xiv. 3. 1 Cor. q Acts v. 12: preached every where, the Lord working with them, ¶ and 1.4, 5. Heb. confirming the word with i signs following. [Amen.]] ii. 4. see reff. i render, the signs that followed. every where] No inference can be drawn from this word as to the date of the fragment. In Acts ix. 32 Peter is said to have "passed throughout all (quarters)... :” the expression being only a general one, indicating their performance, in their time and degree, of our Lord's words, into all the world. the Lord, i. e. Jesus: see Matt. xxviii. 20: Heb. ii. 3, 4, which last passage some have absurdly supposed to have been seen and used by our Evangelist. The two words rendered following (here and in ver. 17) are compound verbs, and both foreign to the diction of St. Mark, often as he uses the simple verb. A few concluding remarks may be added respecting vv. 9-20. (1) For the ex komit. ternal evidence, see as above. As to its genuineness as a work of the Evangelist Mark, (2) internal evidence is, I think, very weighty against St. Mark's being the author. No less than twenty-one words and expressions occur in it (and some of them several times), which are never elsewhere used by St. Mark,-whose adherence to his own peculiar phrases is remarkable. (3) The inference therefore seems to me to be, that it is an authentic fragment, placed as a completion of the Gospel in very early times: by whom written, must of course remain wholly uncertain; but coming to us with very weighty sanction, and having strong claims on our reception and reverence.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE. I. 1 FORASMUCH as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most a render, narration concerning. CHAP. I. 1-4.] PREFACE, ADDRESSED TO THEOPHILUS. The style of this preface is purer Greek than the contents of the Gospel, and also more laboured and formal.-This may be accounted for, partly because it is the composition of the Evangelist himself, and not translated from Hebrew sources like much of the rest, and partly because prefaces, especially when also dedicatory, are usually in a rounded and artificial style. 1. many] Much depends on the meaning of this word, as guiding, or modifying, our opinion on the relation and sources of our Gospel histories. (1) That the writers of our present Gospels exclusively cannot be meant, is evident; since, even supposing St. Luke to have seen all three Gospels, one (that of St. John) was wholly, and another (that of St. Matthew) was in greater part, the production of an eye-witness and minister of the word,-which would leave only one for the many. (2) Apocryphal Gospels exclusively cannot be meant for they would not be narrations concerning matters fully believed among us,' nor delivered by eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,' a great part of their contents being excluded by this very author from his own narration. (3) A combination of these two may be intended-e. g. of the later sort, the Gospel according to the Hebrews,of the former, that according to St. Mark, but then also how shall we make out the many? Our present apocryphal Gospels arose far later than any likely date which can be assigned to St. Luke's Gospel: see Introduction to Luke. (4) I believe the (I do not believe that either the Gospel a Heb. ii. 3. 1 Pet. v. 1. 2 Pet. i. 16. surely believed among us, 2 a even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, John xv. 27. and ministers of the word; 3 it seemed good to me also, 1 John i. 1 j b Mark i. 1. c Acts i. 1. having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent & John xx. 31. Theophilus, 4 d that thou mightest know the certainty of those bb things, wherein thou hast been instructed. e Matt. ii. 1. e 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, render, wast. word means, fulfilled. But the A. V. has the more likely rendering. Meyer would render it, which have found their completion among us,' i. e. 'us of the apostolic times; meaning Theophilus and himself,' &c. among us, i. e. us Christians, you and me, and all members of the Church of Christ-so also the unto us in ver. 2. 2.] The Apostles, &c., delivered these matters orally to the Churches in their teaching (see below on ver. 4), and others drew up accounts from that catechetical instruction. It appears from this, that St. Luke was not aware of any narration drawn up by an eye-witness or minister of the word. Their account of these matters was a tradition, from which the narrations were drawn up. He cannot therefore have seen (or, having seen, not recognized as such, which is highly improbable) the Gospel of St. Matthew. Compare 1 John i. 1-3. from the beginning] Not, from the very beginning,' i. e. the birth of the Lord, &c., but from the official beginning: see Acts i. 21 f. It differs from from the very first below. eyewitnesses most probably stands alone: but it may well be taken with of the word (see below). ministers, i. e. ministering servants-but in connexion with from the beginning. of the word-not, the personal word' (i. e. Christ so Orig., Athanasius, Cyril, Euthym.), which would be altogether alien from St. Luke's usage (see on Heb. iv. 12): but, the word, the word preached :' we have the expression "the ministry (but there diaconia) of the word" in Acts vi. 4. 