The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1889-03-29

Character of His Gospel-Reasons for
the Variations I'm Style of the -Four
Evangelists.
The first quarter Of the present year is de-
voted to n study of Christ's life and teachings
Us recorded in the Gospel according to st.
Mark. 1t is, therefore, most fitting to con-
slider the pecuiarities Of this Gospel, and to
at least glance OF the oft debated question
why there should be four distinct accounts of
the Saviour's mission on earth, strangely va
rying in style and the subjects made promi-
nent, and yet all agreeing in the essentials Of
Christian doctrine and ethics. 1t is evident
even to the unlearned reader that ench writer
addressed different class, but each sets forth
God and the helplessness of man, the divinity
of Christ and Els atoning death, the neces-
sity Of faith, repentance and baptism for the
the universe, grace, eternal life, the way Of
redemption, the possibility of eternal separa.
tion from God and all that is good.
First it must be noted that the time Of
Christ's incarnation was divinely appointed
for the only period in all history when the
civilized world was under one government,
when one written language was used by ali
scholars and statesmen, when tho laws gov
crning the empire were in general principles
the same, and when the dignity of citizen
ship under one ruler was the citizens protec-
tion, from the mountains of Scotland in tho
north to the Sahara in the south, and from
the Pillars of Hercules to the river Er-
pirates. Never before the establishment
of the Roman empire had this been the case
Never has it been the case since the over
throw of that empire. Tho Romans had con-
quered all the central belt of the known
world; their civil war had ended in the estab-
lishment of an imperial line, and when all
opposition to that line had ceased and the
long peace under Augustus Cesar had Sc
cured stability and order, Christ's earthly
mission began.
In all the western k;.lf Of the empire Latin
was the vernacular, ln all the eastern half
Greek; both mingle4, of course, with local
dialects In both sections the tavern keep
ers merchants, sailors, travellers and schol-
ars, as rule, understood both languages;
but while the Latin was official, Greek was tho
language of most writers, and tho Roman
rulers over each of the 120 provinces under
stood both, and in most cases knew some
thing of the local dialect Thus PLATE
wrote tho inscription over the cross
written in Greek and Latin and Hebrew
not that the Jews of that day spoke
Hebrew, for they did not, but it was
their sacred or written language.
The corrupt tongue they apoke, commonly
called Caelo-Syriac, was nos reduced to writ
ing: but many of its words were necessarily
quoted by some of the New Testament writ
ers, and hence tho reader will find the words,
(which is by Interpretation" etc., as they
thought necessary to translate some phrases
" the people they aimed to reach.
To Jew of Palestine the empire was di-
v ed into. "Jew and Gentile;;" to Roman,
in "bond and Free" and to scholar, int,
Greek and barbarian" The last word meant
not necessarily, as now, a wild or unciviIze(
man, but merely one who could not spea
Greek-that is, q "prattler," one whose ia:
was like ''barbar" to Greek ear Thus tt
Greeks called the Persians "barbaroi," evd
when the latter were as civilized as then
selves. With these hints the reader may S.
the force of many short suggestions, esp
cially in Mark and Luke; but he should not
that st. Paul, as the great apostle to th
Gentiles, constantly endeavors to do ava,
with such distinctions as between Christians
In these facts, too, we find the principal rea
son for the four Gospels.
1t is, first, self evident that ST. MattheA
wrote for tho Jews; and there is some evt
dence that his gospel was first composed il
Hebrew, and not long after the crucifxion
but tho Greek copy, us we now have it, did
not appear till thirty years later. St Mark
as evidently, wrote for somewhat larger
constituency, and one which needed brief
statement of facts rather than lengthy ad.
dresses, but still a people familiar with the
local affairs Of Palestine. In st. Luke We
find from the start remarkable difference
He begins by stating that many accounts
havo been written, and therefore he will pre-.
sent the exact facts as he received them from
eye witnesses. Lastly, st. John wrote when
heresies had begun to trouble the church, and
some teachers were tainted with the fancies
of Greek philosophy.
Mark may be called the strictly historical,
evangelist. He was tho son of woman
named Mary, whose hose at Jerusalem wa:
resort of the first Christians. He Travelled
with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch, anc
was afterwards an intimate associate Of Pau
rs we'll as Of Peter. The tradition Of the
early church was that he founded the church
ct Alexandria in Egypt and suffered martyr
don, thc-e. 1t is u long disputed question ii
the church whether Mark based his gospe
OIL IQuC Ol AldUUueW OF OOUalueu Ills 1QcCs
directly from st. Peter, and very large ant
respectable school maintains that all the
later gospels, and perhaps that Of Matthew
also, were compiled from an original work.
sort of memorabilia Of the sayings and act
Of Chrst-which is no longer in existence
All agree that it was written in Rome, in tn,
Greek language. and at some period between
the deaths of Peter and Paul and the destruc
tion Of Jerusalum. should be noted, how
ever, that while all agree that st. John out
lived all the other apostles, yet it is claimed
that l., their present form the gospels o
Luke and John are contemporary 1t is no
impor. ant, however, as we have the unani
nous testimony of the apostolic father
| those whose youth was in apostolic times
| that tho four gospels were accepted by th
| entire church as the inspired record O
| Christ's mission. The point to be chief
noted here is that the four accounts were in
sense necessary to meet the wants of th
! different classes in the empire, and that 81
Mark set down the facts detailed by all th
others in form suited for historic arrange
ment.
Jews and Gypsies In London.
In London, at the East End, there ar
growing and bitter complaints ut the enol
nous influx of German. Russian and Polls
Jews, who, on landing, are almost total
destitute Of means. These starving imm
grants are willing to work for crust
bread aud shelter, and thus enter into a lif
st1.npp1a with o,,don,v dast;t,,ta ,,o., for l.