Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke

428 Pages·2016·3.4 MB·English

by  John Calvin

Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
Author(s): Calvin, John (1509-1564)
(Alternative)
(Translator)
Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Description: In these three volumes, Calvin provides an engaging com-
mentary on the synoptic gospels--Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Calvin does not separate his treatment of the three, but
comments on the three books as a whole. Of his comment-
aries, Calvin's Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke is
well-known--unsurprisingly, given the power, insight, and in-
struction it has. As always, Calvin's commentary has an eye
towards everyday concerns and he incorporates a shrewd
practical insight throughout. An important and useful com-
mentary, Calvin's Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke
is deserving of study!
Tim Perrine
CCEL Staff Writer
Subjects: The Bible
Works about the Bible
i
Contents
Harmony of the Evangelists, Part 2 1
Commentary 2
Mark 6:12-13; Luke 9:6 3
Matthew 11:1-6; Luke 7:18-23 4
Matthew 11:7-15; Luke 7:24-28 8
Matthew 11:16-19; Luke 7:29-35 13
Luke 10:1-12 18
Matthew 11:20-24; Luke 10:13-16 21
Luke 10:17-20 26
Matthew 11:25-30; Luke 10:21-22 29
Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5 37
Matthew 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-5; Luke 6:6-10 43
Matthew 12:14-21; Mark 3:6-12; Luke 6:11 46
Matthew 12:22-24; Mark 3:20-22; Luke 11:14-15 52
Matthew 12:25-32; Mark 3:23-30; Luke 11:16-23; 12:10 55
Matthew 12:33-37 64
Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26 68
Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 11:27-28; 8:19-21 71
Matthew 12:38-42; Luke 11:16, 29-32 76
Matthew 13:1-17; Mark 4:1-12, 24-25; Luke 8:1-10, 18; 10:23-24 80
Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15 92
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 98
Matthew 13:31-35; Mark 4:26-34; Luke 13:18-22 104
Matthew 13:44-52 108
Luke 7:36-50 112
Luke 10:38-42 118
ii
Luke 12:13-21 121
Luke 13:1-9 126
Luke 13:10-17 129
Luke 13:31-33 132
Luke 11:37-41 135
Luke 14:1-6 137
Luke 14:7-14 139
Matthew 22:1-24; Luke 14:15-24 142
Luke 16:1-15 149
Luke 16:19-31 156
Luke 17:7-10 164
Luke 18:1-8 167
Luke 18:9-14 170
Luke 17:11-21 175
Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6 179
Matthew 14:1-2; Mark 6:14-16; Luke 9:7-9 183
Matthew 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-29 185
Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17 193
Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52 200
Matthew 14:34-36; Mark 6:53-56 205
Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13 207
Matthew 15:10-20; Mark 7:14-23; Luke 6:39 215
Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 221
Matthew 15:29-39; Mark 7:31-37, 8:1-10 227
Matthew 16:1-4; Mark 8:11-13; Luke 12:54-57 232
Matthew 16:5-12; Mark 8:14-21; Luke 12:1 236
Mark 8:22-26 241
Matthew 16:13-19; Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20 243
Matthew 16:20-28; Mark 8:30-38, 9:1; Luke 9:21-27 252
Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36 260
Matthew 17:9-13; Mark9:9-13; Luke 9:36 267
Matthew 17:14-18; Mark 9:14-27; Luke 9:37-43 270
iii
Matthew 17:19-21; Mark 9:28-29; Luke 17:5-6 276
Matthew 17:22-23, 18:1-5; Mark 9:30-37; Luke 9:43-48 278
Matthew 18:6-10; Mark 9:42-48; Luke 17:1-2 283
Matthew 18:11-14; Luke 15:1-10 288
Luke 15:11-24 291
Luke 15:25-32 297
Matthew 18:15-20; Luke 17:3 299
Matthew 18:21-35 Luke 17:4 308
Matthew 17:24-27 313
Matthew 19:1-2; Mark 9:38-40, 10:1; Luke 9:49-56 316
Matthew 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12 321
Matthew 19:10-12 327
Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17 330
Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23 333
Matthew 19:23-26; Mark 10:23-27; Luke 18:24-27 340
Matthew 19:27-30; Mark 10:28-31; Luke 18:28-30; 22:28-30 343
Matthew 20:1-16 347
Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34 351
Matthew 20:20-23; Mark 10:35-40 354
Matthew 20:24-28; Mark 10:41-45; Luke 22:24-27 359
Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43 364
Luke 19:1-10 369
Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-28 373
Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38 379
Luke 19:41-44 386
Indexes 389
Index of Scripture References 390
Index of Scripture Commentary 394
Greek Words and Phrases 395
Hebrew Words and Phrases 397
Latin Words and Phrases 398
French Words and Phrases 399
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v
Harmony of the Evangelists, Part 2
Harmony of the Evangelists, Part 2
COMMENTARY
ON A
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS,
MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE,

BY JOHN CALVIN

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN, AND COLLATED WITH
THE AUTHOR'S FRENCH VERSION,
BY THE REV. WILLIAM PRINGLE

VOLUME SECOND

CHRISTIAN CLASSICS ETHEREAL LIBRARY
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
http://www.ccel.org
1
Commentary
Commentary

COMMENTARY
ON A
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS
2
Mark 6:12-13; Luke 9:6
Mark 6:12-13; Luke 9:6
MARK 6:12-13; LUKE 9:6
Mark 6:12-13 Luke 9:6
1
12. And they departed, and preached that 6. And they departed, and we went round
2
men should repent. 13. And they cast out about through the villages preaching the
many devils, and anointed with oil many Gospel, and healing everywhere.
diseased persons, and healed them.

