CHAPTER III.
Luke compared with Matthew and Mark.
Much stress has been laid on the declaration of Luke in his preface (I. 3) that he would
write "kathexès", in order. On the strength of this sole expression many considered him
the only reliable source, as regards chronological arrangement. Now "kathexès" may denote
either order of time or order of things, akoluthistic accuracy or logical connection and continuity.
As we take it, Luke uses the word mainly in the latter sense, thereby contrasting his account
of the life of Christ not so much with the unchronological, as with the abrupt, incoherent, frag—
mentary character of those early narratives 1), referred to in his preface. Besides, with a strictly
chronological arrangement it would hardly seem compatible, to mention the Forerunner's so—
journ in the wilderness (I. 80) before recording even the birth of Jesus, or to narrate Christ's
baptism (3. 21, 22) after John's imprisonment (v. 19, 20), or to fill half a dozen Chapters (12-17)
nearly exclusively with discourses and parables, which for the most part resemble a mere collec—
tion of sayings, communicated without historical connection. Further, let any one take the
trouble of going through each of the three Gospels in search of akoluthistic dates, and he will
find, that, while Matthew supplies them abundantly, and Mark somewhat less abundantly, but
very few definite specifications of time are met with in Luke, —a fact, recognized long ago by
Calvin, Bengel and other eminent Biblical Scholars, but of late pointed out particularly by
Prof. Ebrard.
Passing on now to the harmonistic comparison of Luke with Matthew and Mark, we find
| Luke | A, C, a, b, c | to form part | of the | Compound—Chain | No. | I a. |
| ,, | B, E, I, d, g, h, l, q | ,, | ,, | do. | ,, | I b. |
| ,, | F, | ,, | ,, | do. | ,, | 2 |
| ,, | G, i, | ,, | ,, | do. | ,, | 3 |
| ,, | z, aa, bb, | ,, | ,, | do. | ,, | 4 |
similarly the two items e and f to correspond with Matthew F and Mark e, f, g, whereas the
remaining passages D, H, K, L, k, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y and cc comprise transactions,
recorded by Luke alone.
By embodying A, C, a, b, c, in Compound—Chain No. I a, the latter assumes now its definite
shape. Of special importance is Luke's statement (C), that the choosing of the twelve Apostles
took place on the morning before the Sermon on the Mount, a fact, not recorded at all by
Matthew, and mentioned by Mark (h) without any specification of time. Another new and
interesting notice (Luke C) is that Jesus raised the widow's son at Nain on the day after the
healing of the centurion's servant, and that the Baptist's message from prison is brought into
direct connection with these latter miracles.
The Compound—Chain No. I b too becomes complete by the insertion of the passages B, E,
I, d, g, h, l, q, wherein however there is but one real addition, viz. Luke II. 27, a woman
lifting up her voice in eulogy.
But now we have to examine the question as to the position of these two Compound—Chains
(No. I a and I b) among themselves. Which is the first, which the second? I a starts by
representing Christ on a general circuit through Galilee, followed by great multitudes, in whose
presence He delivers the Sermon on the Mount. He arrives at Capernaum, but no sooner has
He spent a day, a Sabbath, in the midst of His friends, than we see Him set out again on the
following morning for another extensive tour. Hence, with the exception of a single day, spent
at Capernaum, CompoundM—Chain I a contains the description of Our Lord's Itinerary Ministry
1) "Luke had in view the very earliest literary attempts, made by persons more or less authorized, at the
"commencement of the apostolic age, and it may be reasonably concluded from this preface, that, during the
"composition of his Gospel, he had before him many written documents and records ("diegéseis" 1. 1), which,
“when they seemed worthy of acceptation, he incorporated in its pages. The relative coincidence between this
"and the two former Gospels is certainly most simply accounted for, by supposing them to have been freely
"drawn from common sources". (Quoted from Lange's Commentary.)
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