§ 20. THE TIME OF THE BEGINNING

Mark 1:1Luke 3:1-2
1 The beginning of the
gospel of Jesus Christ,
1the Son God.
1 Now in the fifteenth ayear of the
reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate
being governor of Judea, and Herod
being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother
Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituræa
and Trachonitis, and Lysaniasb
tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the
highpriesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came unto John the
son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

1 Some ancient authorities omit the son of God.

a See [note 6] at end of Harmony.

b See [note 6]. Luke follows the custom of ancient historians in dating events by the names of the rulers. As the son of a priest John was probably thirty years old when he came forth.

§ 21. THE MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER

Mark 1:2-6Matt. 3:1-6Luke 3:3-6
2 Even as it is written
1in Isaiah the prophet,
Behold, I send my
messenger before
thy face [see
Mal. 3:1
],
Who shall prepare
thy way;
3 The voice of one
crying in the
wilderness [see
Isa. 40:3
],
Make ye ready the
way of the Lord,
Make his paths
straight;
4 John came, who
baptized in the
wilderness and
preached the baptism
of repentance unto
remission of sins. 5 And
there went out unto
him all the country
of Judea, and all
they of Jerusalem;
and they were
baptized of him in the
river Jordan,
confessing their sins.
6 And John was clothed
with camel's hair,
and had a leathern
girdle about his loins,
and did eat locusts
and wild honey.
1 And in those days
cometh John the
Baptist, preaching in
the wilderness of
Judea, saying,a
2 Repent ye; for the
kingdom of heaven is
at hand. 3 For this is
he that was spoken of
2by Isaiah the prophet,
saying,
The voice of one
crying in the
wilderness,
Make ye ready the
way of the Lord,
Make his paths
straight.
4 Now John himself
had his raiment of
camel's hair, and a
leathern girdle about
his loins; and his
food was locusts and
wild honey. 5 Then
went out unto him
Jerusalem, and all
Judea, and all the
region round about
Jordan; 6 and they
were baptized of him
in the river Jordan,
confessing their sins.
3 And he came into
all the region round
about Jordan, preach-
ing the baptism of
repentance unto re-
mission of sins; 4 as it
is written in the book
of the words of Isaiah
the prophet,
The voice of one
crying in the
wilderness,
Make ye ready the
way of the Lord,
Make his paths
straight.
5 Every valley shall
be filled,
And every moun-
tain and hill shall
be brought low;
And the crooked
shall become
straight,
And the rough
ways smooth;
6 And all flesh shall
see the salvation
of God [see Isa.
40:4-5
].

1 Some ancient authorities read in the prophets.

2 Or, through.