An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists Part 10

19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in, because of the mult.i.tude, they went upon the house-top, and let him down through the tiling with _his_ couch, into the midst before Jesus.

20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but G.o.d alone?

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he, answering, said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thine house.

25 And immediately he arose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying G.o.d.

26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified G.o.d, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.

-- 35. The call of Matthew. _Capernaum_.

Matthew. Mark.

CH. IX. 9. CH. II. 13, 14.

9 And as Jesus pa.s.sed forth 13 And he went forth again by from thence, he saw a man the sea-side; and all the named Matthew, sitting at the mult.i.tude resorted unto him, receipt of custom: and he and he taught them.

saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

14 And as he pa.s.sed by, he saw Levi(131) the _son_ of Alpheus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Luke.

CH. V. 27, 28.

27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

Part IV. Our Lord's Second Pa.s.sover, And The Subsequent Transactions Until The Third.

TIME. _One year_.

-- 36. The pool of Bethesda; the healing of the infirm man; and our Lord's subsequent discourse. _Jerusalem_.

John.

CH. V. 1-47.

After this there was a feast of the Jews: and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep _market_, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda,(132) having five porches.

3 In these lay a great mult.i.tude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time _in that case_, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath-day; it is not lawful for thee to carry _thy_ bed.

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a mult.i.tude being in _that_ place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole.

16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done things things on the sabbath-day.

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also, hat G.o.d was his Father, making himself equal with G.o.d.

19 Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth _them_; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all _men_ should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which has sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is pa.s.sed from death into life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of G.o.d: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of d.a.m.nation.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

35 He was a burning and a s.h.i.+ning light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

36. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

37 And the Father himself which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice(133) at any time, nor seen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: And they are they which testify of me.

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

41 I receive not honour from men.

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of G.o.d in you.

43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that _cometh_ from G.o.d only?

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is _one_ that accuseth you, _even Moses_, in whom ye trust.

46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

-- 37. The disciples pluck ears of grain on the Sabbath. _On the way to Galilee?_

Matthew. Mark.

CH. XII. 1-8. CH. II. 23-28.

At that time Jesus went on the 23 And it came to pa.s.s, that sabbath-day through the corn, he went through the and his disciples were a corn-fields on the hungered, and began to pluck sabbath-day; and his disciples the ears of corn, and to began, as they went, to pluck eat.(134) the ears of Corn.

2 But when the Pharisees saw 24 And the Pharisees said unto _it_, they said unto him, him, Behold, why do they on Behold, thy disciples do that the sabbath-day that which is which is not lawful to do upon not lawful?

the sabbath-day.(135) 3 But he said unto them, Have 25 And he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did ye never read what David when he was a hungered, and did,(136) when he had need, they that were with him; and was a hungered, he and they that were with him?

4 How he entered into the 26 How he went into the house house of G.o.d, and did eat the of G.o.d, in the days of shew-bread, which was not Abiathar(137) the high priest, lawful for him to eat, neither and did eat the shew-bread, for them which were with him, which is not lawful to eat, but only for the priests? but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

5 Or have ye not read in the law how that on the sabbath-days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?(138) 6 But I say unto you, that in this place is _one_ greater than the temple.

7 But if ye had known what 27 And he said unto them, The _this_ meaneth,(139) I will sabbath was made for man, and have mercy, and not sacrifice, not man for the sabbath: ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of man is Lord 28 Therefore, the Son of man even of the sabbath-day. is Lord also of the sabbath.