The first part of this work is a collation of all that is said, and just what is said, in each of the four Gospels, regarding the more important incidents of Jesus' life. Every statement in the text, it is thought, is accurate, free from personal coloring or sectarian bias, and may be verified from the passages cited. After examining various lives of Jesus, harmonies of the Gospels, etc., there seemed to be need of such a work, which would furnish simply the facts, and leave the reader to form his own conclusions.
Certain notes are appended in elucidation of or comment on the text, and these may be taken for what they are worth. Their underlying idea is, that the true greatness of Jesus lay in His being a human Teacher and not a Divine Redeemer, and therefore the supernatural parts of the Gospel story are not of vital importance.
The King James version has been used, since that has been the Bible of English-speaking peoples up to the present century, and their conceptions of Jesus have been formed from it, and not from the revised version. The differences between the two versions are probably not material to any matter herein discussed.
The second part is an attempt to point out, and comment on, the many and wide divergences that have grown up between the preachings of Jesus and the practices of His professed followers. Its object is not to criticise the short-comings of Christianity, but to bring home to the people of the United States a realization of the practical effect which these divergences have had, and are now having, on political and economic questions of high import to the present and future welfare of mankind.
Mark and John give no genealogy of Jesus, except that He was the son of Joseph and Mary (Mark III:31; VI:3; John I:45; II:1; XIX:25), and is spoken of as the son of David (Mark X:47, 48; XI:10; John VII:42).
Matthew gives a genealogy from Abraham down to Joseph (Chap. I), and Luke gives one from Joseph up to Adam (III:2, 23-28).[1]
These two lines of ancestry are the same from Abraham down to David. There they diverge into two separate lines. Matthew has the next in descent Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba, former wife of Uriah, the Hittite (1 Chron. III:5). Luke has, in place of Solomon, his fullblood brother Nathan (1 Chron. III:5).[2]
From this point down, there is little agreement between the two lines of descent.
Even as to the father of Joseph, Matthew has Jacob, while Luke says his name was Heli. They agree as to Joseph's grandfather—Matthan or Matthat—but, as to his great grandfather, Matthew has Eleazar, while Luke has Levi.
As to Matthew's line of descent from Solomon, most of his names will be found in I Chron. Chap. III, although there are several differences. Where Luke obtained his names of Nathan's descendants, does not appear.[3]
Matthew and Luke state that Jesus was conceived of Mary, when a virgin, by the Holy Ghost (Matt. Chap. I, Luke Chap. I).
Mark and John are silent on the subject, except as they speak of Jesus as being the son of Joseph and Mary (Mark III:31; VI:3; John I:45; II:1; XIX:25).
Matthew says that Joseph, after he was "espoused" to Mary and was her "husband", but before they "came together", discovered that she was with child and was "minded to put her away privily." But an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and told him that his "wife" was with child by the Holy Ghost,[4] and would bring forth a son, and that he should call His name Jesus. Matthew adds that this was in fulfillment of an Old Testament prophesy, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah VII:14).[5]
Luke gives the name of the angel, to-wit: Gabriel,[6] but he appears to Mary instead of to Joseph. He also appeared before Mary's conception, instead of after, as in Matthew.[7] Apparently Mary, while "espoused" to Joseph, was not yet his "wife", since she asks the angel how she shall conceive, "seeing that I know not a man?" (Luke I:34).[8] It would also seem that the appearance of the angel was not in a dream, since his conversation with Mary is related as any ordinary conversation between two natural persons.[9]
Luke gives (Chap. I) a quite lengthy account of the conception of John the Baptist, which is very similar to the story of the conception of Samson in the Old Testament (Judges Chap. XIII). He also tells of a three months' visit of Mary to Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist and Mary's cousin (Luke I:36), and of Elisabeth's recognition of Mary as the mother of "My Lord" (Luke I:43).[10] While Mary treated the announcement of the angel rather indifferently (Luke I:38), she now, on this salutation of Elisabeth, pours out a grand hymn of invocation and thanksgiving for the blessing that has come upon her (Luke I:46-55).
The three other evangelists are silent as to these incidents and do not mention any relationship between Jesus and John.
Mark and John furnish no information as to the life of Jesus prior to His baptism by John.
