Chapter V.—Of the Accounts Which are Given by All the Four Evangelists in Regard
to What Was Done and Said on the Occasion of His Apprehension; And of the Proof that
These Different Narratives Exhibit No Real Discrepancies.
15. When we follow the versions presented by Matthew and Mark, we find that the
history now proceeds thus: “And while He yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and
with him a great multitude, with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the
people. Now he that betrayed Him, gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that
same is He; hold Him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Master; and
kissed Him.” 1278 First of all, however, as we gather from Luke’s statement, He said to the
traitor, “Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?”1279 Next, as we learn from Mat-
thew, He spoke thus: “Friend, wherefore art thou come?” Thereafter He added certain words
which are found in John’s narrative, which runs in the following strain: “Whom seek ye?
They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. And Judas also,
which betrayed Him, stood with them. As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He,
they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked He them again, Whom seek ye?
And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am He: if therefore
ye seek me, let these go their way; that the saying might be fulfilled which He spake, Of them
which thou gavest me have I lost none.”1280
16. Next comes in a passage, which is given by Luke as follows: “When they which were
about Him saw what would follow, they said unto Him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
And one of them smote the servant of the high priest,” as is noticed by all the four historians,
184
“and cut off his ear,” which, as we are informed by Luke and John, was his “right ear.” More
over, we gather also from John that the person who smote the servant was Peter, and that
the name of the man whom he thus struck was Malchus. Next we take what Luke mentions,
namely, “Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far;”1281 with which we must connect the
words appended by Matthew, namely, “Put up thy sword into his place: for all they that take
the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,
and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the
Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”1282 Along with these words we may also place
the question to which John tells us He gave utterance on the same occasion, namely, “The
cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”1283 And then, as is recorded by
Luke, He touched the ear of the person who had been struck, and healed him.
1278 Matt. xxvi. 47–56; Mark xiv. 43–50.
1279 Luke xii. 48.
1280 John xviii. 4–9. [This passage is more naturally placed before the kissing by Judas.—R.]
1281 Luke xxii. 51.
1282 Matt. xxvi. 52–55.
1283 John xviii. 11.
Of the Accounts Which are Given by All the Four Evangelists in Regard to What Was Done and Said on the Occasion of His Apprehension; And of the Proof that These Different Narratives Exhibit No Real Discrepancies.
415
Of the Accounts Which are Given by All the Four Evangelists in Regard to…