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 through all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, and healing every disease and every malady among the people.
And one of the pharisees asked Him to eat with him: and He went into the pharisee's house, and sat down.
I will rise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee,
On the morrow Paul and those that were with him departed from Ptolemais, and came to Cesarea; and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven deacons, we stayed with him.
and how shall they preach unless they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good tidings of peace, who bring the good tidings of good things?
And therefore He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; to qualify holy men for the work of the ministry,
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/worsley'>26,26/type/worsley'>26; Psalm 22); so that, fixing their eyes on the prophecies of Messiah's glory and kingdom which they wrested to mean His setting up a temporal kingdom at Jerusalem and overthrowing the Roman existing dominion, and shutting their eyes to the prophecies of His humiliation, "they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath," and yet in spite of themselves, like their types Joseph's brethren (Ge 50:20), "they have fulfilled them in condemning Him" (Ac 13:27; 3:18). The harmony in Christ of prophecies seemingly so opposite, His temporal and temporary humiliation, and yet His spiritual dominion now and His final visible and everlasting kingdom, furnish conclusive proof of the Divinity of prophecies which no human sagacity could have anticipated or human agency fulfilled.
The correspondence of the gospel event to the predictions of the Old Testament is thus established by the Jews, unwilling witnesses and therefore beyond suspicion. Graves (Pentateuch, 2:3,6) well says, had they universally embraced the gospel at its first publication, the sceptic might allege the prophecies to have been fabricated or altered to fit them to the events; the contrary is now certain. This is one great cause why the national conversion of the Jews is delayed "until the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in" (Ro 11:35). They continue guardians of the prophetic records until these shall have had their contents examined, and their application ascertained, by every other nation in the world. Genuineness and inspiration of the Four Gospels. The "prophets" in the Christian church who had the spiritual gift of "discerning spirits" were an effectual check on the introduction of a pseudo-inspired writing. Paul appeals to them on the inspiration of his letters (1Co 14:37; 12:10; compare 1Jo 4:1).
Thus, by the two-fold inspiration, that of the authors and that of the judges, the canonicity of the four Gospels, as of the other books of New Testament, is established. The anonymous fragment of the canon of the New Testament attributed to Caius a presbyter of Rome (published by Muratori, Antiq. Ital., iii. 854, and known as the Muratorian Fragment), recognizes the Gospels (Luke and John, the sentences as to Matthew and Mark are obliterated) as inspired, and condemns as uninspired the Shepherd by Hermes, "written very recently in our own times," i.e. in the first part of the second century, the age in which John the last apostle died. Theophilus (Ad Autol., iii. 11), Bishop of Antioch A.D. 168, refers to "the evangelists" and "the Holy Scriptures" of the New Testament. Clement of Alexandria in the latter part of the second century refers to the collection of Gospels as one whole, "the gospel" (Quis Dives Salvus?).
The anonymous letter to Diognetus (sec. 11 ed. Hefele) attributed to Justin Martyr refers to "the Gospels and the Apostles" (i.e. the letters). Ignatius of Antioch, a hearer of John (Ep. ad Philad., sec. 5), calls "the (written) Gospel the flesh of Jesus," and classes it with the Old Testament prophets. Tertullian (Adv. Marc. iv. 2), mentioning the Four Gospels two as the work of apostles and two as that of apostolic men (A.D. 208); Irenaeus (Adv. Haer., ii. 27; iii. 11, sec. 7); martyred A.D. 202; Origen, speaking of the four Gospels as "the elements of the church's faith"; Eusebius; and not only these orthodox writers but heretics, Marcion dud others, appeal to the Gospels as the inspired standard Canon. (See CANON.) .