Both Matthew and Luke agree in giving Bethlehem of Judæa as the place of Jesus' birth. Apparently Matthew considered Bethlehem the then residence of Joseph and Mary, for he says nothing of their presence there being temporary, and Joseph, when he returned from Egypt, was going back to Judæa (Bethlehem), but, on being warned of God in a dream, "he turned aside into the parts of Galilee; and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth" (Matt. II:22, 23). Luke, however, says that Joseph and Mary came down to Bethlehem from Nazareth to be taxed (or enrolled), and, because there was no room for them in the inn, Jesus, when born, was laid in a manger. Matthew does not mention any manger, but, on the other hand, the "wise men of the East" find the family in "the house," as would be natural if Bethlehem was Joseph's residence (Matt. II:11).
Matthew alone tells the story of the visit of the wise men from the East (Matt. II:1-2). He does not tell us the country from which they came, nor how they learned of the approaching birth of Jesus, the usual deus ex machina of Matthew and Luke—an angel in a dream—not being used here, although he appears in warning the wise men not to see Herod on their return (Matt. II:12).
Matthew also relates that it was revealed to the "wise men" that Jesus was to be "king of the Jews" (Matt. II:2). But Jesus never used this title as applying to Himself, and, that He did use it, was one of the "false" charges made against Him at His trial (John XVIII:33, 34, 36).
Luke also has a visit to the new born Jesus, but it is of shepherds "in the same country," instead of strangers from the East. To these shepherds appeared, not a star, but first one angel and then "a multitude of the heavenly host." This gives Luke the opportunity to introduce a beautiful hymn of greeting to the new born Babe, which is entirely lacking in Matthew (Luke II:10-14). The shepherds did their homage by "glorifying and praising God," instead of by gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh (Matt. II:11).
Matthew is the only one of the evangelists to tell of the slaying by Herod of "all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under," and the flight of Joseph and Mary to Egypt (Matt. II:16-23).[11]
Luke alone tells of the visit to the temple when Jesus was twelve years old, and of His meeting the "doctors," "both hearing them and asking them questions" (Luke II:46).[12]
John's baptism of Jesus is the first event in the latter's life which all four evangelists unite in recording. The earlier events related by Matthew and Luke—Mark and John either do not know, or do not believe, or do not deem worth recording.
John begins his preaching about the year A. D. 26 (Luke III:1). Apparently Jesus was "about thirty years of age" when He was baptized (Luke III:23). The four Gospels describe at some length, and with substantial agreement, the preaching of John and the incidents of the baptism (Matt. III, Mark I, Luke III, John I).
Matthew's narrative covers seventeen verses, and John recognizes Jesus, for he says, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?" (Matt. III:14).
It does not appear that any one but Jesus saw the dove descending from heaven, or heard the voice (Matt. III:16-17).
Mark's narrative is the most concise, covering eleven verses, and omitting one or two points of John's preaching and his recognition of Jesus, as given in Matthew (Mark I:1-11). It does not appear that John knew or greeted Jesus in any way, or that any one but Jesus saw the dove or heard the voice.
Luke expands the story to twenty-two verses (Luke III:1-22), adding some points of John's preaching not given in Matthew or Mark. The baptismal ceremony is condensed into two verses, and, as in Luke, it does not appear that John recognized Jesus, or that any one but Jesus saw the dove or heard the voice.
John's account covers twenty-two verses (John I:15-36), and differs quite markedly from the other three. This Gospel adds a material point to John's preaching not in the others (John I:15-18), and omits certain points appearing in the others. The actual baptism itself is not described, but John speaks of it as an event that had occurred. He did not recognize Jesus on first meeting Him (contrary to Matthew's version): "And I knew Him not" (John I:31, 33). But "I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it abode upon Him" (John I:32). And "He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost" (John I:33). On account of this sign, therefore, he accepted Jesus as the "Lamb of God."[13]
From this point on, the accounts of Jesus' movements in the four Gospels are so confusing and contradictory that the only feasible plan seems to be to follow one Gospel to its end, noting similarities or differences in the other Gospels as they occur in the course of the narrative.
