sha ll not be
thrown down. thrown down.
3 And a s h e sa t on th e 7 And
mount of Olives ,
th e disciples
Th ese would seem to be our Lord’s la st ings a s h e pa ssed out ; and th en (in secti onwords in th e tem ple. See th e fir st verse of 173) by th e fig trees of Beth phage a s h e
th e next section , 172 ; wh i ch records h i s p a ssed th em on h i s way h om e over th e Mountdepa rture, and th e tea ch ing suggested by h i s o f Olives . See note I], 158 .
di sciples’ Observa tions on th e tem ple build
there shall not be lefthere one stone uponother
,which Shall not be
thrown down.
And as h e sa t on th e
mount Of Olives overagainst th e temple,Peter and James and
172] THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Matt. xxiv. 3—6 . Ma rk xi ii. 3—7. Luke xxi. 7—9 .
John and Andrewcame unto himprivate ly
,saying,
Tell us,
when shallthese things be and
what sha ll be th e s ignof thy 1com i ng
, and of2 th e end of th e world ?
4 And Jesus answeredand said unto them,
Take heed that no m an
lead you astray.
5 For many shall comein my name, saying,+ 1 am th e Christ ;
asked him privately,
Tell us,when shall
these things be ? andwhat sha ll be th e Sign
asked hi m , saying,12Master
,
when therefore Shallthese thi ngs be ? andwhat sha ll be th e Sign
and shall lead many and shall lead manyastray. astray.
go ye not after them.
6 And ye shall hear 7 And wh en ye shall hear 9 And when ye shall hearof wars of wars of wars
At first sigh t th is section appea rs to
confuse th e end of Jerusa lem wi th th e end o f
th e world : but wh en ca refully exam ined i tssequence i s clea r . Our Lord’s predi ction(Ma tt. xxiv. 2) referred only to th e desola tionwh ich sh ould com e upon Jerusa lem , andMarkand Luke lim it th e question of th e disciplesto th e sam e event. But th e fuller record o f
Ma tth ew sh ews h ow th e Jews m i ngled th reeth ings th e destruction of th e city and
na tion , th e second com ing of th e Messiah , and (3) th e end Of th e world (Ma tt . xxiv.
Jesus answers a ll th ese questions m ak
ing th e na tional ruin th e type and proph ecyof h i s final, visible and glorious advent tojudge th e world. Th e im postures o f fa lseproph ets (Ma tt. xxiv. th e wa rs and tum ults(xxiv. th e uph eavals Of kingdom s (xxi v.would begin th e trava il (xxiv. But even
before th ese sh ould occur (Luke xxi . cruelpersecutions would try and desola te th e
Church . Th e fa ith fulbeli evers should trium phover th eir Oppr essors (Matt. xxiv. th e
Gospel sh ould everywh ere preva il (xxi v.
and th en th e end would com e . In th e m ean
tim e , h owever , th e Lord foretells th e S i gn of
th e firstwoes (xxiv. 15) andwa rns h i s follower sto flee from th e inevitable ru in wh en th atSign sh ould appea r. He th en pa sses to th a t
cr i sis of th e world’s h i story wh ich wa s typ ifiedby th e narrower but awful sorrows of th e
Jewish na tion . Before th a t la st grea t day of
God’s judgm ent th e elem ents of na ture (Ma tt .xxiv. 29 and Luke xxi . 25, 26) and th e socialand political institutions of m en sh a ll be
a like convulsed until, from th e clouds o f
h eaven , th e Son of m an (Ma tt. xxiv. 30 ) sh allsend hi s a ngels to gath er h om e h i s elect andth eir eternal redem ption sh a ll dawn .
Robinson suggests th a t th e calam itiesdescr ibed h ere “
r efer to th e overth row and“com plete extirpa tion of th e Jewish peoplefifty yea r s later under Adr ian ; wh en th ey
“were sold a s slaves , and utterly driven out“ from th e land of th eir fa th er s . Th is wa sth e fina l wa r of th e Jewish nation under th e
“celebra ted and m yster ious B ar -Coch ba ,Son of a Sta r .
’It wa s a ca ta stroph e fa r
“m ore terr ible th an th a t of th e destruction“o f Jerusa lem ; th ough th e la tter , in conse
quence of th e vivid description of it by“Joseph us, h a s been u sua lly considered a s
th e la st a ct in th is grea t tragedy. Robinson ,
p . 138 , wh ere th a t lea rned divine ana lyses th eproph ecy a t length in a note of m uch va lue .
-I' For th e nam es and fa te Of som e of th esesee Acts v. 36 , 37 — xxi . 38 . Joseph us tellsof m any wh o claim ed to be kings , m essiah s
,
and proph ets , and wh o with prom i ses of
divine h elp instiga ted th e Jews to persistentand h opeless rebellion aga inst th e Rom ans .
when these things area ll about to beaccomplishedAnd Jesus beganto “
say unto them,
Take heed that no m an
lead you a stray.
Many shall comein my name
, saying,+ 1 am h e ;
when these thi ngs a reabout to cometo pass ?And h esaid
,
Take heed that ye be notled astray
for many Shall comein m y name, saying,+ 1 am he ; and,
Th e time is at hand
172]
Ma tt. xxiv. 10—16.
10 And then sha ll manystumble,and shall
deliver up one another,
and shallhate one another.
11 And many false prophetsshall ar ise , and shall lead
12 many astray. And because iniquity shall be
multiplied,th e love Of
th e many sha ll wax cold.
13 But h e that endureth toth e end, th e same Sha ll
be saved.
14 And 3.this gospel of th e
kingdom shall be preached in th e whole 4worldfor a testimony unto all
th e na tions ; and thensha ll th e end come .
When therefore yesee th e abomination of
desolationwhi ch was Spoken of
5by Daniel th e prophet,standing
in 6 th e holy place(let him that readethunderstand),
th en let them that a re
THE PUBLIC MIN ISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke xxi . 15—21.
15 for I will give you amouth and wisdom, whi cha ll your adversar ies shallnot be able to withstand
or to ga insay.
Ma rk xii i. 11—14.
for it is not ye tha t speak,but th e 13Holy Ghost.
But ye shall bedelivered up
h e that endureth toend, th e same Shall
be saved.
20 But when ye see Jerusalem compassedarmies, then know thath er desola tion i s at hand
But when yesee th e a bomination of
desolation
standingwhere h e ought not(let him that readethunders tand),
then let them that a re 21 Then let them that a re
D an . ix. 26 ,
172
And brother shalldeliver up brother
to death,
and th e father h i s child ;and children shall riseup against parents
,
and 14 cause themto be put to dea th.
And ye shallbe hated Of all m en
for my name’s sake :
even by pa rents, andbrethren
, and kinsfolk ,and friends ; a nd som e ofyou 16 shall they causeto be put to death.
And ye Shallbe hated Of a ll m en
for my name ’s sake.
18 And not a ha ir of your19 head shall perish. In
your 17patience ye Shallw m your 18souls.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xxiv. 16—22.
in Judeea flee* untoth e mountai ns
17 let him that is onth e housetop not go
down totake out th e thingsthat a re in h i s house
18 and let him that i s inth e field not returnback to take h is cloke.
But woe unto themthat a re with child andto them that give suck
in those daysAnd pray ye thatyour flight be notin the winter,
neither on a sabbath +for then sha ll
be great tribulation,such a s hathnot been from
th e beginning Of th eworld
until now ,
no,nor ever sha ll be.
22 And except those days-had been Shortened,no flesh would havebeen sa ved : but for th e
elect’s sake
In obedience to th is wa rning num bers ofth e early Ch urch took refuge in Pella , (oneof th e cities of Decapolis, ) during th e siegeOf Jerusalem.
172
Luke xxi . 21—24.
in Judaca flee" untoth e mountains ;
and let them tha t a re inth e midst of h er departout ; and let not themthat a re in th e country
enter therein .
Ma rk xii i . 14—20.
in Judaca flee" untoth e mounta ins :
15 and let him that i s onth e housetop not godown, nor enter in, totake anyth ing out
o f h i s house :16 and let him that is in
th e field not returnback to take h is cloke .
17 But woe unto themthat a re with child andto them that give suck
in those days "18 And pray ye that
it be notin th e winter.
20 And except th e Lordhad shortened th e days ,no flesh would havebeen saved : but for th e
elect’s sake,
Wh en th e law would have lim ited th eirfligh t to a
“sabba th day
’s journey,
”about a.
m ile. See note Q , p . lxxvi .
22 For these a re days ofvengeance
,that a ll things
which a re written maybe fulfilled.
Woe unto themthat a re with child andto them that give suck
in those days 1
19 For those days sha llbe tribulation,
such a s there hathnot been th e like fromth e beginning of th ecreation which Godcreated until now ,
and never shall be.for there shall be greatdi stress upon th e 19 land ,and wra th unto this peo ~
24 ple. And they shall fallby th e edge of th e sword ,and shall be led captiveinto all th e na tions : andJerusalem sha ll be trodden down of th e Gentiles ,until th e times of th eGentiles be fulfilled.
§ 172] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xxiv. 22— 29.
those days sha ll beshortened.
Then if any m an
sha ll say unto you,LO
,here i s th e Christ, or,
Here ; believe 7 i t not *For there sha ll
a rise false Chr ists ,and false proph ets ,
and shall shew great Signsand wonders ; so a s
to lead a stray,if possible, even th e elect.
25 Behold, I have told youbeforehand.
26 If therefore they shallsay unto you, Behold, h eis in th e wilderness ; gonot forth : Behold, h e isin th e inner chambers ;
27 believe 8 i t not. For a s
th e lightning comethforth from th e east, a ndis seen even unto th e
west ; so Shall be th e1 coming of th e Son of
28 m an Wheresoever th eca rcase i s, there will th e9eagles be gathered togeth erI.
29 But immedia tely,after th e tribulation
Of those days,
th e sun shall be darkened,
and th e moon shall notgive h er light
,
and th e sta rs shallfall from hea ven,
Luke xv11 . 23 , 141.
1' Luke xv11. 24 , 141 .
Mark xi ii. 20—25. Luke xxi. 25, 26.
whom h e chose,h e
shortened th e days .
24 But in those days,after that tribulation,
there shall be Signsth e sun Sh all be darkened, in sun
and th e moon shall not and moongive h er light,
25 and th e stars shall be and stars ;falling from heaven,
and th e powerstha t a re in th e heavens
shall be shaken .
I Luke XVII . 37, 141 .
ll Isa i . xiii . 9, 10 .
And then if any m an
shall say unto you,Lo
,here i s th e Christ ; or,
LO,there ; believe 7it not*for there shallarise false Christsand false prophets ,and shall shew signs
and wonders, that theymay lead astray,if possible, th e elect.But take ye heed :
behold,I ha ve told you
all things beforehand
and upon th e earth distress of nations, in per
plexity for th e roaring ofth e sea and th e billows ;
26 m en 20 fainting for fear,and for expectation of th ethings which a re coming
on21th e world :
for th e powersof th e heavensshall be Shaken.
§ 173] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF' OUR LORD .
”
Ma tt. xxiv. 33—41.
i s nigh,
even at th e doors .
34 Verily I say unto you, 32 Verily I say unto you,*This generation sha ll no t *This generation shallpa ss away, till all these not pass away, till allthings be accomplished things be a ccomplished
35 Heaven and ea rth shall 3 Hea ven and earth shallpa ss away, but my words pass away : but my words
shall not pass away. shall not pa ss away.36 But of that day and
hour knoweth no one,not
even th e angels Of hea ven,
2neither th e Son,but th e
Fa ther only.
37 And a s wer e th e days ofNoah I, so Sha ll be th e3coming ofth e Son ofm an.
38 For a s in those days whichwere before th e flood theywere ea ting and dr inking
,
marrying and giving in
marriage, until th e daythat Noah entered into
39 th e a rk , and they knewnot until th e flood came
,
and took them a ll away ;so Sha ll be th e 3 coming of
40 th e Son Of m an . ThenShall two m en be in th e
field ; one i s taken, and
41 one i s left : two womensha ll be grinding at th emill ; one is taken
,
one is left.Take ye heed , But take heed to
your selves,wa tch 8a nd pray : for yeknow not when th etim e i s.
Titus took Jerusa lem by storm on th e Ma tt. xvi . 28 and pa r allel pa ssages, § 102 .
8th o f Septem ber A.D . 70 ; about 33 yea rs I Luke xvii . 26 , 27 , 141 .
a fter our Lord spoke th ese words .
Ma rk xi1i . 29— 33.
i s nigh,
even at the doors .
30 Verily I say unto you,*This genera tion shall notpass away
,until all these
things be accomplished f .
31 Hea ven and ea rth shallpass away : but my words
shall not pass away.
32 But Of tha t day or thathour knoweth no one, noteven th e angels in heaven,neither th e S0 11
,but th e
Father.
lest haply your hearts beovercharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, andca res Of this life
,and that
day come on you suddenly35 a s a sna re : for so Shall itcome upon all them thatdwell on th e face of all th e
36 ea rth. But watch ye atevery season, making supplication, that ye m ayprevail to esca pe all thesethi ngs that Shall come topass, and to stand beforeth e Son of m an .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
— 175
Matt. xxiv. 42—51. 111
42 Watch therefore : for ye know not
on what day your Lord cometh.
434But know this
,tha t if th e master
of th e house had known in wha t watchth e thief wa s coming, h e would have wa tched, and would not have suffered h is house
4 1 to be 5broken through. Therefore be ye also ready : for in an hour tha t ye think not
45 th e Son Of m an cometh. Who then i s th e fa ithful and wise 6servant
,whom h i s lord
46 ha th set over h is h ousehold, to give them the ir food in due sea son ? Blessed is that47
6servant , whom h is lord when h e cometh sha ll find so doing. Verily I say unto you,
43 that h e will set him over all that h e hath . But if tha t evi l 6 servant Sha ll say in h i shea rt
,My lord tarrieth* ; and sha ll begin to bea t h i s fellow-servants
,and Shall ea t
50 and drink with th e drunken ; th e lord of that 6 servant Shall come in a day when h e51 expecteth not
,and in an hour when h e knoweth not
,and shall 7 cut him a sunder
,and
appoint h is portion with th e hypocrites : there shall be th e weeping and gnashing Ofteeth .
1 Or , i t Many auth or ities, som e a ncient, om it nei th er th e Son.3 Gr . p r esence.
4 Or , But th i s ye know5 Gr . d igged th r ough .
6 r . bond servant. 7 Or , sever ely scourge h im 8 Som e ancient auth orities onnta nd pray.
9 (J r . bondserva nts.
174 . THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS.
Ma tt. xxv. 1—13.
1 Then sha ll th e k ingdom of heaven be likened unto ten vi rgins, which took their21 lamps
,and went forth to meet th e bridegroom. And five of them were foolish , and
3 five were wise . For th e foolish,when they took their 1 lamps, took no Oil with them :
4, 5 but th e wise took Oil in their vessels with their 1 lamps. Now while th e bridegroom6 tarried, they all slumbered and slept. But at midn ight there i s a cry, Behold, th e7 bridegroom"Come ye forth to meet h im . Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed8 their 1 lamps . And th e foolish said unto th e wise
,Give us of your Oil ; for our l lamps
9 a re going out. But th e wise answered,sa ying
,Peradventure there will not be enough
10 for u s and you : go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves . And whilethey went away to buy, th e bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in with
11 him to th e m a rr iage feast : and th e door wa s shut. Afterward come also th e other12 virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, Open to uS.+ But h e answered and said
,Verily I say
13 unto you, I know you not . Watch therefore,for ye know not th e day nor th e hour.
1 Or, tor ch es
175 . THE PARABLE OF THE FIVE TALENTS.Ma tt. xxv. 14—30.
14 For i t i s a s when a m an, Igo ing into another country, called h is own 1 servants
,and
15 delivered unto them h i s goods . And unto one h e ga ve five ta lents,to another two
,to
another one ; to each according to h is several ability ; and h e went on h is j ourney.
16 Stra ightway h e that rece ived th e five ta lents went and traded with them,and made
17 other five talents . In like manner h e also that received th e two gained other two .
2 Pet. i i i , 3 , 4 . Luke xi ii . 25 , 27, § 136 .
2: Luke xix .
177
Ma rk xiii . 34— 37.
34 It i s a s when a m an,sojourning in
another country, ha ving left h is house,and given authority to h is 9 servants, toeach one h is work , commanded also th e
porter to watch .
35 Watch therefore : for ye know not
when th e lord of th e house cometh,whether at even , or at midnight, or at
36 cockcrowing, or in th e morning lestcoming suddenly h e find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all,Wa tch.
176] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xxv. 184 30.
18 But h e that received th e one went away and digged in th e earth,and hid h is lord’s
19 money. Now after a long time th e lord of those l servants cometh, and maketh a20 reckoning with them. And h e that received th e five talents came and brough t otherfive talents , saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto m e five ta lents : lo, I have ga ined
21 other five talents. His lord sa id unto him,Well done, good and faithful 2 servant :
thou has t been faithful over a few things,I will set thee over many things : enter
22 thou into th e joy of thy lord. And h e also that r eceived th e two ta lents came andsaid, Lord, thou deliveredst unto m e two talents : lo, I have ga ined other two ta lents .
23 His lord said unto him, Well done , good and fa ithful 2 servant ; thou ha st been fa ithfulover a few things, I will set thee over many things : enter thou into th e j oy of thy
24 lord . And h e a lso that had rece ived th e one talent came and sa id,Lord
,I knew thee
that thou art a hard m an, reaping where thou didst not sow,
and gathering where thou25 didst not scatter : and I wa s afraid, and went away and hid thy ta lent in th e earth :26 lo
,thou hast thine own. But h is lord answered and said unto him
,Thou wicked and
slothful 2 servant, * thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and ga ther where I27 did not scatter ; thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to th e bankers, and28 at my coming I should have rece ived back mine own with interest. Take ye away29 therefore th e ta lent from him,
a nd give it unto him tha t hath th e ten talents . Forunto every one that hath shall be given
,and h e sha ll have abundance but from him
30 that hath not,even that which h e ha th shall be taken away. And cast ye out th e
u
ppro ii
i
l
table 2servant into th e outer darkness : there shall be th e weeping and gnashing
O teet1 Gr . bondser vants. 2 Gr . bondservant.