They were translated into Syriac in the second century, and into Latin and the two Egyptian dialects by the fourth century. We have better evidence for their genuineness than for any other ancient writing. Theophilus arranged the Four Gospels so as to form one work (Jerome, Ep. ad Algas., iv. 197). Tartan, who died A.D. 170, formed a Diatessaron or harmony of the Four Gospels. Barnabas (Paul's companion), Clement of Rome (Php 4:3), and Polycarp quote the Gospels, though not with verbal exactness. Justin Martyr quotes Matthew, Luke, and John largely and exactly. As the heretic Gnostics and Marcion arose early in the second century their acceptance of the Gospels proves that these had been promulgated some time before (i.e. in the apostolic age itself), for after the dissensions between the orthodox and heretics had arisen the Gospels would never have been accepted by mutually hostile parties.
A distinct line was drawn between the apocryphal and the genuine Gospels. Unbelievers, as Celsus in controversy with Origen, could not deny the genuineness of the four even while rejecting their contents. The fathers' large quotations (Origen's especially) prove our Gospels were the same as theirs. Our Saviour wrote nothing Himself, the alleged letter to Abgarus, king of Edessa, being probably spurious. If He had (like Muhammed) recorded His own miracles and teachings, internal consistency would have been nothing marvelous. People would have deified the form, while failing to discern the inner essence. "If I bear witness of Myself My wit
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And a certain scribe came to Him, and said, Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest: and Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the fowls of heaven their nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. read more. But another of his disciples, whom he ordered to follow Him, said unto Him, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father: but Jesus said unto him; Do thou follow me, and let the dead 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 from the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no one could pass by that way:
And as Jesus was passing from thence, He saw a man sitting at the custom-house, named Matthew; and He saith to him, Follow me: and he rose up and followed Him.
Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus;
And He said, Come.
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus replied and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon son of Jonas, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
And from that time began Jesus to acquaint his disciples, that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, and chief priests, and scribes; and be put to death, and be raised again on the third day.
And when they were come to Capernaum, the receivers of the tribute-money came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? Yes, saith he.
And when they were come to Capernaum, the receivers of the tribute-money came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? Yes, saith he. And when he came into the house, Jesus prevented him and said, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children, or of other people? read more. Peter saith unto Him, Of others. Jesus answered him, Then are the children free: but that we may not give them offence, go to the sea-side and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and open its mouth, and thou shalt find a piece of money: that take and give them for me and thee.
They answered, Cesar's. Then saith He unto them, Render therefore to Cesar the things that are Cesar's; and to God the things that are God's.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Ye know that after two days the passover is to be kept,---and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
This fellow 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 had appointed them.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me both in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and instruct all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, read more. and of the holy Ghost, and 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. Amen.
and He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan, and among the wild beasts: and angels ministred unto Him.
and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the men he had hired, and went along with Him.
And as He went along, He saw Levi the son of Alpheus, sitting at the receit of custom, and saith unto him, Follow me: and he rose up and followed Him.
And when He had looked round upon them with indignation, being grieved at the hardness of their hearts, He saith to the man, Stretch out thine hand: and he stretched it out, and his hand was made as sound as the other.
and James the Son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, (and He surnamed them Boanerges, which is to say, Sons of thunder,) and Andrew,
And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
And He took him aside out of the croud, and He spit and put his fingers into his ears, and touched his tongue: and looking up to heaven He sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, be opened:
And immediately all the people, when they saw Him, were astonished; and running to Him, saluted Him.
And they departed from thence and passed through Galilee, and He was not willing that any should know it; for He was instructing his disciples, and told them, the Son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will put Him to death; and on the third day, after his being put to death, He will rise again. read more. But they knew not his meaning, and were afraid to ask Him. And he came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He asked them, What were ye disputing about among yourselves by the way?
And one of those that were present, drawing a sword, struck at the high priest's servant, and took off his ear.
But go, tell his disciples, and Peter particularly, that He is going before you into Galilee: there ye will see Him, as He told you.
Whereas many have undertaken to compose a narrative of the things, which have been fully certified among us;
But in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee called Nazareth,
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of David his father,
And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her own house.
