member that the " Lawyers " spoken of in the Gospels were men who devoted themselves to the study of the law of God.
[What shall I do, dtc.'] The literal rendering of the Greek would be, "What having done, shall I inherit eternal life?" Let us note that this kind of question was asked of our Lord three times. Once it was asked by the rich young ruler, whose case is mentioned in all the three first Gospels. Once it was at the end of our Lord's ministry, by one who said, " Which is the great commandment?" The third case is the one before us now, which is related only by St. Luke.
It IS probable that questions like these were much discussed and disputed among the Jews.
26. — [How readest thou .^] Let the following quotation from Ques- nel, the Roman Catholic writer, be observed. "Jesus Christ himself refers us to the law of God, though he was truth itself, and could give souls holy instruction. In vain do we seek after other lights and ways besides those which we find there. It is the Spirit of God which dictated the law and made it the rule of our life. It is injurious to him for us either not to study it, or to prefer the thoughts of man before it. — The first question which will be put to a Christian at the tribunal of God will be to this efiect, * What is written in the law? What have you read in the Gospel? What use have you made thereof?' What answer can that person return who has not so much as read it, though he has sufiicient ability and opportunity to do it ? "
27. — [Thou shalt love the Lord, del This seems to have been a formulary or confession of faith with which Jews were well ac- quainted.
Vitringa observes, "What the lawyer replies, Thou shalt love the Lord, &c., was daily read in their synagogues."
Doddridge says, "This passage of Scripture is still read by the whole assembly of a Jewish synagogue, both in their morning and evening prayers, and is called, from the first word of it, the Shemah. Only it is observable that they leave out the clause, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
28. — [This do, and thou shalt live.] These words must needs mean that if a man really and truly lived up to the standard described in the formulary quoted by the lawyer, he would be justified by his life. But that no man ever did or could so live, and that consequently all need the righteousness of another, even Christ, is clear from the whole tenor of the Gospel. To this our Lord would gradually lead the lawyer's conscience.