176 . JESUS DESCRIBES THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
Ma tt. xxv. 31—46.
31 But when th e Son of m an shall come in h is glory, and all th e angels with him , then32 shall h e sit on th e th rone of h is glory : and before him shall be gathered all th enations : and h e shall separate them one from another , a s th e shepherd sepa rateth th e
33 sheep from th e 1goats : and h e sha ll set th e sheep on h is right hand, but th e 1goats on34 th e left. Then sha ll th e King say unto them on h i s right hand
,Come
, ye blessed ofmy Father, inherit th e kingdom prepa red for you from th e foundation of th e world :
35 for I wa s an hungred , and ye gave m e meat : I wa s thirsty, and ye gave m e drink36 I wa s a stranger
,and ye took m e in ; naked, and ye clothed m e : I wa s s ick
,and ye
37 visited m e : I wa s in prison, and ye came unto m e. Then sha ll th e righteous a nswerhim
,saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee or athirst, and gave
38 thee drink ? And when saw we thee a stranger,and took thee in ? or naked, and
39 clothed thee ? And when saw we thee s ick, or in pr ison, and came unto thee ?40 And th e King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Ina smuch a s ye41 did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto m e . Then sha llh e say also unto them on th e left h and, 2Depa rt from m e
, ye cursed, into th e eternal42 fir e which is prepared for th e devil and h is angels : for I wa s an hungred, and ye gave43 m e no mea t : I wa s thirsty, and ye gave m e no drink : I wa s a stranger , and ye tookm e not in ; naked, and ye clothed m e not ; sick , and in prison, and ye visited m e not.
44 Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or45 a stranger, or naked, or s ick , or in prison, a nd did not minister unto thee Then shallh e answer them,
saying,Verily, I say unto you, Ina smuch a s ye did it no t unto one
46 of these least, ye did it no t unto m e . And these shall go away into eternal punishment : but th e righteous into eterna l life -r
1 Gr . k i ds. 2 Or , D ep a r tf rom m e under a cur se
Rath er , a s suggested in th e Sp ea ker’s Th en i t wa s so m uch th e m ore th y duty to
Commentary,“Knewest th ou not ad “
put m y m oney to th e bankers, &c.
” Th e
m itting th e justice o f th e servant’s a ccusation interroga tive form im plies th e a rgum ent
or excuse , but convicting h im out of h i s own sta ted afii rm a tively in Luke xi x. 22 , 153 .
m outh .
“Knewest thou th at I reap, &c ? 1 D an. xi i . 2 .
179]
Ma tt. xxvi. 7— 11.
and sh e
poured it upon h is head,
a s h e sa t at meat.
But whenth e disciples saw it,
Ma rk xiv. 3—7.
a nd sh e brake th e cruse,
and poured itover h ishead.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
John xi i . 3- 8.
a nd anointed th e feet ofJesus
,and wiped h is feet
with h er ha ir : and th e
house wa s filled with th eodour of the ointment.
they there were some tha thad indignation, had indignation
among themselves ,saying, To what purpose
is this waste ?saying , To what purposehath this waste of
th e ointment been made ?
For thisointm ent might have
been sold formuch
,
and given to th e poor.
For thisointment might havebeen sold for a bovethree hundred 5pence ,and given to th e poor.And they murmur ed
against h er .
10 But Jesus perceiving it 6
said unto them,
But Jesussaid
,
Let h er a lone ;Why trouble ye th e
woman 2
for sh e hath wroughta good work upon m e .
11 For ye ha ve th e poor 7
always with you ;
why trouble ye h er ?
8Suffer her to keep itaga inst th e day of my
burying.
Sh e hath wroughta good work on m e .
For ye have th e poor 8
a lways with you,For the poor ye havealways with you ;
and whensoever ye will yecan do them good :
These two verses (4 and 5) conta in th e
sam e com pla int a s th at wh ich i s recorded inth e verses im m ediately preceding byMa tth ewand Ma rk , but i t i s probable th a t ch ronologically th e incident rela ted by Joh n followsth a t wh ich i s m entioned in th e oth er twoGospels . Th e course of events seem s to h ave
been th is —Th e di sciples genera lly weredispleased a t th e apparent extravagance , butthey m urmured am ongst th em selves ”
(Ma rk xiv. 4) and not audibly. Our Lordm ade no answer to th is h ush ed com pla int.Th en Juda s , m agnifying h is office a s pursebea rer , expressed a loud th e op inions wh ichoth ers h ad uttered pr iva tely. In answer toth i s , our Lord im m edia tely reproved th e suggestion wh ich th e oth er disciples h ad madeh onestly , but wh ich Juda s adopted in hypocri sy and selfish ness (John xi i .
But Judas Iscariot*,one
of h is disciples, whi chshould betray him
,sa ith,
5 Why wa s notthis ointment
sold forthree hundred 5pence,and given to th e poor ?
6 Now this h e said,not
because h e cared for th epoor ; but beca use h e wa sa thief
,and having th e
6 bag7 took away what wa sput therein .
Jesus thereforesaid
,
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
Ma tt. xxvi . 11— 13.
but m e ye have notalways .
For in tha t sh e2pour ed this ointmentupon my body
,
sh e did it to prepa rem e for burial .Verily I say unto
you,Wheresoever 3 this
gospel shall be preachedin th e
whole world,that a lso
which this woman hathdone shall be spoken offor a memorial of h er .
1 Or , a fl a sk 2 Gr . ea st. 3 Or , these good ti d ingsOth ers take it to m ean genuine ; oi
l
igr s
,, li qui d.
m a rgina l note on Matt. xvii i . 28, 6 Or , boxa lone . i t was th a t sh e m igh t keep it
179 , 180
Joh n 8.
but m e ye have notalways .
4 Gr . p istic na rd . pistic being perh aps a loca l nam e.
5 Or, sh i llings (Am en ) See Note Q , pp. lxxiv, lxxv. Also , see7 0 r, ca r r ied wh a t wa s put th erein Or , Let h er
180 . THE CHIEF PRIESTS CONSPIRE WITH JUDAS ISCARIOT.
Jerusa lem . Wednesday. )
Ma tt. xxvi. 14—16. Ma rk xiv. 10, 11.
And JudasIscariot, 1h e that wa s
Then one of th e one of th etwelve, twelve
,
who wa s called JudasIscariot
,
went unto went away unto
th e chief priests, th e chief priests,
that h e might deliver himunto them.
15 and said, What a re ye
willing to give m e,and I
wi ll deliver him unto you ?And they,
when they hea rd it,were glad,
and promisedto give h im money.
See Joh n xii i . 2 , § 185 ; and xi ii. 27 , 186.
Juda s did not fully yield at th e first tem pta tion ,
but h e did not resent or resist i t.Satan took advantage of h i s petulance wh en
181
Luke xx n. 3—6.
3 And Satan* enteredinto Judas who wa s
called Isca riot,being
of th e number of th e
twelve .
4 And h e went away,
and communed withth e chief priestsa nd capta ins
,
how h e might deliver himunto them.
And they
were glad,and covenantedto give him money.
6 And h e consented,
h e wa s stung by our Lord’
s rebuke of h i s
ava rice and m eanness .
th e suggestions of th e tem pter , and preparedfor th e commission of th e cr im e.
He th en enterta ined
Ma rk xiv. 7 9.
but m e ye have notalways .
8 Sh e hath done what sh ecould :
'
sh e
ha th anointedmy bodyaforehand
for th e burying.
9 And verily I say untoyou
,Wh eresoever th e
gospel sha ll be prea chedthroughout th e
whole world, that alsowhich this woman ha thdone shall be spoken offor a memorial of h er .
180 , 181] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma tt. xxvi . 15, 16. Ma rk xiv. 1L Luke xxu. 6.
And they weighed untohim thirty pieces of
silver.*
16 And from that time And and
h e sought h e sought how h e soughtoppor tunity to
deliver him unto them .
1 Gr . th e one of the twelve.
181.
Beth a ny— Jer usa lem .
Ma rk xiv. 12—16.
12 And on th e first day of 7
unleavened bread,
when they sa crificedth e pa ssover,h i s disciples
Ma tt. xxvi . 17—19.
17 Now on th e first da ofunleavened brea
th e disciplescame to Jesus,
saying,
Where wilt thou thatwe make readyfor thee to ea tth e passover ?
Of th e tota l value of £3 . 103 . 8d . ; th e
legal pr ice for a sla ve i f h e were killed by a
savage bea st belonging to a stranger , Exod .
xxi . 32 .
1: Ma tt . xxvi . 4 , 5 and th e para llel pa ssages(see 178) sh ew th e rea son fo r th is desire toavoid th e m ultitude . For th ree yea rs our
Lord h ad prea ch ed to th e people with in
crea sing success. For about a week h e h adtaugh t openly and boldly in th e tem ple a fterh i s tr ium ph a l entry . To seize h im in th e
day tim e , and in public , wh i le surrounded bydevoted di sciples and by crowds of wonder ingand reverent listeners
,would probably h ave
provoked resi stance and caused “a tum ult
am ong th e people . Th e trea ch ery o f Juda senabled th e ch ief priests to overcom e th isdifficulty. But a s th ey still “ feared th e
people ,”th ey determ ined to carry out th eir
design so suddenly and so rapidly , th at th eresh ould be no tim e for a public revolt or
protest . Th ey probably relied, and, a s th e
event sh ewed , not with out rea son , on th e
fickleness of th e m ob , and i ts rea diness tojoin th e successful side, especia lly aga inst am an convicted o f cr im e . Th e sch em e wa s
th orough ly m atured . Th e Rom an Governorwa s persuaded to provide a band (or coh or t)o f soldiers (John xviii. 3 , and to send
might convenientlydeliver him unto them .
Opportunity todeliver him unto them
z in th e absence of th emultitude ‘l
‘
.
2 Or , wi thout tumult
THE DISCIPLES PREPARE THE PASSOVER.
(Thursday )Luke xxu. 7—13.
And th e day ofunleavened brea d came,on which th e passovermust be sacrificed .
say unto him,
Wh ere wilt thou tha twe go and make readythat thou mayest ea t
th e pa ssover ?And h e sendeth And h e sent
i t under th e cha rge of a ch ief capta in (orm i lita ry tr ibune) (John xvi ii . 12 , It
would seem m oreover th a t be auth orised h i scapta ins to concert wi th Juda s and th e ch iefpr iests (Luke xxii . 4 , 180) h ow to effect th ea rrest ; and h e m ust h ave known th e deta ilsof th e plot, and probably comm un icated th emto h i s wi fe . It i s difficult oth erwi se to a ccountfor th e proceedings of th e officers , for Pilate’sown prepa redness to h ea r th e ch arge a t five
o ’clock in th e m orning, and for th e expressionof h is wife in Ma tt. xxvi i . 19 , 214 . Pila te’scom plicity wa s probably ga ined by distortedversions of our Lord ’
s teach ing , and by fa lsem isrepresenta tions th at h e cla im ed a tem pora lsovereignty, and wa s a m ena ce to th e Rom an
power . Joh n xix . 12 , § 218 . E specia lly a t
such a tim e of nationa l exci tem ent, i t wouldappea r not unrea sonable to provide capta inand coh ort to preserve public order and
peace . Having secured th is point th e priestsi m m edi a tely hur ried on th e ca ta stroph e withth e m ost savage and bloodth irsty h a ste ; a.
h a ste prom pted pa rtly by fear of th e people,pa rtly by fear and h a tred o f th eir victim .
For a summ a ry of th e tim es of th e succeedingevents see note page 215 and see alsoNotes W and X , pp . lxxiv &c.
182
182 , 183] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
182 . JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES BEGIN THE LAST SUPPER.
Jerusa lem . (Thursday ; a bout 6 p m . )
Joh n xiii. 1.
1 Now before th e fea st of th e passover, Jesus knowing that h is hour wa s come tha th e should depart out of this world unto th e Father, having loved h is own which werein th e world, h e loved them
1unto the end.
Matt. xxvi . 20. Mark xiv. 17.
17 And when it was eveningh e comethwith th e twelve.
14 And when th e hour wa scome
,
h e sat down*,and th e a postles with him.
Luke xx u. 14.
20 Now when evenwas come,
h e wa s Sitting at meatwi th th e twelve 2disciples.
1 Or , to the utterm ost 2 Many auth or ities. som e ancient, om it d iscip les.
183. JESUS REPROVES THE AMBITION OF THE APOSTLES, AND FORETELLSPETER ’S DENIALS
,THE FIRST TIME.
Luke xxu. 24—34.
24 And there arose also a contention among them, which of them 1 is accounted to be25 2grea test.+ And h e sa id unto them
,Th e k ings of th e Gentiles have lordship over
26 them ; and they that have authority over them a re ca lled Benefactors . But ye sha ll
not be SO : but h e that is th e grea ter among you, let him become as th e younger ; and27 h e that is chief, as h e that doth serve. For whether is greater
,h e that 3s itteth at
mea t, or h e that serveth ? i s not h e tha t 3 sitteth a t meat ? but I am in th e midst of28 you a s h e tha t serveth. But ye a r e they which have continued with m e in my29 4 temptations ; and 5 1 appoint unto you a k ingdom, even a s my Fa ther appointed30 unto m e
,tha t ye may ea t and drink at my table in my kingdom ; and ye shall sit on
31 thrones judging th e twelve tribes of Isra el. Simon,Simon
,behold
,Sa tan 6 asked to
32 have you, tha t h e might s ift you a s wheat : but I made supplication for thee , that thyfaith fail not : and do thou, when once thou ha st turned aga in , stablish thy brethren.
33 An d h e sa id unto him,Lord, with thee I am ready to go both to prison and to dea th.
34 And h e sa id, I tell thee, Peter, th e cock shall not crow this day,until thou shalt thrice
deny that thou knowest m et.
1 O r , was accounted (Am en) 2 Gr. grea ter .3 Gr. r eclineth .
4 Or, tr i a ls (Am en ) 6 Or , I appoint unto
you, even a s my Fa ther app o inted unto m e a ki ngdom , tha t ye m ay ea t a nd d r ink, &c. 6 Or, obta ined you by asking
See note T , pp . lxxix , lxxx .
1“ Matt. xx. 20— 24 , 149 , and Luke ix . 46 ,107 , record oth er m anifestations of th is
am bitious and jea lous spir it on th e pa rt o fth e disciples. On th is occa sion th e subject o fdi spute probably wa s th e ch oice of places a t
th e table, and i t seem s to h ave occurred a s
th eywere about to recline. Th e specia l reference to Sim on in vv. 31— 34 suggests th at h e
wa s one o f th e di sputants . He wa s probablycla im ing th e post of h onour wh ich our Lorda ssigned to th e beloved di sciple
”o r , fa ili ng
th is , th e place next to our Lord on th e oth erside, wh ich a s th e na rra tive clea rly indicates ,wa s given to Juda s a s th e pur se-bearer ofth e com pany.
I See note X , p . lxxxv.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD . 184— 186
184 . THE LAST SUPPER. THE FIRST CUP OF WINE.
Jerusa lem . (Thursday : shortly after 6 p .m . )
Luke xxu. 15— 18.
15 And h e said unto them,With desire I have desired to ea t this passover with you
16 before I suffer : for I say unto you, I1will not ea t it
,until it be fulfilled in th e k ing
17 dom of God . And h e received a cup, and when h e had given thanks , h e sa id, Take18 this, and divide it among yourselves : for I say unto you, I 1will not drink from henceforth of th e fruit of th e vine, until th e kingdom of God sha ll come.
1 Or , sh a lt not (Am en ) Com pa re Ma tt. xxvi. 29 and Ma rk xiv. 25, 189.
185. JESUS WASHES THE FEET OF THE DISCIPLES.
Joh n xii i. 2— 20.
2 And dur ing supper,th e devil having already put into th e hea rt of Judas Iscariot
,
3 Simon’s son, to betray him ,
Jesus,knowing tha t th e Father had given a ll things into
4 h is hands , and that h e came forth from God, and goeth unto God, riseth from supper,
5 and layeth aside h is garments ; and h e took a towel,and girded himself. Then h e
poureth water into th e bason, and began to wash th e di sciples’ feet, and to wipe them
6 with th e towel wherewith h e wa s girded . SO h e cometh to S imon Peter. He sa ith7 unto him,
Lord,dost thou wa sh my feet Jesus answered and said unto him, Wha t
8 I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt understand hereafter. Peter saith untohim
,Thou sha lt never wash my feet. Jesus a nswered him,
If I wash thee not,thou
9 hast no part with m e. Simon Peter saith unto him,Lord, not my feet only, but also
10 my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him,He that i s bathed needeth not 1 save to
11 wash h is feet, but is clean every whit : and ye a re clean, but not all. For h e knewhim that should betray him ; therefore said h e , Ye a re not a ll clean.
12 So when h e had washed their feet, and taken h is garments, and 2sa t down again
,h e
13 sa id unto them,Know ye what I have done to you ? Ye call m e,
3Master,and
,Lord :
14 and ye say well ; for so I am. If I then,th e Lord and th e 3Master, have washed your
15 feet, ye also ought to wash one another’
s feet. For I have given you an example,that
16 ye also should do a s I have done to you. Verily,verily, I say unto you, A
4servant i s
not greater than h is lord ; neither 5one tha t is sent greater than h e that sent him.
17, 18 If ye know these things , blessed a re ye if ye do them. I Speak not of you all : Iknow whom I 6have chosen : but that th e scr ipture may be fulfilled, *He tha t eateth
19 7m y bread lifted up h i s heel against m e. From henceforth I tell you before it come20 to pass, that, when it i s come to pa ss , ye may believe tha t SI am he. Verily
,verily
,I
say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth m e ; and h e tha treceiveth m e receiveth him that sent m e.