Now in those days an edict was published by Augustus Cesar, that all the world should be enrolled or taxed,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being high priests, the word of God came unto John the Son of Zacharias in the wilderness: read more. and he went into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance in order to the remission of sins; as it is written in the book of Esaias the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight: every valley shall be raised, and every mountain and hill shall be lowered, and the crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth: and all men shall see the salvation of God." Therefore said he to the multitudes that came to be baptised by him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits becoming penitents, and do not say within yourselves, "We have Abraham for our father," for I tell you that God can of these stones raise up children to Abraham. And now the ax is laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which doth not yield good fruit, is cut down and cast into the fire. And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? And he saith unto them, Let him that hath two coats, give one to him that hath none, and let him that hath food do the like. And there came publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And He said unto them, Exact no more than what is appointed you. And the soldiers also asked him, saying, And what shall we do? and He said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your pay. Now as the people were in suspense, and were all thinking in their hearts concerning John, whether he were the Christ or not, John answered and said to them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but a mightier than I is coming, whose shoes I am not worthy to untie: He will baptize you with the holy Spirit, and with fire; whose fan is in his hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather the wheat into his granary, but will burn up the chaff in unquenchable fire. And many other things by way of exhortation did he preach unto the people. But Herod the tetrarch being reproved by him on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the wicked things which Herod did, added this likewise to all the rest, that he shut up John in prison. Now, when all the people were baptized, and Jesus was baptized and praying, the heaven was opened, and the holy Spirit descended in a corporeal form, like a dove upon Him, and there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. And Jesus was then about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
And Jesus returned by the influence of the Spirit into Galilee: and a fame was spread through all the country round about concerning Him:
And when they had done this, they inclosed a multitude of fishes; and their net was breaking.
he fell at the knees of Jesus, saying, Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man;
as were also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Be not afraid, from henceforth thou shalt be a captor of men.
After these things He went out and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the custom-house, and said to him, Follow me:
And it came to pass on the second-sabbath after the first, that as He was passing through the corn-fields, his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and rubbed them in their hands and ate them.
And it came to pass afterwards that He went through every city and village, preaching and declaring the good tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with Him;
Now Peter and they that were with Him were heavy with sleep; but being awakened they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with Him.
And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not; for he, that is not against us, is for us. And it came to pass, as the days were almost fulfilled of his being received up again into heaven, that He set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And it came to pass, as the days were almost fulfilled of his being received up again into heaven, that He set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And as they were going by the way, there was one said to Him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest: and Jesus answered him, The foxes have holes, and the fowls of heaven their 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, permit me to go first and bury my father: but Jesus said unto him, Leave the dead to bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but allow me first to go and take my leave of my family.
And he went through the cities and villages teaching, as He journeyed towards Jerusalem. And one said to Him, Lord, are there but few that shall be saved?
At the same time came some of the pharisees, and said to Him, Go out and depart hence, for Herod intends to kill thee.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and ye would not?
And as He was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee;
And as He was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee;
And they brought to Him infants also, that He might touch them: and his disciples seeing it rebuked them.
Then they were more vehement, saying, He stirreth up the people to sedition, spreading his doctrine throughout all Judea: having begun at Galilee and come even to this place.
The Lord is risen indeed, and hath been seen by Simon.
The day following Jesus had a mind to go out into Galilee, and meeting with Philip, saith unto him, Follow me.
For the passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those that sold oxen,
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again: then said the Jews,
After these things came Jesus, and his disciples into the land of Judea: and He stayed with them there, and baptized.
