Part 60 (1/2)

139 1 Sam. xxi. 1-7.

140 Is. xlii. 1, seq.; Is. xi. 10.

141 There may be an allusion, in these words of the prophet, to an Eastern custom, for those who were grievously afflicted to come to the sovereign for relief or redress, having pots of fire, or of burning straw, or other combustible on their heads, in token of their extreme trouble. Not one of these, the prophet seems to intimate, should go away without redress; he will certainly remove the cause of their complaints, and render truth and justice victorious over falsehood and oppression. 3 CALM. 394.

142 It appears from Mark vi. 7, that the apostles were sent forth by _two and two_ to preach; and this accounts for their being here and in the parallel places named in couples. Luke mentions Matthew first, as being regarded as the senior of Thomas, his companion; but Matthew modestly places his own name last. Mark is less observant of the order of the names, but he alone states that they were thus a.s.sociated. The others give the names in couples, but state no reason for it. This is not the method of false witnesses; such incidental corroborations belong only to the narratives of truth.

143 Thaddeus, Theudas and Judas (or Jude) are probably names of the same signification, the Greek termination being added to different forms of a Hebrew verb. ”The Canaanite,” Matth. x. 4, is the same with ”Zelotes” in Luke. ”Cognomen erat Chald. quod Lucas reddidit Zelotem.” Wetstein. Thus, Thomas is rendered Didymus, or, the twin; Cephas, Peter; and Silas, Tertius. Some suppose that this name had been given to Simon on account of his religious zeal; or, because he had been of a Jewish sect called Zealots, who were addicted to the Pharisees, and justified themselves by the example of Phinehas, for punis.h.i.+ng offenders without waiting for the sentence of the magistrate. NEWCOME.

”Between Matthew (x. 2,) and Mark (iii. 16,) we observe a strict correspondence, but the catalogue in St. Luke (vi. 14,) differs from both the first-mentioned writers, in two particulars. 1, 'Simon the Canaanite,' of Matthew and Mark is introduced as 'Simon called Zelotes.' Now if any difference was admitted in this place, we might expect it to extend no farther than to the order of the names, or the addition of a surname; as, for instance, Matthew calls the 'Thaddeus' of Mark also 'Lebbeus;' but here we have one surname changed for another. It is indeed easy to conceive, that Simon might have been commonly distinguished by either appellative, but this we can only conjecture; neither Evangelist adds a word to explain the point. 2, The other discrepancy, however, appears more serious. The Lebbeus or Thaddeus of St. Matthew and Mark, is entirely omitted in the list of St. Luke, who subst.i.tutes 'Judas the brother of James.'

Here is certainly a marked difference, for it would not seem very probable, that the Apostle in question pa.s.sed by three distinct names. Nor could this be a mere oversight in St. Luke, for, in Acts i. 13, where a catalogue of the eleven is inserted, he mentioned this individual in exactly the same manner. Are we to suppose then that the Evangelist commits a deliberate error in this particular?

We have distinct and satisfactory witnesses to prove that there really was an Apostle, besides Iscariot, who bore the name of Judas.

Both Matthew (xiii. 55,) and Mark (vi. 3,) concur in speaking of James and Jude as the near relations of Christ, and part of this statement is incidentally confirmed by St. Paul, who calls James 'the Lord's brother.' (Gal. i. 19.) But farther, St. John (xiv. 22,) presents us with a remark made by 'Judas not Iscariot;' evidently one of the Apostles; and St. Jude himself, in the first verse of his Epistle, styles himself 'the brother of James.' There is thus amply sufficient evidence, that all the Gospel writers acknowledge an Apostle of this name, though St. Matthew, with his usual simplicity, familiarly mentions him by two of his appellations, omitting that of Judas, and St. Mark sees no occasion to depart from his language, in a matter of such general notoriety. Luke, on the other hand, usually studious of accuracy, distinguishes this Apostle by the name generally current in the Church, when his Gospel was written. This variation then may, upon the whole, convince us how undesignedly the writers of Scripture confirm each other's statements; yet can this only be the result of a minute examination upon our part, and upon the probability of this, a cautious writer would hardly stake his reputation for truth or exactness.” See ROBERTS'S ”Light s.h.i.+ning out of Darkness,” pp. 91-93.

