Reference: Gospels
Easton
The central fact of Christian preaching was the intelligence that the Saviour had come into the world (Mt 4:23; Ro 10:15); and the first Christian preachers who called their account of the person and mission of Christ by the term evangelion (= good message) were called evangelistai (= evangelists) (Eph 4:11; Ac 21:8).
There are four historical accounts of the person and work of Christ: "the first by Matthew, announcing the Redeemer as the promised King of the kingdom of God; the second by Mark, declaring him 'a prophet, mighty in deed and word'; the third by Luke, of whom it might be said that he represents Christ in the special character of the Saviour of sinners (Lu 7:36; 15:18); the fourth by John, who represents Christ as the Son of God, in whom deity and humanity become one. The ancient Church gave to Matthew the symbol of the lion, to Mark that of a man, to Luke that of the ox, and to John that of the eagle: these were the four faces of the cherubim" (Eze 1:10).
Date. The Gospels were all composed during the latter part of the first century, and there is distinct historical evidence to show that they were used and accepted as authentic before the end of the second century.
Mutual relation. "If the extent of all the coincidences be represented by 100, their proportionate distribution will be: Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 53; Matthew and Luke, 21; Matthew and Mark, 20; Mark and Luke, 6. Looking only at the general result, it may be said that of the contents of the synoptic Gospels [i.e., the first three Gospels] about two-fifths are common to the three, and that the parts peculiar to one or other of them are little more than one-third of the whole."
Origin. Did the evangelists copy from one another? The opinion is well founded that the Gospels were published by the apostles orally before they were committed to writing, and that each had an independent origin. (See Matthew, Gospel according to.)
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And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every malady among the people.
Then one of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to table.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
And on the morrow we who were Paul's companions departed with him, and went to Caesarea; and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist (who was one of the seven deacons), we abode with him.
and how shall they preach unless they are sent? as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, of those who preach the glad tidings of good things!"
And he himself appointed, some indeed apostles, and some prophets; and others preachers of the Gospel; and others pastors and teachers;
Fausets
From the Old English god spel, "good news." The providential preparations for the gospel attest its divine origin.
(1) The translation at Alexandria of the Old Testament into Greek (by the Septuagint), rendering the Jewish Scriptures accessible through that then universal language of the refined and polite to the literary of all nations. All possibility of questioning the existence or falsifying the contents of Old Testament prophecy was precluded thereby, however much the Jews who rejected Jesus would have wished to alter the prophecies which plainly identified Him as the foretold Messiah. The canon of the Old Testament having been completed, and prophecy having ceased before the Sept. translation, they could not deny that the divine knowledge derivable from it was complete.
(2) Greek and oriental philosophy had drawn attention to religious and moral speculations, which at once exposed and undermined paganism, and yet with all its endless labors gave no satisfactory answer to the questionings and cravings of man's spiritual being.
(3) The Roman empire had broken down the barriers between E. and W. and united almost the whole world, Asia, Africa, and Europe, in one, and established peace and good order, making possible the rapid transmission of the glad tidings from country to country; compare Lu 2:1; Mt 22:21.
(4) The universal expectation in the East of a great king to arise in Judea, probably due to fragments of revelation (as the prophecy of Balsam, Nu 24:17) such as led the wise men of the East to conic seeking "the king of the Jews."
(5) The settling of the Jews, and the consequent erection of synagogues, throughout all the towns of Asia. Greece, Italy, Africa, and western Europe. Hence by the reading of the law and the prophets in the synagogues everywhere each sabbath proselytes of righteousness were gathered from the Gentiles, such as the eunuch or chamberlain of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, a student of Scripture, Cornelius the centurion who "feared God with all his house, and gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always."
These not being bound under the ceremonial yoke, as the original Jews, formed a connecting link with the Gentiles; and hence at Antioch in Pisidia, when the Jews rejected the preaching of Paul and Barnabas, these proselytes, with the Gentiles, "besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath, ... and on that day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God" (Ac 13:15-44). So at Iconium (Ac 14:1), and at Thessalonica (Ac 17:1-4). Such were the "devout men, out of every nation under heaven," the collected representatives of the world, to whom Peter preached with such success (Ac 2:4-11). The 3,000 converts of that day and the 5,000 of a few days after (Ac 4:4) would act as missionaries on their return to their several nations. To the Jews first in each synagogue abroad the apostles preached, and gathered many converts from among them; and then to the Gentiles.
The Jews' national rejection of Jesus is no valid objection to the gospel, since He foretold it Himself (Mt 16:21; 26:2), and the Old Testament prophets did so too (Isa 49:16,21,26/type/haweis'>26,26/type/haweis'>26; Psalm 22); so that, fixing their eyes on the prophecies of Messiah's glory and kingdom which they wrested to mean His setting up a temporal kingdom at Jerusalem and overthrowing the Roman existing dominion, and shutting their eyes to the prophecies of His humiliation, "they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath," and yet in spite of themselves, like their types Joseph's brethren (Ge 50:20), "they have fulfilled them in condemning Him" (Ac 13:27; 3:18). The harmony in Christ of prophecies seemingly so opposite, His temporal and temporary humiliation, and yet His spiritual dominion now and His final visible and everlasting kingdom, furnish conclusive proof of the Divinity of prophecies which no human sagacity could have anticipated or human agency fulfilled.
The correspondence of the gospel event to the predictions of the Old Testament is thus established by the Jews, unwilling witnesses and therefore beyond suspicion. Graves (Pentateuch, 2:3,6) well says, had they universally embraced the gospel at its first publication, the sceptic might allege the prophecies to have been fabricated or altered to fit them to the events; the contrary is now certain. This is one great cause why the national conversion of the Jews is delayed "until the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in" (Ro 11:35). They continue guardians of the prophetic records until these shall have had their contents examined, and their application ascertained, by every other nation in the world. Genuineness and inspiration of the Four Gospels. The "prophets" in the Christian church who had the spiritual gift of "discerning spirits" were an effectual check on the introduction of a pseudo-inspired writing. Paul appeals to them on the inspiration of his letters (1Co 14:37; 12:10; compare 1Jo 4:1).
Thus, by the two-fold inspiration, that of the authors and that of the judges, the canonicity of the four Gospels, as of the other books of New Testament, is established. The anonymous fragment of the canon of the New Testament attributed to Caius a presbyter of Rome (published by Muratori, Antiq. Ital., iii. 854, and known as the Muratorian Fragment), recognizes the Gospels (Luke and John, the sentences as to Matthew and Mark are obliterated) as inspired, and condemns as uninspired the Shepherd by Hermes, "written very recently in our own times," i.e. in the first part of the second century, the age in which John the last apostle died. Theophilus (Ad Autol., iii. 11), Bishop of Antioch A.D. 168, refers to "the evangelists" and "the Holy Scriptures" of the New Testament. Clement of Alexandria in the latter part of the second century refers to the collection of Gospels as one whole, "the gospel" (Quis Dives Salvus?).
The anonymous letter to Diognetus (sec. 11 ed. Hefele) attributed to Justin Martyr refers to "the Gospels and the Apostles" (i.e. the letters). Ignatius of Antioch, a hearer of John (Ep. ad Philad., sec. 5), calls "the (written) Gospel the flesh of Jesus," and classes it with the Old Testament prophets. Tertullian (Adv. Marc. iv. 2), mentioning the Four Gospels two as the work of apostles and two as that of apostolic men (A.D. 208); Irenaeus (Adv. Haer., ii. 27; iii. 11, sec. 7); martyred A.D. 202; Origen, speaking of the four Gospels as "the elements of the church's faith"; Eusebius; and not only these orthodox writers but heretics, Marcion dud others, appeal to the Gospels as the inspired standard Canon. (See CANON.) .
