Chapter XXI.—Of the Women Who Were Standing There, and of the Question
Whether Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Who Have Stated that They Stood Afar Off, are in
Antagonism with John, Who Has Mentioned that One of Them Stood by the Cross.
58. Matthew proceeds thus: “And many women were there beholding afar off, which
followed Jesus from Galilee: among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.”1458 Mark gives it in this form:
“There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary
the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, and Salome (who also, when He was in Galilee,
followed Him, and ministered unto Him); and many other women which came up with
Him unto Jerusalem.”1459 I see nothing which can be supposed to constitute a discrepancy
between these writers here. For in what way can the truth be affected by the fact that some
of these women are named in both lists, while others are referred to only in the one? Luke
has likewise connected his narrations as follows: “And all the people that came together to
that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. And
all His acquaintance and the women that followed Him from Galilee stood afar off beholding
these things.”1460 Here we perceive that he is quite in harmony with the former two as far
as regards the presence of the women, although he does not mention any of them by name.
On the subject of the multitude of people who were also present, and who, as they beheld
the things which were done, smote their breasts and returned, he is in like manner at one
with Matthew, although that evangelist has introduced into the context this distinct statement:
“Now the centurion and they that were with him.” Thus it simply appears that Luke is the
only one who has spoken expressly of His “acquaintance” who stood afar off. For John has
also noticed the presence of the women before the Lord gave up the ghost. His narrative
runs thus: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary
the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the
disciple standing by whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took
her unto his own home.”1461 Now, as regards this statement, had not Matthew and Mark
at the same time mentioned Mary Magdalene most explicitly by name, it might have been
possible for us to say that there was one company of women afar off, and another near the
cross. For none of these writers has mentioned the Lord’s mother here but John himself.
The question, therefore, which rises now is this, How can we understand the same Mary
Magdalene both to have stood afar off along with other women, as the accounts of Matthew
1458 Matt. xxvii. 55, 56.
1459 Mark xv. 40, 41.
1460 Luke xxiii. 48, 49.
1461 John xix. 25–27.
Of the Women Who Were Standing There, and of the Question Whether Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Who Have Stated that They Stood Afar Off, are in Antagonism with John, Who Has Mentioned that One of Them Stood by the Cross.
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Of the Women Who Were Standing There, and of the Question Whether Matthew,…