Chapter LXIX.—Of the Harmony Between the First Three Evangelists in Their Accounts of the Occasion on Which the Jews Asked the Lord by What Authority He Did These Things.

132. Matthew continues his narrative in the following terms: “And when He was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto Him as He was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it?” and so on, down to the words, “Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.”650    Matt. xxi. 23–27. The other two, Mark and Luke, have also set forth this whole passage, and that, too, in almost as many words.651    Mark xi. 27–33; Luke xix. 47-xx. 8. Neither does there appear to be any discrepancy between them in regard to the order, the only exception being found in the circumstance of which I have spoken above,—namely, that Matthew omits certain matters belonging to a different day, and has constructed his narrative with a connection which, were our attention not called [otherwise] to the fact, might lead to the supposition that he was still treating of the second day, where Mark deals with the third. Moreover, Luke has not appended his notice of this incident, as if he meant to go over the days in orderly succession; but after recording the expulsion of the sellers and buyers from the temple, he has passed by without notice all that is contained in the statements above—His going out into Bethany, and His returning to the city, and what was done to the fig-tree, and the reply touching the power of faith which was made to the disciples when they marvelled. And then, after all these omissions, he has introduced the next section of his narrative in these terms: “And He taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests, and the scribes, and the chief of the people sought to destroy Him; and could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear Him. And it came to pass, that on one of these days, as He taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon Him, with the elders, and spake unto Him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things?” and so on; all which the other two evangelists record in like manner. From this it is apparent that he is in no antagonism with the others, even with regard to the order; since what he states to have taken place “on one of those days,” may be understood to belong to that particular day on which they also have reported it to have occurred.652    [The order of occurrences during this day of public controversy in the temple presents few difficulties. It was probably the Tuesday of Passion Week. The day of the month is in dispute because of the still mooted question, whether our Lord ate the last passover at the regular time or one day earlier.—R.]

CAPUT LXIX. Cum Dominum interrogaverunt Judaei, in qua potestate ista faceret, quomodo inter se consentiant isti tres.

132. Sequitur Matthaeus, et dicit: Et cum venisset in templum, accesserunt ad eum docentem principes sacerdotum et seniores populi dicentes: In qua potestate haec facis? Et quis dedit tibi hanc potestatem? Respondens Jesus dixit illis: Interrogabo vos et ego unum sermonem; quem si dixeritis mihi, et ego vobis dicam in qua potestate haec faciam. Baptismus Joannis unde erat? etc., usque ad illud ubi ait, Nec ego vobis dico in qua potestate haec facio (Matth. XXI, 23-27). Hoc totum et alii duo Marcus et Lucas totidem pene verbis explicaverunt (Marc. XI, 27-33, et Luc. XIX, 47; XX, 8): nec in ordine inter se videntur aliquid discrepare, nisi unde superius locutus sum, quod praetermissis quibusdam Matthaeus ad alterum diem pertinentibus ita contexit narrationem, ut nisi advertatur, possit putari ipsum in secundo die adhuc versari, Marcum autem in tertio. Lucas vero non quasi ex ordine dies persequens hoc subjunxit, sed cum commemorasset ejectos de templo ementes et vendentes, praetermisit quod exibat in Bethaniam, et regrediebatur in civitatem, et quod de ficulnea factum est, et quod mirantibus 1142 discipulis de fidei virtute responsum est: atque his praetermissis intulit dicens, Et erat docens quotidie in templo. Principes autem sacerdotum et Scribae et principes plebis quaerebant illum predere: et non inveniebant quid facerent illi. Omnis enim populus suspensus erat audiens illum. Et factum est in una dierum, docente illo populum in templo et evangelizante, convenerunt principes sacerdotum et Scribae cum senioribus, et aiunt dicentes ad illum: Die nobis in qua potestate haec facis? etc., quae etiam duo illi commemorant. Unde apparet, nihil eis etiam ipso ordine repugnare, quando id quod dicit factum in una dierum, ea dies intelligitur, in qua id gestum illi etiam retulerunt.