cannot hesitate in saying that he has given an orderly arrangement to his invaluable memorials of the life of Christ, that he has constructed from them a regular narration. This is all which his declaration implies. He alone, in the New Testament, uses the word kaeŋç. In the Gospel, he employs it in ch. viii. 1; and in the Acts, in ch. iii. 24. xi. 4. xviii. 23. In the last instance, it refers to the order of place: Paul went over the country of Galatia and Phrygia IN ORDER, Kaεns, strengthening all the disciples'.-The root of the word, viz. Ens, is several times employed by him, in connection with Ev Tη (μepa understood); and then it is rendered after, as in Luke vii. 11, in reference to our Lord's going to Nain. In this case, however, Griesbach gives, as a reading of great authority, ev rq ns, following which we should render afterward, or in the course of events. Grotius, as quoted by Bishop Pearce, gives it as his opinion that, in the whole of this history, Luke has attended more to the order of subject, than to that of occurrence. Wynne renders καθεξής σοι γράψαι “to write an orderly account'; and in his note he explains the words, "to write a regular narration of the principal facts in their due series." Dr. Campbell renders the words kuns ypafa 'to write a particular account': "the proper import of kans", he says in his note, "is distinctly, particularly, as opposed to confusedly, generally”: and still more according to the just force of the words, Dr. Doddridge, after rendering the clause 'to write an orderly Account of them,' subjoins-" it is evident, this Evangelist might, with great propriety, be said to have given an orderly Account of the History of Christ, as the leading Facts are in their due Series, though some Particulars are transposed." Once more, Archbishop Newcome, though he did not regard the order of St. Matthew as his basis, explains the expression in order'—"not in the strict order of annals, but observing the series of leading facts." Nothing but a necessity in the force of the word ka≈εns which does not exist, would justify the belief that St. Luke has in all particulars written in the exact order of time. It is quite clear that he purposed to give to his noble friend a regularly-arranged narrative of all that he had learnt, respecting the words and actions of Christ, through his acquaintance with personal witnesses, and by his own diligent inquiries in Galilee and the Peræa; and he has done so, as I have above shown. His arrangement would be mainly guided by the succession of events, as far as he had the opportunity of ascertaining it; and as he gives definite notes of time in some cases, it is reasonable to conclude that, when he uses indefinite expressions, it was for want of information as to the precise date. This indefiniteness in the notes of time presents itself in various parts; (see h ch. v. 1, 12, 17. vi. 6, 12. viii. 1, 4, 22. ix. 18. xi. 1. xii. 1. xiv. 1. xx. 1. xxiv. 33-53); and, as has been already noticed, his Gospel presents, even in the historical portions of it, fewer means of deciding the locality of events than St. Matthew's does. Even if St. Luke had considered the order of time as of paramount importance, he must often have been obliged to rest satisfied with other principles of connection; but it is evident, from the composition of his Gospel, that he did not so regard it: indeed, the succession of events, excepting for its influence on credibility, and for support to the memory, is of vastly less importance than the knowledge of the events themselves. Not unfrequently, too, as respects the words of Christ, he could only have possessed some of those precious records which the disciples must, in various places, have made of sayings that, at different times, they had heard from the lips of the Lord himself, or which they had heard retraced together, even though not originally so delivered, in the discourses of the Apostles or of the Seventy. Those who have considered the circumstances of that part of our Lord's Ministry which immediately followed the Imprisonment of the Baptist, so crowded with occurrences, and these so constantly changing in their locality, will have no difficulty in perceiving, that nothing but personal attendance, and even contemporaneous records, could have enabled any one to trace out a comprehensive view of that period in the exact order of events. Of short portions, such a view might be given by persons who resided where the occurrences took place, or who had attended our Lord in particular parts of his progresses; and, through diligent inquiry, some general idea might be formed of the train of events, by a person not present, which would serve as a guide in framing an orderly narrative. St. Luke obviously possessed records of such portions; and all that could then be learnt as to the succession of events, he would undoubtedly learn, in order to frame his narrative. But for this purpose he had not such advantages as he possessed for his subsequent treatise'. In the latter, the series of events extended over a space of many years, and the events themselves often occurred at far distant places and intervals of time: what is still more important, he was himself a personal witness during a large portion