THE NEW TESTAMENT OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. THE TEXT CAREFULLY PRINTED FROM THE MOST CORRECT COPIES OF THE PRESENT AUTHORISED VERSION INCLUDING THE MARGINAL READINGS AND PARALLEL TEXTS. WITH A Commentary and Critical Notes. DESIGNED AS A HELP TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SACRED WRITINGS. BY ADAM CLARKE, LL. D. F. S. A. M. R. I. A. WITH A COMPLETE ALPHABETICAL INDEX. For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and Royal Octavo Stereotype Edition. VOL. I. NEW-YORK, PUBLISHED BY J. EMORY AND B. WAUGH, FOR THE METHODIST 13 CROSBY-STREET. J. Collord, Printer. 220.52 B47 1832 V.5 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FOUR GOSPELS, AND TO THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, CONTAINING INFORMATION NECESSARY TO A PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE VARIOUS REFERENCES FOUND IN THE NOTES ON THESE BOOKS. THE Introduction, so long promised, giving an account of the manuscripts, versions, &c. referred to in this work, is at last before my readers; and could not, with any propriety, have been published sooner, as the Gospel History could not be considered complete till the book of the Acts was finished. As the chronology of the New Testament ends with the two years' imprisonment of Paul at Rome, it may be thought needless to carry it any farther down: but as there is some reason to believe, that he visited Rome a second time, and suffered martyrdom there about A. D. 64 or 65; and as learned men have agreed that the Apocalypse, which completes the canon of the New Testament, was not written till about the year 96; I have thought it necessary to carry down the chronology through the whole of the first century of the Christian era; that, if I should not have health or life to proceed any farther in this work, that important part should be left in a state of tolerable perfection. I have proceeded on the same plan with the four Gospels, and the book of the Acts, as I have done with the Pentateuch and the book of Joshun; and have reason to thank God that he has spared me to go through (in the manner I first proposed) with these two most important parts of that revelation which his mercy has granted to man. In the first, (the Pentateuch and the book of Joshua,) the history of the world and its original inhabitants, and the history of the church, are brought down from the creation to the final settlement of the Israelites in the promised land. In the second, (the four Gospels and book of Als,) I have deduced the important events of the Christian dispensation, from six years before the vulgar era, down to the year 100. This chronology is as rich in the necessary eras as that which is attached to the book of Deuteronomy: and has, I hope, left nothing unnoticed that belongs to such a work. The account of MSS. versions, &c. is necessarily short: I could not proceed farther in this description, without involving much of that sort of Biblical criticism which could not be advantageous to general readers. I have, therefore only introduced what I deemed necessary for a proper understanding of the references to be found in the Commentary itself. I have purposely avoided the question concerning the authenticity of the Sacred Writings in general. On a thorough conviction, I assume the fact, that they are a divine record, a revelation from God. This has been so amply proved, that the Christian cause has had a complete triumph. I consider, therefore, the question to be for ever at rest. As to the particular books, scriptures, or scripture facts, to which objections have been made, I have carefully considered them as they occur in their respective places; and I hope I have fully removed every such objection, and have exhibited the doctrines of the Gospel, and the facts of the evangelical history, in their own certain and steady light; at least, I have carefully laboured to do it; and, like the woman in the Gospel, I have done what I could. When the great difficulty of my work is considered, no one will suppose that mistakes were avoidable; general consistency and correctness are all that candour can require. I have met with difficulties in every part of my undertaking, such as a commentator only can feel and estimate. On the Acts of the Apostles alone, I have spent many months of almost incessant labour. Difficulties occurred in every page; and I could not proceed till I had made the way plain before me, and left it open to those who might come after. This alone is sufficient to account for the delay in this part; and for any casual mistakes into which I may have fallen; mistakes, if such there be, over which the candid reader will find little difficulty gently to draw the pen of correction: remembering, that it is much more easy to find faults than to mend them. § I. Concerning the MANNER in which Divine INSPIRATION was granted to the sacred writers. The manner in which the Divine inspiration has been granted to the sacred writers, is a question of more than mere curiosity. As every work of God is done in an orderly, rational manner, so must this also: but we must take heed not to confine him to one particular form, and say, it must be thus and thus, or not at all. God is sovereign of his own ways; and so does his wondrous works, that they may be had in everlasting remembrance. As he has spoken at sundry times to our fathers and predecessors, by the prophets and other inspired men; so has he done this in divers manners; ever adapting the manner to time, place, circumstance, &c. Hence we are not to look for a uniformity in the manner of communicating his inspirations, any more than we are to look for identity of time, place, and persons. He has done great things; and he has done all things WELL. On the inspiration of the Scriptures themselves, I must therefore refer my readers to those who have written professedly on the subject; but on the mode of commu |