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 was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
And one of the Pharisees was asking Him to eat with him; and, having entered into the Pharisee's house, He reclined at table.
Arising, I will go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I sinned against Heaven, and before you;
And, on the morrow, going forth, we came to Caesarea; and, entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was of the seven, we abode with him.
and how shall they preach, unless they are sent forth? As it has been written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!"
And He gave some to be 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/worrell'>26,26/type/worrell'>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, hearing that John was delivered up, He withdrew into Galilee.
And a scribe, coming near, said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow Thee wheresoever Thou mayst go." And Jesus saith to him, "The foxes have dens; and the birds of the heaven have lodging-places; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head." read more. And another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But Jesus saith to him, "Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."
And, when He came to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, there met Him two demoniacs, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass along that way;
And Jesus, passing on thence, saw a man, called Matthew, sitting at the tax-office, and He saith to him, "Follow Me." And, rising up, he followed Him.
Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-collector; James the son of Alpaeus, and Thaddeus;
And He said, "Come." And, going down from the boat, Peter walked upon the water, and came to Jesus.
And Simon Peter, answering, said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus, answering, said to him, "Happy are you, Simon Bar-Jonah; because flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father Who is in Heaven.
From that time began Jesus to show to His disciples, that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and high-priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised up.
And, when they came into Capernaum, those receiving the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, "Doth not your Teacher pay the half-shekel?"
And, when they came into Capernaum, those receiving the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, "Doth not your Teacher pay the half-shekel?" He says, "Yes." And Jesus anticipated him as he came into the house, saying, "What do you think, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive tax or tribute? from their sons, or from the aliens?" read more. And, when he said, "From the aliens," Jesus said to him, "Consequently the sons are free; but, that we may not cause them to stumble; having gone to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the fish first coming up; and, opening its mouth, you will find a shekel; taking that, give it to them for Me and you."
They say to Him, "Caesar's." Then saith He to them, "Render, therefore, the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God."
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! that kills the prophets, and stones those sent to her! how often did I wish to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
"Ye know that, after two days, the passover takes place, and the Son of Man is delivered up to be crucified."
said, "This Man, said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"
And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus appointed them;
And Jesus, coming near, spake to them, saying, "All authority was given to Me in Heaven and on earth: going, therefore, disciple ye all the nations, immersing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; read more. teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I commanded you; and, behold, I am with you all the days, even to the end of the age."
And He was in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts; and the angels were ministering to Him.
And straightway He called them; and leaving their father Zebedee in the boat, with the hired servants, they went away after Him.
And passing by, He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax-office, and saith to him, "Follow Me." And, rising up, he followed Him.
And having looked round about on them with anger, and being grieved at the hardness of their heart, He saith to the man, "Stretch forth your hand." And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored.
and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, (and He added to these the name "Boanerges," that is, "sons of thunder");
And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.
And, taking him aside from the multitude privately, He put His fingers into his ears; and, spitting, He touched his tongue; and looking up to Heaven, He sighed, and saith to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
And straightway all the multitude, seeing Him, were greatly amazed; and, running to Him, were saluting Him.
And, going forth thence, they were passing along through Galilee; and He did not wish that any one should know it. For He was teaching His disciples, and said to them, "The Son of Man is delivered up into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and, having been killed, after three days He will rise again." read more. But they were not understanding the saying, and were afraid to ask Him. And they came to Capernaum. And, when He was in the house, He asked them, "Concerning what were ye reasoning in the way?"
And one of those standing by, having drawn his sword, smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.
But go, say to his disciples, and to Peter, that He is going before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him, as He said to you."
Forasmuch as many took in hand to arrange in order a narrative concerning the facts that have been fully confirmed among us,
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, the name of which was Nazareth,
He shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David;
And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Now it came to pass, in those days, that there went forth a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the inhabited earth should be enrolled.