They were translated into Syriac in the second century, and into Latin and the two Egyptian dialects by the fourth century. We have better evidence for their genuineness than for any other ancient writing. Theophilus arranged the Four Gospels so as to form one work (Jerome, Ep. ad Algas., iv. 197). Tartan, who died A.D. 170, formed a Diatessaron or harmony of the Four Gospels. Barnabas (Paul's companion), Clement of Rome (Php 4:3), and Polycarp quote the Gospels, though not with verbal exactness. Justin Martyr quotes Matthew, Luke, and John largely and exactly. As the heretic Gnostics and Marcion arose early in the second century their acceptance of the Gospels proves that these had been promulgated some time before (i.e. in the apostolic age itself), for after the dissensions between the orthodox and heretics had arisen the Gospels would never have been accepted by mutually hostile parties.
A distinct line was drawn between the apocryphal and the genuine Gospels. Unbelievers, as Celsus in controversy with Origen, could not deny the genuineness of the four even while rejecting their contents. The fathers' large quotations (Origen's especially) prove our Gospels were the same as theirs. Our Saviour wrote nothing Himself, the alleged letter to Abgarus, king of Edessa, being probably spurious. If He had (like Muhammed) recorded His own miracles and teachings, internal consistency would have been nothing marvelous. People would have deified the form, while failing to discern the inner essence. "If I bear witness of Myself My wit
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And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where he can lay his head. read more. And another of his disciples said unto him, Permit me first to go and bury my father. And Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their own dead.
And when he came to the other side, into the region of the Girgasenes, there met him two demoniacs, coming from the sepulchres; exceeding fierce, so that no person was able to pass by that road.
And Jesus passing from thence, saw a man sitting at the custom house, called Matthew: and saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname is Thaddeus;
And he said, Come. And descending from the vessel, Peter walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.
Then Simon Peter answering said, Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And Jesus replying, said to him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but my Father, who is in heaven.
From that time Jesus began to shew his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and of the chief-priests, and of the scribes, and be put to death, and the third day rise again.
And when they came to Capernaum, they who receive the tax of two drachmas came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
And when they came to Capernaum, they who receive the tax of two drachmas came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth receive customs and tax? from their own children, or from aliens? read more. Peter saith to him, From aliens. Jesus saith unto him, In that case then the children are free. But that we give them no offence, go unto the sea, and cast in a hook, and take the first fish which cometh up; and on opening his mouth, thou wilt find a stater, that take and give them for me and thee.
They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he to them, Render therefore to Caesar, the things which are Caesar's; and to God, the things which are God's.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest those who were sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children to me, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not?
Ye know that after two days is the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
said, This fellow said, I am able to pull down the temple of God, and to build it up in three days.
Then the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain, where Jesus had ordered them.
Then Jesus approaching, spake to them, saying, All power is given me in heaven and upon earth. Go therefore, make disciples among all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: read more. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo! I am with you at all times even to the end of the world. Amen.
And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministred unto him.
And immediately he called them: and leaving their father Zebedee in the vessel with the hirelings, they went after him.
And passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the custom-house, and he saith to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him
Then looking round about on them with indignation, exceedingly grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith to the man, Stretch out thine hand; and he stretched it out: and his hand was restored sound as the other.
and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and surnamed them Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder:
AND they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
And he took him aside out of the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, he touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he heaved a deep sigh, and saith unto him, Ephphatha! that is, Be opened.
And immediately all the multitude, when they beheld him, were struck with amazement, and coming to him, saluted him.
And going from thence, they passed through Galilee: and he would not have any person know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him: and after being killed, the third day he shall rise again. read more. But they understood not the meaning of that declaration, and were afraid to ask him. And he came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house, he asked them, What was the subject of your dispute among yourselves on the road?
And one particular person of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
But go, tell his disciples, and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he told you.
SINCE many have attempted to compose a narrative of facts, confirmed to us by the fullest evidence:
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, the name of which was Nazareth,
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father;
NOW it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole land should be registered.
