Table Of Content

Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 1 Author(s): Calvin, John (1509-1564) (Alternative) (Translator) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: In these three volumes, Calvin provides an engaging commentary on the synoptic gospels--Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Calvin does not separate his treatment of the three, but comments on the three books as a whole. Of his commentaries, Calvin's Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke is well-known--unsurprisingly, given the power, insight, and in- struction it has. As always, Calvin's commentary has an eye towards everyday concerns and he incorporates a shrewd practical insight throughout. An important and useful commentary, Calvin's Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke is deserving of study! Tim Perrine CCEL Staff Writer Subjects: The Bible Works about the Bible i Contents Harmony of the Evangelists, Part 1 1 Translator's Preface 2 Facsimile of the Title Page to the 1558 French Edition 10 Facsimile of the Title Page to the 1563 French Edition 11 Facsimile of the Title Page to the 1610 English Translation 12 Paget's Episle Dedicatory to the 1584 Edition 13 John Calvin's Epistle Dedicatory to the 1555 Edition 15 The Argument 19 Commentary 23 Luke 1:1-4 24 Luke 1:5-13 27 Luke 1:14-17 33 Luke 1:18-20 38 Luke 1:21-25 42 Luke 1:26-33 46 Luke 1:34-38 53 Luke 1:39-45 59 Luke 1:46-50 63 Luke 1:51-55 68 Luke 1:56-66 72 Luke 1:67-75 75 Luke 1:76-80 82 Matthew 1:1-17;Luke 3:23-38 86 Matthew 1:18-25 97 Luke 2:1-7 108 Luke 2:8-14 112 ii Luke 2:15-21 119 Matthew 2:1-6 123 Matthew 2:7-12 129 Luke 2:22-32 132 Luke 2:33-39 138 Matthew 2:13-18 144 Matthew 2:19-23 150 Luke 2:40-47 153 Luke 2:48-52 157 Matthew 3:1-6;Mark 1:1-6;Luke 3:1-6 159 Matthew 3:7-10; Luke 3:7-14 169 Matthew 3:11-12;Mark 1:7-8;Luke 3:15-18 177 Matthew 3:13-17;Mark 1:9-11;Luke 3:21-23 181 Matthew 4:1-4;Mark 1:12-13;Luke 4:1-4 186 Matthew 4:5-11;Mark 1:13;Luke 4:5-13 193 Matthew 4:12,17;Mark 1:14-15;Luke 3:19-20; 4:14 198 Luke 4:16-22 201 Luke 4:23-30 205 Matthew 4:13-16 209 Matthew 4:18-25;Mark 1:16-20;Luke 5:1-11 211 Mark 1:21-28;Luke 4:31-36 218 Matthew 8:14-18;Mark 1:29-39;Luke 4:38-44 221 Mark 3:13-19;Luke 6:12-19 225 Matthew 5:1-12;Luke 6:20-26 229 Matthew 5:13-16;Mark 9:49-50; 4:21;Luke 14:34-35; 8:16; 11:33 238 Matthew 5:17-19;Luke 16:17 243 Matthew 5:20-22 247 Matthew 5:23-26;Luke 12:58-59 252 Matthew 5:27-30 255 Matthew 5:31-32;Luke 16:18 257 Matthew 5:33-37 259 Matthew 5:38-41;Luke 6:29-30 262 iii Matthew 5:42;Luke 6:34-35 265 Matthew 5:43-48;Luke 6:27-36 267 Matthew 6:1-4 271 Matthew 6:5-8 274 Matthew 6:9-13;Luke 11:1-4 277 Matthew 6:14-15;Mark 11:25-26 289 Matthew 6:16-19 290 Matthew 6:19-21;Luke 12:33-34 291 Matthew 6:22-24;Luke 11:34-36; 16:13 294 Matthew 6:25-30;Luke 12:22-28 298 Matthew 6:31-34;Luke 12:29-32 301 Matthew 7:1-5; Mark 4:24;Luke 6:37-42 304 Matthew 7:6 308 Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 11:5-13 310 Matthew 7:12-14; Luke 6:31 313 Luke 13:23-24 316 Luke 13:25-30 317 Matthew 7:15-20; Luke 6:43-45 320 Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46 324 Matthew 7:24-29; Luke 6:47-49 327 Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16 329 Matthew 8:5-13;Luke 7:1-10 334 Luke 7:11-17 340 Matthew 8:19-22;Luke 9:57-62 342 Matthew 9:1-8;Mark 2:1-12;Luke 5:17-26 345 Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32 351 Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39 357 Matthew 9:18-22; Mark 5:22-34; Luke 8:40-48 361 Matthew 9:23-26; Mark 5:35-43; Luke 8:49-56 366 Matthew 9:27-34 369 Matthew 9:35-38 372 Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25 374 iv Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39 378 Matthew 10:1-8; Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1-2 387 Matthew 10:9-15; Mark 6:8-11; Luke 9:3-5 392 Matthew 10:16-20; Luke 12:11-12 397 Matthew 10:21-25; Luke 6:40 402 Matthew 10:26-31; Mark 4:22-23; Luke 8:17; 12:2-7 407 Matthew 10:32-35; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 12:8-9, 51-53 412 Matthew 10:37-42; Mark 9:41; Luke 14:25-33 416 Indexes 422 Index of Scripture References 423 Index of Scripture Commentary 427 Greek Words and Phrases 428 Hebrew Words and Phrases 431 Latin Words and Phrases 433 French Words and Phrases 436 v This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. 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Written permission is required for commercial use. vi Harmony of the Evangelists, Part 1 Harmony of the Evangelists, Part 1 COMMENTARY ON A HARMONY OF THE EVANGEL- ISTS, MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE, BY JOHN CALVIN TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN, AND COLLATED WITH THE AUTHOR'S FRENCH VERSION, BY THE REV. WILLIAM PRINGLE VOLUME FIRST CHRISTIAN CLASSICS ETHEREAL LIBRARY GRAND RAPIDS, MI http://www.ccel.org 1 Translator's Preface Translator's Preface THE TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE All the writings of John Calvin are marked by extraordinary vigor, learning, and judg- ment. Few of them are so well known as the institutes of the christian religion — a system- atic treatise, which, though written at the early age of twenty-four, was universally acknow- ledged to be a production of the highest ability. Concise and luminous, powerful in argument, scriptural, devout and practical, it has not been superseded by any later work. But the fame which he acquired by the institutes was fully sustained by his expository writings, which possess at least equal claims on the attention of