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…
Welcome to our gathering, brothers and sisters, children of Israel who belong to the Way. Tonight we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, who was born into this world roughly forty years ago. Jesus was the promised son of David, anticipated by the prophets, announced by an angel,…
One reason that scholars tend to discount the testimony of the earliest church fathers concerning Matthean priority is due to the apparent claim that Matthew’s Gospel was written in Hebrew (or Aramaic). For example, Irenaeus is commonly translated as stating that “Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews…