Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study

Excerpt from A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study: An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels in the Version of 1881 One matter of detail, however, requires fuller explanation. In certain instances it has seemed necessary to use narrative material twice. This necessity arises in some cases from condensation in the narrative, from which it results that a single sentence or paragraph covers two distinct events or historical occasions, separated perhaps by some distance of time. In other cases it arises from a different arrangement and con struction of the narrative in the two or more accounts, involving a different representation of the order of events on the part of the different writers. In both classes of cases it is necessary that certain portions of the record be repeated: in cases of condensation, in order to bring the paragraph or verse into connection with both the occasions to which it refers; in cases of displacement, in order at the one point to preserve the logical connection to the extent, that is, of presenting entire each paragraph as we judge the writer conceived it in his own mind, and at the other to show the historical position of the event. Such repetition is in every instance indicated by brackets. The repeated matter is placed in single brackets in the instance in which it is detached from the paragraph of which, in the writer' 3 mind, it was a part, its insertion at this point representing the historical place of the event. In the other instance of its occurrence, namely, when it is retained in the paragraph to which it belongs, it stands unbracketed if this also represents an historical occasion to which it refers; it is placed in double brackets if, by its retention in its original paragraph connection, it is detached from its historical position as indicated by a comparison of the gospels. In one instance (matt. 1 r 8 5) a paragraph containing material belonging to two different points of the history, yet blended inextricably into a single narrative, has been repeated entire, being placed in single brackets in the second instance of its occurrence, this being the position called for by the parallelism of a portion of the narrative with the account in Luke. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.