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar??ontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness; read more. and he came into all the region of the Jordan, preaching the immersion of repentance unto remission of sins; as it has been written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight His paths. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" He was saying, therefore, to the multitudes coming forth to be immersed by him, "Broods of vipers! who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance; and begin not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And already the axe also is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, not producing good fruit, is cut down, and cast into the fire." And the multitudes were asking him, saying, "What, then, shall we do?" And he, answering, said to them, "Let him who has two coats share with him who has none; and let him who has food do likewise." And there came also tax-collectors to be immersed, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Exact no more than that which has been appointed you." And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no one, neither accuse any one falsely, and be content with your wages." And, as the people were in expectation, and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he himself were the Christ, John answered, saying to them all, "I, indeed, immerse you in water; but He is coming, Who is mightier than I??he latchet of Whose sandals I am not worthy to loose??e will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; Whose fan is in His hand, thoroughly to cleanse His threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into His granary; but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire." Therefore, indeed, exhorting them as to many and various things, he was proclaiming the good news to the people; but Herod, the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother, and concerning all the evils which Herod did, added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison. Now it came to pass, when all the people were immersed, that as Jesus also was immersed, and was praying, Heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form, as a dove; and a voice came out of Heaven, "Thou art My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I delighted." And Jesus Himself, when beginning His ministry, was about thirty years old, being, as was supposed, the Son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee; and a report went out concerning Him through all the region round about.
And, doing this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their nets were breaking.
And Simon Peter, seeing it, fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, "Depart from me; because I am a sinful man, O Lord;"
and likewise also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Fear not; henceforth you will catch men."
And, after these things, He went forth, and beheld a tax-collector, Levi by name, sitting at the tax-office; and He said to him, "Follow Me."
And it came to pass on a sabbath, that He was going through grainfields; and His disciples were plucking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing them with their hands.
And it came to pass soon afterwards, that He was passing through by city and village, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God; and the twelve were with Him;
And they sailed down into the country of the Gerasenes, which is over against Galilee.
Now Peter and those with him had become heavy with sleep; but, having watched through it, they saw His glory, and the two men who were standing with Him.
And Jesus said to him, "Forbid him not: for he who is not against you is for you." And it came to pass, when the days for receiving Him up were being completed, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem;
And it came to pass, when the days for receiving Him up were being completed, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem;
And, as they were journeying in the way, a certain one said to Him, "I will follow Thee wheresoever Thou goest." And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have dens; and the birds of the heaven lodging-places; but the Son of Man hath not where to recline His head." read more. And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me, going away, first to bury my father." And He said, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but, going, publish abroad the Kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow Thee, Lord; but first permit me to bid adieu to those within my house."
And He was journeying through the cities and villages, teaching, and making His way to Jerusalem. And a certain one said, "Are there few who are saved?"
In that very hour, there came certain Pharisees, saying to Him, "Go out, and journey hence; because Herod is wishing to kill Thee."
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones those sent to her; how often I wished to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is abandoned to you!
And it came to pass, when He was journeying to Jerusalem, that He was passing through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
And it came to pass, when He was journeying to Jerusalem, that He was passing through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
And they were bringing to Him their babes, also, that He might touch them; but the disciples, seeing it, were rebuking them.
But they were the more urgent, saying, "He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout the whole of Judaea, and beginning from Galilee even to this place."
saying, "Truly the Lord arose, and appeared to Simon."
On the morrow, He wished to go forth into Galilee; and He findeth Philip, and saith to him, "Follow Me."
And the passover of the Jews was near; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
After these things came Jesus and His disciples into the land of Judaea; and there He was tarrying with them, and immersing.