He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And as He must pass through the country of Samaria, He came to a Samaritan city called Sichar, read more. near the piece of ground which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. And Jacob's well was there. Now Jesus was tired with his journey, and sat down at the well: and it was about the sixth hour of the day, when a woman of Samaria coming to draw water, Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away to the city to buy food.) But the Samaritan saith unto Him, How is it that thou who art a Jew askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan? for the Jews have no friendly intercourse with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou the living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water, will thirst again; but he that drinketh of the water which I shall give him, shall never thirst: but the water, which I shall give him, will be in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternal life. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go call thine husband, and come hither. The woman answered, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou hast said right, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he, whom thou now hast, is not thy husband: this thou hast said true. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the time is coming, when ye shall worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Ye worship ye know not what; but we worship what we know: for salvation is from the Jews. But the time is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father requireth such worshippers of Him. God is a spirit, and they that worship Him, must worship in spirit and truth. Then saith the woman unto Him, I know that the Messiah, that is to say the Christ, is coming; and when He comes, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I, who am talking to thee, am He. And upon this came his disciples and wondered that He talked with the woman: (though none of them said, What dost thou seek? or, Why dost thou talk with her?) therefore the woman left her water-pot, and went away into the city, and saith to the people, Come, see a man who hath told me all that ever I did; is not this the Christ? They therefore went out of the city, and came to Him. In the mean time his disciples addressed Him, saying, Master, eat. But He said unto them, I have food to eat, which ye know not of. Therefore the disciples said one to another, Hath any one brought Him aught to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My food is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work. Do not ye say, it is yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, lift up your eyes, and see the fields, they are already white for harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth the fruit together unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together; for herein the saying is verified, that one soweth, and another reapeth, in as much as I have sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured: others have laboured, and ye are entered into their labors. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him, because of what the woman said, testifying, He told me all that ever I did. Therefore when the Samaritans came to Him, they desired Him to stay with them: and He staid there two days. And many more believed on account of his own discourse: and said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what thou hast spoken; for we ourselves have heard Him, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. And after two days he departed thence, and went into Cana of Galilee.
After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
After these things Jesus resided in Galilee: for He would not appear in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.
After these things Jesus resided in Galilee: for He would not appear in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews feast called the feast of tabernacles was near;
But when his brethren were gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not in a public manner but as it were in private.
Wherefore Jesus appeared no longer publicly among the Jews; but went away from 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 shewed Himself again to the disciples near the sea of Tiberias; and He shewed Himself thus.
They answered Him, No. And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye will find some. So they cast it, and they were not able to draw it up by reason of the multitude of fishes. Whereupon that disciple whom Jesus loved, saith to Peter, "It is the Lord." Then Simon Peter perceiving that it was the Lord, girded on his coat, (for he was stript,) and threw himself into the sea;
The former treatise, O Theophilus, I made concerning all that Jesus undertook both to do and to teach;
and they were all filled with the holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. read more. And when this rumor was spread, the multitude came together and were astonished; for every one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were all amazed and wondered, saying to one another, Behold, are not all these, that are speaking, Galileans? and how do we every one hear them in our own native tongue? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those that dwell in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Capadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers from Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
but thus hath God accomplished those things which He had foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer.
But many of them who heard the word, believed: and the number of the men was about five thousand.
But Peter said, By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing polluted or unclean.
And they assembled in the church a whole year, and taught much people: and the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
And considering with himself, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was sirnamed Mark, where many were gathered together and praying.
Now Paul and those that were with him loosing from Paphos, came to Perga in Pamphylia: but John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.
And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation to the people, deliver it. Then Paul stood up, and made a sign with his hand, and said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. read more. ---The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and raised the people, while they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with mighty power brought them out of it. And about forty years He bare with their behaviour in the wilderness. And destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them their country for an inheritance. And after these things, about the space of four hundred and fifty years, He gave them judges till Samuel the prophet. And then they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the Son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years. And having removed him, He raised up David for their king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will perform all my will. Of this man's seed, according to the promise, hath God raised up to Israel Jesus the Saviour: John having preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, Whom do ye take me to be? I am not He: but behold there cometh one after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose. ---Men and brethren, children of the race of Abraham, and all those among you that fear God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing Him, have indeed fulfilled the words of the prophets, which are read every sabbath-day, in condemning Him.