1 Som e ancient auth ori ties om it sa ve, and h is f eet. 2 Gr. r eclined .3 Or , Tea cher 4 Gr . bondser vant.
5 Gr. an apostle.6 Or , ch ose 7 Many ancient auth ori ties read h is brea d wi th me.
9 Or , I a m
186. JESUS FORETELLS THE TREACHERY OF ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES, AND IDENTIFIESTHE TRAITOR PRIVATELY. JUDAS GOES OUT.
Matt. xxvi. 21— 25. Mark xiv. 18 -2L Luke xxi i. 21—23. Joh n xiii . 21— 30.
21 When Jesushad thus sa id
,
21 And a s they 18 And a s they 2 sa twere eating, and were eating
,
h e wa s troubledin th e spir it
, andh e sa id
,Jesus sa id
,testified
,and said
,
§ 186] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Ma rk xiv. 18—21. Luke xxi i . 21—23.
VerilyI say unto you,One of you
shall betray m e,
even h e thatea teth with m e .
22 And they were 19 They began to beexceedingsorrowful, sorrowful ,
M2 Th e disciples
looked one on an
other,doubting of
whom h e spake.
23 And they beganto question amongthemselves , whichof them it was
that should dothis th ing.
and began to sayunto him everyone
,Is it I ,Lord
23 And h e answered 20 And h eand said
,said unto them
,
21 But behold, thehand of him thatbetrayeth m e is
with m e on th e
table.
For th e Son ofm an For th e Son ofm an
goeth,
indeed goeth,
a s it hath beendetermined
even a s it i s even a s it i swritten of him written of himbut woe unto tha t but woe unto tha t but woe unto thatm an through m an through m an throughwhom th e Son Of whom th e Son of whom h em an is betrayed" m an is betrayed " is betrayed"Good were it 1 for good were it 1 forth a t m an if h e tha t m an if h e
h ad not been born. had not been born.
23 There wa s at th eta ble reclining inJesus’ bosom one
of h is disciples,
24 whomJesus loved . Sim on Peter thereforebeckoneth to him ,
and saith unto him,
25 Tell us who it i s of whom h e speaketh. He
leaning back,a s h e wa s , on Jesus
’ breast26 saith unto him,
Lord,wh o is it ? Jesus
188— 190]
John xi ii. 37, 38.
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
unto him,Lord
,wh y cannot I follow thee even now ? I will lay down my life for thee.
38 Jesus answer eth, Wilt thou lay down thy life for m e ? Verily, verily, I say unto thee,Th e cock Sha ll not crow, till thou ha st denied m e thr ice"
189 .
Matt. xxvi . 26—29.
26 And a s theywere ea ting,Jesus took 1 bread
,
and blessed,and brake it ;
and h e gave to th edisciples, and said
,
Take,
ea t ;this i s my body.
27 And h e took 2a cup,
and
gave thanks,and
gave to them,saying
,
Drink ye all of it ;
28 for this is my blood of3 th e 4 covenant,which i s
sh ed for manyunto remiss ion of sins.
29 But I say unto you,51 will not dr ink henceforth of this fruit of
th e vine, until that daywhen I drink it newwith you in
my Fa ther’s k ingdom.
1 Or , a loafinsert new.
poured outf or you.
22
2 Som e ancient auth o rities read th e cup .
5 Or, I sh a ll not dr ink (Am en)Or , testament
SUPPER.
Ma rk xiv. 22—25.
h e took 1breadand when h e
this is my body.
23 And h e took a cup,
and they all drank of it.24 And h e said unto them,
This is my Iblood of3 th e 4 covenant
,
which i sshed for many.
3 Verily I say unto you,51 will no more drinkof th e fruit of
th e vine , until that daywhen I drink it new
to
in
th e kingdom of God.
And as theywere ea ting,
3 Or , the testament5 Som e an01ent auth or ities om i t wh ich is g ivenf or i s
INSTITUTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF BREAD AND WINE IN THE LORD’S
Luke xxu. 19. 20.
19 And h e took 1bread,
and when h ehad given thanks
,
This is my body6which is given for youthis do in remembrance
of m e .
20 And th e cup in likemanner+ after supper,
saying,
This cup is the new7 covenant in my blood
,
even that 6which i spoured out for you.
4 Many ancient a uth ori ties
190. JESUS FOREWARNS THE APOSTLES OF PRIVATION AND PERIL.
Luke xxu. 35—38.
35 And h e said unto them,When I sent you forth Without purse, and wallet, and shoes,36 la cked ye anything ? And they sa id, Nothing. And h e said unto them
,But now
,h e
that ba th a purse, let him take it, and likewise a wallet : 1 and h e that ha th none,let
See Note X , p . lxxxv &c.
Th is wa s, no doubt, th e th ird cup or
wh ich concluded th ecerem ony of th e pa sch al supper .
“cup of blessing,
I Evidently referr ing to th e words ofMoses in Exod. xxiv. 8 , “Beh old th e bloodof th e covenant,” &c. (Robinson , p .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD .
Luke xxi i. 36— 38.
37 him sell h is cloke, and buy a sword . For I say unto you, that this which i s writtenmust be fulfilled in m e,
* An d h e wa s reckoned with transgressors : for that which38 concerneth m e ha th 2 fulfilm ent . And they said, Lord, behold, here a re two swords .
And h e said unto them,It i s enough .
1 Or , a nd h e th a t h a th no sword, let h im sell h is cloke, and buy one.2 Gr . end .
191 . JESUS DELIVERs HIs LAST DISCOURSE To THE APOSTLES ; IN WHICH HEENCOURAGES THEM BY THE PROMISE OF THE “COMFORTER
,
” AND THEPROSPECT OF HEAVEN .
Joh n xiv.
1, 2 Let not your heart be troubled : 1ye believe in God, believe also in m e . In myFather’s house a re many 2mans ions if it were not so
,I would have told you for I
3 go to prepare a pla ce for you. And if I go and prepare a pla ce for you,I come a ga in
,
4 and will receive you unto myself that where I am, th ere ye may be also .
3And whither5 I go, ye know th e way. Thomas saith unto him
,Lord , we know not whither thou
6 goest how know we th e way ? Jesus saith unto him,I am th e way
,and th e truth
,
7 and th e life no one cometh unto th e Father, but 4by m e . If ye had known m e, ye
would have known my Father also : from henceforth ye know him,and ha ve seen him .
8, 9 Philip saith unto him,Lord
,shew us th e Father
,and it sufii ceth us . Jesus sa ith
unto him,Have I been so long time wi th you, and dost thou not know m e
,Philip ?
h e that hath seen m e ha th seen th e Father ; how sayest thou,Shew us th e Fa ther ?
10 Believest thou not tha t I am in th e Fa ther, and th e Father in m e th e words tha t Isay unto you I speak not from myself : but th e Father abiding in m e doeth h is works .
11 Be lieve m e that I am in th e Father , and th e Father in m e : or else believe m e for th e12 very works ’ sake . Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on m e
,th e works
that I do shall h e do also ; and greater worles than these Sha ll h e do ; because I go unto13 th e Father. And wha tsoever ye shall a sk in my name , that will I do, tha t th e Fa ther14 may be glor ified in th e Son . If ye shall a sk 5m e anything in my name
,that will I do .
15,16 If ye love m e
, ye will keep my commandments .+ And I will 6pray th e Father, and17 h e sha ll give you another 7Comforter, tha t h e m ay be with you for ever, even th e Spiritof truth : Whom th e world cannot receive ; for it beholdeth him not
,neither knoweth
i s him : ye know him ; for h e abideth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave19 you 8desola te : I come unto you. Yet a little while, and th e world beholdeth m e no
20 more ; but ye behold m e : because I live , gye sha ll live also . In tha t day ye shall21 know that I am in my Fa ther, and ye in m e
,and I in you. He that hath my com
m andm ents,and keepeth them
,h e it i s tha t loveth m e : and h e tha t loveth m e shall
be loved of my Father, and I will love him,and will manifest myself unto him .
22 Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto h im ,Lord
,what i s come to pass tha t thou wilt manifest
23 thyself unto us, and not unto th e world Jesus answered and said unto him,If a m an
love m e,h e will keep my word : a nd my Fa ther will love him
,and we will come unto
24 him,and make our abode with him. He that loveth m e not keepeth not my words :
and th e word which ye hear is not mine, but th e Father’s who sent m e .
25, 26 These things have I spoken unto you ,while yet a biding with you. But th e 7 0 0m
forter,even th e Holy Spirit, whom th e Fa ther will send in my name
, h e shall teach27 you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I sa id unto you. Pea ce I leavewith you ; my pea ce I give unto you : not a s th e world giveth , give I unto you. Let
28 not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. Ye hea rd how I said to you, I goaway
,and I come unto you. If ye loved m e
, ye would ha ve rejoiced, because I go29 unto th e Father : for th e Father i s grea ter than I . And now I have told you before30 it come to pa ss, that, when it is come to pass , ye may believe . I will no more speak31 much with you
,for th e prince of th e world cometh : and h e ha th nothing in m e ; but
Isa . liii . 12 . 1 1 Joh n v. 3 .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD
John xiv. 31.
tha t th e world may know that I love th e Father, and a s th e Father gave m e commandment, even so I do. Arise
,let us go hence .
*
1 Or , believe in God2 Or , a biding p la ces
a nd th e way ye know.4 Or , th r ough
7 Or , A dvoca te Or , Help er Gr . Pa r a clete.
191—193]
8 Many ancient auth orities read And wh i th er I g o ye know5 Many ancient auth ori ties om it m e.
6 Gr. ma ke r equest 08 Or , orp h ans 9 Or, and ye sh a ll live
192 . JESUS AND THE (ELEVEN) APOSTLES QUIT THE SUPPER ROOM.
Ma tt. xxvi . 30. Ma rk xiv. 26.
0 And when they h ad sung 26 And when they had sung 39a hymn
,they went out. a hymn
,they went out.
193. JESUS CONTINUES HIS DISCOURSE.
Th e fir st p a r t wa s p roba bly sp oken close to the “Bea utiful Ga te”of the temp le
the r em a inder,on th e way to Gethsem ane.
John xv. , xvi.
1, 2 I am th e true vine and my Father i s th e husbandman . Every branch in m e
that bea reth not fruit,h e taketh it away : and every br a nch that bea reth frui t, h e
3 cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit. Alr eady ye a re clean because of th e word4 which I have spoken unto you. Abide in m e
,and I in you. AS th e branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,except it abide in th e vine ; so neither can ye, except ye a bide in
5 m e . I am th e vine, ye a re th e branches : He that abideth in m e
,and I in h im
,th e
6 same bea reth much fruit : for apa rt from m e ye can do nothing. If a m an abide notin m e
,h e i s cast forth a s a branch, and is withered ; and they gather them,
and east
7 them into th e fire, and they a re burned . If ye abide in m e,and my words abide in
8 you, a sk wha tsoever ye will, and it sha ll be done unto you. Herein l i s my Father9 glorified, 2 that ye bear mu ch fruit : and so shall ye be my disciples . Even a s th e
10 Fa ther ha th loved m e,I also have loved you : abide ye in my love. If ye keep my
commandments, ye shall abide in my love ; even a s I have kept my Father’s com
11 m andm ents,and abide in h is love . These things have I spoken unto you
,that my
12 joy may be in you, and tha t your joy m ay be3fulfilled . This i s my commandment
,
13 that ye love one another,even a s I ha ve loved you. Greater love ha th no m an than
14 this,th at a m an lay down h is life for h is friends . Ye a re my friends
,if ye do the
15 things which I command you. No longer do I ca ll you 4servants ; for th e 6 servant
Th is seem s to indicate clea rly th at Jesusand h i s disciples rose from th e table a t th i s
tim e,and qu itted th e room . Robinson th inks
th a t th ey only prepa red to depa rt, and th a tth e address and prayer in 193 and 194 were
uttered before th ey left th e h ouse . Th isa ppea rs to be an im probable th eory . Th e
na tura l and obvious render ing o f th ese la st
five words would seem to suggest th at Jesusand h i s disciples “
a rose , and went th ence .
”
But th is View i s corrobora ted by anoth er considera tion . See next note.
We h ave seen 181 , note p . 183) th a t th eguest
-ch am ber wa s very nea r to th e tem ple andon i ts north ern side , and in order to get to Gethsem ane , (wh ich wa s our Lord
’
s intention, ) th epa rty would leave th e city by th e sh eep -ga te ,
pa ssing close by th e porch of th e tem ple . At
th is place “Rosenm uller tells us th a t above
and a round a gate seventy cubits h igh wh ich“ led from th e porch to th e h oly pla ce a ri chlyca rved vine wa s extended a s a border anddecora tion . Th e br anch es , tendrils , and
“ lea ves were of th e finest gold, th e sta lk s of
th e bunch eswere o f th e length of th e h um an
form,and th e bunch es h anging upon th em
“were of costly jewels . (M’
Clintock and
Strong, vol. x . , p . Joseph us a lso descr ibes th is in Book xv. o f th e Antiqui ti es ,ch . xi . sec . 3 . As Jesus pa ssed th is gorgeouswork for th e la st tim e it supplied h im withth e text for h i s fina l di scour se . Arrestingh is disciples h e procla im ed to th em “ I am
th e true Vine ”and wh en h i s la st
teach ing and h i s la st prayer 194) wereconcluded , th ey continued on th eir way overth e brook Kidron (Joh n xviii. 1 , 195) to th escene of h i s agony in th e ga rden.
193, 194] THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.
John xvi . 21—33.
sh e i s delivered of th e child, sh e remembereth no more th e anguish, for th e j oy tha t22 a m an is born into th e wor ld. And ye therefore now have sorrow : but I will seeyou aga in
,and your hea rt Sha ll rej oice
,and your joy no one taketh away from you.
23 And in that day ye Sha ll 10 a sk m e nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye24 sha ll a sk anything of th e Fa ther, h e will give it you in my name . Hitherto ha veye a
pk
d
ed nothing in my name : a sk,and ye shall receive
,tha t your joy may be
fulfil e25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs : th e hour cometh
,when I sha ll
26 no more speak unto you in 11proverbs,but shall tell you plainly of th e Fa ther. In
tha t day ye shall a sk in my name : and I say not unto you,tha t I will 12pray th e
27 Father for you ; for th e Father himself loveth you , because ye have loved m e,and
28 have believed tha t I came forth from th e Father. I came out from th e Father,a nd
29 am come into th e world : aga in , I leave th e world, and go unto th e Fa ther. His30 disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou pla inly
,and speakest no 13proverb. Now know
we tha t thou knowest all things , and needest not tha t any m an should a sk thee : by31 this we believe tha t thou camest forth from God . Jesus answered them
,Do ye now
32 believe ? Beh old,th e hour cometh
, yea , i s come , tha t ye shall be sca ttered,every
m an to h is own,and sh a ll leave m e alone* : and yet I am not alone
,because th e
33 Father i s with m e . These things have I Spoken unto you,tha t in m e ye m ay have
peace.
1
In th e world ye have tribula tion + : but be of good cheer ; I have overcometh e wor d.
1 Or , wa s 2 Many ancient auth or ities read th a t ye bea r m uch f ru i t, and be my di sciples. 3 Or , m adefu ll (Am en ) 4 Gr . bondser va nts. 5 Gr . bondserva nt. 6 O r , now ye 7 Or , Advoca te Or , HelperGr . Pa r a clete. 3 Or , goeth f or th f r om 9 O r , a nd bea r ye a lso wi tness
10 Or , a sk m e no questi on11 Or, p a r a bles Or , da rk sayings (Am er . ) 13 Gr . m a ke r equest oj l 13 Or , p a r a ble Or , d a rk sayi ng (Am en )
194 . THE FAREWELL PRAYER WITH THE APOSTLES .Joh n xv11.
1 These things spake Jesus ; and lifting up h is eyes to heaven,h e said
,Father
,the
2 hour i s com e ; glorify thy Son, that th e Son m ay glorify thee : even a s thou gavesthim author ity over all flesh
,that wha tsoever thou ha st gi ven him,
to them h e should3 give eternal life . And this i s life eternal
,that they should know thee
'
th e only trueGod , and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ. I glorified thee on th e ea rth,
5 ha ving a ccomplished th e work which thou hast given m e to do. And now,0 Father
,
glorify th ou m e with thine own self with th e glory which I had with thee beforeth e world wa s . I manifested thy
,name unto th e m en whom thou gavest m e out
of th e world : thine they were,and thou gavest them to m e ; and they ha ve kept
7 thy word . Now they know tha t all things whatsoever thou ha st given m e a re from8 thee : for th e words which thou gavest m e I ha ve given unto them ; and they receivedthem
,and knew of a truth that I came forth from thee, and they believed that thou
9 didst send m e . I 1pray for them : I 1pray not for th e world, but for those whom10 thou hast given m e ; for they a re thine : and all things that a re mine a re thine, and11 thine a re mine : and I am glorified in them . And I am no more in th e world, andthese a re in th e world
,and I come to thee . Holy Fa ther
,keep them in thy name
12 which thou hast given m e,that they may be one
,even a s we a re. While I wa s with
them , I kept them in thy name which thou ha st given m e : and I gua rded them,
and not one of th em perished,but th e son of perdition ; that th e scr ipture might
13 be But now I come to thee ; and these things I speak in th e world, that14 they m ay have my joy fulfilled in them selves . I have given them thy word ; andth e world ha ted them ,
because they a re not of th e world,even a s I am not of th e
15 world. I 1pray not tha t thou shou ldest take them 3 from th e world, but that thou16 shouldest keep them 3 from 4 th e evi l one. They a re not of th e world, even a s I am
Ma tt. xxvi . 56 , 198. in Acts i . 16— 20 and th ere applied to th is'
I* 2 T im . i i i . 12 . event , th e per ish ing of Juda s . See a lso Joh n2; PS . lxix . 25 , and cix. 8 quoted by Peter vi 39, 93 .