He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And it was necessary that He should go through Samaria. read more. He cometh, therefore, to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the piece of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with His journey, was sitting thus at the well. It was about the sixth hour. There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her, "Give Me to drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy bread. The Samaritan woman, therefore, says to Him, "How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans). Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the Gift of God, and Who it is, That saith to you 'Give Me to drink,' you would have asked of Him, and He would have given you living water." She says to Him, "Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Whence, therefore, hast Thou the living water Art Thou greater than our Father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank of it, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whosoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up into eternal life." The woman saith to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, neither come all the way hither to draw." He saith to her, "Go, call your husband, and come hither." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus saith to her, "Well did you say, 'I have no husband;' for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband: this you have said truly." The woman says to Him, "Sir, I perceive that Thou art a Prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus saith to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when ye will, neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for, indeed, the Father seeketh such to be His worshipers. God is a spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman says to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming, Who is called Christ; when He cometh, He will tell us all things." Jesus saith to her, "I who speak to you am He." And upon this came His disciples: and they were wondering that He was talking with a woman; yet no one said, "What seekest Thou?" or, "Why talkest Thou with her?" The woman, therefore, left her waterjar, and went away into the city, and says to the men, "Come, see a Man Who told me all things that I ever did: can This be the Christ?" They went forth out of the city, and were coming to Him. In the meantime the disciples were entreating Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat that ye know not of." The disciples, therefore, said to one another, "Has any one brought Him anything to eat?" Jesus saith to them, "My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to finish His work. Say not ye, 'There are yet four months, and the harvest is coming?' Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and view the fields, because they are white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit unto life eternal; that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together. For in this is the saying true, 'One sows, and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that on which ye bestowed no labor; others have labored, and ye entered into their labor." And many of the Samaritans from that city believed on Him because of the word of the woman, who testified, "He told me all that ever I did." When, therefore, the Samaritans came to Him, they kept asking Him to abide with them: and He abode there two days. And many more believed because of His word; and they said to the woman, "Now we no longer believe because of your saying; for we ourselves have heard, and know that This is, in truth, the Savior of the world." And, after the two days, He went forth thence into Galilee;
After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
If I testify concerning Myself, My testimony is not true.
Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.
And after these things Jesus was walking in Galilee: for He was not willing to walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
And after these things Jesus was walking in Galilee: for He was not willing to walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand.
But, when His brethren went up to the feast, then He also went up, not openly, but as it were in secret.
Jesus, therefore, was no longer openly walking about among the Jews; but He went away thence into the country near to the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there He abode with the disciples.
Simon Peter, therefore, having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. Now the servant's name was Malchus.
After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and He manifested Himself in this manner.
And He said to there, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find." They cast it, therefore; and no longer were they able to draw it, for the multitude of the fishes. That disciple, therefore, whom Jesus loved, says to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Simon Peter, therefore, having heard that it was the Lord, girded his outer garment (for he was naked), and cast himself into the sea.
The first narrative I made, O Theophilus, concerning all things that Jesus began both to do and to teach,
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, even as the Spirit was giving them to declare. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven; read more. and, when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were greatly surprised, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed, and wondered, saying, "Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galilaeans? And how do we hear, each in our own language in which we were born; Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judaea, and also Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans, and Arabians??e hear them speaking in our own languages the wonderful works of God?"
but God thus fulfilled what He before announced through the mouth of all His prophets, that His Christ should suffer.
And many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men became about five thousand.
But Peter said, "By no means, Lord! because never at any time did I eat anything common or unclean."
and, having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass that, even for a whole year, they met together in the assembly, and taught a great multitude; and that the disciples got the name "Christian" first in Antioch.
And, having considered it, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who is surnamed Mark; where many were gathered together and were praying.
Now setting sail from Paphos, Paul's company came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, withdrawing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
And, after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if there is among you any word of exhortation for the people, speak." And Paul, standing up, and beckoning with his hand, said, "Men of Israel, and ye who fear God, hearken! read more. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers; and He exalted the people in their sojourn in the land of Egypt; and, with a high arm, He led them forth out of it. And for about the time of forty years He bore them as a nursing father in the wilderness. And, having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed by lot their land to them for about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things He gave them judges, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul, a son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years; and, having removed him, He raised up for them David to be their king; to whom bearing testimony, He said, 'I found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.' From the seed of this one, God, according to promise, brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus; John having first preached, before His coming, the immersion of repentance to all the people of Israel. And, as John was fulfilling his course, he said, 'What do ye suppose me to be? I am not He. But, behold, there cometh One after me, the sandals of Whose feet I am not worthy to unloose.' Brethren, sons of Abraham's race, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation was sent forth. For those dwelling in Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing Him, nor the voices of the prophets which are being read every sabbath, fulfilled them, in having condemned Him;
For those dwelling in Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing Him, nor the voices of the prophets which are being read every sabbath, fulfilled them, in having condemned Him; and, though finding not one cause of death, they asked of Pilate that He should be slain. read more. And, when they fulfilled all things that were written concerning Him, having taken Him down from the tree, they laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; Who was seen, during many days, by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem; who, indeed, are now His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you good tidings of the promise made to the fathers, that God hath fulfilled this for our children, having raised up Jesus; as it has been written in the second Psalm, 'Thou art My Son! To-day have I begotten Thee!' And that He raised Him up from the dead no more to return to corruption, He hath thus spoken, 'I will give to you the holy and faithful promises of David.' Wherefore, in another place, He saith, 'Thou wilt not give Thy Holy One to see corruption.' For David, indeed, having served his own generation according to the will of God, fell asleep, and was added to his fathers, and saw corruption; but He Whom God raised up did not see corruption. Be it known to you, brethren, that through This One is proclaimed to you forgiveness of sins; and in Him every one who believes 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; because I do a work in your days?? work which ye will by no means believe, though one should fully declare it to you.' And, as they were going out, they kept beseeching him that these words might be spoken to them on the next sabbath. And, the synagogue having been dismissed, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, indeed, speaking to them, were persuading them to continue in the grace of God. And, on the next sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.