of his history. But in retracing the occurrences of a few months,-commonly unconnected with each other, except in their effects on the bodies or the souls of those who were the objects of them, and, in some instances, occurring in the same places, after short intervals in which our Lord had been absent from them, he must often, when framing his narrative, have had no other guidance than the connection of place, or of subject, or of cause and effect. This invaluable historian followed, in every instance, there can be no doubt, the best system of arrangement which the circumstances of the case permitted; and although, through our having possession of St. John's Gospel and St. Matthew's, we have advantages which this Evangelist did not possess, for framing a chronological arrangement of the whole of our Lord's Ministry, and even of that period of it which he peculiarly records, yet one very important result has followed from his not having closely bound himself to order of time, viz. he has recorded many discourses and sayings of our Lord, of the most impressive character, the precise date of which he must have found unascertainable, but which, from his wider range of knowledge, he alone had the power to record. That the views which have now been given, accord not only with the actual phenomena of the Gospel by St. Luke, but also with the circumstances in which we have historical reason to believe he did actually compile his Gospel, is a corroborative evidence for its genuineness, and, consequently, for its credibility. No person, not circumstanced as we have abundant reason, from the introduction to the Gospel, and from the book of Acts, to suppose that St. Luke was, could have framed a record like that which we owe, under the blessing of God, to his faithful, intelligent, and zealous inquiries. APPENDIX TO DISSERTATION II. (A). ANALYSIS OF THE RECORDS OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY IN PART I. From the Imprisonment to the Death of the Baptist. A. First Sabbath in Capernaum, before the First Progress. 1. Cure of the Demoniac in the Synagogue 2. Cure of Peter's Mother-in-law, at his house } placed by St. Matthew after the First Progress. B. Notices of the First Progress through Galilee, after the First Sabbath. 4. Early Morning, and Progress through Galilee B. Miraculous Draught of Fishes 5. Leper cured near Capernaum at the close of the Progress C. Occurrences showing the malignant spirit of the Scribes and Pharisees. 6. The Cure of the Paralytic at Capernaum 7. Call of Levi; Sarcasm on Christ's Dining at his house with Publicans and Sinners 8. Cavil respecting his Disciples' not Fasting 9. Walk through the Corn-fields 'on the Second-first Sabbath' 10. Cure of the Man with the Withered Hand,' on another Sabbath' D. Circumstances connected with the Selection of the Twelve. 11. Crowds resort to Christ from all parts of the Country, and he works many Miracles-(Luke has §.11 after §. 12). 12. Selection of the Twelve, on a Hill near Capernaum-probably the same where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered y. Discourse placed by Matthew at the close of the First Progress 8. Cure of the Centurion's Servant ε. Resurrection of the Widow's Son at Nain 2. Message of the Baptist, and our Lord's Reply n. Grateful Woman at Simon's House . Notice of the Second Progress in Galilee E. The Day of Parables-(The records of this are much fuller in Matthew). e. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit-This is found in Luke's Gnomology. 13. Parable of the Sower, &c. 14. Application of Christ's Mother and Brethren (Mark, like Matthew, has §. 14 before §. 13). F. Series of single Miracles, wrought in the interval between the First and the Second Progress. 15. The Stilling of the Storm, in crossing the Lake 16. The Cure of the Gadarene Demoniacs (The Cure of the Paralytic already given, §. 6). 17. The Application of Jairus, and Cure of the Disordered Woman 18. The Resurrection of Jaïrus's Daughter d. Visit to Nazareth, shortly before the Return of the Twelve. PART II. From the Death of the Baptist, to the End of Christ's Ministry in Galilee. N.B. The Sections 3, 6-16 and 24, are not in Luke. 1. Record of the Mission of the Twelve and their Ministry in Galileo 2. Herod hearing of the Miracles of Christ desires to see him 3. Death of the Baptist 4. Return of the Apostles in general after hearing of this event 6. Christ joins his Disciples on the Sea 7. Miracles in Gennesaret 8. Declarations to the Scribes from Jerusalem 9. Declarations to the People and to his Disciples 10. Cure of the Daughter of the Syrophenician Woman 11. Return to the Lake of Galilee 12. Cure of the Deaf Man 13. Miracle of the Four Thousand 14. Pharisees and Sadducees seek for a sign 15. Disciples warned against their Doctrine 16. Cure of the Blind Man at Bethsaida 17. Avowal of the Apostles in the Messiahship of Jesus 18. Christ's Declaration of his Sufferings 19. Solemn warnings to all 20. Transfiguration 21. Cure of the Deaf and Dumb Demoniac 22. Renewed Prediction of his approaching Sufferings (Matthew alone. Payment of Temple tribute) 23. Discourses at Capernaum respecting Humility 24. Respecting the avoidance of the Causes of Sin (Matthew alone. Other Discourses). |