NOW in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene: when Annas and Caiaphas were high-priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness; read more. and he came into all the country on the confines of Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths strait: every valley shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be levelled, and the crooked ways made strait, and the rough roads smooth: and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." He said, therefore, to the multitudes who came out to be baptised by him, Ye broods of vipers, who hath warned you to fly from the approaching wrath? Produce then fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say in yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, That God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. But now is the ax laid even to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that produceth not good fruit, is cut down and cast into the fire. And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then shall we do? And he answering said to them, He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath provisions, let him do in like manner. Then came also the farmers of the taxes to be baptised, and they said unto him, Master, what shall we do? He said unto them, Exact nothing more than is appointed for you. And the military men also asked him, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Extort nothing by force; nor turn informers; and be content with your pay. Now when the people were in expectation, and many reasoned in their hearts respecting John, whether he were the Messiah, John addressed himself to them all, saying, I indeed baptise you with water; but one mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire; whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor, and collect the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. Thus in many and various discourses exhorting them, he preached the glad tidings of the gospel to the people. Now Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him, on account of Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the other wicked actions which he had done, added this also to all the rest, and shut up John in prison. Now it came to pass, at the time when John was baptising all the people, that Jesus also was baptised, and as he prayed, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily form, like a dove, upon him, and a voice came from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. And Jesus himself was about thirty years of age when he began his ministry, being (as was supposed the son of Joseph) of Heli,
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and a report went out into all the region round about concerning him.
And having done so, they inclosed a prodigious multitude of fishes; and their net was broken.
Then Simon Peter seeing it, fell down on his knees before Jesus, saying, Go from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord!
as also on James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not: henceforward thou shalt catch men.
And after these things he went out, and saw a farmer of the taxes, named Levi, sitting at the custom-house: and he said unto him, Follow me.
AND it came to pass on the sabbath after the second day of the passover, that he was passing through the cornfields; and the disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them out in their hands.
AND it came to pass afterwards, that he went through every city and village, preaching and publishing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and the twelve with him.
But Peter and they who were with him were weighed down with sleep: but when they awoke, they beheld his glory, and the two men who were standing with them.
And Jesus said to him, Forbid him not; for he that is not against us, is for us. And it came to pass, as the days hastened to their period when he should be received up [to glory], that he resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem;
And it came to pass, as the days hastened to their period when he should be received up [to glory], that he resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem;
And it came to pass, as they were walking on the road, a certain person said to him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus Said to him, The foxes have holts, and the birds of the air, nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. read more. And he said to another, Follow me. And he said, Lord, permit me first to return home, and put my father in his grave. And Jesus said unto him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but go thou, preach the kingdom of God. Then said another, I will follow thee, Lord, but give me leave first to bid adieu to those at my house.
And he passed through the cities and villages, teaching, and making his way towards Jerusalem. And a person said to him, Lord, are the saved few? And he said unto them,
The same day came certain Pharisees, saying to him, Depart, and begone from hence: for Herod will kill thee.
O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest those who are sent unto thee; how often would I have collected thy children unto me, just as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
And it came to pass, as he was going towards Jerusalem, he passed also through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
And it came to pass, as he was going towards Jerusalem, he passed also through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
Then they brought him infants also, that he should touch them: but the disciples, when they saw it, rebuked them.
But they were urgent, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching through all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.
saying, The Lord is risen assuredly, and hath appeared to Simon.
The next day Jesus resolved to go into Galilee, and he findeth Philip, and saith to him, Follow me.
Jesus answered and said to them, Pull down this temple, and in three days I will rear it up again.
After these things Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; and there he abode with them, and baptised.