Now it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.
But Paul was not thinking it proper to take him with them, who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
And, having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews; and, according to Paul's custom, he went in to them; and for three sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, read more. opening and setting forth that it was necessary that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that "This Jesus Whom I am proclaiming to you, is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded, and cast in their lot with Paul and Silas; also, of the devout Greeks, a great number; and, of the principal women, not a few.
And, having spent some time there, he departed, going through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.
Or who first gave to Him, and it shall be given back to him again?
For in the law of Moses it has been written, "You shall not muzzle an ox while treading out the grain." Doth God care for the oxen? Or doth He say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written; because he that plows ought to plow in hope; and he that threshes ought to thresh in hope of partaking.
and to another, workings of mighty deeds; and to another, prophecy; and to another, discerning of spirits; to another, various kinds of tongues; and to another, interpretation of tongues.
If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you, that they are the Lord's commandment;
And we sent with him the brother whose praise in the Gospel is in all the assemblies;
But, when Cephas came to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was blameworthy; for, before certain ones came from James, he was eating with the gentiles; but, when they came, he was withdrawing and separating himself, fearing those of the circumcision. read more. And the rest of the Jews also dissembled with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But, when I saw that they were not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in presence of them all, "If you, being a Jew, live as do the gentiles, and not as the Jews, how do you compel the gentiles to live as do the Jews?"
Yea, I request you also, true yoke-fellow, help these women, who, indeed, labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement also, and my remaining fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life.
Aristarchus, my fellow-captive, salutes you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom ye received commandments (if he come to you, receive him),
Only Luke is with me. Taking Mark, bring him with you; for he is useful to me for ministering.
Salute ye one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.
For, not as having followed after cunningly-devised stories, did we make known to you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but as having been made spectators of His majesty.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have 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 came to destroy the law, or the prophets; I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.
"Ye heard that it was said to the ancients, 'You shall not kill; and whosoever kills shall be in danger of the judgment.'
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
And who of you, by being anxious, can add to his stature one cubit?
"But, that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority on the earth to forgive sins" (then saith He to the paralytic), "Arise, and take up your bed, and go to your house."
"Come to me, all ye who are laboring and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And, recognizing Him, the men of that place sent into all that region round about, and brought to Him all who were sick;
"Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands, when they eat bread!"
And He saith to them, "Because of your little faith. For verily I say to you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, 'Remove hence yonder,' and it will be removed, and nothing shall be impossible to you."
And Jesus, answering, said to them, "Verily I say to you, if ye have faith, and do not doubt, not only the withering of the fig tree shall ye accomplish, but, even if ye say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up, and be cast into the sea,' it shall be done.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! that kills the prophets, and stones those sent to her! how often did I wish to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! that kills the prophets, and stones those sent to her! how often did I wish to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate! read more. For I say to you, ye shall in no wise see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, 'Blessed is He That cometh in the name of the Lord!'"
