The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-24

loose popular notion. that tho gospel was
| originally committed to very Ignorant
men, and that the mist successful
| preachers OF the world were ililterate
| Raiilcan peasants.
| The Gospel OF Matthews has. In re-
cent years. been attacked on the ground
| that. as an eyewitness Of the miracles
| OF Jesus he should have been more
graphic and minute In his narrative IMAM
was Marx. who was not one OF the
twelve The statement that Mark Is
| more graphic and minute than Matthew
| IL correct. but IL ~ no fdlr argument
against Matthews Gospel Any careful
| reader may easily convince himself that
Mark Is more graphic ana minute IMAM
| Matthew in naTratEg almost everything
| which pertains TO the external works OF
| Christ. As examples compare Matthew
viii. 1874 with Mark v, l-ly' Matthew iN.'
1926 with Mark ". 2i-i3. Matthew XIV,
l-lZ. with Mark vi, li-1 ana the ull-
ference Will at once oDpear.
Hut everyone knows that the capacity
for vivid. graphic. spiritual narration
depends upon other things besides eye
sight and that many writer VINO mas
not seen a thing can give a more VlNlu
description OF II than can some who have
seen IT, Skill in vivid narration Is large
~ a matter OF natural endowment. tram
ing. habits OF life and. practice; swift, IN
things that nobody ever saw. ana the
descriptions are among the most viva
and graphic in al literature. II may
well be doubted ~ any contemporary VI
Addison could have given 50 graphic a
picture OF that gre At man as Macduiay
gave. and when Ma caulays sketch was
written. Addison had been lying IN west
minister Abbey for J % years.
Again: We must remember that the
point Of view from which an author
writes has a material bearing Upon ms
style. That Matthew wrote with REFER
cnce TO Hebrew readers has already been
insisted upon. The very fact that he de-
scribes the calling of the Twelve Dlscl-
pies and makes no men ton OF the sew
enty, is suggestive. whe we reneihoser
what importance Is attached 10 the
Twelve Tribes in Hebrew history.
no was probably an eye witness or al
least some of the miracles which he de-
scribes.
LIKE tells us OF the Seventy: and Luke
was almost certainly 2 Gentle. ana wrote
for gentle readers. Mark So ems 10 nave
meant 10 describe Christ mainly as "A
worker. and Matthew as religious
teacher And so Mark derotes himself
especially to the task Of bringing out
Christs miracles into clear and vivid re-
lief, while Matthew dwclls especlally
upon Christ's discours es. His very ire
quent quotations from tle Old IeSta-
ment prophecies were especially adapted
to impress his Hebrew readers. lie
seems usually to assumo his reader IA
OF thought traditions. Sand literature:
while Mark. on the oher hand. carefully
explains oriental customs. When ne mas
occasion TO mention thems
This latter fact. togeth er with Marx
vivid pOrtrafture of Chris as a worker.
makes II plausible. If not probable. tpat
ne wrote especially with a view 10 Ro-
! nan readers. His name Marcus 100, is
| roman He was the son or Mary, ana
n ccording TO the authorZ ed version. he
" as a nephew Of Barnaba. !. The version
Of the Bible union. howeve T. has its cous-
in instead Of nephew i IS not easy 10
settle the question. as thu Greek word
which expresses the relation lship is not al
an definite. Even the wo I'd commonly
translated brother as IN Galatians J.,
10. when James. tho Lord brother, is
mentioned. is so indefinite that scholars
arc not agreed on thA quest Sons whether
our Lord had any real bro Their, that is.
whether he was MaTy's only son.
on one Of Pauls missiC mary tours
Mark. who was his assista ut. left him
and returned 10 Jerusalem. This dcser-
tion so dsploased Paul that, when Bar
nabas proposed TO take Ma * with MN
and Paul on another miss ionary tour,
Paul objected and there was quite
sharp contention about IT, j. IS pleas
ant 10 learn. however. from "a I1mothy
himself to Paul so that they became re-
conciled Mark was fregu'i nifty called
John. His fun name was John Mark.
From Colossians w.. a. we learn that
Lake e' was a physician. lie frequently at
tended Paul in MS missionary tours ana
became very dear 10 him From the
fact that Luke was physician, ana from
the strong presumption. If rot certain
nroof whjc. we have of PaMPs weak
bodily health. there seems reason for the
supposition that Luke now ana then eX-
ercised his medical skill in relieving
PauTs ailments This view is strength
ened by -.e following considerations:
That from Galatians iv. 1914 We infer
that Paul was sick in Galatia ard Just
after this we find Luke joining him al
Troas. for. In Acts xvi. 3 the prOnGun
they is used to indicate the party that
came TO TroG.s. whereas the prOnnun
1--WE" is used 10 indicate the party VINO
left that city Acts XVI. II The be
lished q peculiar claim TO the intimacy
which we find existing between him and
Paul. 2d Timothy, w. II. 1t IS not i'm
fellow" mentioned by Paul in Philipp ans
That Luke wrote with special reference
TO Gentle readers wMld appear from
comparison Of the nth and the 18th
verses Of the 4th chapter OF Coioss ans.
was not "of the circumcision. The
most excellent Theoptius." to whom
Iuke's Gospel and the Acts or the .Apos-
n es are both addressed. was almost GER
taiiIIy a Gentle, and PROBABLY an oftictsl
Of high grade In the Romnn state, Luk
Is careful too. in giving explanations or
oriental customs and localities. whle ne
seems 10 assume lilt iNhNN' q" i'''i''''''i ~
with those of Italy.
That these arc strong points OF am ity
between Lt.se and Matthew. may he seen
b,, cpmparinr Matthew iii. 10. with
Luke ill.,, 20: Matthew vii. %. with
Luke Vi. n-;2: Matthew viii. III, with
Luke x.. q-13: Matthew. viii. =. with
luke Vii. s. Matthew viii. 1922 with
LIKE tx SEQ: Matthew tx, 5-6 with
luke ". 1924: Matthew *, %-SS with
Luke X. .: Matthew XL, 81 win luke
Vii. 23-2S. Matthew XII, lib with Luxe
XII 24-92