he left Judea, and went again into Galilee. Now he must necessarily pass through Samaria. read more. Then he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sichar, near the spot of ground which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. And Jacob's well was there. Therefore Jesus, weary with his journey, e'en sat himself down on the well: it was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria comes to draw water: Jesus saith to her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone into the city to buy provisions.) The Samaritan woman therefore saith to him, How canst thou, a Jew, ask of me, who am a Samaritan woman, to drink? for Jews avoid all intercourse with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who he is that speaketh to thee, thou wouldest have requested him, and he would have given thee life-giving water. The woman saith unto him, Thou hast no bucket, and the well is deep: whence then canst thou have this water that giveth life? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one who drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever shall drink of the water which I shall give him, he shall no more thirst to eternity; but the water which I will give him, shall be in him a fountain of water springing up to life eternal. The woman saith to him, Sir, give me this water, that I may no more thirst, nor come hither to draw. Jesus saith to her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus saith to her, Thou hast spoken right, that thou hast no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in this thou hast spoken true. The woman saith to him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye affirm, That the place where we ought to worship is at Jerusalem. Jesus saith to her, Woman, believe me, that the hour approaches, when ye shall worship the Father neither in this mountain, nor at Jerusalem. Ye worship ye know not what: we worship what we do know: for salvation cometh from the Jews. But the hour is coming, yea, is now come, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such worshippers of him. God is a Spirit: and they who worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith, I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ): when he cometh, he will inform us of all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that am speaking to thee am he. And upon this came his disciples, and wondered that he talked with the woman: yet no one said, What art thou seeking? or, Why art thou talking with her? Then the woman left her pitcher, and went into the city, and said to the men, Come with me; behold a man, who told me all things that I ever did: is not this the Messiah? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. In the mean time his disciples invited him, saying, Rabbi, eat. But he said to them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Then said his disciples to each other, Hath any person brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Do ye not say, That yet there are four months, and then the harvest cometh? behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look upon the fields; for they are now white for harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. For herein is the saying true, That one soweth and another reapeth. I have sent you to reap that on which ye have bestowed no labour: others have laboured, and ye have entered into their labour. Now many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him, on the report of the woman, who said, That he told me all things I ever had done. So on this the Samaritans came to him, and besought him to abide with them: and he tarried there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; and said to the woman, Now we believe, not merely on account of thy relation: for we ourselves have heard, and know that this is of a certainty the Saviour of the world, the Messiah. Then after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.
AFTER these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
AND Jesus after these things travelled about in Galilee: for he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.
AND Jesus after these things travelled about in Galilee: for he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. And a feast of the Jews was nigh, the feast of tabernacles.
But as soon as his disciples were gone up, then went he also himself up to the feast: not in public, but as in concealment.
Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but went thence into the country bordering on the desert, to a city called Ephraim, and there he abode with his disciples.
Then Simon Peter having a sword, drew it, and struck a servant of the high-priest, and cut off his right ear. Now the servant's name was Malchas.
AFTER these things Jesus again shewed himself to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and he appeared in the following manner:
Then he said to them, Shoot the net on the right side of the vessel, and ye shall find fish. They shot it therefore, and now they were not able to drag it in from the quantity of fishes. Then said that disciple whom Jesus loved to Peter, It is the Lord! Then Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, girt his coat round him, (for he was stripped,) and threw himself into the sea.
THE former treatise, Theophilus, I composed, concerning all things which Jesus began both to do and to teach,
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, men of piety, from every nation under heaven. read more. And when this report spread, the multitude collected around them, and were overwhelmed with astonishment, because they heard them speaking every one in his own peculiar dialect. And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying one to another, Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how do we hear every man in our own peculiar dialect, in which from our birth we were brought up? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and they who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, and Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia adjoining Cyrene, and the sojourners, who are Romans, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own several tongues the marvellous things of God.
But the things which God before announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Messiah should suffer, he hath thus fulfilled.
But many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
But Peter said, By no means, Lord for I have never at any time eaten of any thing common or unclean.
and having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that during a whole year they were jointly employed in that church, and taught a vast multitude, and they called for the first time in Antioch the disciples Christians.
And after considering with himself, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, who is surnamed Mark; where many were thronged together, and praying.
Hereupon sailing from Paphos, they who were about Paul came to Perga in Pamphylia: but John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
Then after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogues sent to them, saying, Men and brethren, if ye are disposed to give a word of exhortation to the people, speak. Then Paul arose, and waving his hand, said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hear me. read more. The God of this people Israel selected our fathers, and exalted the people during their abode in the land of Egypt, and with a mighty arm brought he them out of it. And about the space of forty years he bore with their behaviour in the wilderness. And destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their territory to them by lot. And after these things, during a space of about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. And from that time they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Kis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, during forty years. And removing him, he raised up unto them David to be king; respecting whom also he spake testifying, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall perform all my intentions." From this man's seed according to the promise hath God raised up to Israel a Saviour, Jesus: John having preached before his first coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. But as John was finishing his course, he said, Whom do ye suppose me to be? I am not [the Messiah]. But, behold! he is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose. Men and brethren, children of the race of Abraham, and all among you who fear God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they who dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, being ignorant of him, and the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath-day, by condemning him have fulfilled them.