For the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing Him, have indeed fulfilled the words of the prophets, which are read every sabbath-day, in condemning Him. And though they found in Him no capital offence, yet they desired of Pilate that He might be put to death. read more. And when they had finished all things that were written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead: and He was seen for many days by those that came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. And we bring you good tidings, that the promise made unto the fathers God hath fulfilled unto us their children, having raised up Jesus again: as it is also written in the second psalm, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to the place of corruption, He hath said thus, "I will give you the sure mercies of David." Wherefore he saith also in another place, Thou wilt not suffer thine holy One to see corruption. Now David having served his own generation according to the will of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption: but He whom God raised, did not see corruption. Be it known therefore unto you, brethren, that through Him is preached unto you the remission 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, least what is spoken in the prophets come upon you, "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and vanish; for I do a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though any one should declare it unto you." As they went out of the synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles desired that these words might be spoken to them on the following sabbath. And when the synagogue was broken up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who addressing themselves to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And on the next sabbath almost all the city came together to hear the word of God.
And at Iconium they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great number both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.
But Paul did not think proper to take him with them, who left them in Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to his custom Paul went in among them, and for three sabbath-days discoursed to them from the scriptures; read more. opening them and shewing, that the Messiah was to suffer and rise again from the dead: and that this is the Christ even, Jesus, whom, said he, I preach unto you. And some of them believed and joined themselves to Paul and Silas, and a great number of the devout Greeks, and of the women of distinction not a few.
And when he had spent some time there, he departed, and went in order through the country of Galatia and Phrygia strengthening all the disciples.
or saith not the law the same also? for it is written in the law of Moses, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn." Now doth God take care for oxen, or doth He say this indeed for our sakes? For it is certainly written for our sakes, that he, who ploweth, might plow in hope; and that he, who thresheth in hope, should partake of his hope.
to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another the discerning of spirits; to another various kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
If any one seem to be a prophet, or acted by the Spirit, let him acknowlege that what I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.
And we have sent along with him the brother, whose praise in the gospel is spread through all the churches:
But when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was indeed to be blamed. For before certain men came from James, he did eat with the gentiles; but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. read more. And the rest of the Jews dissembled also with him; so that Barnabas too 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 Peter before them all,---If thou, who art a Jew, livest sometimes after the manner of the gentiles, and not like the Jews, why dost thou now in a manner compel the gentiles to judaize?
And I entreat thee likewise, my faithful collegue, to assist them, for they laboured with me in the gospel, and Clement also, and my other fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life.
Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus nephew to Barnabas, concerning whom ye have received orders; (if he come to you, receive him;) and Jesus who is called Justus:
Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is useful to me in the ministry.
Salute one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
For we did not follow artfully devised fables, when we made known unto 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 be of God: for 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 abrogate the law, or the prophets: I am not come to abolish, but to compleat them:
Ye have heard, that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever committeth murder, shall be liable to the judgment:
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or at lest he will be attached to the one, and neglect the other: ye cannot serve God and mammon:
And which of you by all his thought can add one cubit to his stature?
but that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, Arise (saith He then to the paralytic) and take up thy couch, and go away to thy house.
Come unto me therefore all ye who are labouring and oppressed, and I will give you ease.
And the men of that place getting knowledge of Him, sent into all that country about; and they brought to Him all that were ill;
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat.
And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief: for verily I tell you, if ye had but faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye might say to this mountain, Remove from hence thither, and it shall remove: and nothing would be impossible to you.
but Jesus answering said unto them, Verily I tell you, if ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only be able to do this to a fig-tree, but also if ye shall say to this mountain, "Be thou removed and cast into the sea," it shall be done.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold your house shall be left you desolate: read more. for I tell you, ye shall not see me after this, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
So when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon his glorious throne:
As it is written in the prophets, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee:"
But that ye may know, that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,
For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her:
for whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this degenerate and sinful age, of him will the Son of man be also ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.
