Compare

Matt. Luke

xxiv. 40 xvii. 34

P. G. ch. ver.

into the ark, and the flood came, and
destroyed them all: so shall the coming of
the Son of man be. Then shall two be in xvi. 17

the field, one shall be taken and one left:
two women shall be grinding at the
35 mill, one shall be taken and one left.
And they answered and said unto him,
37 Where, Lord? And he said unto them,
Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the
eagles be gathered together. Again he
said the kingdom of God is likened unto a
certain king, which would take account of
his servants. And when he had begun to
reckon, one was brought unto him, which
owed him ten thousand talents. But for-
asmuch as he had not to pay, his lord
commanded him to be sold, and his wife,
and children, and all
payment to be made.
fore fell down and worshipped him, saying,
Have patience with me and I will pay
thee all. Then the lord of that servant
was moved with compassion, and loosed
him, and forgave him the debt. But the
same servant went out, and found one of
his fellow-servants, which owed him an
hundred pence; and he laid hands on him,
and took him by the throat, saying, Pay
whatever thou owest. And his fellow-
servant fell down and worshipped him,
saying, Have patience with me and I will

that he had, and
The servant there-

18

19

20

21

22

22

23

74

24

25

26

Compare

Matt. xviii. 30

31

32

33

34

35

P. G. ch. ver.

28

29

29

30

pay thee. And he would not; but went xvi. 27 and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him and said unto him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me; shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your heart forgive not every one his brother. After these things there came to him John xvii. 1 and James desiring a certain thing of him and saying, Grant unto us that we may Luke xxii. 24-27 sit, the one on the right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. And Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but for whom it is prepared. And when the ten heard it, they were much displeased with John and James. But Jesus called them unto him

Matt. xx. 20-28
Mark x. 35-45

2

3

4

5

Compare

P. G. ch. ver.

and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. It is not so among you: but xvii. 6 whosoever will be great among you, he shall be your minister: and whosoever will be chief among you, he shall be your servant even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. And Matt. xxvi. 6-18 being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head as he sat at meat. But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this might

Mark xiv. 3-9

Luke vii. 36-50

have been sold for much, and given to the
poor. Then Jesus said to them, Why
trouble ye the woman?
She hath wrought
a good work upon me. For ye have the
poor always with you; but me ye have not
always. For in that she hath poured this
ointment on my body, she did it for my
burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever
this gospel shall be preached in the whole
world, there shall also this, that this woman
hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

7

8

9

10

11

121

The

restored

CHAPTER IV

THE writer is conscious that his version of the Primitive Gospel, if widely circulated, will be looked upon with suspicion by many earnest Christians. But if it be admitted text of P.G. that some earlier document underlies our three synoptics, and this is as nearly certain as anything of the kind can be, then it is surely worth an effort to ascertain the nature, and, if possible, restore the text of that document.

If, after carefully comparing the parallel passages in our synoptics, we have, from them and other related sections, reconstructed an approximately accurate text of Should be the earlier document, we ought not to allow our preconceptions of the beliefs of the first generation of Christians, or any à priori theories of inspiration to interfere

criticised

with candour

with a candid examination of the restored text.

without

Such a restoration cannot and ought not and to claim exemption from the severest criti- prejudice cism; but it may and ought to be claimed for it, that criticism, whilst severe, thorough, and searching, shall also be fair and free from prejudice.

not quite

The original was probably somewhat longer than the restoration; for, since we find that the author of our first gospel omitted some parts of the primitive docu- Though ment which have been embodied in his fully work by the author of the third, we may well believe that their borrowings did not so exactly supplement one another as to leave nothing behind. Our first Synoptic, however, so largely and closely reproduces this Primitive Gospel as to justify us in It is largely saying that not much has been omitted. in Matt. The title Primitive Gospel has been given to it, as being the most colourless and least question-begging that could be devised. It is, of course, possible that there may have been earlier gospels, and that it is therefore

reproduced