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 all manner of disease, and all manner of malady among the people.
And one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him. And going into the Pharisee's house, he sat down to table.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee:
And the next day, we departed and came to Cesarea; and entring into the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him.
But how shall they preach, unless they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them who bring the good tidings of peace, who bring the glad tidings of good things!
And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some 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/wesley'>26,26/type/wesley'>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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But when Jesus heard, that John was cast into prison, he retired into Galilee.
And a certain scribe came and said to him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. read more. And another of his disciples said to him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, Follow me, and leave the deadto bury their dead.
And when he was come to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two demoniacs, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man could pass by that way.
And as Jesus passed along from thence, he saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the receit of custom, and saith to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus;
And he said, Come. And Peter coming down from the vessel, walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
And Simon Peter answering said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering said to him, Happy art thou, Simon Barjonah; for flesh and blood have 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 from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the tribute-mony came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay the tribute?
And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the tribute-mony came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay the 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 take custom or tribute? read more. Of their own sons, or of strangers? Peter saith to him, Of strangers. Jesus saith to him, Then are the sons free. Yet that we may not offend them, go to the sea, and cast an hook, and take the fish that first cometh up. And when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. That take and give them for me and thee.
They say to him, Cesar's. Then said he to them, Render therefore to Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and to God the things that are God's.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a bird gathereth her young under her wings; and ye would not!
Ye know that after two days is the Passoever, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
At last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
Then the eleven disciples went into Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
And Jesus came and spake to them, saying, All power is given me in heaven and in earth. Go ye and disciple all nations, baptizing 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 always, even to the end of the world.
tempted by Satan, and was with the wild-beasts; and the angels served him.
And he called them; and immediately leaving their father Zebedee in the vessel with the hired servants, they went after him.
And passing by, he saw Levi, the son of Alpheus sitting at the custom-house, and saith to him, Follow me.
But they held their peace. And looking round upon them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored.
And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
And taking him aside from the multitude, he put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he groaned and saith to him, Ephphatha, that is, be opened.
And straightway all the multitude seeing him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, saluted him.
And departing thence, they passed thro' Galilee, and he was not willing that any should know it. For he taught his disciples and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill him, and after he hath been killed, he shall rise the third day. read more. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. And he came to Capernaum. And being in the house, he asked them, What was it ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
And one of them that stood by, drew a sword, and smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
But go, tell his disciples, and Peter, He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said to you.
Forasmuch as many have undertaken to compose a narrative of the facts which have been fully confirmed among us,
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God, to a city of Galilee,
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David.
And in those days there went out a decree from Augustus Cesar, that all the world should be inrolled.
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, Annas being the high priest and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. read more. And he came into all the country about 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 aloud in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth: And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Then said he to the multitudes, that came forth to be baptized of him, Ye brood of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance; and say not within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And now also the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. And the multitude asked him, saying, What then shall we do? He answering saith to them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. And publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him, Master, what shall we do? And he said to them, Exact no more than what is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise asked him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your pay. And as the people were in expectation, and all mused in their hearts of John, whether he were not the Christ, John answered saying to them all, I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. And many other things in his exhortation preached he to the people. But Herod the tetrarch being reproved by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and concerning all the evils which Herod had done, Added also this above all, that he shut up John in prison. Now while all the people were baptizing, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, 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 delight. And Jesus was about thirty years of age, when he began his ministry, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli,
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and there went out a fame of him, thro' all the region round about.
And having done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake.
Simon Peter seeing it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
which they had taken, And in like manner also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said to him, Follow me.
And on the first sabbath after the second day of unleavened bread, he went thro' the corn-fields, and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and ate, rubbing them in their hands.
And afterward he went through every city and village preaching and publishing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with him.
But Peter and those with him were weighed down with sleep; and awaking they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
And Jesus said to him, forbid him not, for he that is not against you is for you. And when the time was fulfilled, that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And when the time was fulfilled, that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And as they went in the way, one said to him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. But Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests: but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. read more. And he said to another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, Suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but suffer me first to bid them farewell that are in my house.
And he went thro' the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one to him, Lord, are there few that are saved?
The same day came certain of the Pharisees, saying to him, Go out and depart from hence; for Herod is minded to kill thee.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together as a bird gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
And they brought to him infants also, that he might touch them; but the disciples seeing it, rebuked them.
