L I G H T O N P U Z Z L I N G P A S S A G E S a n d P R O B L E M S By R . A . T O R R E Y
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Prelim inary Note.—Tw o of th e m o st im p o rtan t qu estio n s th a t h av e com e to u s th is m onth a re qu estio n s w hich th e ed ito r h as alread y answered,- one in his book, “D ifficulties a n d A lleged E rro rs an d C o n trad ictio n s in th e B ible,” an d th e o th er in h is book, " P ra c tic a l an d P erp lex in g Q uestions A nsw ered.” B u t th ey a re of such im p o rtan ce in them selves an d so co n stan tly com e up, th a t in stead of refe rrin g th e in q u irers to th ese books, w e are h ere an sw erin g th em ag ain .— Editor.
M an ,” o u r B ro th e r an d R ed eem er, w ho b e lo n g s to th e w hole race a n d claim s k in d red w ith all k in d s a n d co n d itio n s o f m en. T h ere fo re , in M a tth e w th e g enealogy de scends from A b ra h am to Jo sep h a n d Jesu s, because all th e p red ictio n s a n d p rom ises to u ch in g th e M essiah a re fulfilled in H im . B u t in L u k e th e g en ealo g y ascen d s from Je su s to A d am , becau se th e g en ealo g y is b ein g tra c e d b ack to th e h ead o f th e w hole race, an d show s th e re la tio n o f th e second A d am to th e first. 3. Jo sep h ’s lin e in M a tth e w is th e d i rectly ro y al lin e from D av id to Jo sep h . In L u k e, o n th e o th e r h an d , th o u g h th e lin e of d escen t is from D av id , it is n o t th e royal line, fo r Je su s is d escen d ed fro m D av id th ro u g h N a th an , w ho w as in d eed D a v id ’s son b u t n o t in th e royal line, a n d th e list fo llow s a line q u ite d istin ct from th e royal line. 4. T h e M essiah , a cco rd in g to O ld T e s tam e n t p red ictio n , w as to be th e actu al son o f D av id a cco rd in g to th e flesh (2 Sam . 7 : 12-19; P s. 89:3, 4, 34-37; 132:11; A cts 2 : 30; 13:22, 2 3 ; R om . 1 :3 ; 2 T im . 2 :8 ). T h ese p rom ises a re fulfilled by Je su s being th e so n of M ary , w h o w as a lin eal d escen d a n t o f D avid, th o u g h as a lre ad y said, n o t in th e ro y al line. Jo sep h , w ho w as o f th e ro y al line, w as n o t H is fa th e r a cco rd in g to th e flesh, b u t w as H is fa th e r in th e eyes o f th e law as h is adopted son. 5. M a ry w as a d escen d an t o f D av id th ro u g h h e r fa th e r- H eli. I t is tru e th a t L u k e 3 :23 says th a t Joseph w as th e so n of H eli, b u t th e v ery sim ple ex p la n atio n of
How can we reconcile the two genealo gies of Jesus, the one given in Matthew and the one in Luke, as the two genealogies differ so widely from one another at many points? T h e a n sw e r to th is- c o n stan tly re c u rrin g an d a p p are n tly v ery difficult q u estio n is in p o in t o f fa c t sim ple, th o u g h seven p o in ts m u st be b o rn e in m in d in g iv in g th e an sw e r: L T h e g en ealo g y given in M atth ew is th e g en ealo g y o f Jo sep h , th e rep u te d fa th e r o f Je su s, H is fa th e r in th e eyes o f th e Je w ish law . O n th e o th e r h an d , th e genealogy g iv en in L u k e is th e g en ealo g y o f M ary, th e m o th e r o f Je su s, a n d is th e h um an gene alo g y o f Je su s in a ctu al fact, th e o th e r be in g sim ply H is legal genealogy, th a t is H is g en ealo g y in th e eyes o f th e Jew ish law . T h e G ospel o f M a tth e w w as w ritte n fo r Jew s, so n a tu ra lly an d p ro p e rly H is Jew ish legal g en ealo g y is th e on e giv en in th a t G ospel. A ll7th ro u g h th is G ospel Jo sep h is p rom in en t, an d M a ry is scarcely, m entioned. In L u k e, o n th e o th e r h an d , w h ich w as w ritte n fo r G entiles, th e Je w ish law as such bein g o f little account, a n d w h ich m o reo v er p re se n ts Je su s, n o t as “th e S o n o f D av id ,” b u t as “th e S o n o f M an ,” M a ry is th e chief p erso n ag e in th e w h o le acco u n t o f th e S av io u r’s conception a n d b irth . Jo sep h is b ro u g h t in m erely in cid en tally a n d because he w as M a ry ’s h u sb an d . In all o f th is th e re is a deep significance, w hich w e cannot, dw ell u p o n h ere. 2. In M a tth e w Je su s ap p ears a s th e M es siah ; in L u k e H e ap p ears as th e “S o n of
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