144 It may be objected that Matthew, in saying that this discourse was delivered sitting on a mountain, is contradicted by Luke, who says, that Jesus was standing on a plain. Luke vi. 17. But Dr. Clarke, on this latter place, has suggested that Jesus ”being pressed with great mult.i.tudes of people, might retire from them again to the top of the hill.” And Dr. Priestley observes that ”Matthew's saying that Jesus was _sat down_ after he had gone up the mountain, and Luke's saying that he stood on the plain, when he healed the sick before the discourse, are no inconsistencies.” Harm. p. 83.

The whole picture is striking. Jesus ascends a mountain, employs the night in prayer, and having thus solemnly invoked the divine blessing, authoritatively separates the twelve apostles from the ma.s.s of his disciples. He descends, and heals, in the plain, all among a great mult.i.tude, collected from various parts by the fame of his miraculous power. Having thus created attention, he satisfies the desire of the people to hear his doctrine; and retiring first to the mountain whence he came, that his attentive hearers might follow him, and might better arrange themselves before him. Sacro digna silentio Mirantur _omnes_ dicere. _Hor_. NEWCOME.

The different accounts of the Sermon on the Mount may be reconciled, by considering that Mathew wrote chiefly for the Hebrew Christians; and it was therefore important for him to bring out, in full, the manner in which our Lord enforced the spiritual nature of his dispensation and doctrine, in opposition to the mere letter of the Jewish law, and the teaching and practice of Scribes and Pharisees; which he does particularly and with many examples; while Luke, on the contrary, wrote chiefly for Gentile Christians, to whom the contrast with the Jewish law was of less interest; and therefore he omits those parts of the discourse, and dwells only upon those which were of practical importance to all. ROBINSON. NEWCOME.

145 The Greek word here employed is said to be derived from the Persians, among whom the king's messengers or posts were called _Angari_. These had the royal authority for pressing horses, s.h.i.+ps, and even men, to a.s.sist them in the business on which they were sent. The word therefore signifies, to be compelled by violence to do any particular service, especially of the public kind, by the king's authority. And the sentiment is a lesson of patience and gentleness under severe exactions from man. _Lightfoot, apud_ A.

CLARKE, _in loc_. SIR J. CHARDIN'S Travels, Vol. i. p. 238, 257.

146 Calvin says that Matthew, being more brief, introduces the centurion himself as speaking; and that Luke expresses more at large his sending by his friends; but that the sense of both is the same.

_Harm_. p. 124.

(Toinard quotes Exod. xviii. 6, where the words related as spoken by Jethro, were evidently a message sent by him to Moses. _Harm_. 147.) Considering then the sameness of the scene, of the person, of the words, and of the transaction, I cannot but conclude with Grotius, that the miracle is one and the same, related in general by Matthew, and with greater accuracy by Luke. NEWCOME.

147 The nature of our Lord's ministry, as it now appeared, so unlike what John as a Jew expected, may have surprised and perplexed him.

And his own misfortune, coming upon this disappointment and perplexity, would increase his doubt and embarra.s.sment. His faith was shaken;-the question implies no more;-and he sent that his doubts might be removed, and his faith confirmed. Jesus therefore merely referred John to the miracles he was doing, and the prophecies which spake of him, and which were fulfilled by those miracles. Bp. SUMNER, in loc.

148 Is. x.x.xv. 5, seq.

149 Mal. iii. 1.

150 Mal. iv. 5.

151 We here learn that the demoniac was both blind and dumb. St. Luke omits the former circ.u.mstance, but does not contradict it. NEWCOME.

152 An accurate reader will observe that Matt. xii. 22, and Luke xi. 14, show the general occasion of the blasphemy against Jesus; and that Matt. xii. 23, shews the particular occasion of it, the mult.i.tude alarming the Jewish rulers by their question whether Jesus were the Christ. No cause for the absurd and impious insinuation of the Scribes and Pharisees is a.s.signed by St. Mark: however, he suggests an important circ.u.mstance, that they came from Jerusalem to watch the conduct of Jesus. The latter part of Luke viii. 19, shows that his relations were not able to enter the house on account of the press. Thus one Evangelist is wonderfully supplemental to another by notations of time, place, and other circ.u.mstances; and the strictest propriety and agreement result from diligently comparing them.

NEWCOME.

153 The writer of a false narrative would either have omitted to mention the request for a sign, or would have related that it was complied with. He would never have exposed his Master to the suspicion of a want of power. See also, Matt. xvi. 1.

154 Jonah i. 17.

155 Jonah iii. 4, 5.

156 1 Kings x. 1 seq.