But they were the more violent saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching through all Judea, beginning from Galilee, to this place.
saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
The day following he was minded to depart into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith to him, Follow me.
For the passover of the Jews was nigh, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple them that fold oxen,
Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.
After these things Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them and baptized.
but his disciples) He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go thro' Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, read more. called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore being wearied with the journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone to the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria to him, How dost thou, being a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank thereof, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said to her, Whosoever drinketh of this water, will thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, will never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, will be in him a fountain of water, springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith to him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither 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 said to her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband. For thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast, is not thy husband: in this thou saidst truly. The woman saith to him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain: but ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith to her, Woman, Believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship; for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such worshipers. God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith to him, I know that the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith to her, I that speak to thee, am He. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with a woman. Yet none said, What seekest thou? Or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her water-pot, and went to the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did: Is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came to him. In the mean time his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said to them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. The disciples said one to another, Hath any man brought him to eat? Jesus saith to them, My meat is, to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say ye not, There are yet four months, and the harvest cometh? Lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and survey the fields, for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth, receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit to life eternal, that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I have sent you to reap that whereon ye have bestowed no labour: others have laboured, and ye are entered into their labour. And many of the Samaritans out of that city believed on him, for the saying of the woman testifying, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come to him, they besought him to tarry with them. And he abode there two days. And many more believed, because of his word, And said to the woman, We no longer believe, because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. After the two days, he departed thence, and went into Galilee.
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews feast of tabernacles was nigh.
But when his brethren were gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were privately.
Jesus therefore walked no longer openly among the Jews, but went thence into the country, near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right-ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
After these things Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; he manifested himself thus.
They answered him, No. And he said to them, Cast your net on the right side of the vessel, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it, for the multitude of fishes. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved saith to Peter, It is the Lord. Simon Peter hearing that it was the Lord, girt on his upper coat (for he was stript) and threw himself into the sea.
The former treatise have I composed, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began both to do and to teach,
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. read more. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because every man heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how hear we every one, in our own native language? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and dwellers in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Africk about Cyrene, and Roman sojourners, (Jews and Proselytes) Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the wonderful works of God?
But God hath thus fulfilled the things which he foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer.
But many of them who had heard the word, believed. And the number of the men was about five thousand.
But Peter said, In no wise, Lord: for I have never eaten any thing common or unclean.
And a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught a considerable multitude: and the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
And having considered, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
And Paul and those with him loosing from Paphos, came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John withdrawing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the chief of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation to the people, speak. Then Paul standing, and waving his hand, said, Ye men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken. read more. The God of this people chose our fathers, and raised the people, while sojourning in the land of Egypt, and brought them out of it with an uplifted arm. And he suffered their manners in the wilderness, about the space of forty years. And having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot, about four hundred and fifty years. And after that, he gave them judges, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years. And having removed him, he raised up to them David for their king, to whom also bearing witness he said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, who will do all my will. Of this man's seed hath God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; John having first preached before his coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But behold one cometh after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, neither knowing him, nor the sayings of the prophets, which are read very sabbath-day, have fulfilled them, in condemning him.
For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, neither knowing him, nor the sayings of the prophets, which are read very sabbath-day, have fulfilled them, in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate, that he might be put to death. read more. And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, taking him down from the tree, they laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead. And he was seen many days by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings, that the promise which was made to the fathers, God hath fulfilled this to us their children, in raising up Jesus: as it is written also in the second Psalm, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. And because he raised him up from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he spake thus, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another Psalm, Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy one to see corruption. Now David, having served the will of God in his generation, fell asleep, and was added to his fathers, and saw corruption. But he whom God raised, did not see corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins. And by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken in the prophets. Behold ye despisers, and wonder and perish. For I work a work in your days, a work which ye will in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought them, that these words might be spoken to them on the sabbath between. And when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, persuaded them, to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together, to hear the word of God.
And in Iconium they went together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and Greeks believed.
But Paul thought it not right to take with them him, who had departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
And taking their journey through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, according to his custom, went in to them, and three sabbath-days discoursed with them from the scriptures, read more. Opening them and evincing, That Christ ought to suffer, and to rise from the dead, and that this is the Christ, even Jesus, whom I declare unto you. And some of them believed, and were joined to Paul and Silas, and a great number of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the principal women.