But, before starting on this, it seems necessary to grasp clearly just what was Jesus' basic purpose in this, His life-work. Probably nine out of ten of His followers of today would say that it was to redeem mankind and convert the world to His teachings. Now, the evidence of the four Gospels is directly contrary to this view. Jesus had little regard for the Gentiles or Heathen, and no interest whatever in their conversion. His references to them are usually derogatory and rather contemptuous (Matt. VI:32; X:18; XVIII:17; XX:19; Mark X:33, 42, 43; Luke XXII:25), although there are one or two exceptions, when He is upbraiding the Jews for their unbelief (Matt. VIII:10; XI:21).
Apparently He never preached to the Gentiles, and was loath to exercise His healing powers for their benefit. When the woman of Canaan besought Him to cure her daughter, He at first refused on the ground that His healing powers were reserved for the Jews. "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs" (Matt. XV:26).
In His instructions to His apostles and disciples (Matt. X; Mark VI:7-13; Luke IX:1-6), He does not enjoin on them to preach to the Gentiles, but, on the contrary, expressly prohibits them from doing so. "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and, into any city of the Samaritans, enter ye not" (Matt. X:5; see also Matt. X:23).
The apostles, as judges in heaven, are to have jurisdiction, not over the Gentiles, but only over Jews. "Ye, also, shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. XIX:28).
The angel who announced Jesus' conception to Joseph said that "He shall save His people from their sins"—not the whole world or "all nations" (Matt. I:21). So the angel who announced the conception of Jesus to Mary said that God should give unto Him the throne of His father David, and that He should "reign over the house of Jacob forever" (Luke I:32, 33).
One of the first recorded utterances of Jesus is: "Think not that I come to destroy the Law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill" (Matt. V:17). The converted Paul, with the over-zeal that often marks converts, conceived that his own mission was to destroy the old Jewish law, and worked most successfully towards that end, overcoming the opposition of Peter, James, John and other intimate associates of Jesus (Gal. Chap. II). But Jesus, in adhering to the old Law, necessarily excluded from His scheme of redemption all Gentiles and others who did not practice circumcision and similar obligatory rites of the Jewish faith.
Finally, we have Jesus' own clear and positive declaration of His understanding of His mission. "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. XV:24).
As against this explicit statement of His position, the two ambiguous references to some future (apparently after His death) preaching of His Gospel "for a witness unto all nations," or that it "must first be published among all nations," can have no weight (Matt. XXIV:14; Mark XIII:10).
The evidence establishes beyond a doubt that the characterization of Jesus by Paul and others who had never heard or seen Him, as an evangel to the Gentiles and a redeemer of mankind, was not only not authorized by Jesus, but was explicitly repudiated by Him. His only mission, as He conceived it, was to bring back the Jews to the true, simple worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.[14]
That Jesus failed in this mission must be admitted. At first the people flocked in multitudes to listen to His preaching. This was due in part to their expectation of a coming Messiah and, no doubt, in part to the effect of John's work. But what the Jews expected was an earthly kingdom and a ruler who would give them victory over the heathen. They had no interest whatever in a spiritual kingdom. Their disappointment was bitter when they found that Jesus promised them only a kingdom in heaven. Nor were they affected by such miracles as healing the sick, making the blind to see, the lame to walk, etc. The miracles they demanded were those of the Old Testament, when the Lord of Hosts visited His overwhelming wrath upon the armies of their enemies.
His neighbors of Galilee were the first to fall away from Jesus, and apparently He felt this defection deeply (Compare Matt. IV:25 with Matt. XIII:57, 58; Mark I:28 with VI:4, 5, 6). Even His own brothers did not believe in Him (John VII:5).
This opposition to Him spread (Matt. XI:20; XIII:57), and gradually deepened into active animosity, so that He was on occasions driven out of different places, or was in danger of stoning or death (Matt. VIII:34; Luke IV:29; John VII:I, 19, 44; VIII:59; X:39).
Finally the end came at Jerusalem, when His personal adherents had apparently dwindled down to a few besides His apostles. Jerusalem had always shown Him little favor, but, at this time of the Passover, it was filled with Jews from all parts of their country. Yet, when Pilate offered to release Him to the people, there was none to ask for His freedom. At the very last, even all His disciples fled from Him (Matt. XXVI:56).
