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A Harmony of the Gospels for Students of the Life of Christ / Based on the Broadus Harmony in the Revised Version cover

A Harmony of the Gospels for Students of the Life of Christ / Based on the Broadus Harmony in the Revised Version

Chapter 10: JOHN
By A. T. Robertson
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About This Book

The work arranges the four canonical Gospels into a unified chronological presentation, displaying parallel passages to illuminate agreements, differences, and the sequence of events in the life of Christ. It provides an analytical outline and sectional divisions, sustained critical discussion of synoptic relationships and the Fourth Gospel's authorship, and consideration of genealogies, birth narratives, ministry phases, passion, resurrection, and ascension. Explanatory notes, appendices, and lists of parables, miracles, Old Testament citations, and some uncanonical sayings supply historical, textual, and interpretive aids for students and readers approaching the Gospel material.



JOHN

Chap.VerseSection  Chap.VerseSection
11-182  111-44118
119-2826  1145-54119
129-3427  1155-12:1,
9-11		128a
135-5128  1212-19128b
21-1129  1220-50130
21230  122-8141
213-2231  131-20145
223-3:2132  1321-30146
322-3633  1331-38147
41-434  14...149
45-4235  15, 16...150
443-4536  17...151
446-5438  181152
51-4749  182-12153
61-1372  1812-14,
19-23		154
614-1573  1824155
616-2174  1815-18,
25-27		156
622-7176  1828-38159
7177  1839-19:16161
72-994  1916-17163
71095  1918-27164
711-5296  1928-30165
753-8:1197  1931-42167
812-2098  201171
821-5999  202-10172
91-41100  2011-18173
101-21101  2019-25178
1022-39111  2026-31179
1040-42112  21...180


NOTE:—The verses that are omitted in the Canterbury Revision do not appear in this Harmony. They are Mark 7:16; 9:44, 46; 11:26; 15:28; Matthew 17:21; 18:11; 23:14; Luke 17:36; 23:17; John 5:4.

In addition to the Gospels use is made of

    Acts 1:3-8 in § 183.
    Acts 1:9-12 in § 184.
    Acts 1:18-19 in § 158.
    1 Cor. 11:23-26 in § 148.
    1 Cor. 15:5 in § 177.
    1 Cor. 15:5 in § 179.
    1 Cor. 15:6 in § 181.
    1 Cor. 15:7 in § 182.





A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS
FOR STUDENTS OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST





PART I
THE SOURCES OF THE GOSPELS



§ 1. IN THE DEDICATION LUKE EXPLAINS HIS METHOD OF RESEARCHa


Luke 1:1-4

1    Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been 1fulfilled among us, 2 even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, 3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus;b 4 that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the 2things 3wherein thou wast instructed.

1 Or, fully establish.
2 Gr. words.
3 Or, which thou wast taught by word of mouth.

a Luke is the first critic of the life of Christ whose criticism has been preserved to us. Others had drawn up narratives of certain portions of Christ's work. Others still had been eyewitnesses of the ministry of Jesus and gave Luke their oral testimony. Luke sifted it all with care and produced an orderly and reasonably full narrative of the earthly ministry of Jesus. We cannot reproduce all the sources that Luke had at his command, but it is clear that he followed in the main our Gospel of Mark, as any one can see for himself by comparing the two Gospels in this Harmony. Both Matthew and Luke made use of Mark. But they had other sources also. See note 2 on Synoptic Criticism at the close of the Harmony. See also Chapter IV, "Luke's Method of Research" in my Luke the Historian in the Light of Research.

b Luke alone follows the method of ancient historians in dedicating his Gospel, as also the Acts (1:1), to a patron who probably met the expense of publication. So Luke as a Gentile Christian writes an historical introduction in literary (Koiné) Greek after the fashion of Thucydides and Plutarch. Mark had no formal introduction. Matthew's introduction is genealogical because he is writing for Jewish readers to prove that Jesus is the Messiah of Jewish hope. John, writing last of all, has a theological introduction to meet the Gnostic and philosophical misconceptions concerning the Person of Christ. Thus he pictures Christ as the Eternal Logos, with God in his pre-incarnate state, who became flesh and thus revealed the Father to men.