divines. They contributed powerfully to diffuse the pure Gospel of Christ, commanded the applause of all the Reformed Churches, and received even from enemies no mean commendation. More than a century after his valuable life had closed, they occupied a place in every theological library. The learned Matthew Poole, in the preface to his Synopsis, apologizes for the small number of his quo- tations from them, on the express ground that the Commentaries themselves, he had every reason to believe, were in the hands of all his readers. This reputation, after having suffered a partial eclipse, will soon, in all probability, regain its former brightness. The first tendency to this improvement was discovered in a neighboring country, where the distinguishing doctrines of Christianity had long been supplanted by a creed little removed from infidelity. In Germany, Biblical criticism is almost a national pursuit. That unconquerable industry which had already crowned her scholars with laurels in Greek and Roman literature, has given them as unquestionable a pre-eminence in the field of sacred philology. Had such rare attainments been always consecrated to the honor of the Redeemer, every good man would have rejoiced. Unhappily, they were but too fre- quently employed in maintaining the most dangerous errors, in opposing every inspired statement which the mind of man is unable fully to comprehend, in divesting religion of its spiritual and heavenly character, and in undermining the whole fabric of revealed truth. But a gracious Providence has raised up other men, whom, though we may not feel ourselves at liberty to subscribe to all their views, we cannot but hail as the friends of evangelical truth, and admire for their holy fortitude in coming to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty, (Judges 5:23.) At the head of this illustrious band it is almost superfluous to name Professor Tholuck of Halle, admitted by the most competent judges, both in Britain and on the Continent, to be one of the first biblical scholars of the age. Having been led by his own researches, and by public events, to examine the writings of the Reformer, he hastened to draw the attention of his countrymen to the neglected treasures. His own Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans afforded an opportunity which was eagerly embraced. Not satisfied with this brief 2 Translator's Preface notice, he wrote an elaborate and masterly dissertation on “The merits of Calvin as an Inter- preter of the Holy Scriptures,” a translation of which appeared shortly afterwards in the (American) “Biblical Repository.” He superintended a handsome octavo edition of Calvin’s Commentaries on the New Testament, printed at Berlin, and sold at a moderate price. To another eminent interpreter he candidly awards the honor of having led the way in this 1 undertaking. But he was one of the earliest to follow in the path which had been marked out, and has labored, beyond all his contemporaries, to make the Commentaries of Calvin more extensively known, and more highly esteemed. Our Author has exerted a powerful influence on all succeeding expositors. They have found their interest in listening to his instructions, and have been more deeply indebted to him than is generally known. Many valuable interpretations of passages of Scripture appeared for the first time in his writings, and have ever since been warmly approved. In other cases, the views which had been previously held are placed by him in so strong a light as to remove every doubt, and satisfy the most cautious inquiry. And yet the stores, from which so much has been drawn, are far from being exhausted, nor is their value greatly lowered by improve- ments which have been subsequently made. The department of History presents an analogous case. Documents which had been overlooked are carefully examined. Conflicting evidence is more accurately weighed. Important transactions assume a new aspect, or, at least, are altered in their subordinate details. Still, there are historians, in whose narrative the great lines of truth are so powerfully drawn, that the feebler, though more exact, delineations of other men cannot supply their place. In the chief moral requisite for such a work Calvin is excelled by none. He is an honest interpreter. No consideration would have induced him to wrest the words of Scripture from their plain meaning. Those who may question his conclusions cannot trace them to an un- worthy motive. Timid theologians will be occasionally startled by his expositions. Though they may not absolutely impeach the soundness of his doctrine, they will tremble for the fate of some favorite theory or ingenious argument. With such minds he has no sympathy. He examines the Scriptures with the humility of one who inquires at the oracle of God, (2 Samuel 16:23,) and proclaims the reply with the faith of one who knows that the word of the Lord is tried, (Psalm 18:30.) Intimately connected with this integrity of purpose is the Catholic spirit which he con- stantly breathes. His labors are dedicated to no sect, but to the cause of divine truth. If his opinions do not find equal favor with all true Christians, they are made to feel that he ad- 1 “To Lucke belongs the honor of having first referred, in the department of exigesis, to Luther, Beza, Calvin, Camerarius, and many other excellent interpreters of the period of the Reformation. He was followed by the writer of these pages in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans.” — Literarischer Anzeiger fur1831. Biblical Repository, July 1832. 3