Some small bands or sects of Jewish followers survived His death, but their numbers constantly diminished, and all of them disappeared within a few centuries after His death. From that time to this the Jews have consistently, and practically unanimously, rejected Jesus' teachings and His claims to be their Messiah.[15]
Matthew, Mark and Luke say that Jesus, after His baptism by John, was "led up," or driven "of the Spirit" into the wilderness, staying there forty days fasting and being "tempted of the devil" (Matt. IV:1-11; Mark I:12, 13; Luke IV:1-13). Mark says that this was "immediately" after the baptism, and condenses the event into two verses. Matthew and Luke give in detail the temptations of the devil. Matthew and Mark mention that Jesus was ministered to by angels. Luke adds at the end that the devil departed from Him "for a season."[16]
John directly contradicts this story of Matthew, Mark and Luke. He gives Jesus' movements specifically for three days after His baptism. On the first day He calls two of His apostles, Andrew and his brother Simon Peter (John I:35-42). On the second day He calls Philip, and here occurs the interview with Nathaniel (John I:43-51), which appears only in this Gospel. On the third day Jesus, instead of fasting in the wilderness, attends a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, and performs what John says was His first miracle—the turning of water into wine (John II:1-11).
"After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brethren and His disciples; and they continued there not many days" (John II:12). "And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem" (John II:13).
Matthew says that, after the fasting in the wilderness and after a visit to Nazareth, Jesus "came and dwelt in Capernaum" on the coast of the Sea of Galilee (Matt. IV:12,13). As He was walking by the sea, he found Peter and Andrew fishing, and summoned them to follow Him (Matt. IV:18,19,20). Going on from thence He found James and John fishing and summoned them also (Matt. IV:21-22). Matthew does not tell us of the circumstances of the calling of the other apostles except Matthew. After the delivery of the Sermon on the Mount, and the performance of various miracles, and Jesus had come into Capernaum (Matt. IX:1; IV:13),[17] as He "passed forth from thence, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom; and He saith unto him, follow me, and he arose and followed Him" (Matt. IX:9). Matthew speaks several times of the "disciples" (apostles)[18] collectively, both before and after the calling of Matthew (Matt. V:1; VIII:23,25; IX:19). The names of the twelve are given in Chap. X:1-4.
Mark has the same account as Matthew of the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John, but in place of the calling of Matthew has the following: "And as He passed by he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, follow me. And he arose and followed Him" (Mark II:14). After this Mark several times mentions His "disciples" (Mark II:15, 16, 18, 23; III:7, 9), and later says that He "ordained twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them forth to preach" (Mark III:14). Both Matthew and Mark give James "the son of Alphaeus," as one of the apostles, but not Levi.
Luke relates that Jesus found Peter, with James and John, his "partners," fishing by the "Sea of Gennesaret" (Galilee), and called them and they followed Him (Luke V:1-11). He omits any mention of Andrew and adds two new incidents, that Jesus "taught the people out of the ship," and that Peter and the others put out their nets and they "inclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their net broke."
A little later Jesus "saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom," and He said to him, "Follow me, and he left all, rose and followed Him" (Luke V:27, 28).
Luke adds here the incident that Levi "made Him a great feast," at which publicans and others sat down, and the scribes and Pharisees rebuked the disciples, saying "Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?" (Luke V:27-32).[19]
At some uncertain time later Jesus called "unto Him His disciples, and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles" (Luke VI:13). Then follow the names, the same as in Matthew and Mark.
John's story is somewhat variant. Jesus' baptism took place at Bethabara, beyond Jordan, in the Decapolis, and some distance both from Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. Here, on the next day, Jesus meets John and two of His disciples (John I:35, 36). One of these is Andrew, and he brings His brother Simon Peter to Jesus. The two acknowledge Him as the Messiah, and thereafter follow Him (John I:40-42). The following day Jesus finds Philip and makes him one of His disciples (John I:43). There is no further mention of any specific apostles being called by Jesus, although there are constant references to His disciples being with Him (John II:2, 12, 17; III:22; IV:8). There is no specific account of the choosing of the twelve, although the Gospel mentions later that they had been chosen (John VI:67, 70).