THE PUBLIC MINISTRY'
OF OUR LORD . 194, 195
John xvn. 16— 26.
not of th e world.
5 Sanctify them in th e truth : thy word i s truth. As thou19 dids t send m e into th e world, even so sent I them into th e world . And for theirsakes I 6sanctify myself, that they themselves also m ay be sanctified in truth.
20 Neither for these only do I 1pray, but for them also that be lieve on m e through their21 word that they m ay all be one ; even a s thou, Father, a r t in m e
,and I in thee
,tha t
22 they also may be in us : that th e world m ay believe that thou didst send m e . An d
th e glory which thou hast given m e I have given unto them ; that they may be23 one, even a s we a re one ; I in them,
and thou in m e,that they may be perfected
into one ; that th e world m ay know that thou didst send m e, and lovedst them ,
24 even a s thou lovedst m e . Father, 6 tha t which thou hast given m e,7 I will that
,
where I am ,they also may be with m e ; that they m ay behold my glory, whi ch thou
25 ha st given m e : for thou lovedst m e before th e foundation of th e world . 0 righteousFather, th e world knew thee not
,but I knew thee ; and these knew that thou didst
26 send m e ; a nd I made known unto them thy name, and will make it known ; tha tth e love wherewith thou lovedst m e m ay be in them,
and I in them .
1 Gr . m a ke r equest. 2 Or , m a def ull (Am en ) 3 Gr . out of ,4 Or , evi l 5 Or , Consecr a te
6 Many ancient a uth or ities r ea d th ose wh om .7 O r , I desi r e (Am en )
195. JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES OF THE DANGER OF APOSTASY.
On th e way to m ount Olivet.
Ma rk xiv. 26—28. Luk e xxu. 39. John xv iii . 1.
[And whenthey h ad sung ahymn
,they went 39 [And h e cameout] out
,]1 When Jesus hadSpoken thesewords
,
and went,
h e went forthwith h is disciples,
a s h is custom wa s,
over th e 3brook4Kidr on .
unto 1 th e mount unto 1 th e mountof Olives . of Olives.
31 Then saith Jesus 27 And Jesus saithunto them,
unto them ,
All ye shall be All ye Shall be2offended 2 offended
in m e this nightfor it i s written,* I will smite th e
Sh epherd,
and th e sheepof th e flock
shall be sca ttered sha ll be scattered32 abroad. But 28 a broad . Howbeit,
a fter I am ra ised after I am raisedup, TI will go up, + I will gobefore you into before you intoGalilee . Ga lilee .
1 Or , m ount Olivet (Am en ) 2 Gr . ca used to stum ble. 3 Or , r a vine Gr. winter -tor r ent. 4 Or , of the Ceda rs
Zech . xi i i . 7 . 1 Ma tt. xxviii . 10 , 243 . Ma rk xvi . 7, 238 . Joh n xxi . l,
250.
193 13
OUR LORD’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION,
196 . JESUS A THIRD TIME FORETELLS PETER’S DENIALS .
Matt. xxvi. 33— 35.
33 But Peter answered and said unto him,
If a ll sha ll be 1 offended in thee,I will never be 1 offended .
Jesus sa id unto him,Verily
I say unto thee, that
this night,
before th e cock crow,
thou shalt deny m e thrice .
Peter saith unto him,
Even if I must die with thee, yetwill I not deny thee. Likewisealso said a ll th e disciples .
29
1 Gr . ca used to stumble.
PART IV.
OUR LORD’S AGONY CRUCIFIXION, DEATH AND BURIAL.
197. THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.
(Thursday : between 11 a nd 12 a t nigh t. )
Matt. xxvi . 36—46.
36 Then cometh Jesuswith themunto 1 a pla ce
called Gethsemane,+
See note X , pp . lxxxv &c.
Robinson says th a t th is wa s, probably,an olive planta tion a t th at tim e, for th e nam e
sign ifies an o i l-p ress . T h e present, h owever ,i s supposed to be but a pa rt of th e ancientgarden ; for i t i s now only about fifty pacessquare , wh ich i s too sm a ll to sa tisfy a ll th e
cond itions of th e sa cred na r ra tive . See Joh nxvii i . 1 , Ma tt. xxvi. 36, 37 , 39 and Luke xxii .41 , (all in th i s section , ) from wh ich it appea rsth at our Lord, h i s ch osen th ree , and th e
oth er apostles were in th ree di fferent pa rts o fth e ga rden , presum ably not wi th in ea rsh ot
,
but a t som e substantia l distance from ea ch
Ma rk xi v. 32 - 42.
And they comeLuke xx n. 40—46. Joh u xvii i. 1.
unto 1 a pla ce which wa snamed Gethsemane
Joh n xvii i . 1.
1 Where wa s a garden, intoth e which h e entered
,
himself and h is disciples .
oth er . It i s th erefore m ore th an probableth a t th e anci ent ga rden occupied som e of
th e spa ce now covered by severa l sim ila renclosures a dja cent, som e of wh ich conta inolive-trees of th e sam e a ge and ch a ra cter a s
Geth sem ane,wh ich exh ibits eigh t th a t a re
cer ta inly very old ; probably standing ever
since Ch r ist wa s th ere . Th e olive tree livesto a grea t a ge ; and a distinguish ed na tura lista sserts , th a t th e la rgest of th ese eigh t a re a t
lea st Six ya rds in circum ference , and n ine or
ten ya rds h igh— so large , indeed , th a t h e
ca lcula tes th ei r age a t 2000 yea r s . See Robinson
, p . 162 — and Kitto’s Pi ct. B i ble, iv. 268 .
194
Ma rk xiv. 29— 31.
But Peter sa id unto him ,
Although all shall be 1offended,yet will not I.
And Jesus saith unto h im,Verily
I say unto thee, thatthou to-day,
even this n ight,before th e cock crow
twiceshalt deny m e thr ice .
But h e spakeexceeding vehemently,If I must die with thee
,
I will not deny thee . And in likemanner also sa id they all .
s 197]
Ma tt. xxvi . 40— 46 .
What,could ye notwatchwith m e
one hour ?
2Wa tch and pray, tha t
ye enter not intotem pta tion :
th e spir it indeed i swilling
,but th e flesh
i s weak .
* Aga ina second time
h e went away, a ndprayed, saying,
0 my Fa ther, if this cannot pa ss away, except Idr ink it
,thy will be done.
43 And he came again and
found them sleeping,for
their eyes wereheavy.
44 And h e left them aga in,and went away, and prayed a third tim e
,saying
a gain th e same words .
45 Then cometh h e to th edisciples
,and saith
unto them , +Sleep on now,
and take your r est :
behold,th e hour is
at hand,and th e Son
of m a n is betrayed untoth e hands of sinners .
46 Ar ise,let us be going :
behold,h e i s a t hand
tha t betrayeth m e .
one hour ?
2Wa tch and pray,tha t
ye enter not intotemptation :
th e spirit indeed i swilling
,but th e flesh
i s weak .
* And aga in
h e went away,and
prayed, sayingth e same words .
40 And a ga in h e cam e, and
found them sleeping forth eir eyes werevery heavy ;
and they wist not wha tto answer him .
And h e cometh th ethird time
,and s a ith
unto them, +Sleep on now
,
and take your rest :it i s enough ;th e hour i s
come ; behold, th e Sonof m an i s betrayed intoth e hands of s inners .
Ar ise,let us be going :
behold,h e that betrayeth
m e i s a t hand .
OUR LORD’S AGONY,CRUCIFIX ION
Luke xxu. 46.
Why s leep ye ?rise and pray
,that
ye enter not intotempta tion .
1 Gr . a n enclosed p i ece of g r ound.
om it ver . 43, 4
Rom . vi i . 18— 25 .
Th esewords seem contradictory , for“Sleep
on now,and take your rest Ar ise, let
us be going do not na tura lly form pa rt o f
one sentence . Th e or igina l m ay be transla ted
in eith er of th ree ways by th e im pera tivem ood , or (2 ) by th e indi ca tive m ood interr oga tively ; or (3 ) by th e indicative m ooda ffi rm a tively . Th e first o f th ese i s adoptedin th e Auth or ised Version and a lso in th e
2 Or , Wa tch ye, and p r a y th a t ye enter 3 Many ancient auth orities
Revised Version . Th e second h a s been preferred by m any lea rned com m enta tor s, wh orender th e pa ssage a s a gentle reproof to th ewear ied disciples, “D o ye sleep on a nd ta ke“your r est a t such a trem endous cr is i s of th e
“wor ld’s hi story ?” Th e th ird suggests th e
strange contra st between th e Saviour and hi sfollowers— “Ye sleep and rest" wh ile I am
agoniz ed wi th th e world’
s burden of sorrowand sin .
DEATH,AND BURIAL . . 198
198. JESUS BETRAYED BY JUDAS ISCARIOT AND ARRESTED . THE DISCIPLESDESERT HIM.
Gethsem a ne. (Thursday : a bout m idnight. )
Ma tt. xxvi . 47—56. Ma rk xiv. 43—52. Luk e xxi i . 47—53.
43 And straightway,while be yet spake, 47While h eyet spa ke,
hold,
a multitude,
cometh cometh thitherand h e that wa s
Judas,
Judas,
called Judas,one of th e twelve, one of th e twelve , one of th e twelve,
came,
and with him and with hima grea t multitude a multitude
went before them ;
See Joh n xvii . 12 , 194 , and note
197
John xvm . 2—12.
2 Now Judas also,which betrayedhim
,knew th e
pla ce : for Jesusoft-times resortedthither with h is
3 disciples . Juda sthen , having re
ceived th e 3 bandof soldiers
,and
o fficers from th e
chief priests andth e Ph arisees,
4 Jesus therefore,
knowing a ll th e things that were comingupon him
,went forth
,and saith unto
5 them,Whom seek ye ? They answered
him, Jesus of Na zareth. Jesus saithunto them
,I am h e. And Juda s a lso
,
which betrayed him,wa s standing with
6 them. When therefore h e sa id untothem, I am he, they went ba ckwa rd, and
7 fell to th e ground. Aga in therefore h ea sked them
,Whom seek ye ? And they
8 sa id , Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered,I told you tha t I am h e if therefore ye
9 seek m e,let these go their way : that
th e word might be fulfilled which h espake, Of those whom thou ha st given
m e I lost not one
s198]
Ma tt. xxvi. 48—51.
48 Now h e that 44
betrayed him
Ma rk xiv. 44—47.
Now h e tha tbetrayed him
gave them had given thema Sign
, saying, a token, saying,Whomsoever Whomsoever
I shall ki ss, tha tis h e : take him,
and lead himaway safely.
45 And when h e wa scome , straightway
I shall k iss, tha ti s h e : take him.
49 And straightwayh e came to h e came to
Jesus , and sa id,
him,and saith,
Hail,Rabbi ; Rabbi ;
and 1k issed him. and 1k issed him.
50 And Jesus saidunto him,
And they
47 But a certainone of themthat stood by
Robinson notes th a t th e word fr iendi s too strong a word to be used h ere . Th e
word in th e origina l , ém ipe, denotes a m ere
comp a ni on or a cqua intance, with out im ply“ ing respect o r a ffection . Wh ere our Lord
OUR LORD ’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION
Luke xxii. 47— 50. Joh n xvi ii . 10, 12.
andh e drew nea r unto
Jesus
to k iss him .
48 But Jesus sa idunto him
,Judas
,
betrayest thouth e Son of m an
with a k iss ?
12 So th e 3band andth e 4 chief captain
,
and th e officers ofth e Jews,seizedJesus
and bound him.
10 Simon Petertherefore
“calls (a s in John xv. 15, 193) h i s fa i th ful
“ disciples fr i ends , anoth er word is“used , wh ich im pli es a ttachm ent .
” Robinson, p . 165 .
198
49 And when theytha t were abouthim saw wha twould follow, theysa id, Lord , sha llwe smite with th e
sword50 And a certain
one of them
havinga sword drew it,and struck th ehigh priest’s2servant , andcut off h isright ea r .
Now the zserV
198— 200] OUR I ORD ’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION ,
Ma tt. xxvi. 56. Ma rk xiv. 49—52.
all this is come to pa ss , that th e scriptures this is done that th e scripturesof th e prophets
might be fulfilled . Then a ll th e disciples 50
left him, and fied.*
1 Gr. kissed h im much .2 Gr. bondservant.
6 199 . JESUS IS BROUGHT BEFORE ANNAS IN THE HOUSE OF CAIAPHAS .
(Thursday : a bout m id nigh t. )
Ma tt. xxvi . 57. Ma rk xiv. 53. Luke xxu. 54. Joh n xvi ii. 13, 14.
57 And they tha t 53 And they And theyhad taken Jesus seized him
,a nd 13
led him away led Jesus away led him away,and brought him
into
th e high priest th e high priest’shouse.
and there cometogether with himall th e chiefpriestsand th e elders and
th e scribes .
§ 200. PETER AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE (JOHN ?) FOLLOW JESUS INTO THE COURT OFTHE HIGH PRIEST ’S HOUSE .
(Thursday : a bout m i dnigh t.)
Ma rk xiv. 54. John xvii i. 15, 16.54 And Peter 15 And Simon Peterhad followed him followed Jesus
,
John xvi . 32 , 193 . 1' Joh n xi . 50, 129 .
might be fulfilled. And they allleft him, and fled .
*
51 And a certa in young m an followedwith him
,ha ving a linen cloth cast abou t
him, over h is naked body: and they lay52 hold on him ; but h e left th e linen cloth ,and fled naked .
3 Or, coh or t 4 Or , m i li ta ry tr i bune Gr . ch ili a rch .
to Annas fir st ; forh e wa s father inlaw to Caiapha s
,
which wa s highpriest that year.Now Caiapha s wa sh e which gavecounsel to th e
Jews,tha t it wa s
expedient that onem an should die forth e peopled
DEATH, AND BURIAL. 200— 203
Ma tt. xxvi. 58. Ma rk xiv. 54. ii i
even within,
unto th e court of into th e court ofth e high priest, th e high priest.and entered in.
201. PETER’S FIRST DEN IAL. BEFORE THE FIRST COCKCROW. To the p ortressa s he p a ssed her on h i s way i nto the cour t.
John xviii. 17, 18.
17 Th e maid therefore that kept th e door saith unto Peter, Ar t thou also one of this18 man’
s disciples ? He saith, I am not . Now th e .
1 servants and th e ofli cers werestanding there, having made
2a fire of coa ls ; for it wa s cold ; and they were warming
themselves : and Peter also wa s with them,standing and warming himself.
1 Gr . bm dserva nts .2 Gr. a fl r e of ch a rcoa l.
202 . THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION BY ANNAS.
In the house of Ca i ap h a s the h igh p r iest.
(Fr iday : between m idnigh t a nd 1 A.M. )
John xvi ii.
19 Th e high priest* therefore asked Jesus of his disciples, and of h is teaching.20 Jesus answered him, I ha ve spoken openly to th e world ; I ever taught in 1 synagogues
,
and in th e temple, where a ll th e Jews come together ; a nd in secret spake I nothing.
21Wh y askest thou m e ? a sk them that have hea rd m e,what I spake unto them : behold
,
22 these know th e things which I said . And when h e had said this,one of th e ofli cers
standing by struck Jesus 2with h is hand, saying, Answerest thou th e high priest so23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bea r witness of th e evil but if we ll, why24 smitest thou m e ? Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas th e high pr iest.
1 Gr . synagogue.2 Or , wi th a r od
203 . PETER’S SECOND DENIAL. BEFORE THE FIRST COCKCROW. To the ofi cers
sta nding round the fire in the cour t. HE THEN SITS DOWN AMONGST THEM To
SEE THE END.
(Fr i day : between m idnigh t a nd 1 A .M. )
Ma tt. xxvi . 58. Mark xiv. 54. Joh n xviii . 25.
25 Now Simon Peter wa ss tanding and warminghimself. They said therefore unto him
,Ar t thou
Anna s . See Note X , pp . lxxxvi and lxxxvn .
20 1
Joh n xvii i. 15, 16.
a nd so did a nother disciple. Now thatdisciple wa s known unto th e high priest
,
a nd entered in with Jesus into ‘
th ecourt of th e high priest ; but Peter wa sstanding at th e door without. So th eother disciple
,which wa s known unto
th e high priest,went out and spake unto
h er that kept th e door,a nd brought in
Peter.
203, 204] OUR LORD’S AGONY,CRUCIFIXION
,
Ma tt. xxvi . 58. Ma rk xiv. 54. John xvii i. 25.
a lso one of h is disciples ?He den ied
,and said, I
am not .
54 And h e wa s sitting withth e ofli cer s,
and wa rming himselfin th e light of thefir e.
204 . JESUS Is ARRAIGNED BEFORE CAIAPHAS THE HIGH PRIEST AND Is CONDEMNED.
In th e house of Ca i ap ha s. (Fr iday : before 1 A.M. )
Ma tt. xxvi. 59—66. Ma rk xiv. 55— 64.
59 Now th e chief priests and th e whole 55 Now th e chief priests and th e wholecouncil sought council soughtfalse
witness against Jesus , that theymight put him to dea th ; and theyfound it not, though manyfa lse witnesses came.
But a fterward came two,and
said,
This m an said, I am a ble to destroyth e 1 templeof God
,
and to build it in three days . 1L
And th e high priest stood up,
and sa id unto him , Answerest thounothing ? wha t i s it which these witness
63 against thee ? But Jesus held h is peace .1:
And th e high priestsa id unto him,
I adjur e thee by th e living God,that thou tell us whether thou be Art thouth e Christ , th e Son of God . th e Christ
,th e Son of th e Blessed ?
64 Jesus sa ith unto him,Thou ha st said : And Jesus said
,I am
nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforthye sha ll see th e Son of m an sitting a nd ye sha ll see th e Son of m an s ittinga t th e right hand of power, and a t th e right hand of power
,and
coming on th e clouds of heaven . coming with th e clouds of hea ven.