For they who dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, being ignorant of him, and the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath-day, by condemning him have fulfilled them. And though they found no cause of death in him, they besought Pilate that he might be killed. read more. But when they had finished all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: and he was seen many days by those who went up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the promise made to our fathers; for this hath God fulfilled to their children, even to us, in raising up Jesus: as it is also written in the second Psalm, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." But that he raised him from the dead, no more in future to return to corruption, he hath thus spoken, "I will give you the holy things of David, which are sure." Wherefore also he saith in another place, "Thou wilt not permit thy Holy One to see corruption." For David indeed, after having served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was placed with his fathers, and saw corruption. But he, whom God raised up, saw no corruption. Be it therefore known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man remission of sin is proclaimed to you: and by this man shall every one who believeth be justified from all things, from which it was not possible that he should be justified by the law of Moses. Take heed then, that this come not upon you, which is spoken by the prophets; "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I do a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though one declare it unto you." But when the Jews were going out of the synagogue, the Gentiles entreated that these words might be spoken to them the following sabbath. And when the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, exhorting them, persuaded them to abide stedfast in the grace of God. And on the next sabbath almost all the city thronged together to hear the word of God.
NOW it came to pass at Iconium, that they went together into the synagogue of the Jews, and spake in such a manner, as that a vast multitude both of the Jews and Greek proselytes believed.
But Paul did not think him a fit person to take with them, who had withdrawn from them from Pamphylia, and no longer went with them to the service.
SO journeying through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of Jews: And Paul, according to his usual custom, went in to them, and for three sabbaths he reasoned with them from the scriptures, read more. opening them clearly, and laying it evidently down that the Messiah must suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this man is the Messiah, even Jesus, whom I preach unto you. And some of them believed, and associated themselves with Paul and Silas; and of the religious Greeks a vast multitude, and of the wives of the first people not a few.
And after making some stay, he departed, passing in regular order through the Galatian district, and Phrygia, confirming all the disciples.
for in the law of Moses it is written, "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox which treadeth out the corn." Doth God take care for oxen? or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes doubtless it was written; because he who ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he who soweth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
to another miraculous powers; to another prophecy; to another discernments of spirits; to another different kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
If any man thinketh that he is a prophet, or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that the things which I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
We have sent with him also a brother, whose praise in the gospel is [spread] through all the churches;
But when Peter came to Antioch I withstood him to his face, because he was blameable. For before certain persons came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. read more. And the other Jews were guilty of the same dissimulation with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they walked not directly according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to judaize?
And I beseech thee also, my genuine associate, assist those women who laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and my other fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of life.
There salute you Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner, and Mark nephew to Barnabas, concerning whom ye have received injunctions; if he come unto you, receive him,
Luke alone is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is very useful to me in the ministry.
Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
For we have not followed artfully devised fables, when we made known to you the power and advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty.
BELOVED, believe not every pretender to inspiration, but bring these spirits to the trial whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone forth into the world.
Hastings
Under this heading we may consider the four Gospels as a whole, and their relations to one another, leaving detailed questions of date and authorship to the separate articles.
1. The aims of the Evangelists.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.
Ye have heard that it was said to the men of antient times, "Thou shalt do no murder;" and whosoever shall commit murder, shall be liable to the judgment:
No man can serve two masters: for he will either hate the one, and love the other; or he will adhere to the one, and disregard the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
But which of you, by his cares, can add one cubit to his stature?
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority upon earth to forgive sins, (then he saith to the paralytic,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.
Come to me, all who labour hard, and sustain heavy burdens, and I will give you relief.
And when the men of that place knew him, they sent into all that neighbourhood, and brought to him all that had illnesses:
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread?