"And, when the Son of man cometh in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then will He sit on the throne of His glory;
As it has been written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way;
But, that ye may know the Son of Man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (He saith to the paralytic).
so that the Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath."
For Herod himself, sending forth, laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison, for the sake of Herodias the wife of Philip, his brother, because he married her.
And He charged them that they should tell no one concerning Him.
For whosoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his soul a ransom for many."
And, while He was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining at table, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure spikenard, very costly; and, having broken the cruse, she was pouring it down on His bead.
And He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out in behalf of 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, and they crucified Him.
And, having risen early on the first day of a sabbath, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene from whom He had cast out seven demons. She, going, told it to those who had been with Him, as they were mourning and weeping. read more. And they, having heard that he was alive, and was seen by her, disbelieved. And after these things He appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking, going into the country; and they, going away, told it to the rest; neither did they believe them. And afterward He was manifested to the eleven themselves, as they were reclining at table, and upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not those who saw Him after He had risen. And He said to them, "Going into all the world, preach the Gospel to the whole creation. He that believes and is immersed shall be saved; but he that disbelieves shall be condemned. And these signs shall accompany those having believed: in My name will they cast out demons: they will speak with tongues; they will take up serpents; and, if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." The Lord Jesus, therefore, after He spake to them, was caught up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they, going forth, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word through the signs closely following.
Forasmuch as many took in hand to arrange in order a narrative concerning the facts that have been fully confirmed among us,
Forasmuch as many took in hand to arrange in order a narrative concerning the facts that have been fully confirmed among us, even as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us;
even as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us;
even as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us; it seemed good to me also, having traced all things accurately from the first, to write to you an orderly account, most noble Theophilus; read more. that you may fully know the certainty of the words wherein you were instructed.
but Herod, the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother, and concerning all the evils which Herod did,
to proclaim an acceptable year of the Lord."
But, that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority on the earth to forgive sins (He said to the paralyzed man), I say to you, arise; and, taking up your couch, go to your house."
And it came to pass, when the days for receiving Him up were being completed, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem;
And it came to pass, when the days for receiving Him up were being completed, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem;
"And who of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to his stature?
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones those sent to her; how often I wished to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is abandoned to you!
No domestic can serve two lords; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to one, and despise the other: ye cannot serve God and mammon."
I say to you, this man went down justified to his house, rather than the other; because every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
And there appeared to Him an angel from Heaven, strengthening Him.
(the same had not consented to their plan and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the Kingdom of God:
And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, (and we beheld His glory??lory as of the Only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.
And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, (and we beheld His glory??lory as of the Only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.
On the morrow he sees Jesus coming to him, and he says, "Behold, the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sin of the world!
And John testified, saying, "I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of Heaven, and He abode upon Him.
And I have seen, and have testified, that This is the Son of God."
He first finds his own brother Simon, and says to him, "We have found the Messiah," (which, being translated, is Christ).
Philip finds Nathanael, and says to him, "We have found Him of Whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote??esus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph." And Nathanael said to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip says to him, "Come and see."
Nathaniel answered Him, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel."
Nicodemus says to Him, "How can a man he born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and he born?"
The Samaritan woman, therefore, says to Him, "How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans).
She says to Him, "Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Whence, therefore, hast Thou the living water
The woman saith to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, neither come all the way hither to draw."
The Jews, therefore, were wrangling with one another, saying, "How can This Man give us His flesh to eat?"
What, then, if ye behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before?
But He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot; for he was about to betray Him, being one of the twelve.
The Jews, therefore, said among themselves, "Where is This Man about to go, that we shall not find Him? Is He about to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
others said, "This is the Christ;" but some said, "What? doth the Christ come out of Nazareth?"
They answered, and said to him, "Are you also of Galilee? Search, and see that out of Galilee arises no prophet." [And each one went to his house;
She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go your way; henceforth sin no more."]
I and the Father are One."
And it was the Preparation of the passover: it was about the sixth hour. And he says to the Jews, "Behold, your King!"
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he says what is true, that ye also may believe.
Jesus saith to her, "Touch Me not; for I have 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 have been written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, ye may have life in His name.
And, if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all the mysteries and all knowledge; and, if I have all faith, so as to 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.