65 Then th e high priest rent h is garments , 63 And th e high priest rent h is c lothes,
saying, and saith,He hath Spoken blasphemy
what further need have we of witnesses ? What further need have we of witnesses ?behold, now ye have hea rd Ye have hea rd
In Acts Vi . 11— 15 preci sely th e sam e See Joh n i i . 19 , 26 .
wicked device wa s pra ctised aga inst Steph en 1 Isa . liii . 7 . Ma tt . xxvii . 14 , § 212 .
witness aga inst Jesus toput him to dea th ; and
found it not . For many ba refa lse witness against him
,and
their witness agreed no t together.And there stood up certain
, and barefa lse witness against him
,saying
,
We hea rd him say, I will destroythis 1 temple
that is made with hands,
and in three days I will build anothermade without hands .
59 And not even so did their witness agreetogether.
And th e high priest stood upin th e midst,
and asked Jesus , saying,~Answerest thounothing ? wha t is it which these witness
61 aga inst thee But h e held h is peace,and answered noth ingi t
Aga in th e high priest a sked him,
and saith unto him,
206— 209] OUR LORD’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION,
Ma tt. xxvi. 69, 70. Ma rk xiv. 67, 68. Luke xxu. 56, 57.
upon him, upon him,
saying, Thou a lso and saith,Thou a lso sa id
,This m an also
wa st with wast with wa s withJesus th e Ga lilaean . th e Na zarene, even Jesus . him.
_
But h e denied But h e denied, But h e denied,
before them a ll,saying
, saying,
Woman, I know him not.
I know not 1I neither know,nor understand
what thou sayest. what thou sayestand h e went out into th e2 porch ; 3and th e cockcrew.
1 Or , I nei ther know, nor understa nd : thou, wh a t sayest th ou ? 2 Gr. f orecourt. 3Many ancientauth ori ties om it and the cock cr ew.
20 7. PETER’S FOURTH DENIAL. To one of th e crowd.
(F r iday : sho rtly after 1 A .M. Between the fvrst a nd the second cockcrow. )
Luke xx u. 58.
58 And after a little while another saw him,a nd sa id, Thou a lso art one of them . But
Peter sa id,Man
,I am not.
208. PETER’S FIFTH DENIAL. To a m a idserva nt a nd o thers i n th e p orch .
(Fr iday : a bout 2 o’clock A .M. )
Matt. xxvi. 71, 72. Ma rk xiv. 69, 70.
71 And when h e wa s gone out into th eporch
,another m a id saw him,
and 69 And th e ma id saw him,and began
saith unto them tha t were there, again to say to them that stood by,This m an also wa s with Jesus th e This i s one of them.
Nazarene.
And again h e denied But h e again denied it.with an oath , I know not th e m a n.
§ 209 . PETER’s SIXTH DENIAL ; THE SECOND cocxcnow AND HIS REPENTANCE .
(F r iday : a bout 3 o’clock A.M. )
Ma tt. xxvi. 73—75. Ma rk xiv. 70—72. Luke xxu. 59—62. John xvii i . 26, 27.
73 And after a little 70 And a fter a little 59 And after th ewhile while a ga in spa ce of about
one hourOne of th e 2 servants of th e highpriest
,being a
k insman of himwhose ea r Petercut off
, sa ith, Didnot I see thee inth e garden with
him ?
DEATH,AND BURIAL. 209 , 210
Ma tt. xxvi . 78—75. Ma rk xiv. 70—72. Joh n xvi i i. 27.
they tha t stood by they that stood by
But h e 60 But Peter said, 27 Peter therefore
began tocurse
,and to swear,
Man,I know not denied again
what thou sayest.I know not th e I know not this
m an . m an
of whom ye speak .
And straightway 72 And straightway And immediately,
while h e yet spake ,th e second time
th e cock crew. th e cock crew.
and straightway
th e cock crew.
h e went out, andwept bitterly. h e wept.
1 O r , And h e bega n to weep .
§ 2 10 . JESUS IS FORMALLY ARRAIGNED BEFORE THE HIGH COUNCIL ; AND BE INGCONDEMNED
,Is GIVEN UP To THE CIVIL POWER OF THE ROMAN GOVERNOR .
(Fr iday : a bout 5 A .M. )
Ma rk xv. 1.
I And stra ightwayin th e morning
Luk e xxn. 66—71 xxi ii . 1.
66 And a s soon a s
It wa s day,
JOlin xvi ii. 28.
th e assembly of
th e cock crew.
And th e Lordturned
,and look
ed upon Peter.And Peter remembered th eword of th e Lord
,
how that h esaid unto him
,
Before th e cockcrow this day,thou sha lt denym e thrice .
And
§ 210] OUR LORD ’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION
Matt. xxvn. 1, 2. Ma rk xv. 1. Luke xxu. 66—71 ; xxiii . 1. John xvi ii . 28.
together,
both chief priestsand scribes
a nd they led himaway into their
67 council, saying, If thou art th e Christ,tell us . But h e sa id unto them
,If I
68 tell you, ye will not believe : and if I69 a sk you, ye will not answer. But fromhenceforth shall th e Son ofm an be sea teda t th e right hand of th e power of God.
70 And they a ll said,Art thou then th e
Son of God ? And h e said unto them,
7IlYe say that I am . And they said
,
What fur ther need have we of witness ?*for we ourselveshave heard fromh is own mouth .
Luke xxii i . 1.
1 And th e wholecompany of them
rose up,
bound him,and bound Jesus
,and
led him away,
carried hi m away, 28 They lea d Jesustherefore
from Caiaphasinto th e 2palace :
and delivered him and brought himup to Pi late . before Pila te .
and it wa s early.
1 Or , Ye sa y it, because I am . Or , Ye say it, for I a m . (Am en ) 2 Gr . Pr aetor ium 1.
See page 214 , noteTh i s word occur s eigh t tim es in th e New
Testam ent. In Ph il . i . 13 th e Revi sed Ver sionrender s it praetor i an gua rd ,
”applying i t to
th e m en and not to th e pla ce . In Ma rk xv.
16 , 217 , i t Sim ply adopts th e word itself fromth e Greek (npa tr tbptov) . In th e oth er Six
pla ces (Ma tt. xxvn . 2 7 , 217 ; Joh n xviii. 28(twice), 210 and 212 ; xvi ii . 33 , 212 ; xix.
9 , § 218 andActs xx iii . 35) th e transla tion i spala ce.
”In th e Go spels i t inva r i ably refers
to th e wh ole o r pa rt o f Pila te’s residence :
th e pa ssage in Ma rk lim its i t to “ th e court.”
Probably i t would h ave been better , if inth e Ph ili pp ians th e text and th e m argina lreading h a d ch anged pla ces , a s th e betterrender ing would h ave referred to th e praetor ian
cam p or ba rrack a t Rom e. In th e Acts i t i sa pplied to Herod’
s pa la ce a t Caesa rea . In
th e pa ssage above and oth ers in th e Gospelsi t indica tes a portion of th e Tower ofAntonia .
Thi s fortress wa s th e residence of th e Rom an
governor and ga rr i son of th e Rom an soldi ers .
In Acts (xxi . 34 ; xxu . 24 ; xxiii . 10 , 16 , &c .)it i s called “ th e ca stle .
”It wa s close to th e
north -west corner of th e tem ple , and probablycom m un ica ted directly wi th i t ; so th a t th e
soldiers m igh t h ave ea sy and r apid a ccess
to i t in case of any sudden popula r tum ult.
See Acts xxi . 31— 37 and xxi ii . 10 . Th e
pm tortum to wh ich our Lord wa s taken wa sprobably th e a tr ium , th e centra l h a ll or cour tin wh ich Pilate transacted h is public business .
See Ma rk xv. 16, 217 .
212]
Ma tt. xxvn. 11.
Now Jesusstood before th egovernor : andth e governor
asked him,saying
,
Art thou th eKing of th e Jews ?
160
OUR LORD ’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION ,
Ma rk xv. 2. Luke xxii i . 2, 3. John xviii . 30—37.
If this m an werenot an evil-doer
,
we should not have delivered him up31 unto thee . Pilate therefore said untothem
,Take him yourselves, and judge
him according to your law. Th e Jewssa id unto him,
It i s not lawful for us to32 put any m an to death : tha t th e word ofJesus might be fulfilled, which h e spake,
signifying by wha tmanner of dea thh e should die*
33 Pila te thereforeentered again intoth e 2palace
,a nd
called Jesus ,
And Pila teasked him,
Art thou th eKing of th e Jews ?
And h e answeringsa ith unto h im
,
Thou sayest.
a tt. xx . 19 , 148 ;—Joh n xii . 32 , 33 ,
Luke xxi i i . 2, 3.
2 And they beganto accuse him
, saying,We found thism an pervertingour nation
,and
forbidding to givetribute to Caesa r
,
and saying tha t h ehim self i s 1Christ
a king.
3 And Pilate and
asked him,saying, said unto him,
Art thou th e Art thou th eKing of th e Jews ? King of th e Jews ?
34 Jesus answered,Sayest thou this of
thyself, or did others tell it thee con
35 cerning m e ? Pilate answered,Am I a
Jew ? Thine own nat ion and th e chiefpriests delivered thee unto m e : what
36 hast thou done ? Jesus answered, Myk ingdom i s not of this world : if mykingdom were of this world, then wouldmy 3 servants fight
,that I should not be
delivered to th e Jews : but now i s my37 k ingdom not from hence . Pilate there
fore said untohim
,Art thou a
king then ?Jesus answered,
4Thou sayesttha t I am a k ing.
To this end haveI been born
,and to this end am I come
into th e world,tha t I should bea r wit
ness -t unto th e truth . Every one that
1 Th i s , probably, wa s th e “witness to
wh ich Paul referred in 1 Tim . vi. 13 .
Matt. xxvn. 12—14.
12 And when h e wa saccused by th e
chief priests and
elders , h e answered nothing
13 Then saith Pila teunto him
,
Hearest thou not
how many thingsthey wi tnessaga inst thee ?
14 And h e gave himno answer*, noteven to one word :insomuch thatth e governor
marvelled greatly.
1 Or , an anointed king4 Or, Th ou sayes t It, beca use I
2 13 .
DEATH,AND BURIAL .
. 2 12 , 2 13
Mar k xv. 3—5. Luke xxiii . 4— 7. Joh n xvi ii. 37, 38.
i s of th e truthhea reth my voice.
38 Pila te sa ith unto him, What i s truth ?And when h e had said this, h e went out
aga in unto th e
Jews,4 And Pila te said a nd saith
unto th e chief unto them,
priests and th emultitudes ,I find no fault I find no crimein this m an. in him.
3 And th e chi efpriests a ccusedhim Of many
things .
4 And Pilate againasked him ,
saying , Answerestthou nothing ?
beholdh ow many thingsthey accusethee of.
5 But Jesus nomore answeredanything ;insomuch that
Pila tema rvelled.
5 But they were th emore ur gent
,say
ing, He stirrethup th e people, tea ching throughout allJudaea
,a nd beginning from Galilee even
6 unto this pla ce . But when Pilate heardit,h e asked whether th e m an were a
7 Galilaean . And when h e knew tha t h ewa s of Herod’s jur isdiction
,h e sent him
unto Herod,wh o himself also wa s at
Jerusa lem in these days .
2 Gr . Pr cetor z'
um. See page 206, note i .3 Or , ofiicers : a s in ver . 3, 12, 18, 22.
a king. Or , Th ou sa yest i t, f or I a m a ki ng . Com pa r e Luke xxi i. 70, 210. (Am en )
PILATE TRANSFERS JESUS To HEROD FOR TRIAL.
Luke xxi i i. 8—12.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, h e wa s exceeding glad : for h e wa s of a long time
desirous to see him +, because h e had heard concerning him ; and h e hoped to see
Ma tt. xxvi . 63 , § 204 , and Joh n xix . 9 , § 218 , and notes th ereon .
W.
Luke ix. 9 , § 90 .
209 14a
2 14] OUR LORD ’S AGONY,CRUCIFIXION
,
Luke xxi ii . 9— 12.
9 some 1mira cle done by him . And h e questioned him in many words ; but h e answered10 him noth ing. And th e chief priests and th e scr ibes stood
,vehemently accusing him.
11 And Herod with h is soldier s set him a t nought,and mocked him
, and a rraying him12 in gorgeous* a ppa rel sent him ba ck to Pilate . And Herod and Pila te became friendswith each other tha t very day : for before they were a t enmity between themselves .
1 Gr . sig n.
214 . THE JEws PUBLICLY REJECT JESUS,AND PREFER THE ROBBER AND
MURDERER BARABBAs.
Matt. xxvi i .'
15 Ma rk xv. 6—11. Luke xxiii . 13—19. John xvii i . 39, 40.
15 Now a t 1 th e 61
Now at 1th efea st th e gov fea st h eernor wa s wont usedto relea se unto to relea se unto
th e m ultitude one them one
prisoner,whom prisoner
,whom
they would . they a sked of h im .
16 And they h ad 7 And there wa sthen a nota ble one
prisoner,called ca lled
Ba rabbas . Ba rabba s,
lying bound withthem that h ad
m ade insurrecti on,
m en who in th e
insur rection h ad
committed mur8 der . And th e
multitude went upand began to a sk
h im to do a s h e
wa s wont to dounto them.
9 And Pilate 13 And Pila teca lled together th echief priests and
th e rulers and th e
people,
17 When thereforethey were ga thered together, Pila te
answered themsaid unto them,
saying, 14 and sa id untothem
,Ye brought
unto m e thism an
,a s one tha t
perverteth th e
people : and be
hold,I,having
More correctly “sh ining , not purple , (or th e or iginal expression i s th e sam e. Wh ite
sca rlet, ) th e roya l colour ofRom e and th erefore wa s th e roya l colour am ongst th e Hebrews,
ch osen by th eRom an soldiers in th eir m ockery and th is repea ts th e sa rca sm and insult from(Ma tt. xxvii . 28 and Joh n xix . 2
,a Jewi sh point of view.
but Sh ining wh ite,— a s in Acts x. 30 wh ere
214 , 2 15] OUR LORD’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION,
Ma tt. xxvn. 21.
governor answered and
said unto them,Wh ether
of th e twain will ye th a tI relea se unto you ?
Luke xxi ii . 18, 19. John xvi ii. 40.
18 But they cried out 40 They cried out thereforeaga in
,
a ll together,And they said, saying, saying
,
Away with this m an, ot this m an,
and release unto us butBarabba s . Ba rabbas Ba rabbas .
Now Barabbas was arobber.
19 one who for a certa ininsur rection made in th e
city,and for murder, wa s
ca st into prison .
1 Or , a feast 2 Many ancient auth or ities read I sent you to h im . (Am en ) 3 Many ancient auth or ities insert
ver. 17Now h e m ust needs r elea se unto th em a t th ef ea st one prisoner . Oth er s a dd th e sam e words a fter ver. 19.
215 . THE JEWS CLAMOUR FOR THE CRUCIFIXION. PILATE BEGINS To YIELD .
Ma tt. xxvn. 22, 23.
Pilate
saith unto them, Wha tthen sh a ll I do untoJesus which i s called
Chr i st
They all say,Let him be crucified.
And h e sa id,
Why,what evil hathh e done ?
But they cried outexceedingly
,saying,
Let him be crucified.
Luke xxiii . 20—23.
And Pilatespake unto them a gain
,
des iring to release Jesusand sa id unto them,
Whatthen Shall I do unto
him whom ye call th eKing of th e Jews ?
13 And they cried out again ,Crucify him.
And Pila te sa idunto them
,
Why,wha t evil hathh e done ?
But they cried outexceedingly,Crucify him .
1 Or , urgent Am er . )
21 but they shouted,saying
,
Crucify,crucify him .
And h e saidunto them
th e third tim e,
Why,wha t evil hath
this m an done ?I have found no causeof dea th in him : I willtherefore cha stise h im and
relea se him .
23 But they were l instantwith loud voices , ask ingtha t h emight be crucifiedAnd their voices pr e
vailed.
DEATH,AND BURIAL. 2 16
,217
PILATE WASHES HIS HANDS PUBLICLY, AS A SIGN OF PROTEST AGAINST THEINJUSTICE OF THE JEws . BUT, NEVERTHELEss, HE SCOURGES JESUS AND DELIVERSHIM To THE INSULTS AND CRUELTY OF THE SOLDIERY.
Ma tt. xxv n. 24—26. Ma rk xv. 15. Luke xxi i i . 24, 25.—J oh n xix. 1.
24 So when Pilate saw thath e preva iled nothing, butrather that a tumult wa sarising, h e took wa ter",and washed h is handsbefore th e multitude, saying, I am innocent 1 of
th e blood of this righteous25 m an : see ye to i t. And
all th e people answeredand said
,His blood be on
us,and on our children
And Pila te , And Pila tewishing to contentth e multitude
,
gave sentence thatwhat they asked forshould be done .
Then relea sed h e released And h e releasedunto them Barabbas unto them Barabbas,
Ma tt. xxvn. 26. Mark xv. 15. Luke xxi ii. 25.
but Jesus
and delivered h e deliveredJesus
,when h e
had scourged him,
up to their will .
to be crucified. to be crucified.
1 Soni c ancient auth or ities r ead of th is blood see ye&e.
2 17. THE SOLDIERS TORTURE JESUS 1] AND MOCK HIM AS A KING.
Ma rk xv. 16—19. John xix. 2, 3.
And th e soldiers And th e soldiers
led him awa y
within th e court,which
i s th e 4 Praetorium
Deut. xxi . 6 , 7 — Ps . xxvi . 6. by Matth ew a nd Ma rk and anoth er descr ibed1' Acts 28 . by Joh n . But a close exam ina tion wi ll leadxActs 111. 14 . us toRobinson ’
s opinion , th at all th ree GospelsSom e wr iter s h old th a t th ere were two o f na rra te th e sam e event.
th ese scenes Of m ockery ; th e one recorded
213
him that for insurrectionand murder h ad beencast into prison
,whom
they asked for i:
Joh n xix. l .
