The life of study is austere and imposes grave obligations. It pays, it pays richly; but it exacts an initial outlay … The athletes of the mind, like those of the playing field, must be prepared for privations, long training, a sometimes superhuman tenacity. We must give ourselves from the…
On the premise that Matthew was published coincident with the events in Acts 10–11 and Mark shortly thereafter, with full knowledge of Matthew’s Greek text, I have been evaluating the passages which Mark chose to resequence–from Matthew–into earlier settings within his own narrative. Refer to “Mark’s resequenced episodes, assuming Matthean…
As I have searched out those who affirmed an early publication of Matthew, I have particularly appreciated the writings of Thomas Townson. Born in Essex, Townson (1715–1792) was educated at Oxford’s Magdalen College, was ordained in 1742, ministered in Blithfield, and for an extended period was the Rector of the…
Which of Mark’s episodes were resequenced, on the assumption that Mark had Matthew’s Gospel available to him? For this exercise, I am excluding some of the teaching events, such as the parables, as Jesus may well have taught things at multiple times. Plus, the narrative summary statements are also excluded.…
In a prior blog post, “The two-part story of the withered fig tree,” I argued that the Matthean and the Markan accounts can be harmonized by realizing that Mark is employing a flash-forward. According to Matthew’s account, it is after the temple cleansing that (1) Jesus curses the fig tree,…
For this long-overdue contribution to our series on Francis Upham’s “Thoughts on the Holy Gospels,” we jump ahead to chapter eight, which speaks to the “Inspiration of the Gospels.” What most intrigued me about this chapter was his alignment with others who were writing on Inspiration—by which they also meant…
Read my article over at Sharper Iron. Pastor, at some point this year you will be providing background context for the NT passage which you are about to preach, guiding your flock in properly visualizing the world of Jesus and the apostles, so that your people might better connect with…
Matthew, Mark and Luke: A Study in the Order and Interrelation of the Synoptic Gospels. By John Chapman. Edited by John M. T. Barton. London: Longmans, Green, and Company, 1937, 312 pp. Last month I was privileged to acquire a copy of John Chapman’s significant work on the order and…
How do assumptions regarding the publication date of Matthew’s Gospel and Matthean priority affect our interpretation of the book? Previously, we looked at how J. Oliver Buswell’s belief that Matthew was published after Paul’s writings impacted his identification of the elect in the Olivet Discourse. Today, we consider the identity…
To launch us into the new year, I offer an “Epistle to the Reader,” by Edmund Calamy. Calamy was a Presbyterian minister before, during, and after the turbulent years of the English Civil Wars. For a period, he was a chaplain to Charles II, but was subsequently ejected from the…