The Sayings Translated and Arranged With Expository Commentary BURTON SCOTT EASTON THE ABINGDON PRESS NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO CONTENTS PREFACE 5 THE PREPARATION 7 THE SAYINGS I. RIGHTEOUSNESS 11 II. THE FATHER 32 III. THE MISSION 42 IV. THE REJECTION 49 V. CONVERSION 54 COMMENTARY THE PREPARATION 67 I. RIGHTEOUSNESS 72 II. THE FATHER 98 IIL THE MISSION 106 IV. THE REJECTION 114 V. CONVERSION 119 INDEXES INDEX TO BIBLICAL PASSAGES 133 INDEX FROM BIBLICAL PASSAGES 137 GENERAL INDEX. 142 PREFACE THIS collection o Jesus sayings is designed primarily for those who do not care to follow the intricacies of modern Gospel criticism and who wish only the firm ground of assured results. The principle of selection, therefore, has not been the editors own preference but the general con sensus of present-day opinion with a greater readiness to omit rather than to include debated passages. The most disputed subjects are those of the Messianic consciousness and the apocalyptic language here such contradictory opin ions are held that no choice of material will be universally satisfactory. But much of this controversy is based on premises that are more theological than historical and every passage printed perhaps apart from those marked a, b, c at the beginning has the support of specialists who otherwise hold radical views. Apart from these subjects there are few serious scholars who will not agree that Jesus actual teach ing is summarized with reasonable accuracy by the collec tion as a whole. Quite aside from critical problems, however, this collec tion may be used simply as a compilation of representative passages from the first three Gospels, to serve as an introduc tion to the fuller study ofthe Gospels themselves. For the first century the arrangement of Jesus sayings as given by the Evangelists was ideal but for us today the appeal of these sayings is often more direct when detached from their Gospel context and given separately. The poetic structure that Jesus deliberately gave much of His teaching has been restored, and will often make the meaning clear without further explanation. The translation largely retains the familiar wording of the traditional English versions, al though in some instances wide departures have been neces sary to convey the original meaning. In making this translation the researches of specialists in the Greek text 5 6 PREFACE and especially of experts in the Aramaic language have been freely used. Explicit quotations from the Old Testament are printed in italics. Since Old Testament language was archaic in Jesus day, in these quotations the traditional English Bib lical style has been retained. The comments have been reduced to the briefest dimen sions, possible their sole purpose is to remove difficulties due to our remoteness from the events and so to place the reader as nearly as possible in the immediate presence of Jesus. BURTON SCOTT EASTON. General Theological Seminary, New York City. THE PREPARATION THE BAPTIST John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And he said to the people Repent For the Kingdom of God is at hand. You children of vipers Who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath Show the fruits of the repentance you profess, And do not begin to say, Abraham is our father For I tell you that out of these stones, God can create children of Abraham. Already the ax is lying at the root of thetrees, And any tree that does not produce good fruits, Will be cut Jpwn and cast into the fire. I, to be sure, am baptizing you with water But One is coming who is mightier than I, The thong of whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten, He will baptize you with holy Spirit and with firel His winnowing shovel is in his hand, And he will thoroughly clean his threshing floor The wheat he will gather into his storehouse, But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. JESUS BAPTISM Jesus, was baptized by John in the river Jordan...