1 Then Pilatetherefore tookJesus ,
and scourged h im .
2 17, 218] OUR LORD ’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION ,
Ma tt. xxvn. 27—30. Ma rk xv. 16—19. John xix. 2, 3.
and gathered unto him and they ca ll togetherth e whole 2 band. th e whole 2 band .
And they'
3 stripped him,
and put on h im 17 And they clothe hima sca rlet robe with purple*,
An d they plaited a and pla iting a plaited acrown of thorns and crown of thorns
,crown of thorns,
put it upon h is head,
they put it on h im ; and put it on h is head,and a reed in h isright hand
and they
kneeled down beforehim
,and
mocked him,
saying,Hail
,King of th e Jews
And they Spat upon him,
and took th e reedand smote him on 19
th e head.
and they
Ha il,King of th e Jews
and arrayed him ina purple garment
and theycame un to him,
began to sa lute him,
and said,
Hail,King of th e Jews
And they smote h i shead
with a reed,and did spit upon him,
and they struck him5with their hands .
and bowing their kneesworshipped him .
1 Gr . Preetor ium . See page 206, note i .5 Or , wi th rods
2 Or , cohort 3 Som e ancient auth or ities read cloth ed.4 Or , pa lace
2 18 . PILATE MAKES ONE MORE ATTEMPT To RESCUE JESUS ; BUT FINALLYAUTHORISES HIS CRUCIFIXION.
Joh n xix. 4—16.
4 And Pilate went out again, and sa ith unto them ,Behold, I bring him out to you, that
5 ye may know that I find no crime in him. Jesus therefore came out, wea r ing thecrown of thorns and th e pur ple garment.
Wh en therefore th e chief priests a nd th e officers saw him,they cried out,6 m an"
An d Pi la te saith unto them,Behold
,th e
saying, Crucify h im ,crucify h im . Pilate sa ith unto them
,Take him yourselves , and
7 crucify him : for I find no crime in him. Th e Jews answered him,We ha ve a law,
and by that law h e ought to die, because h e made himself th e Son of God.+ When
Th e appa rent discrepancy of coloursbetween th e Evangelists h a s given r ise to
som e surpr ising explana tions , wh ich I find i tdifficult to a ccept . Th e m eaning i s
— Th ey
put on h im a sca r let cloa k in tra vesty of a n
imp er i a l p urp le. Beyond all doubt th e ga rm ent actua lly used wa s th e sca rlet m ili ta rycloak wh ich th e per secuting soldiery h ad readyto th eir h ands— th e see
Sm i th’s D i cti ona ry of Anti qu i ties , page 275 .
Th e object o f h i s torm entors wa s of cour se toinsult h im by a m ockery of royalty : and
th erefore th ey supplied h im wi th th ings
intended to suggest th e insignia of a ki ng , butin every ca se m ere sh am s and r idiculoussh am s . Th ey crowned h im , but th e crownwa s th orn —th ey gave h im a sceptre , but itwa s a reed. To com plete th e m ockery th eygave h im , not a robe of im peria l purple, butth a t ra re and costly ga rm ent wa s r epresentedby one o f th eir own com m on red cloaks .
Th e sca rlet” of th e sold ier wa s th e “m ake
believe ”for th e “
purple”of a king .
1' Th is wa s th e rea l gr a vam en of th e ch a rgea ga inst our Lord : th ough i t wa s m uch con
fused by th e unscrupulous efforts of h i s foes
214
219] OUR LORD’S AGONY, CRUCIFIX ION
2 19 . JESUS IS LED FORTH To CRUCIFIXION, AND BROUGHT To CALVARY.
Ma tt. xxvn. 31— 34.
31 And when theyhad mocked him,
they took off fromhim th e robe ,
and put on him h isgarments ,
and led him awayto crucify him
32 And a s theycame out,they found
a m an of Cyrene,S imon by name :
At first, and wh en th e weigh t wa s seen
Ma rk xv. 20—23.
20 And when theyhad mocked him
,
they took off fromhim th e purple
,
and put on him h isgarments .
Luke xxii i . 26—33.
And they lead h imout to crucify him.
26 And when theyled him away
,
they laid holdupon one
Simon of Cyrene,
coming from th e
country,
they 2 compelone pa ssing by
,
Simon of Cyrene,coming from th e
country,
the father of Alexander and Rufus
,
and laid on himth e cross
,to bear
it a fter Jesus .
27 And there followed him a grea tmultitude of th epeople, and of wo
m en wh o bewa iled and lamented him .
28 But Jesus turning unto them said,
Daughters of Jerusalem,weep not for
m e , but weep for yourselves , and for your29 children . For behold
,th e days a re
coming,in which they shall say, Blessed
a re th e ba rren, and th e wombs that neverbare, and th e brea sts that never ga ve
30 suck . Then shall they begin to say tothe mountains
,Fall on us ; a nd to the
31 hills , Cover us .+ For if they do thesethings in th e green tree, wha t Sha ll bedone in the dry ?
32 And there werealso two others ,ma lefactors , led
with him to be
put to death .
forced to a ss ist th e Lord .
to be m ore th an h e could possibly bea r ,Sim on wa s pressed into th e service, and
216
1' Hos . x . 8 .
John xix. 16, 17.
16 They took Jesustherefore ;
17 and h e went out,
bea ring th e crossfor himself
,*
DEATH,
Ma tt. xxvn. 33, 34.
33 And when they 22
were come untoa place" calledGolgotha
,that
i s to say,Th e pla ceof a skull
,
34 they gave himwine to drinkmingled wi thgall : 1
and when h ehad ta sted it, h ewould not drink.
1 Gr. impr essed .
but h ereceived it not.
imp ress.
AND BURIAL . 219 , 220
Luke xxii i . 33. John xix. 17.
33 And when theycame untoth e place*
whichi s called
3Th e skull,
untoth e place" called
[there theycrucified him .]
3 According to th e La tin, Ca lva ry, wh ich h a s th e sam e m eaning.
220 . THE CRUCIFIXION .
Ca lva ry.
Ma tt. xxvn. 35, 36 ; 38. Ma rk xv. 24, 25 ; 27.
38 Then 25 And it wa s th e
I th ird hour, and
a re there crucified they crucified him.
wi th him 27 And w ith himthey crucifytwo robbers ;
one on h is righthand
,and one
on h is left. 1
Ca lva ry cannot now be identified . It
wa s a pla ce”o f public execution , but th ere
i s no wa rrant a t a ll for th e com m on th eoryth a t i t wa s a m ount.1' Ps . lxix . 21
, a nd see p . 221 , note1 Th ere i s an obvi ous discrepancy between
th is sta tem ent and th a t of Joh n xix . 14,
§ 2 18 . Attem pts h ave been m ade to expla ini t by suggesting th at Joh n reckoned h i s
(Fr i day : a bout 9 A .H . )
Luke xxii i . 33—35. Joh n xix. 18, 23,
There Wherethey crucified him
,they crucified him,
and and with him
and Jesus in th e
midst.342And Jesus sa id
,
Fa ther,
forgivethem ; for theyknow not wha t
they do.
s ixth h our from m idnigh t. Th is is veryforced and with out any sim i la r instance on
record. Moreover i t leaves th e difficulty a s
grea t a s ever , a s i t m akes th e tim e th ree h ourstoo ea r ly, instead of th ree h ours too la te .
Th ere i s Obvi ously a cler ica l err or ; andRobinson m akes a very ingenious and probablesuggestion a s to th e confus ion of two Greek
sym bols wh i ch m ay h ave caused it.
OUR LORD’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION ,
Luke xxii i . 34, 35.
220 , 22 1]
Ma tt. xxvn. 35, 36. Ma rk xv. 24.
And whenthey had crucifiedhim
,they
parted h i s ga rments among
them,
them,
casting lots they cast lots .
upon them,what
each should take.
36 and they sat and
wa tch edh im th ere .
35 And th e peoplestood beholding.
1 Many ancient auth or ities insert vcr . 28 And the scr ip tur e wa s f ulfilled , wh ich sa ith ,*And h e wa s r eckoned wi th
tr a nsgr essor s. See Luke xxii. 37, 190 2 Som e ancient auth ori ti es om it And Jesus sa i d , Fa th er , f org ive th em ;
for they know not wh a t they do.3 O r
, tunic
§ 22 1. THE SUPERSCRIPTION ON THE CROSS.
(Fr iday : a bout 11 A.M. )
Matt. xxvn. 37. Ma rk xv. 26. Luke xxi i i. 38.
And th e 38 And therewa s also a
superscription superscription37 And they set upover h is headh is accusation of h i s a ccusa tionwritten, wa s wr itten
and put itover, over him
,
Isa . li ii . 12 . 1' Ps. xxu . 18.
John xix. 23, 24.
Th e soldierstherefore
,when
they had crucifiedJesus,
took h is garments
,and made
four parts,to every
soldier a part ;
and a lso th e 3coatnow th e 3 coat waswithout seam,
wo
ven from th e top24 throughout. They
said therefore one
to another,Let us
not rend it,but
ca st lots for it,whose it shall bethat th e +scripturemight be fulfilled,which saith
,
They pa rtedmy ga rm entsamong them,
And upon myvesture didthey cast lots.
Th ese th ings th ere
fore th e soldiersdid.
223— 225] OUR LORD ’S AGONY,CRUCIFIXION ,
Ma tt. xxvn. 42—44. Ma rk xv. 32. Luke xxii i . 36, 37.
He i s Let th e Chr ist,th e King of Israel ; th e King of Israel,
let himnow come down from now come down fromth e cross, and we will th e cross , that we may
see and
believe on h im . believe .
43 He trusteth on God ; * leth im deliver him
‘
now, ifh e desireth him : for h esaid, I am th e Son of God.
36 And th e soldiers alsomocked hi m ,
coming tohim
,Offeringhimvinegar+,
37 and saying, If thou artth e King of th e Jews ,save thyself.
44 And th e robbers also that And they thatwere crucified with him were crucified with himcast upon him th e same
reproa ch . reproa ched him.
1 Or , sanctua ry. See Note B, p . xxx.2 Or , can h e not sa ve h im self ?
224 . THE DYING ROBBER REPENTS AND RECE IVES THE PROMISE OF PARADISE .
(Fr iday : between noon a nd 3 RM. )
Luke xxi ii . 39—43.
39 And one of th e ma lefa ctors which were ha nged ra iled on him,saying
,Art not thou
40 th e Christ ? save thyself and us . But th e other answered, and rebuk ing him said
,
41 Dost thou not even fear God,seeing thou art in th e sam e condemnation ? And we
indeed justly ; for we receive th e due rewa rd of our deeds : but this m an ha th done42 nothing amiss . And h e sa id
,Jesus , remember m e when thou comest 1 in thy k ing
43 dom . And h e said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, TO-day sha lt thou be with m e
in Pa radise i1 Som e ancient auth or i ties read into thy kingdom .
225. THE SACRIFICE IS FINISHED. JESUS DIES .
(Fr iday : noon ti ll 3 RM. )
Ma tt. xxvn. 45—50. Mark xv. 33—37. Luke xxi ii . 44—46. Joh u x ix. 28—30.
45 Now from th e 33 And When th e 44 And it wa snow about th esixth hour
,and
Ps . xxu . 7 , 8 . used in th e New Testam ent a re 2 Cor . x11. 4
Ps . lxix . 21 . and Rev. ii . 7 , wh ich see .
Th e only oth er pla ces wh ere th i s word i s
Ma tt. xxvn. 46—49 .
46 And about th eninth hour Jesuscried with a loudvoice , saying,
*Eli,Eli , lama
sabachthanithat i s,
My God, my God,2why hast thouforsaken m e
47 And some of themtha t stood there,when they heardit,said
,This m an
ca lleth Elijah.
48 And straigh twayone of them ran
,
and took aSponge , and filledit with vinega rand put it on a
reed,
and gave him to49 drink . And
th e rest said,
Let be let u s see
whether Elijahcometh to save
him.
3
Eli and Eloi a re corresponding form s (in
DEATH,AND BURIAL .
Mark xv. 34—36.
225
Luke xxi ii . 45. John xix. 28—30.
454th e sun ’
s lightfa iling.
34 And at th eninth hour Jesuscried with a loud
voice,*Eloi
,Eloi
,lama
sabachthan iwhich is
,being
interpreted ,My God, my God,2why hast thouforsaken m e ?
35 And some of themtha t stood by,when they hea rdit,said
,Behold
,h e
calleth Elijah .
36
so they put a
and brought itto h i s mouth.
and gave him todrink
,
saying,
Let be ; let us see
whether Elijahcometh to takehim down .
by eith er nam e . Sim ila rly th e m ixture nam ed
Hebrew and Ar am aean) o f th e sam e wordm ean ing My God .
”See Ps . xxii . 1 .
Th e “vinega r m entioned h ere (and in
Luke xxii i . 36 , § 223) i s no doubt th e sam e a s
th e “wine m entioned in Matt. xxvii . 34,
219 . Th e com m on sour wine of th e
countrywh i ch th e soldi ery and populace drankdiluted wi th wa ter , would be descr ibed fa irly
in Ma tth ew xxvii . 34 i s th e sam e a s th a t
descr ibed in th e para llel pa ssa ge in Ma rk xv.
23, § 2 19 . It wa s th e vin ordina i re m ingled
with m yrrh till th e a cidity wa s overcom e and
th e concoction wa s “a s bitter a s ga ll.
”It
th en form ed a potion frequently given to
crim ina ls under torture , to dea den th eir sensa tion .
221
28
29
After this Jesus ,knowing tha t a ll
things are now
finished,that th e
scripture mightbe accomplished
,
sa ith,I thirst.
There wa s set
there a vessel fullof vinegar :
225,226]
Ma tt. xxvn. 50.
50 And Jesuscried a ga in witha loud voice,
and yielded uph is spirit.
1 Or , ea r th 2 O r , why d idst th ou f or sake m e ?
OUR LORD ’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION,
Luke xxi ii . 46 .
465And when Jesushad cried witha loud voice
,
h e said,
Father,into thy
hands I commendmy spirit : and
having said this,
and gave up h e gave upth e ghost. th e ghost.
John xix. 30.
h e said,
It is finished
and h e bowedh is hea d
,
a nd ga ve uph is spirit.
8 Many ancient auth orities add , And anoth er took a spea r
and pi erced h i s side, a nd th er e cam e out wa ter and blood . See J oh n xix. 34, 227.5 Or , And J esus, cry ing with a loud voi ce, sa id
‘1 Gr . the sun f a i ling .
226 . THE PORTENTS WHICH ACCOMPANIED THE DEATH OF JESUS.
Matt. xxvii . 51—56.
51 And behold, th e veilof th e 1temple wa s rent
in twainfrom th e top to th e
bottomand th e ea r th did quakeand th e rocks were rent
52 and th e tombs were Opened ; and many bodies ofth e sa ints tha t h ad fa llen
53 a sleep were raised and
coming forth out of th etombs after h is resur rec
tion they entered into th eholy city and appearedunto many.
54 Now th e centurion ,
and they tha t were withhim watching Jesus
,
when they saw
th e ea rthquake ,and th e things thatwere done ,
fear ed* exceedingly,
saying,Truly this wa s
2th e Son of God .
(Fr i day : a bout 3 RM.)Ma rk xv. 38—41.
And th e ve ilof th e 1 temple wa s rent
in twa infrom th e top to th e
bottom.
39 And when th e centurion,
which stood byover against him,
saw
tha t h e 4so gave upth e ghost
,
h e said,
Truly this m an wa s
2 th e Son of God .
Luke xxi ii . 45 ; 47—4 9.
And th e veilof th e 1 tem ple wa s rent
in th e midst.
47 And when the centuri on
S3W
h e glorified God,saying
,
Certainly this wa sa righteous m an.
See Luke xxi i i . 48 (end of section) .
222
OUR LORD ’S AGONY, CRUCIFIXION ,
John xix. 35— 37.
borne witness,and h i s witness i s true : and h e knoweth that h e saith true , that ye
36 a lso m ay believe . For these things came to pass,that th e scripture m i ght be fulfilled,
37*A bone of h im Shall not be 1 broken . And a ga in another scripture sa ith, +TheyShall look on him whom they pierced.
1 Or , crushed
228 . JOSEPH OF ARIMATs A BEGS THE BODY OF JESUS, AND LAYs IT INA NEW ROCK-HEWN TOMB IN A GARDEN IN CALVARY.
(Fri day : a bout 6 RM. )
Ma tt. xxvn. 57—60. Ma rk xv. 42— 46. Luke xxiii. 50— 54.
57 And when even And when even 50 And behold,
wa s come,
wa s now com e,
because It wa s th ePreparation, thati s,th e day before
th e sa bba th,
there cameJoseph of a m an
Arima thaea,
a good m an and arighteous (h e h adnot consented totheir counsel anddeed), a m a n ofArimathaea
,a city
of th e Jews,
wh o also himself whowa s wa s
this m an
went to went toPilate
,and asked Pilate
,and asked
for th e for th e for th ebody of Jesus . body of Jesus . body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate m a r
velled if h e werea lready dead : andcalling unto himth e centurion
,h e
a skedhimwhether
Exod. xi i . 46 . Ps . xxu . 16 ; Zech . xi i . 10 .
DEATH,AND BURIAL .
Matt. xxvn. 58—60. Ma rk xv.414—46.
h e 1had been any45 while dea d. And
when h e lea rnedit of th e centurion,
h e
granted th e corpseto Joseph.
46 And h e bough ta linen cloth
,
and tak ing 53
him down,
wound him inth e linen cloth,
59 And Joseph tookth e body, andwrapped it in aclean linen cloth,
60 and laid it inh i s own new*
tomb,whi ch h e
had hewn out inth e rock :
Isa . li i i . 9 . Wi th the r i ch i n h is dea tha ri ch m an from Ar im a th wa , nam ed Joseph(Ma tt. xxvn . 57 , 228 ) a councillor of
h onourable estate, (Ma rk xv. 43 , § 228)
W.