PART II
THE PRE-EXISTENT STATE OF CHRIST AND HIS INCARNATION



§ 2. IN HIS INTRODUCTION JOHN PICTURES CHRIST AS THE WORD (LOGOS)


John 1:1-18

1    In the beginning was the Word,a and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made 1by him; and without him 2was not anything made that hath been made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness 3apprehended it not. 6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. 9 4There was the true light, even the light which lighteth 5every man, coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made 1by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto 6his own, and they that were his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 which were 7born, not of 8blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Worda became flesh, and 9dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of 10the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. 15 John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, 11This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was 12before me. 16 For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given 1by Moses; grace and truth came 1by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; 13the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

1 Or, through.
2 Or, was not anything made. That which hath been made was life in him; and the life &c.
3 Or, overcame.
4 Or, The true light, which lighteth every man, was coming.
5 Or, every man as he cometh.
6 Gr. his own things.
7 Or, begotten.
8 Gr. bloods.
9 Gr. tabernacled.
10 Or, an only begotten from a father.
11 Some ancient authorities read this was he that said.
12 Gr. first in regard of me.
13 Many very ancient authorities read God only begotten.

a The Fourth Gospel makes no further use of the term Logos (Word) for Christ. No other Gospel employs the term, but in 1 John 1:1 we find "the Word of life" in this sense and in Rev. 19:14 we have: "and his name is called the Word of God." The Greek word has a double sense (reason and speech) and John seems to have both ideas in mind (1:18). Christ is the Idea of God and the Expression of God. The Stoics followed Plato in the philosophical use of Logos. Philo took it up and made it familiar to Jewish readers who were already used to the Hebrew Mêmra (Word) in a personal sense. But John carried the term further than any of his predecessors and placed it on a par with Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man, and other phrases that portray aspects of the Person of Christ. John writes his Gospel to prove the deity of Jesus (John 20:31) against Gnostics (Cerinthian) who denied it, as he wrote his First Epistle (1 John 1:1-4) to prove the humanity of Jesus against Docetic Gnostics who disclaimed it. See note 3 at end of Harmony.





PART III
THE TWO GENEALOGIES IN MATTHEW AND LUKE



§ 3. APPARENTLY JOSEPH'S GENEALOGY IN MATTHEW AND MARY'S IN LUKEa


Matt. 1:1-17. (Cf. 1 Chron. 1:34;
2:1-25; 3:1-19.)		 Luke 3:23-38. (Cf. 1 Chron. 1:1-4,
24-28; 2:1-15; 3:17; Ruth 4:18-22.)
1    1The book of the 2generation
of Jesus Christ, the son of David,
the son of Abraham.
2    Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac
begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah
and his brethren; 3 and Judah begat
Perez and Zerah of Tamar; and
Perez begat Hezron; and Hezron
begat 3Ram; 4 and 3Ram begat
Amminadab; and Amminadab
begat Nahshon; and Nahshon
begat Salmon; 5 and Salmon begat
Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat
Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat
Jesse; 6 and Jesse begat David the
king.
    And David begat Solomon of
her that had been the wife of Uriah;
7 and Solomon begat Rehoboam;
and Rehoboam begat Abijah;
and Abijah begat 4Asa; 8 and 4Asa
begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehosh-
aphat begat Joram; and Joram
begat Uzziah; 9 and Uzziah begat
Jotham; and Jotham begat Ahaz;
and Ahaz begat Hezekiah; 10 and
Hezekiah begat Manasseh; and
Manasseh begat 5Amon; and
5Amon begat Josiah; 11 and Josiah
begat Jechoniah and his brethren,
at the time of the 6carrying away
to Bablyon.
12    And after the 6carrying away
to Babylon, Jechoniah begat
7Shealtiel; and 7Shealtiel begat
Zerubbabel; 13 and Zerubbabel
begat Abiud; and Abiud begat
Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 and Azor begat Sadoc; and
Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim
begat Eliud; 15 and Eliud begat
Eleazar; and Eleazar begat
Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 and Jacob begat Joseph the
husband of Mary, of whom was
bornb Jesus, who is called Christ.
17    So all the generations from
Abraham unto David are fourteen
generations; and from David unto
the 6carrying away to Babylon
fourteen generations; and from the
6carrying away to Babylon unto the
Christ fourteen generations.c 		    Being the son (as was supposed)
of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the
son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
the son of Melchi, the son
of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the
son of Amos, the son of Nahum,
the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of
Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josech, the son of
Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son
of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel,
the son of 7Shealtiel, the son of
Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son
of Addi, the son of Cosam, the
son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Jesus, the son of
Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of
Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son
of Symeon, the son of Judas, the
son of Joseph, the son of Jonam,
the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of
Melea, the son of Menna, the son
of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the
son of David, 32 the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of 8Salmon, the son of
Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab,
9the son of 10Arni, the son of
Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of
Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son
of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the
son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, 36 the son of
Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the
son of Shem, the son of Noah,
the son of Lamech, 37 the son of
Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of
Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the
son of Enos, the son of Seth, the
son of Adam, the son of God.