Mark 6:12. And they departed, and preached. Matthew silently passes over what the
Apostles did. Mark and Luke relate that they proceeded to execute the commission which
they had received; and from their statements it appears more clearly, that the office which
Christ at that time bestowed upon them, as I have formerly mentioned, was temporary, and
indeed lasted but a few days. They tell us that the Apostles went through the cities and villages:
and they unquestionably returned in a short time to their Master, as we shall find to be
stated in another passage.
The only matter that requires exposition here is the fact related by Mark, that they
anointed with oil many diseased persons Christ having conferred on them the power of
healing, it is asked, why did they apply oil? Some learned persons suppose that it was a sort
of medicine; and I acknowledge that in these countries the use of oil was very common. But
nothing is more unreasonable than to imagine, that the Apostles employed ordinary and
natural remedies, which would have the effect of obscuring the miracles of Christ. They
were not instructed by our Lord in the art and science of healing, but, on the contrary, were
enjoined to perform miracles which would arouse all Judea. I think, therefore, that this
anointing was a visible token of spiritual grace, by which the healing that was administered
by them was declared to proceed from the secret power of God; for under the Law oilwas
employed to represent the grace of the Spirit. The absurdity of an attempt to imitate the
Apostles, by making the anointing of the sick a perpetual ordinance of the Church, appears
from the fact, that Christ bestowed on the Apostles the gift of healing, not as an inheritance
which they should hand down to posterity, but as a temporary seal of the doctrine of the
Gospel. In our own day, the ignorance of the Papists is exceedingly ridiculous in maintaining
3
that their nasty unction, by which they hurry to the grave persons who are fast dying, is a
Sacrament.
2 “Eux donc estans partis alloyent de village en village a l’entour;” — “they then having set out, went from
village to village round about.”
1 “Eux donc estans partis prescherent;” — “they then having set out, preached.”
3 The allusion is to extreme unction, (or last anointing,) which is one of the Seven Sacraments recognized by
the Church of Rome. — Ed.
3
Matthew 11:1-6; Luke 7:18-23
Matthew 11:1-6; Luke 7:18-23
MATTHEW 11:1-6; LUKE 7:18-23
Matthew 11:1-6 Luke 7:18-23
1. And it happened that when Jesus had 18.And the disciples of John informed him
made an end of commanding his twelve dis- of all these things; 19. And John called to
4
ciples, he departed thence to teach and to him two of his disciples and sent them to
preach in their cities. 2. Now when John had Jesus, saying, Art thou he who was to come,
heard in the prison the works of Christ, he or do we look for another? (Shortly after-
sent two of his disciples, 3. And said to him, wards.) 21. And in the same hour he cured
Art thou he who was to come, or do we look many of diseases and plagues, and evil spir-
for another? 4. And Jesus answering said to its, and to many who were blind he gave
them, Go and relate to John those things sight. 22. And he answering said to them,
which you hear and see. 5. The blind receive Go and relate to John those things which
their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are you have heard and seen, that the blind see,
cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the
raised up, and the poor receive the message deaf hear, the dead rise again, to the poor
5
of the Gospel. 6. And blessed is he who the Gospel is preached. 23. And blessed is
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shall not be offended at me. he who shall not be offended at me.

Matthew 11:1.And it happened that when Jesus had made an endIn this passage Matthew
means nothing more than that Christ did not desist from the exercise of his office, while
the Apostles were laboring in another direction. As soon, therefore, as he sent them away,
with the necessary instructions, to perambulate Judea, he performed the duties of a teacher
in Galilee. The word commanding, which Matthew employs, is emphatic; for he means that
they did not receive a commission to do what they pleased, but were restricted and enjoined
as to the statements which they should make, and the manner in which they should conduct
themselves.
2.Now when John had heard.The Evangelists do not mean that John was excited by the
miracles to acknowledge Christ at that time as Mediator; but, perceiving that Christ had
acquired great reputation, and concluding that this was a fit and seasonable time for putting
to the test his own declaration concerning him, he sent to him his disciples. The opinion
entertained by some, that he sent them partly on his own account, is exceedingly foolish; as
if he had not been fully convinced, or obtained distinct information, that Jesus is the Christ.
4 “Quand Iesus eut acheve de donner mandemens a ses douze disciples;” — “when Jesus had finished giving
injunctions to his twelve disciples.”
6 “Qui ne sera point scandalize, ou offense, en moy;” — “who shall not be scandalized, or offended, at me.”
5 “Et l’Evangile est annonce aux poures;” — “and the Gospel is preached to the poor.”
4