of the most formidable
arguments against the authenticity of St. John's Gospel. The argument
employed by these critics is as follows:--(1) The Synoptic Gospels
contain the original apostolic tradition, and they agree in stating
that Jesus celebrated the ordinary Jewish passover on the evening
between the 14th and 15th of the month Nisan; they therefore represent
the crucifixion as taking place on the 15th, after the passover had
been eaten. (2) The fourth Gospel places the Last Supper on the
evening between the 13th and the 14th of Nisan. It therefore
represents the crucifixion as taking place on the 14th, and tacitly
denies that Christ ate the usual Jewish passover. (3) The Churches of
the province of Asia, which were founded by St. John, were accustomed
in the 2nd century to keep their passover on the 14th of Nisan, and
declared that they derived their custom from St. John. They
consequently believed that Christ died on the 15th, and that He ate the
usual Jewish Passover. (4) Therefore the fourth Gospel was not written
by St. John, but by a forger who wished to emphasize the break between
Judaism and Christianity.

This argument can be turned with fatal force against the critics who
made it. It is no doubt true that St. John by numerous indications
(xiii. 1; xviii. 28; xix. 14, 31) implies that the Last Supper was
eaten the day before the usual passover, and that Christ died on Nisan
14. But the usage of the Christians of the Asiatic Churches in the 2nd
century absolutely corroborates these indications. These Churches when
they celebrated the passover were not celebrating the anniversary of
the Last Supper, but the anniversary of the death of Christ, the true
Paschal Lamb. By doing this on Nisan 14, they showed that they
believed that Christ died on that day, and there is particularly strong
evidence of a belief among the early Christians that our Lord did die
on Nisan 14. Moreover, although the account of the Synoptists is not
free from {30} ambiguity, it bears many testimonies to St. John's
chronology. They record as happening on the day of Christ's death
several actions which the Jewish law did not permit on a feast day such
as Nisan 15, and which must presumably have taken place on Nisan 14.
The Synoptists make the Sanhedrim say that they will not arrest Jesus
"on the feast day," the guards and St. Peter carry arms, the trial is
held, Simon the Cyrenian comes from work, Joseph of Arimathaea buys a
lin