3. it seemed good to me also] St. Luke by this classes himself with these many, and shews that he intended no disparagement nor blame to them, and was going to construct his own history from similar sources. The words which follow imply however a conscious superiority of his own qualification for the work. There is here no expressed claim to inspiration, but at the same time no disclaimer of it. having traced down] by research, and so become accurately acquainted with. from the very first-i. e. as in ver. 5;-as distinguished from those who only wrote of the official life of the Lord, or only fragments perhaps of that. in order] i. e. consecutively. By this word we must not understand St. Luke to lay claim to any especial chronological accuracy in writing;—which indeed is not found in his Gospel. He traced the events in order as they happened: but he may have arranged them as other considerations led him. most excellent Theo philus] It is wholly unknown who this person was. The name was a very common one. The conjectures about him are endless, and entirely without value. It appears by the title given him, that he was a person of dignity, and of course, from ver. 4, he was a convert to Christianity. The idea of the name being not a proper, but a feigned one, designating those who loved God' (found as early as Epiphanius, and adopted again recently), is far-fetched and improbable. 4. instructed] Theophilus had then been orally instructed in the narratives which form the subject of this Gospel: and St. Luke's intention in writing it is, that he might have a more accurate knowledge of these histories. The word means literally, catechized, 'catechetically taught.' those sayings] not, as in A. V., to be rendered 'things' neither the Greek nor the corresponding Hebrew word ever has this meaning, as is commonly but erroneously supposed. In all the commonly-cited examples of this, 'things expressed in words' are meant here, the histories,-accounts. 5-25.] ANNOUNCEMENT BY GABRIEL OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN. Peculiar to Luke. The style in the original now totally alters and becomes Hebraistic, signifying that the following is translated or compiled from an Aramaic oral narration, or perhaps (from the very distinct charac xxiv. 10, 19. Neh. xii. 4, 17. xvii. 1. Gen. vii. 1: 2 Kings XX. xxiv. 16. Chron. Chron. vii. Exod. xxx. 7 xxiv. 19. 14: xxxi. 2. a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: 1 Chron. and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before & God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were [a now] well stricken in years. 8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9 according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of 10k And the whole multitude of the people the Lord. were praying without at the time of incense. there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, m he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and "thou shalt call his name John. n ver. 60, 65. domit: not in the original. е literally, far advanced in their days. ter of these two first chapters) document. 9.] 5. of the course of Abia (Abijah)] This was the eighth of the four-and-twenty courses of the priests (see ref. 1 Chron.). These courses kept their names and order, though not their descent, after the captivity. The courses were of a week's duration each. Elisabeth] This is the Septuagint rendering, Exod. vi. 23, of Elisheba, the wife of Aaron: signifying, God (is my) oath: i. e. a swearer by, worshipper of, God. John was thus of priestly descent by both parents. This was the most honourable office which was allotted among the priests each day, and the same person could not serve it more than once. the temple] the holy place: see Heb. ix. 1-6, and Exod. xxx. 7. An account of John Hyrcanus the high priest having a vision at the time of offering incense is given in Josephus: see the extract in my Greek Testament. There also we are told that the people were outside (in the courts of the men and women):-their prayers were offered while the incense was burnt, as the smoke was symbolical of the ascent of prayer, Rev. viii. 3, 4. It appears, from the allotment having been just mentioned, to have been the morning incense-burning. Theophylact and others understand the whole as describing the entry into the Holy of i 8. 1 Sam. ii. 28. 1 Chron. xxiii. 13. 2 Chron. 11 And, xxix 11. k Lev. xvi. 17. Rev. viii. 3, 4. 1 Exod. xxx. 1. xiii. 22. Dan. ch. ii. 9. m Judg. vi. 22: x. 8. ver. 29. Acts x. 4. Rev.1.17. holies on the great day of Atonement, 13.] o ver. 58. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight Num. vi. 3. of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong Judg. xiii. 4. ch. vii. 33. q Jer. i. 5. Gal. i. 15. 8 Mal. iv. 5. Matt. xi. 14. q drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even r Mal. iv. 5, 6. from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18 And Zacharias said unto t Gen. xvii. 17. the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old wife 8 well stricken in years. 19 And the 10. Heb. i. angel answering said unto him, I am " Gabriel, that stand u Dan. viii. 16: ix. 21-23. Matt. xviii. 14. ... man, and t my f better, he shall be to thee. prayer was for the salvation of Israel by 16.] The work of John was g see on ver. 7. i. e. "the Lord their God," manifest in the 18.] |