And having spent some time there, he departed, and went over the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, confirming all the disciples.
For it is written, in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn? Doth God take care for oxen? Or speaketh he chiefly for our sakes? surely for our sakes it was written: for he who ploweth, ought to plow in hope; and he that thresheth in hope, ought to be a partaker of his hope.
to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another the discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
If any one think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you, are the commandments of the Lord.
And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise in the gospel is through all the churches: (And not only so,
But when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be condemned. For before certain men came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. read more. And the other Jews also dissembled with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw, that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, If thou being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to judaize?
And I intreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women who laboured together with me in the gospel, with both Clement and my other fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of life.
Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas; (touching whom ye have received directions, if he come to you,
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for service.
Salute ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus.
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out 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 or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Ye have heard, that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt do no murder, and whosoever doth murder, shall be liable to the judgment.
No man 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.
Are ye not much better than they? And which of you by taking thought can add to his age the smallest measure?
To say, Thy sins are forgiven thee? Or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the paralytic) Arise, take up thy couch, and go to thy house.
Come to me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought to him all that were diseased; And besought him,
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?
And Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief. For verily I say to you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustardseed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you.
Jesus answering said to them, Verily I say to you, if ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this to the fig-tree, but also if ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou lifted up, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a bird gathereth her young under her wings; and ye would not!
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a bird gathereth her young under her wings; and ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate. read more. For I say to you, ye shall not see me from this time, till ye say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.
Behold I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.
Or to say, Arise, and take up thy couch and walk? But that ye may know, that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins: (He saith to the paralytic) I say to thee,
For Herod himself had sent and apprehended John, and bound him in prison, for Herodias sake, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her.
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.
For the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
And he being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, of spikenard, very costly; and shaking the box, she poured it on his head.
And he said to them, This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many.
And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man, sitting on the right-hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.
And it was the third hour, when they crucified him. And there was an inscription of his written over,
Now when Jesus was risen early, the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. She went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. read more. But they, hearing that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they were walking, going into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, neither believed they them. Afterwards he appeared to the eleven, sitting at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen him after he was risen. And he said to them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues: They shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat on the right-hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
Forasmuch as many have undertaken to compose a narrative of the facts which have been fully confirmed among us,
Forasmuch as many have undertaken to compose a narrative of the facts which have been fully confirmed among us, Even as they who were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning, delivered them to us:
Even as they who were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning, delivered them to us:
Even as they who were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning, delivered them to us: It seemed good to me also, having accurately traced all things from their first rise, to write unto thee in order, most noble Theophilus, read more. That thou mayst know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
But Herod the tetrarch being reproved by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and concerning all the evils which Herod had done, Added also this above all,
But that ye may know, that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said to the paralytic) I say to thee, Arise, take up thy couch, and go to thine house.
And when the time was fulfilled, that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And when the time was fulfilled, that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And which of you by taking thought, can add the least measure to his age?
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together as a bird gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will cleave to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
And there appeared to him an angel from heaven strengthening him.
(He had not consented to the counsel and deed of them) of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God:
And the Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.
And the Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.
The next day he seeth Jesus coming toward him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.
And John testified, saying, I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and it abode upon him.
And I saw it, and testified, that this is the Son of God.
He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith to him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being interpreted the Christ.)
Philip findeth Nathanael and saith to him, We have found him, whom Moses in the law and the prophets described, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael saith to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith to him, Come and see.
Nathagael answered and said to him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.
Nicodemus saith to 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?
Then saith the woman of Samaria to him, How dost thou, being a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
The woman saith to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
The woman saith to him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
The Jews then debated among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon; for he it was that would betray him, being one of the twelve.
Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? Will he go to the dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
They answered and said to him, Art thou also a Galilean? Search and see, that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. And every man went to his own house.
She saith, No man, Sir. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and sin no more.
I and the Father are one.
(It was then the preparation of the passover, and about the third hour:) And saith to the Jews, Behold your king.
And he that saw, hath testified it, and his testimony is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye may believe.
She turning, saith to him, Rabboni; that is, Master. Jesus saith to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.
But these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life thro' his name.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so as to remove mountains, and 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.