228
Luke xxiii . 53. John xix. 315—42.
and Pila tegave h im leave .
And h e tookit down , and
wrapped i t ina linen cloth,
and Nicodem us , h e wh o at th e first cam e to“ h im by nigh t,
”
(Joh n xix . 39 ,“a
m an of th e Ph a risees, a ruler of th e Jews .
”
(Joh n i ii . 1,
He came therefore
,and took a
39 wayh isbody. And
there came alsoNicodemus
,h e
wh o a t th e firstcame to him bynigh t
,bringi ng a
3mixture of myrrhand a loes
,about
a hundred poundweigh t.
40 So they tookth e body of Jesus,and bound it inlinen cloths withth e spices
,a s th e
custom of the
Jews i s to bury.
41 Now in th e placewhere h e wa s crucified there wa s
a ga rden ; and inth e ga rden a new
tomb wherein wa snever m an yet
42 laid. There thenbecause of th e
Jews ’ Preparation(for th e tomb wa snigh a t hand) theylaid Jesus.
228— 230] OUR LORD ’S. AGONY,CRUCIFIXION
Luke xxiii . 54.
54 And it wa s the
day of th e Pre
pa ra tion, and th esabbath 2drew on .
1 Many ancient auth orities read wer e a lrea dy dead.2 Gr . bega n to da wn.
3 Som e ancient a uth or itiesread r oll.
229 . THE Two MARYS, (THEN DWELLING AT BETHANY), WATCH THE. SEPULCHRE .
THE OTHER WOMEN FROM GALILEE, (THEN DWELLING IN JERUSALEM,) ALSO
WATCH IT. THESE LATTER, (THE JERUSALEM PARTY, ) THEN RETURN To PREPARESPICES &C. FOR EMBALMING.
(About 7 RM. on Fr iday. The Jewish sa bba th . )Ma tt. xxvn. 61. Ma rk xv. 47. Luke xxii i . 55, 56.
61 And Mary Magdalene 47 And Ma ry Magdalenewa s there
,and and
th e other Mary, Mary th e m other of Josess itting over a gainstth e sepulchre.
beheld where h e wa s la id.
230. THE SABRATH REST OF THE WOMEN. THE JEALOUS VIGILANCE OF THECHIEF PRIESTS . THEY SEAL THE STONE .
(Sa turday. Th e Jewish sa bba th . )
Ma tt. xxvn. 62—66.
62 Now on th e morrow,which i s the day 56
after th e Preparation ,th e chief priests
and th e Pha risees were ga thered together63 unto Pila te , s aying, Sir,we remember tha ttha t deceiver sa id, while h e wa s yet alive,
64 After three days I rise aga in .+ Command therefore that th e sepulchre be made sureuntil th e third day, lest haply h is disciples come a nd stea l him away, and say untoth e people
,He i s risen from th e dead : and th e la st error will be worse than th e first.
65 Pila te sa id unto them,1Ye have a guard : go your way, 2make it a s sure a s ye can .
66 So they went, and made th e sepulchre sure,sea ling th e stone
,th e guard being with
them.
Luke xxiii. 56.
And on th e sabbath th ey rested a c
cording to the commandment.
1 Or , Ta ke a gua r d2 Gr . m a ke i t sur e, a s ye know.
Th e difficulty frequently experienced inreconciling th e four Go spels in th e rem a indero f th eir recita l, h a s a r i sen very la rgely fromforgetting th a t th e evangeli sts descr ibe th e
contem poraneous a ction o f severa l groups of
people , a cting apa rt from ea ch oth er . In th e
h ope of dissipa ting th e confusion th us ca used
I h ave m ade th e h ea di ngs of th e sections veryfull, so a s to expla in th e current o f events .
And see Note Y, p . lxxxix
,a s an introduction
to th e following sections .
Luke ix . 22 , 102 ;—Matt. xx. 19 an
Luke xvi i i . 33 , 148 .
55 And th e women,wh ich
had come with him outof Galilee followed after
,
and beheld t h e tomb,and
how h is body wa s la id.
56 And they r eturned,and
prepa red spices and ointments .
235- 237] OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION ;
§ 235 . THE SUN RISES WHILE THE BETHANY PARTY ARE STILL ON THE WAY To
CALVARY. BEFORE THEIR ARRIVAL AND VERY SOON AFTER SUNRISE THE PARTYOF WOMEN LODGING AT JERUSALEM ARRIVE AT THE TOMB. FINDING IT OPENAND EMPTY, AND ABANDONED BY THE GUARD WHO HAD GONE INTO THE CITY
,THE
JERUSALEM PARTY AWAIT IN PERPLEXITY THE ARRIVAL OF THE BETHANY PARTY ;PROBABLY DISPERSING IN THE MEANTIME To SEARCH AMONGST THE TOMBS FORSOME CLUE To THE MYSTERY.
Ca lva ry. (Sund ay m orning : a bout A .H . )
Luke xxiv. 1— 3.
1 But on th e first day of th e week, at ea rly dawn, they came unto th e tomb, bringing2 th e spices which they had prepa red. And they found th e stone rolled away from th e3 tom b. And they entered in, and found not th e body 1of th e Lord Jesus .
1 Som e ancient auth orities om it of th e Lord Jesus.
236 . THE PARTY OF WOMEN FROM BETHANY ARRIVE AFTER SUNRISE,AND MEET
THE PARTY FROM JERUSALEM. FINDING THE TOMB EMPTY,MARY MAGDALENE
GOES To INFORM PETER,WHILE THE OTHERS CONTINUE THEIR SEARCH FOR THE
BODY OF JESUS .
(Sunday m orning : a bout A .M. )
Ma rk xvi . 2—4. Joh n xx. 1, 2.
[They come] [Cometh Mary Magdalene]to th e tomb unto th e tomb
,
3 when th e sun wa s risen . And they weresaying among themselves
,Who Sha ll roll
us away th e stone from th e door of th etomb
4 and looking up, they see tha t th e stone and seeth th e stonei s rolled back : taken away from th e tomb.
for it wa s exceeding great.2 Sh e runneth therefore
,and cometh to
Simon Peter,and to th e other disciple
,
whom Jesus loved,a nd saith unto them
,
They have taken away th e Lord out ofth e tomb
,a nd we know not Where they
have la id him.
237. WHILE THE PARTY OF WOMEN FROM JERUSALEM ARE SEARCHING AMONGSTTHE TOMBS
,Two ANGELS APPEAR AND ANNOUNCE THE RESURRECTION
OF THE LORD.
Ca lva ry. (Sunday m orning : a bout 6 A .M. )
Luke xxiv. 4—7.
4 And it came to pass , while they were perplexed thereabout, behold , two m en stood5 by them in da zzling apparel : and a s they were a ffrighted
,and bowed down their fa ces
6 to th e earth, they said unto them,Why seek ye
1 th e living among th e dead ? 2’-He is
228
AND THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. 237— 239
Luke xxiv. 6, 7.
not here, but i s risen : remember how h e spake unto you when h e wa s yet in Ga lilee,*
7 saying that th e Son of m an must be delivered up into th e hands of Sinful m en,and be
crucified, and th e third day rise again.
1 Gr. h im. th a t liveth .2 Som e ancient auth or ities om i t He i s not h ere, but i s r isen.
238. MARY MAGDALENE HAVING RETURNED FROM HER VISIT To PETER AND JOHN,
THE BETHANY PARTY ENTER THE TOMB. THEY SEE AN ANGEL, WHO ANNOUNCESTHE RESURRECTION.
Ca lva ry . (Sunday morning : a bout A .M. )
Ma tt. xxvii i . 5—7. Mark xvi . 5—7.
5 And entering into th e tomb,they saw a
young m an Sitting on th e right Side,
arrayed in a white robe ; and they wereamazed .
And th e angel 6
answered and said unto th e women,Fea r not ye :for I know tha t
ye seek Jesus, ye seek Jesus,
th e Nazarene,which hath been crucified . which hath been crucified :
He i s not here ; for h e i s risen, h e is risen ; h e i s not hereeven a s h e sa id .
Come,see th e place 1where behold, th e place whereth e Lord lay. they la id him"
7 And go quickly , and tell h is disciples, But go,tell h is disciples
and Peter,
He is risen from th e dead ; and 10 ,h e goeth before you into Ga lilee ; He goeth before you into Galilee :
there shall ye see him there sha ll ye see him,
a s h e sa id unto you.+lo,I have told you.
1 Many ancient auth or ities read wh ere h e lay.
239 . THE BETHANY PARTY RUN To TELL THE IR NEWS To THE DISCIPLES. THEYARE JOINED BY THE OTHER WOMEN. BOTH PARTIES NARRATE WHAT THEY HAVESEEN
,BUT THE DISCIPLES DISBELIEVE .
(Sunday morning : a bout 7 A .M. )
Ma tt. xxviii . 8. Ma rk xvi . 8. Luke xxiv. 8—11.
8 And they remembered h iswords
,
8 And they depa rted 8 And they went out, 9 a nd
quickly from th e tomb and fled from th e tomb ; returned 1from th e tomb,
for trembling and a stoni shm ent had come uponthem ; and they sa id no
thing to any one ; for theywere afraid.
Ma tt. xx . 18,19 , 148 . Luke ix . 22 , § 102 . 1
' Ma tt . xxvi . 32 and Ma rk xiv. 28 , § 195.
229
239— 241] OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
Ma tt. xxvii i . 8. Luke xxiv. 9—11.
and ran to bring h is disciples word.
and told a ll these thingsto the eleven , and to a ll
10 th e rest . Now they were MaryMagdalene, and Joanna ,and Mary th e m other of James : and th e other women
11 with them told these things unto th e a postles . And
these words appeared in their Sight a s idle talk ; andthey disbelieved them
1 Som e ancient auth or ities om it f r om th e tom b.
240 . PETER AND JOHN, THOUGH NOT ROUSED To ACTION BY MARY’S FIRST REPORTOF THE EMPTY TOMB
,ARE LED BY THE INTELLIGENCE OF ANGELIC MESSAGES To
REVISIT CALVARY THEY ENTER THE TOMB.
Ca lva ry. (SundayLuke xxiv. 12.
1But Peter arose,and
ran unto th e tomb ;
and stooping and looking in,h e seeth
th e linen cloths by themselves ;
and h e 2departedto h is home,
wondering at that which wa scome to pass.
1 Som e ancient a uth ori ties om it ver . 12. 2 Or , dep a r ted, wonder ing with h imself
241. THE GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE APPEARANCES OF OUR LORD AFTERHIS RESURRECTION.
Acts i . 1—3.1 Th e 1 former treatise I made , 0 Theophilus , concerning all that Jesus began both2 to do and to teach, until th e day in which h e wa s received up, after that h e had givencommandment through th e Holy 2 Ghost unto th e apostles whom h e h ad chosen
3 to whom h e a lso 3 shewed himself alive after h is pass ion by many proofs, appea ringunto them by the Space of forty days, and Speaking th e things concerning th e kingdomof God .
1 Gr. fi r st. 2 Or , Sp i r i t 3 Gr. p resented .
Ps . xvi . 10 , and elsewh ere.
230
m orning : a bout A .M.)Joh n xx.
Peter therefore went forth,
a nd th e other disciple, andthey went toward th e tomb
4 And they ran both together : a nd theother disciple outran Peter
,and came
5 first to th e tomb ; and stooping a nd
looking in, h e seeth th e linen cloths ly6 ing yet entered h e not in. S imon Petertherefore also cometh, following him,
and entered into th e tomb ; and h e be 1
7 holdeth th e linen cloths lying,and the
napk in, that wa s upon h is head, not
lying with th e linen cloths,but rolled up
8 in a place by itself. Then entered intherefore th e other disciple also
,which
came first to th e tomb,and h e saw, and
9 believed . For a s yet they knew not theScripture*, that h e must rise again from
th e dead.
10 So th e disciples went away againunto their own home .
OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
244 . THE CHIEF PRIESTS BRIBE THE GUARD To GIVE A FALSE ACCOUNT OFTHE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE BODY OF JESUS.
Ma tt. xxviii . 11—15.
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of th e guard came into th e city, and told12 unto th e chief priests all th e things that were come to pa ss. And when they wereassembled with th e elders , and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto th e
13 soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole h im away while we
14 slept. And if this 1 come to th e governor’s ears,we will persua de him,
and rid you of15 care. So they took th e money, a nd did a s they were taught : and this saying wasspread abroad among th e Jews , a nd continueth until this day.
1 Or, com e to a h ea r ing bef or e th e governor
THE THIRD APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD .
245 . JESUS APPEARS To CLEOPAS AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE ON THE WAY To EMMAUS.0
On the way from Jer usa lem to Emma us. (Sunday : a bout 4 RM. to 6 PM . )Ma rk xvi . 12, 13. Luke xxiv. 13—33.
12 And after these things h e wa s mani 13 And behold, two of them were goingfested in another form unto two of them
,that veryday to a village named Emmaus ,
a s they walked,on their way into th e which wa s thr eescore furlongs from Jeru
country. 14 sa lem. And they communed with ea chother of a ll these things which h ad hap
15 pened . And it came to pa ss , while theycommuned and questioned together, tha tJesus himself drew nea r
,a nd went with
16 them. But the ir eyes were holden that17 they Should not know him. And h e said
unto them,1Wha t communications a re these tha t ye ha ve one with another, a s ye
18 walk ? And they stood still,looking sad. And one of them,
named Cleopas,answer
ing sa id unto him,2Dost thou alone sojourn in Jerusa lem and not know th e things
19 which a re come to pass there in these da ys ? And h e said unto them, What thingsAnd they said unto him
,Th e things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which wa s a
prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all th e people : and how th e ch iefpr iests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemn ed to dea th, a nd crucified him.
21 But we h oped * that it wa s h e which should redeem Isra el . Yea and beside all this,
it is now th e third day s ince these things came to pa ss . Moreover certa in women of23 our company ama zed us, having been ea rly at th e tomb ; and when they found not h isbody
,they came, saying, tha t they had also seen a vision of angels
,which sa id that h e
24 wa s alive . And certa in of them that were with uS went to th e tomb, and found it25 even so a s th e women h ad said : but h im they saw not . And h e sa id unto them, 0
foolish m en,a nd Slow of heart to believe s in all tha t th e prophets ha ve Spoken "
26, 27 Behoved it not th e Christ to suffer these things , and to enter into h is glory ? And
beginning from Moses and from a ll th e prophets , h e interpreted to them in all th e28 scriptures th e things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto th e Village
,
2 9 whither they were going : and h e made a s though h e would go fur ther. And theyconstra ined him
,saying
,Abide with us : for it is towa rd evening, and the day i s now
30 fa r Spent. And h e went in to abide with th em. And it came to pass, when h e h adsa t down with them to meat
,h e took th e 4 bread
,and 6 blessed it, and brake, and gave
31 to them. And their eyes were opened,and they knew h im ; and h e vanished out of32 their Sight. And they sa id one to another,Wa s not our h ea rt burn ing wi thin u s
,
while h e spake to us in th e way, while
Acts i . 6, 253 .
232
AND THE PREACH ING OF THE GOSPEL.
Ma rk xvi . 13.
And they went away
[and told it unto th e rest.]1 Gr . Wh a t words a r e th ese tha t ye exch a nge one wi th a noth er .
1 Or , loafa nd knowest th ou not the th i ng s3 Or, af ter
245— 248
Luke xxiv. 32, 33.
33 h e opened to us th e scriptur es ? Andthey rose up that very hour ,
and returned to Jerusa lem,
and found th e eleven .
*
2 Or , D ost th ou soj ourn a lone in J erusa lem ,
5 Or , blessed ; and br eaki ng i t he ga ve to th em Am er .)
THE FOURTH APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD.
246. JESUS APPEARS To THE APOSTLE PETER.
T im e a nd p la ce not sta ted . Proba bly a t or nea r Ca lva ry, on Sunday m orning or
afternoon. It m ay ha ve p r eceded the events r ecorded in 245 .
1 Cor. xv. 4, 5. Luke xxi v. 33, 34.
4 (And tha t h e hath been raised on th e 33 [And they found th e eleven] ga theredthird day a ccording to th e scriptures ;
5 and that h e appeared to Cephas . )
together,a nd them that were with them ,
34 saying, Th e Lord i s risen indeed, and
ha th appeared to Simon .
247. CLEOPAS AND HIS COMPANION REHEARSE THEIR TIDINGS To THE DISCIPLESGATHERED AT JERUSALEM. THE DISCIPLES ARE STILL UNBELIEVING.
Room in Jer usa lem .
Ma rk xvi . 13.
[And they went away]
and told it unto th e rest
neith er believed they them.
(Sunday : a bou t 8 RM. to 9 R M. )Luke xxiv. 35.
33 [And they found th e eleven gatheredtogether, and them that were with them.]
35 And they rehearsed th e things th a t
happ ened in th e way, and how h e wa sl
g
nown of them in th e breaking of th eread.
THE FIFTH APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD .
248.
UNBELIEVING DISCIPLES,JESUS SUDDENLY APPEARS IN THEIR MIDST.
ONLY IS ABSENT.
WHILE THE DISCIPLES FROM EMMAUS ARE STILL VAINLY ADDRESSING THE
THOMAS
Room a t Jerusa lem . (Proba bly a bout 9 RM. on Sunday. )Ma rk xvi. 14.
14 And afterwa rd1 Co r. xv. 5.
Luke vi. 13 , 49,tells us th a t
,from th e
genera l body o f h i s disciples, our Lord ch ose“ twelve, wh om a lso h e nam ed apostles .