In the last chapter of John "Nathaniel of Cana" is mentioned apparently as one of the twelve apostles (John XXI:2), although his name is not in the lists of Matthew, Mark and Luke. He was probably the same Nathaniel who appears earlier in this Gospel (John I:43-51).
The Sermon on the Mount is the first discourse by Jesus narrated by Matthew, and is the longest connected discourse to be found in the four Gospels. The place of its delivery is not fixed other than that "He went up into a mountain," but it was probably some elevation of land in Galilee, near Capernaum (Matt. IV:13). The time of its delivery is also not fixed, although it must have been shortly after the baptism by John. Jesus had already done some preaching in Galilee and performed some miracles (Matt. IV:23, 24), but the delivery of the sermon ante-dates all the specific miracles which Matthew relates. The discourse covers three chapters (109 verses) of Matthew's text.
There is, in the four Gospels, no other connected discourse corresponding to the Sermon on the Mount, except in Luke. In Chapter VI he gives a discourse covering twenty-nine verses of his text, which are substantially the same as corresponding verses of the Sermon on the Mount. The place of the delivery of this discourse is not fixed, except that it was on a "plain" (Luke VI:17), probably near Capernaum (Luke VII:1). The time is not fixed, except that Luke's sermon on the plain occurs after a number of miracles and other events (Luke IV:33-44; VI:1-19), while in Matthew's narrative the Sermon on the Mount occurs before these events (Matt. VIII and following).
Some of the verses of this discourse will be found scattered through Mark and John, but a considerable portion of it is entirely lacking. For instance, the "beatitudes" do not appear in either Mark or John.[20]
In Matthew the Lord's Prayer forms a part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. VI:9-13).[21]
According to Luke (Luke XI:2-4) it was given to the disciples alone, and not to a multitude, as in Matthew. In Luke it also comes at a much later date than the delivery of the Sermon on the Mount. One verse is slightly different, Luke having, "and forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one who is indebted to us," in place of Matthew's "and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Luke also omits the last sentence in Matthew's version.
The Lord's Prayer is not found in Mark or John.[22]
Matthew says, in a general way, that Jesus healed "all manner of sickness" before the delivery of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. IV:23, 24). But the first specific miracles which he describes occurred after that event (Matt. VIII:1-15). The first was the leper, the second the centurion's servant, afflicted with palsy, and the third was the mother of Simon Peter's wife, who was "sick of a fever." Jesus saw and touched the leper and Peter's wife's mother, but the centurion's servant was one of the few cases where the cure was effected in the absence of the patient and without Jesus' seeing him.
The curing of the leper is described by Mark (I:40) and by Luke (V:12). Luke describes the healing of the centurion's servant (VII:1-10), differing only in that the friends of the centurion came to Jesus instead of the centurion in person, as in Matthew.
Mark and Luke both relate the curing of Peter's wife's mother (Mark I:30; Luke IV:38).
John mentions none of these miracles, but, alone of all four evangelists, narrates the miracle at Cana of changing water into wine (John II:1-10), and says that this was Jesus' first miracle (John II:11). He then describes the curing of the sick "son of a nobleman of Capernaum" (John IV:46-53), and says that this was the second miracle "which Jesus did when He was come out of Judæa into Galilee," viz: after His baptism by John (John IV:54). The circumstances of this miracle are quite similar to those of the centurion's servant described by Matthew and Luke, the cure being effected in the absence of the patient.
Matthew next gives the miracle of the stilling of the tempest (Matt. VIII:23-27), which is also found in Mark (IV:35-41), and in Luke (VIII:22-25). This miracle is not found in John.
Then follows the miracle of driving the devils out of the two men of the "country of the Gergesenes," and sending them into a herd of swine which "ran violently down a steep place into the sea and perished in the waters" (Matt. VIII:28-34).
Mark narrates the same miracle as occurring in the country of the Gadarenes, except there is one man instead of two (Mark V:1-20). The sufferings of this man, who is possessed of "an unclean spirit," are described in some detail. The spirit, being asked for his "name," says, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Thereupon he or they beseech Jesus not to send them away out of the country, but: "Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them." Jesus "gave them leave," and they entered into the swine ("they were about two thousand") and the swine ran violently down a steep place, and "were choked in the sea."