An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists Part 5

Matthew. Mark.

CH. III. 1-12. CH. I. 1-8.

In those days came John the The beginning of the gospel of Baptist, preaching in the Jesus Christ the Son of G.o.d: wilderness of Judea, 2 And saying, Repent ye; for As it is written in the the kingdom of heaven is at prophets,(102) Behold, I send hand. my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee; 3 For this is he that was 3 The voice of one crying in spoken of by the prophet the wilderness, Prepare ye the Esaias, saying, The voice of way of the Lord, make his one crying in the wilderness, paths straight.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his 4 John did baptize in the raiment of camel's hair, and a wilderness, and preach the leathern girdle about his baptism of repentance, for the loins; and his meat was remission of sins.

locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him 5 And there went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the land of Judea, and all the region round about they of Jerusalem, and were Jordan. all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

6 And were baptized of him in 6 And John was clothed with Jordan, confessing their sins. camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; 7 But when he saw many of the 7 And preached, saying, There Pharisees and Sadducees come cometh one mightier than I to his baptism, he said unto after me, the latchet of whose them, O generation of vipers, shoes I am not worthy to stoop who hath warned you to flee down and unloose.

from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits 8 I indeed have baptized you meet for repentance: with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that G.o.d is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and _with_ fire: 12 Whose fan _is_ in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Luke.

CH. III. 1-18.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene.

2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests,(103) the word of G.o.d came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins; 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying,(104) The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of G.o.d.

7 Then said he to the mult.i.tude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to _our_ father: for I say unto you, That G.o.d is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse _any_ falsely; and be content with your wages.

15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 16 John answered, saying unto _them_ all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 17 Whose fan _is_ in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

-- 15. The Baptism of Jesus. _The Jordan._

Matthew. Mark.

CH. III. 13-17. CH. I. 9-11.

13 Then cometh Jesus from 9 And it came to pa.s.s in those Galilee to Jordan unto John, days, that Jesus came from to be baptized of him. Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

14 But John forbade him, 10 And straightway coming up saying, I have need to be out of the water, he saw the baptized of thee, and comest heavens opened, and the Spirit thou to me? like a dove descending upon him.

15 And Jesus answering said 11 And there came a voice from unto him, Suffer _it to be so_ heaven _saying_, Thou art my now: for thus it becometh us beloved Son, in whom I am well to fulfil all righteousness. pleased.

Then he suffered him.

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, when up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Luke.

CH. III. 21-23.

21 Now, when all the people were baptized, it came to pa.s.s, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age.

-- 16. The Temptation. _Desert of Judea_

Matthew. Mark.

CH. IV. 1-11. CH. I. 12-13.

Then was Jesus led up of the 12 And immediately the Spirit Spirit into the wilderness to driveth him into the be tempted of the devil. wilderness.

2 And when he had fasted forty 13 And he was there in the days and forty nights, he was wilderness forty days tempted afterward an hungered. of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of G.o.d, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written(105) Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G.o.d.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of G.o.d cast thyself down, for it is written(106) He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in _their_ hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again,(107) Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy G.o.d.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them: 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written,(108) Thou shalt worship the Lord thy G.o.d, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Luke.

CH. IV. 1-13.(109) And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of G.o.d, command this stone that it be made bread.

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of G.o.d.

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of G.o.d, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in _their_ hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12 And Jesus answering, said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy G.o.d.

5 And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, shewed unto him, all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy G.o.d, and him only shalt thou serve.

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

-- 17. Preface to John's Gospel.

John.

CH. I. 1-18.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G.o.d, and the Word was G.o.d.

2 The same was in the beginning with G.o.d.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from G.o.d, whose name _was_ John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all _men_ through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but _was sent_ to bear witness of that light.

9 _That_ was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of G.o.d, _even_ to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me, is preferred before me; for he was before me.

16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.