”
Th is nam e wa s , probably, at first a description of th eir occupa tion r a th er th an a title of
r ank ; and was not used genera lly am ongstth em selves in our Lord ’
s life-tim e . It a p
pea r s in th e Gospels , wh ich ,of course, were
written m uch la ter ; but it would seem th a t
until th e trea son and suicide of Juda sth e apostles were distinguish ed from th e
la rger body of di sciples , both m en and wom en ,
by no title of office or dignity, but sim ply by
Luke xxiv. 36— 49. John xx. 19—23.
19 When thereforeIt wa s evening
,on
th e nam e of th e twelve.
” After th e dea tho f Juda s, (and until th e election o fMa tth ia sth ey were sim ila rly known a s th e eleven .
Th is word th erefore indica ted not th e precisenum ber present on any occa sion , but th e sh ortand well accepted descr iption of th e apostles .
Accordingly, th ey a re descr ibed in th is pa ssa geand elsewh ere
,by th eir u sua l nam e a s th e
“eleven ,
”even wh en, a s a m a tter o f litera l
a ccuracy , th ere wer e only ten o f th em present.
Ma rk xvi . 14 , § 248 ; Joh n xx . 24, 249 . See
Note L, p . liv.
233
248]
1 Cor. xv. 5. Ma rk xvi. 14. Luke xxiv. 36, 37.
36 And a s they spake
h e wa s manifestedunto th e eleventhemselves a s they
sa t at meat ;
and h e upbraidedthem with theirunbelief and hardness of hea rt, becaus e th eybeli eved
not them whichhad seen himafterh e wa s risen.
Luke xxiv. 38—43.
38 And h e said unto them , Why a re ye
troubled ? and wherefore do 2 reasonings39 arise in your hea rt ? See my hands a ndmy feet, that it is I myself : handle m e
,
and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh andbones
,a s ye behold m e having.
3And when h e had sa id this, heshewed them h is hands
and h is feet.
41 And while they still disbelieved forj oy
,and wondered, h e said unto them
,
42 Have ye here anything to ea t ? And
they gave him a piece of a broiled fish 4
43 And h e took it, and did ea t before them ]
See Ma tt. xiv. 26 , 92 .
1‘ Thi s i s doubtless th e incident to which
234
these things,
h e himselfstood in th e midst
of them,
OUR LORD ’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
Jesus came andstood in th e midst
,
John xx. 20— 23.
And when h e h ad said this,h e
shewed unto them h is hands
and h is side.
th e apostle refers in Acts x. 41 .
Joh n xx. 19.
that day, th e firstday of th e week ,and when th e
doors were shutwhere th e discipleswere, for fear ofth e Jews ,
1and saith unto and saith untothem, Peace be them, Peace be
unto you. unto you.
37 But they were terrified and afir igh t
ed, and supposedthat they beheld aspirit.*
The disciples therefore were glad, when21 they saw th e Lord. Jesus therefore saidto them a gain
,Pea ce be unto you : a s th e
Fa ther hath sent m e,even so send I you.
22 And when h e h ad said this, h e breathedon them, and saith unto them
,Rece ive
2s ye th e7HO1 Ghost : whose soever sins
ye forgive, t ey a re forgiven unto them ;
§ 250] OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
THE SEVENTH APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD.
250 . JESUS APPEARS To THE DISCIPLES AT THE SEA OF GALILEE.
(About a for tnigh t after the Resur recti on : a bout 5 A .M. )
John xxi . 1— 24.
1 After these things Jesus manifested himself again to th e disciples at th e sea of2 Tiberia s ; and h e manifested h im self on this wise . There were together S imon Peter,and Thoma s called 1Didym us, and Nathanael of Cana in Ga lilee
,and th e sons of
3 Zebedee, and two other of h i s disciples . Simon Peter saith unto them,I go a fishing.
They say unto him,We a lso come with thee . They went forth
,and entered into th e
4 bea t ; and tha t night they took nothing. But when day wa s now breaking,Jesus
5 stood on th e bea ch : howbe it th e disciples knew not that it wa s Jesus . Jesus there6 fore saith unto them, Children, have ye a ught to ea t ? They answered him,
No . And
h e said unto them,Ca st th e net on th e right s ide of th e boat, and ye sha ll find . They
cast therefore, a nd now they were not able to draw it for th e multitude of fishes .
7 Tha t disciple therefore whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It i s th e Lord. So whenSim on Pete r hea rd tha t it wa s th e Lord, h e girt h is coat a bout him (for h e 2was naked),
8 and cast himself into th e sea . But th e other disciples came in th e little boat (for theywere not fa r from th e land
,but about two hundred cubits off), dra gging th e netfull
9 of fishes . So when they got out upon th e land , they see 3 a fire of coals there,and
10 4fish laid thereon, and 5 bread. Jesus sa ith unto them,Bring of th e fis h which ye
11 have now taken . Simon Peter therefore went 6 up, and drew th e net to land, full ofgrea t fishes, a hundred and fifty and three : and for a ll there were so many
,th e net
12 wa s not rent. Jesus saith unto them,Come a nd break your fa st. And none of th e
13 disciples durst inquire of him,Who a rt thou ? knowing tha t it wa s th e Lord . Jesus
14 cometh,and taketh th e 7 bread, a nd giveth them, and th e fish likewise . This i s now
th e * third time tha t Jesus wa s manifested to th e disciples, a ftgr that h e wa s risen
from th e dead.
15 SO when they had broken their fa st, Jesus saith to Simon Peter,S imon
,son of
3John,
9 lovest thou m e more than these ? He sa ith unto him,Yea
,Lord ; thou
16 knowest tha t I 10 love thee. He sa ith unto him,Feed my lambs. He sa ith to him
a ga in a second time, Simon, son of 8John , 9 lovest thou m e ? He saith unto him,Yea ,
17 Lord ; thou knowest that I 10 love thee . He sa ith unto him,Tend my Sheep. He
saith unto him th e third time,S imon
,son of 8John
,10 lovest thou m e ? Peter wa s
gr ieved beca use h e sa id unto him th e third time ,10Lovest thou m e ? And h e sa id
unto him,Lord
,thou knowest all things ; thou 11knowest that I 10 love thee . Jesus
18 saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily,verily
,I say unto thee, When thou wast
young,thou gi rdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest : but when thou
sha lt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands , and another shall gird thee,and carry
19 thee whither thou wouldest not. Now this h e spake,signifying by wha t manner of
dea th h e shou ld glorify God .+ And when h e h ad spoken this , h e sa ith unto him,
20 Follow m e . Peter,turning about
,seeth th e disciple whom Jesus loved following ;
which also leaned back on hi s brea st a t th e supper,and sa id
, ILord, who is h e tha t21 betrayeth thee ? Peter therefore see ing him sa ith to Jesus
,Lord
,12and what shall
22 this m an do ll Jesus sa ith unto him,If I will that h e ta rry till I come
,wha t is tha t
23 to thee ? follow thou m e. This saying therefore went forth among th e brethren,tha t
Joh n cannot m ea n th at “ Jesus wa s“ m anifested ”
three t im es only : fo r h i s own
Gospel records four such m anifesta tions . See
Joh n xx . 14 , 242 — xx . 19 , 248 —xx . 26,249 ;
— and xxi . 1 &e . , 250 . And th e oth erevangeli sts add oth er insta nces . See Note Y,
pages lxxxix , xc. He refers h ere to th oseca ses in wh i ch our Lord h ad a ppea red to
severa l of “ th e disciples”
collectively, and
not to one or two per sons only. See th e
table on page 241 for a system a tic conspectuso f th e wh ole .
“1" Peter refers to th is predi ction in 2 Pet.
i . 14.
I See Joh n x i i i. 23— 25, 186 .
MTh i s h a s som etim es been under stood a s
a som ewh a t jea lous and selfish question ,a s
th ough Peter h ad sa id “Why does h e follow
236
AND THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL . 250 , 251
Joh n xxi. 22—24.
that disciple should not die : yet Jesus sa id no t unto him, that h e should not die ; but,If I will that h e tarry till I come, what is tha t to thee ?
24 This is th e disciple which bea reth witness of these things , and wrote these things :and we know that h is witness is true .
1 Th a t is, Tw in.
5 O r , a loaf 6 O r , a boa r d7 Or , loa
represents two different G reek words.2 O r , h ad on h is under ga rm ent only Am er . )
Gr . J oa nes. See ch . i. 42, m a rgin, 24.11 Or , p erceives t
3 Gr . a fi re of ch a r coa l. 4 Or , a fish9,10 Love in th ese places
12 Gr. and th i s m a n, wh a t 2
THE EIGHTH APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD .
251.
Ga li lee.
Ma tt. xxviii . 16— 20.
16 [But th e eleven discipleswent into Galilee,] untoth e mounta in where Jesus
17 h ad appointed them. And
when they saw him ,they
worshipped him : but some18 doubted. And Jesus cameto them a nd spake untothem,
saying,All author
ity hath been given untom e in heaven and on earth.
Go ye therefore,and make disciples ofall th e nations,
baptizing them into th ename of th e Fa ther and ofth e Son and of the 1Holy
20 Ghost : tea ching them toobserve all things wha tsoever I commanded you :
And h e
sa id unto them,
JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES IN THE PRESENCE OF FIVE HUNDRED .
(About a for tnigh t after the Resurr ection. )Ma rk xvi . 15—18. 1 Cor. xv. 6.
[6 *Then h e appeared toabove five hundred breth ren at once
,of whom
th e greater part rema inuntil now
,but some a re
fallen asleep ]
Go ye into all th e world,and preach th e gospel toth e whole creation.
16 He tha t believeth and i sbaptized sha ll be saved ;
“u s ? Th ou h a st sum m oned m e
, but not“ h im . I follow th ee in obedience to thy“comm and . But wh at h a s th i s m an go t
to do with i t ?”— a reviva l of th e old
exclusive spir itwh ich th e di sciples h ad sh ewnso repeatedly . But we cannot conceive th atPeter would th us quickly lose th e graciou sinfluence wi th wh i ch h i s Lord’
s tender wordsh ad just insp ir ed h im . Th e rela tions betweenPeter and Joh n h a d , a s fa r a s we know, a lwaysbeen kindly, and would be specia lly so a t th ism om ent . Th e m ean ing seem s to be a s follows .
Th e Lord h ad foretold Peter ’s m a r tyrdom ,
and Peter a sked h im , on beh a lf of John,to
declare also wh a t h i s future would be . Jesus
answer s , “ If I will th at h e ta r ry till I com e
“(in th e destruction of Jerusalem ), wh a t i sth at to th ee ? (Itwill be rem em bered th at
th e desolation o f th e city wa s frequently used
by Jesus a s a type o f h i s fina l com ing a t th e
la st day. ) In fact Peter wa s m a rtyred before
th a t event, but Joh n survived i t , and pro
bably died a na tura l dea th in extrem e oldage. Com pa r e Ma tt. xvi . 28 and pa ra llelpa ssages , 102 .
Th is appea rance in Ga lilee would seem
to be th e one th us referred to in th e Epistleto th e Cor inthi ans. Th e wh ole num ber of
th e disciples in and nea r Jerusa lem wa s but120 (Acts i . and th erefore so la rge a
num ber a s five h undred would not be foundth ere so long a fter th e Crucifixion . But i twa s well known th a t Jesus h ad prom i sed tom eet th e di sciples in Galilee—Ma tt. xxvi. 32 ,195 ; xxvi ii. 10 , 243 ; xxviii . 16 , 251— and
th i s fact h ad na tura lly excited grea t interest .
Th e num ber o f th e disciples livi ng in Ga lilee ,wh ere h e h a d laboured so long , would th erefore be la rgely increa sed by th ose wh o cam e
from oth er pa r ts to keep th is solem n appointm ent
,and th e num ber o f five hundred m ay
by th is m eans be accounted for .
237
251— 253] OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION ;
Matt. xxviii. 20.
and lo, I am with you2alway
,even unto 3 th e
end of th e world.
1 Or , Holy Sp ir it2 Gr. a ll the days. 3 Or, th e consumma tion of th e age 4 Or . demons. 5 Some
ancient auth o rities om it new.
THE N INTH APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD .
252 . JESUS APPEARS To JAMES, HIS BROTHER.
1 Cor . xv. 7.
[Then h e appeared to James.]
THE TENTH APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD.
S 253. JESUS APPEARS To THE APOSTLES AT JERUSALEM AND ACCOMPANIES THEMTo MOUNT OLIVET.
The upper r oom a t Jerusa lem ; thence to Mount Olivet.
after the r esurrection. )1 Cor . xv. 7. Luke xxi v. 50.
Then to all th e apostles ]
50 And h e led them outuntil they were over a
gainst Bethany.
1 Or , app ointed by 2 Or . Sp i r it
4‘ Acts 11 . 4 ; 1 Cor . xiv. 2— 19 . I Acts V. 16 .
1. Acts xxviii. 5. Acts i . 12,
254,fixes th e scene on
“ th e
Ma rk xvi. 16—18.
but h e that disbelieveth17 shall be condemned . And
these s igns Sha ll followthem that beli eve : in myname sha ll they cast out
184devils ; they Shall Speak" with 6new
. tongues ; theyShall take up + serpents, and if they dri nk any deadlything, it Sha ll in no wise hur t them ; they shall I layhands on the Sick , and they Shall recover.
Acts i. 6—8.6 They therefore when theywere come together
,asked
him,saying
,Lord
,dost
thou at this time restoreth e kingdom to Israel ?
7 And h e said unto them,
It i s not for you toknow times or seasons,which th e Father hath1set within h is own a u
8 th ority. But ye shallreceive power
,when th e
Holy 2Ghost i s come uponyou ; and ye shall be mywitnesses both in Jerusa lem,
and in all Judaeaand Samaria
,and unto
th e uttermost part of th eearth.
254 , 255] THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL.
Luke xxiv. 53. Acts 1. 13, 14.son ofAlphaeus , and Simonth e Zealot
,and Juda s the
3 son of James . These allwith one a ccord continuedstedfastly in prayer, 4withth e women, and Ma ry th emother of Jesus
,andwith
h i s brethren.
53 and were continua lly inth e temple, bless ing God.
1 Som e ancient auth or ities om it a nd was ca rr ied up into h ea ven.2 Som e ancient auth orities om it worsh ipped
h im , a nd 3 Or , broth er . See Jude 1. 1 Or, wi th certa in women.
255 . THE APOSTLES PREACH EVERYWHERE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST,
THE SON OF GOD .
Ma rk xvi. 20. Joh n xx. 30, 31 ; xxi. 25.
20 And they went forth, and preachedeverywhere
,th e Lord working with
them,and confirming th e word by th e
Signs that followed. Amen. 30 Many other signs therefore did Jesusin th e presence of th e disciples
,which
31 a re not written in this book : but thesea re wri tten , that ye m ay believe" tha tJesus is th e Christ, th e Son of God ; andtha t believing ye may have life in h isname.
xxi . 25.
25 And there a re also many other thingswhich Jesus did , th e which if th ey shouldbe written every one
,I suppose tha t even
th e world itself would not contain th e
books tha t Should be written.
Luke i. 4, g 3 .
APPENDIX.
DR EDWARD ROBINSON , of New York, published a Greek Ha rmony in 1845 , anan English transla tion in 1846 . He brought to h is ta sk exceptional qualificationsHe wa s a m an of great learning, whose life had been devoted to biblical studies. Th e‘
subject of “harmonizing ” wa s already familia r to him ; for, in 1834 , h e h ad publi sla revised and grea tly improved edition of Newcom e
’s Harmony. After long 2 1 .
ea rnest study in America and Europe , h e completed h is preparation by a Visit toHoly Land
,and a ca reful study of all th e important places there. His Ha rm
was a most va luable contri bution to biblical literature. An admirable ed ition v
was published by th e Religious Tract Society, and it is to that edition tha t I i ~been frequently indebted, and to which my references a re made.
WILLIAM THOMSON, Archbishop of York, was one of th e promoters of th e publication generally known a s th e Sp ea ker
’s Comm enta ry ; and it owes much of i ts
excellence to h i s wise a nd scholarly influence. In addition to h is general coopeh e wrote th e Introduction to th e Synoptic Gospels . He also contributed im p.articles to Sm i th ’s D ictiona ry of th e Bi ble ; and for these two works h e prena r rth e excellent Ha rmony which they conta in
,and which will richly repay C a r
-1
study.
One of th e most important Harmonies tha t h a s appea red for many yearMCCLELLAN’S New Testam ent
,Vol. I . (Th e second volume h a s not yet been publi s h ed,
but it will be a profound misfortune for th e Church, if this work should not be com
pleted. ) It i s imposs ible to speak too highly of th e wide and accur ate scholarship,and th e marvellous industry and cour a ge, with which th e author h a s grappled th eobjections ra ised by sceptics
,ancient and modern. I am under great obliga tions
to this book,and no scriptural student can afford to be without it.
Th e natur e and purport of HALCOMBE’S Gosp el D ig
‘iculties a re stated in Note A,
pages xxix, xxx. Whether we adopt th e theory on which it i s founded or not, itdeserves a ttentive examina tion
Th e Cam br idge Comp a ni on to the B ible, recently issued from th e University Press ,contains
, (amongst a mass of valuable matter ,) a Synop s is of Gospel H istory by th eRev. A. CARR. This is in fa ct a Ha rmony under another name. It i s ca refullyexecuted
,and is accompanied by very instructive notes .
Th e Rev. C. C . JAMES h a s la tely published a couple of convenient volumes, —aHa rmony
,
”— and a Gospel History ” which i s in fact a Dia tessaron. These bookspossess some features of cons idera ble interest, and a re furnished with a full and wellselected collection of margina l references .
It would be ea sy to extend this list, but it is unnecessary to do so . Th e worksthat I have mentioned , and which a re within easy reach of all
,a re sufficiently va ried
and representative . A fuller ca talogue with descriptive notices is given in Horne’sIntr oducti on, VOLY. 154— 162 .
CAMBRIDGE : PRINTE D BY J . 6: C . F . CLAY, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRE SS .