THE
DOUBLE
MIRACLES
OF
MATTHEW 9:18; MARK 5:22; AND LUKE 8:41. Appendix 138 To The Companion Bible. |
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Discrepancies,
so-called,
are manufactured when
similar miracles are
regarded as identical.
One such example
is seen in the case of
the two demoniacs of
Matthew
8:28
and the one
demoniac of
Mark
5:1-20.
(See note on
Matthew
8:28).
Another is that of the two storms on the lake of Matthew 8:24 (Mark 4:37-41) and Luke 8:22-25. Another is that of the lepers of Matthew 8:2 (Mark 1:40) and Luke 5:12. See the notes, and compare Appendix 152. Why should not words be repeated at different times and under other circumstances? And as there were many people suffering in various places from similar diseases, why should we not expect to find similar miracles? Why assume that two miracles, which are apparently alike in general character, are identical, and then talk about the two accounts being contradictory? Two examples are furnished, not only in the case of two separate miracles, but in the case of pairs of double miracles. 1. There were two females raised from the dead. The first (Matthew 9:18) was to korasion (a little girl), whose father was probably a civil magistrate (archon). She died before her father started to see the Lord, and so no messengers were dispatched with the news. The second (Mark 5:22. Luke 8:41) was to paidion, a girl of about twelve years (see Appendix 108. v), whose father was one of the rulers of the Synagogue (archisunagogos), by name Jairus. She was not dead. |
No mourning had commenced,
but as the Lord approaches
news of her death was brought.
Other antecedents and
consequents of time and place and
circumstances are all different.
2.
There were two women
suffering from
the same disease.
And why not?
It is not surprising
that there were two,
but surprising there
were not more—as
probably there were
among the many unrecorded.
(Matthew
14:36.
Mark
3:10;
6:56.
Luke
6:19).
The first (Matthew 9:20) was evidently watching her opportunity, and had probably heard the report of the Lord's "touch". She came behind Him; and there is no mention of a crowd as in the case of the other woman. The first spoke "within herself" of what she would do; the second had spoken to her friends. The Lord saw the first woman, and spoke before the healing was effected. He did not see the second, and inquired after the healing was accomplished. In the first the disciples said nothing, but in the second they reasoned with the Lord as to the crowds. In the first there is no mention of physicians or of spiritual blessing received. In the second case both are mentioned. It appears, therefore, that in these cases we have two pairs of double miracles, with differences so great that they cannot be combined and treated as being identical. |
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