Then said Jesus unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove from hence, thither, and it will remove; and nothing will be impossible for you.
But Jesus addressing them, said, Verily I tell you, if ye have faith, and entertain no doubt, not only shall ye do what is done to the fig-tree, but if ye should even say to this mountain, Be lifted up, and be cast into the sea, it be done.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest those who were sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children to me, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not?
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest those who were sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children to me, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not? Behold, your habitation is left unto you desolate. read more. For I tell you, Ye shall henceforth no more see me, until ye say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:
as it is written in the prophets; "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, he shall prepare thy way before thee.
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority upon earth to forgive sins, he saith to the paralytic,
For Herod himself had sent and seized upon John, and bound him in prison, for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, before this adulterous and sinful generation; of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he shall come in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.
For the Son of man came not to be waited upon, but to be a servant, and to give his life a ransom for many.
And when he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, a woman came, having an alabaster vase of ointment, of genuine spikenard, of vast value: and breaking the vase, she let it flow down upon his head.
And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
Then said Jesus, I am. And ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.
Now being arisen early, on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. She going, told it to those who had been with him, as they were wailing and weeping. read more. And they, when they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, gave no credit to her. Then after this, he was manifested under another form, to two of them as they were walking, and going into the country. And they came back and told the news to the rest; neither did they believe them. Afterwards he shewed himself to the eleven, as they were sitting at table, and upbraided them for their infidelity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow those that believe: in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly potion, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover health. Then the Lord, after having thus spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. But they going forth preached every where, the Lord working mightily with them, and confirming the word, by attendant miracles.
SINCE many have attempted to compose a narrative of facts, confirmed to us by the fullest evidence:
SINCE many have attempted to compose a narrative of facts, confirmed to us by the fullest evidence: exactly as they delivered them to us, who were eve witnesses from the first, and ministers of the word;
exactly as they delivered them to us, who were eve witnesses from the first, and ministers of the word;
exactly as they delivered them to us, who were eve witnesses from the first, and ministers of the word; it seemed right to me also, having obtained accurate knowledge of all things from above, to write to thee in regular order, most excellent Theophilus, read more. to the intent that thou mayest clearly know the certainty of those matters, concerning which thou hast been instructed.
Now Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him, on account of Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the other wicked actions which he had done,
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority upon earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the paralytic,) I say to thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thy house.
And it came to pass, as the days hastened to their period when he should be received up [to glory], that he resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem;
And it came to pass, as the days hastened to their period when he should be received up [to glory], that he resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem;
Which of you, with all his anxiety, can add one moment to his life?
O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest those who are sent unto thee; how often would I have collected thy children unto me, just as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
No domestic can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will cleave to the one, and neglect the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
I say to you, Went this man down to his house justified, or the other? for every one who exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
And an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him.
(who had not given his assent to their determination and deed;) being of Arimathea, a city of the Jews: who himself also expected the coming of the kingdom of God.
And the Word became incarnate, and tabernacled with us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
And the Word became incarnate, and tabernacled with us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming to him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world,
And John bore witness, saying, I saw the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it rested upon him.
And I have seen it, and have borne testimony that this is the Son of God.
He first finds his own brother Simon, and saith to him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being translated, the Christ).
Philip findeth Nathaniel, and saith to him, We have found him whom Moses in the law has described, and the prophets, Jesus the son of Joseph, who is of Nazareth. And Nathaniel said to him, Can any thing good come out of Nazareth? Philip saith to him, Come and see.
Nathaniel answered and said to him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the king of Israel.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
The Samaritan woman therefore saith to him, How canst thou, a Jew, ask of me, who am a Samaritan woman, to drink? for Jews avoid all intercourse with Samaritans.
The woman saith unto him, Thou hast no bucket, and the well is deep: whence then canst thou have this water that giveth life?
The woman saith to him, Sir, give me this water, that I may no more thirst, nor come hither to draw.
Then the Jews contended with each other, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Now he spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this man was ready to betray him, though he was one of the twelve.
Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will this man go, that we shall not find him? will he go to the dispersed among the Grecians, and teach the Greeks?
Others said, He is the Messiah. But others said, No: for cometh the Messiah out of Galilee?
They answered and said to him, Art thou not from Galilee too? Search and see: for a prophet, out of Galilee, never was raised up. So each went to his own home.
She said, No man, Lord. Then said Jesus unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
I and my Father are one.
And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith to the Jews, Behold your King!
And he that saw it bore witness, and we know that his testimony is true: and he himself is conscious that he speaketh what is true, that ye might believe.
Jesus saith to her, Touch me not; for I have not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and tell them, I am ascending to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God.
but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and all manner of science; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Smith
Gos'pels.
The name Gospel (from god and spell, Ang. Sax. good message or news, which is a translation of the Greek euaggelion) is applied to the four inspired histories of the life and teaching of Christ contained in the New Testament, of which separate accounts are given in their place. They were all composed during the latter half of the first century: those of St. Matthew and St. Mark some years before the destruction of Jerusalem; that of St. Luke probably about A.D. 64; and that of St. John towards the close of the century. Before the end of the second century, there is abundant evidence that the four Gospels, as one collection, were generally used and accepted. As a matter of literary history, nothing can be better established than the genuineness of the Gospels. On comparing these four books one with another, a peculiar difficulty claims attention, which has had much to do with the controversy as to their genuineness. In the fourth Gospel the narrative coincided with that of the other three in a few passages only. The received explanation is the only satisfactory one namely, that John, writing last, at the close of the first century had seen the other Gospels, and purposely abstained from writing anew what they had sufficiently recorded. In the other three Gospels there is a great amount of agreement. If we suppose the history that they contain to be divided into 89 sections, in 42 of these all the three narratives coincide, 12 more are given by Matthew and Mark only, 5 by Mark and Luke only, and 14 by Matthew and Luke. To these must be added 5 peculiar to Matthew, 2 to Mark and 9 to Luke, and the enumeration is complete. But this applies only to general coincidence as to the facts narrated: the amount of verbal coincidence, that is, the passages either verbally the same or coinciding in the use of many of the same words, is much smaller. It has been ascertained by Stroud that "if the total contents of the several Gospels be represented by 100, the following table is obtained: Matthew has 42 peculiarities and 58 coincidences. Mark has 7 peculiarities and 93 coincidences. Luke has 59 peculiarities and 41 coincidences. John has 92 peculiarities and 8 coincidences. Why four Gospels. --
1. To bring four separate independent witnesses to the truth.
2. It is to give the Lord's life from every point of view, four living portraits of one person. There were four Gospels because Jesus was to be commended to four races or classes of men, or to four phases of human thought,--the Jewish, Roman, Greek and Christian. Had not these exhausted the classes to be reached, there would doubtless have been more Gospels. In all ages, the Jewish, Roman and Greek natures reappear among men, and, in fact, make up the world of natural men, while the Christian nature and wants likewise remain essentially the same. The FIRST GOSPEL was prepared by Matthew for the Jew. He gives us the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah of the Jews, the Messianic royalty of Jesus. He places the life and character of Jesus, as lived on earth, alongside the life and character of the Messiah, as sketched in the prophets, showing Christianity as the fulfillment of Judaism. Mark wrote the SECOND GOSPEL. It was substantially the preaching of Peter to the Romans. The Gospel for him must represent the character and career of Jesus from the Roman point of view, as answering to the idea of divine power, work, law, conquest and universal sway; must retain its old significance and ever-potent inspiration at the battle-call of the almighty Conqueror. Luke wrote the THIRD GOSPEL in Greece for the Greek. It has its basis in the gospel which Paul and Luke, by long preaching to the Greeks, had already thrown into the form best suited to commend to their acceptance Jesus as the perfect divine man. It is the gospel of the future, of progressive Christianity, of reason and culture seeking the perfection of manhood. John, "the beloved disciple," wrote the FOURTH GOSPEL for the Christian, to cherish and train those who have entered the new kingdom of Christ, into the highest spiritual life. --Condensed from, Prof. Gregory.