oved from the events which he
records.
In writing his Gospel, the author made use of that of Matthew, the
Gospel of the Hebrews, and Marcion's Gospel. He must have had, also,
still other sources, as there are parables peculiar to it, which are not
found in them. Among these may be mentioned that of the "_Prodigal
Son_," and the "_Good Samaritan_." Other parables peculiar to it are
that of the two debtors; the friend borrowing bread at night; the rich
man's barns; Dives and Lazarus; the lost piece of silver; the unjust
steward; the Pharisee and the Publican.
Several miracles are also peculiar to the Luke narrator's Gospel, the
raising of the widow of Nain's son being the most remarkable. Perhaps
these stories were delivered to him _orally_, and perhaps _he is the
author of them_,--we shall never know. The foundation of the legends,
however, undoubtedly came from the "_certain scriptures_" of the Essenes
in Egypt. The principal _object_ which the writer of this gospel had in
view was to reconcile _Paulinism_ and the _more Jewish_ forms of
Christianity.[456:2]
The next in chronological order, according to the same school of
critics, is "The Gospel according to Mark." This gospel is supposed to
have been written within ten years of the former, and its author, as of
the other two gospels, is unknown. It was probably written at _Rome_, as
the Latinisms of the author's style, and the apparent motive of his
work, strongly suggest that he was a Jewish citizen of the Eternal City.
He made use of the Gospel of Matthew as his principal authority, and
probably referred to that of Luke, as he has things in common with Luke
only.
The object which the writer had in view, was to have a neutral
go-between, a compromise between Matthew as too Petrine (Jewish), and
Luke as too Pauline (Gentile). The different aspects of Matthew and Luke
were found to be confusing to believers, and provocative of hostile
criticism from without; hence the idea of writing a shorter gospel, that
should combine the most essential elements of both. Luke was itself a
compromise between the opposing Jewish and universal tendencies of
early Christianity, but Mark endeavors by avoidance and omission to
effect what Luke did more by addition and contrast. Luke proposed to
himself to open a door for the admission of Pauline ideas without
offending Gentile Christianity; Mark, on the contrary, in a negative
spirit, to publish a Gospel which should not hurt the f
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