For the Son of man came not to be ministred unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.
And when He was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He was at table, there came a woman with an alabaster-box of ointment of spikenard, very valuable; and she brake the box and poured it on his head.
And He said unto them, This is an emblem of my blood the seal of the new covenant, which is to be 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 in the clouds of heaven.
Now Jesus being risen early on the first day of the week appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven devils: and she went and told those that used to be with Him, who were mourning and weeping; read more. but they, though they heard that He was indeed alive, and had been seen by her, did not believe it. After this He appeared in another form to two of them as they were walking, going into the country: and they went and told the rest; but they did not believe them neither. At last he appeared to the eleven as they were sitting at table, and upbraided them with their unbelief, and hardness of heart; because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He was risen. And He said unto them, Go to all the world and preach the gospel to every one: he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned. And these signs shall accompany them that believe; in my name shall they cast out demons, they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they should drink any thing poisonous, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall be well. Now the Lord, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord co-operating with them, and confirming the word by miracles following upon it. Amen.
Whereas many have undertaken to compose a narrative of the things, which have been fully certified among us;
Whereas many have undertaken to compose a narrative of the things, which have been fully certified among us; as they delivered them to us, who were from the beginning eye-witnesses of them, and ministers of the word;
as they delivered them to us, who were from the beginning eye-witnesses of them, and ministers of the word;
as they delivered them to us, who were from the beginning eye-witnesses of them, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having thoroughly traced them all from the very first, to write an account of them in order to thee, read more. most excellent Theophilus, that thou mayst know the certainty of the things wherein thou hast been instructed.
But Herod the tetrarch being reproved by him on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the wicked things which Herod did,
but that ye may know, that the Son of man hath power even on earth to forgive sins, (He spake to the paralytic) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go to thine house.
And it came to pass, as the days were almost fulfilled of his being received up again into heaven, that He set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And it came to pass, as the days were almost fulfilled of his being received up again into heaven, that He set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And which of you by all his thought can add one moment to his life?
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children, as a hen gathers 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 at lest he will be attached to the one, and neglect the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for whoever exalteth himself shall be abased, but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven strengthening Him.
(who had not consented to their counsel nor their action; and who was also himself in expectation of the kingdom of God:)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, being full of grace and truth: and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, being full of grace and truth: and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming towards him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
And John testified saying, I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it abode upon Him.
And I saw it, and therefore testified that this is the Son of God.
He first meeteth with his own brother Simon, and telleth him, "We have found the Messiah, which is to say, the Christ."
Philip meeting Nathaniel, saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and of whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Jeseph. And Nathaniel said unto him, Can any thing good come out of Nazareth? Philip replied, Come and see.
Nathaniel replied, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the king of Israel.
Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
But the Samaritan saith unto Him, How is it that thou who art a Jew askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan? for the Jews have no friendly intercourse with the Samaritans.
The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou the living water?
The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.
The Jews therefore cavilled amongst themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
What then, if ye should see the Son of man ascending up, where He was before?
Now He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon; for he was about to betray Him, though he was one of the twelve apostles.
Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will He go, that we shall not find Him? will He go to them that are dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
Others said, This is the Messiah. But some said, Shall the Messiah come out of Galilee?
They replied, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and see: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. And every man went to his own house.
And she said, None, Lord. Then said Jesus unto her, Neither do I condemn thee, Go thy way and sin no more.
I and the Father are one. Then the Jews again took up stones to stone Him.
(And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour.) And he saith to the Jews, Behold your king. But they cried out,
And he that saw it testifieth it, and his testimony is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye may believe.
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not now; for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go directly to my brethren, and tell them, "I am to ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God."
but these things are written, that ye may believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life through his name.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and am acquainted with all mysteries, and all knowledge: yea if I have faith, even. to remove mountains, and have not charity, 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.