1 Or, The genealogy of Jesus Christ.
3 Gr. Aram.
4 Gr. Asaph.
5 Gr. Amos.
6 Or, removal to Babylon.
7 Gr. Salathiel.
8 Some ancient authorities write Sala.
9 Many ancient authorities insert the son of Admin; and one writes Admin for Amminadab.
10 Some ancient authorities write Aram.

a This view is not accepted by all scholars, though it is found as early as Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. i, 7). See note 5 at end of Harmony.

b The Sinaitic Syriac, against all the early Greek manuscripts, reads in Matt. 1:16: "But Joseph, to whom the Virgin Mary was betrothed, begat Jesus." This ancient Ebionitic text is followed by Von Soden in his Griechisches Neues Testament and by Moffatt in his New Translation of the New Testament, but it is difficult to believe it genuine, for in Matt. 1:18-22 the writer pictures Joseph as on the point of putting Mary away privily. The two reports in the Sinaitic Syriac flatly contradict each other. Those who accept it say that the writer of the Virgin Birth view in 1:18-20 overlooked 1:16 (certainly a serious oversight). It is easier to think that an Ebionitic scribe in copying altered 1:16, but passed by 1:18-20. The Ebionites denied the deity of Jesus. Both Matthew and Luke (1:26-38) give the Virgin Birth of Jesus, but they preserve separate traditions on the subject.

c Observe that Matthew's three divisions of the genealogy represent three great periods in the history of Israel. See note 5 at end of Harmony for discussion of the differences between the genealogies in Matthew and in Luke.





PART IV
THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF THE BAPTIST AND OF JESUS

Probably B.C. 7 to A.D. 7

§§ 4-19. These sections include the annunciations, the birth, infancy, and childhood of both John and Jesus.



§ 4. THE ANNUNCIATIONa OF THE BIRTH OF THE BAPTIST TO ZACHARIAS

Jerusalem, in the Temple. Probably B.C. 7


Luke 1:5-25b

5    There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now 1well stricken in years.

8    Now it came to pass, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9 according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the 2temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor 3strong drink [see Num. 6:3; Judg. 13:4-6; 1 Sam. 1:11]; and he shall be filled with the 4Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God. 17 And he shall 5go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children [see Mal. 3:1; 4:5-6], and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife 6well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God [see Dan. 8:16; 9:21]; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. 20 And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 21 And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marvelled 7while he tarried in the 2temple. 22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the 2temple: and he continued making signs unto them, and remained dumb. 23 And it came to pass, when the days of his ministration were fulfilled, he departed unto his house.

24    And after these days Elisabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 Thus hath the Lord done unto me in the days wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.

1 Gr. advanced in their days.
2 Or, sanctuary.
3 Gr. sikera.
4 Or, Holy Spirit: and so throughout all the Gospels.
5 Some ancient authorities read come nigh before his face.
6 Gr. advanced in her days.
7 Or, at his tarrying.

a There are three annunciations: (1) to Zacharias § 4, (2) to Mary § 5, (3) to Joseph § 9. Luke gives the first two and Matthew the third. The Angel Gabriel is named by Luke (1:19, 26), but Matthew simply has "an angel of the Lord" (1:20).

b It is certain that Luke tells the infancy stories from the standpoint of Mary while Matthew writes from the standpoint of Joseph. Matthew gives the public account while Luke tells the private story from Mary herself (Ramsay, Was Christ Born at Bethlehem? p. 79). Luke could have seen Mary, if still alive, or could have obtained it from one of Mary's circle either orally or in manuscript form. Some scholars even suggest "Gospel of Mary" and even, "Gospel of the Baptist" as a written source for Luke in 1:5-2:52. Sanday (The Life of Christ in Recent Research, p. 166) says: "These two chapters—whatever the date at which they were first committed to writing—are essentially the most archaic thing in the whole New Testament." Certainly Luke reveals the use of Aramaic or Hebrew sources by the sudden changes in his style from 1:1-4. Luke, if familiar with the current account as seen in Matthew, apparently felt that he owed it to Mary to record her story of her great experience.





§ 5. THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE VIRGIN MARY OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Nazareth. Probably B.C. 7 or 6


Luke 1:26-38

26    Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art 1highly favoured, the Lord is with thee.2 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found 3favour with God. 31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS [see Isa. 7:14]. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David [see 2 Sam. 7:12-17]: 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob 4for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also 5that which 6is to be born 7shall be called holy [see Ex. 13:12], the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that 8was called barren. 37 For no word from God shall be void of power [see Gen. 18:14]. 38 And Mary said, Behold, the 9handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

1 Or, endued with grace.
3 Or, grace.
4 Gr. unto the ages.
5 Or, the holy thing which is to be born shall be called the son of God.
6 Or, is begotten.
7 Some ancient authorities insert of thee.
8 Or, is.
9 Gr. bondmaid.




§ 6. THE SONGa OF ELISABETH TO MARY UPON HER VISIT

Hill Country of Judea


Luke 1:39-45

39    And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost; 42 and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? 44 For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that 1believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.

1 Or, believed that there shall be.

a This hymn or psalm springs from the omen to Elisabeth.