3. Public addresses.— Oi these we may again in
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DISCOURSE
a general way distinguish three groups, according to tlie extent eitlier of the actual discourse or of the form in which we have it. (1) Discourses mentioned with some general description or re- mark, but with little or no detail of contents. Here we have : the beginning of His ministry (JNIt 4", Mk l'-*- '=, Lk 4"- ") ; the sermon at Nazareth (Lk 4^""'*) ; the first preaching tour in Galilee (Mt 423- ", Mk 1», Lk 4-") ; at Capernaum (Mk 2i-=- ", Lk 5") ; the second preaching tour in Galilee (Lk 8>-=) ; at Nazareth again (Mt 13"-'>«, Mk 6i-«) ; the third preaching tour in Galilee (Mt 9^-^, Mk 6") ; a tour alone after sending out the Twelve (Mt 11') ; teaching and journeying (Lk IS'"- —, cf. Mt 19', Mk 10'); teaching in the Temple (Mk 11'"'-, Lk
1947.48 2137.38).
(2) Short occasional discourses. Of these there are a great number and variety, spoken sometimes to great multitudes, sometimes to groups, but publicly : on Blasphemy (Mt 12--3', Mk 3'"-™) ; on Signs (Mt 1238-^6) ; latter part of discourse on Eat- ing with Unwashen Hands, and Traditions (Mt 15'-=», Mk 7'-=^) ; on Signs again (Mt 16'-S Mk S"- '-) ; on Demons and Signs again (Lk 11'^"^^) ; on Confession, Worldliness, Watchfulness (Lk 12) ; on Repentance, with parable of the Barren Fig- tree (Lk 13'-") ; on the Good Shepherd (Jn lO'""*); on His iMessiahship and Relations with the Father (Jn 10"-^) ; Sabbath Healing, parables of Mustard Seed and Leaven (Lk 13'""-') ; on tlie Salvation of the Elect (Lk IS^-^) ; Lament over Jerusalem (Lk ] 334. 35) . (,„ Counting the Cost of Following Him (Lk 14-^"35) ; reproof of the Pharisees, with parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16'^"") ; on the Coming of the Kingdom (Lk 17™-3') ; on Prayer, witli parables of the Importunate Widow, and of the Pharisee and Publican (Lk 18'"'*) ; the col- loquies with His critics in the Temple, on His Authority, on the Tribute to Ctesar, on tlie Resur- rection, on the Great Commandment, on the Son of David (Mt 2123-22'«, Mk ll-''-12", Lk 20); remarks on Belief and Unbelief (Jn la*'-^').
(3) Extended discourses. Only a few of the great discourses of our Lord .-ur n |m,i 1. ,1 ;,; , ', ,,v,, ; the Sermon on the Mount iMi :. 7, ! I >> in sense public, though addrt/s-i r I |,i im 1 :l , 1 ,, : l,, iiMiples ; discourse at the feast in .Iri ii -il, m .,11 His Rela- tions with the Father (.In .5' "-^■) ; 011 .(olin the Baptist and suggested topics (Mt ll'-3», Lk 72^-3^) ; the first gi-eat group of parables, the Sower, etc. (Mt 13'-»^ Mk 4'-»', Lk S*-'«) ; discourse in the synagogue at Capernaum on the Bread of Life (Jn g2!-65) . colloquy in the Temple on His Mission (Jn 7. 8) ; second great group of parables, the Lost Sheep, etc. (Lk lo'-H'") ; last public discourse, Denunciation of the Pharisees (Mt23'-39, Mk 123«-" Lk 20"-").
ii. Some Characteristics.— A survey of the (lisconrscs i.f .Ii-s„s presents in a general way some of tlnii rlinnil.iisties, which maybe summarily outlilH.I .-1. foll.,»s:
1. Tliiii Lji.at v;iriety. (1) Of occasion. (2) Of contfTils. (H) Of form.
2. Tlicir wonderful charm. (1) Of personality — even in the repoi't : how much more' in His presence ! (2) Of sympathy. (3) Of manner.
3. Their authority. (1) Consciousness of God. (2) Self-assertion.
4. Their power. (1) ' Magnetism '—personality, demeanour, tone (2) Thought — then and e\ci more
i. Current iireconceptions prevalent in lime of Christ, ii. References to sirkness and disease in the Gospels. 1. Disea.ses resulting in physical defect or incapacity. •2, Fever and allied diseases.
3. Cutaneous affections.
4. Dropsy.
5. Nervous diseases.
G. Nervous and psychical disorders. Literature.
i. Current preconceptions in time of Chrlst. — Two ideas respecting ilisease had a powerful influence on conceptions current in our Lord's day: (1) The belief that all sickness and physical disease and pain were penalties imposed as the result of sin ; (2) the idea that demonic agency was concerned with all human suftering. These kindred and allied ideas have been common among ancient peoples, and were strongly de- veloped among the Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks.
Sayce, in his Hibhert Lectures (310, 334-5), gives evidence of the ancient Akkadian belief that disease and sickness were caused by specific malevolent spirits which possessed the person. The demons had been eaten with the food, drunk with the water, or inbreathed from the air ; and until the evil power had been expelled the victim had no chance of recovery. Exorcism was effected by the sorcerer-priest, the intermediary between man- kind and the spiritual world, using magic spells consisting of the names of deities, the name signifying the personality of the god, who was compelled by this use of the name to attend to the exorcist.
Among the Semites any mysterious natural ob- ject or occurrence appealing strongly to the im- agination or exciting sentiments of awe and reverence was readily taken as a manifestation either of Divine or of demonic life (W. R. Smitli, ES 1 19 ff. ). The demons, if offended, avenged them- selves by sending various forms of disease. Indi- cations are found in the Gospels that such ideas were not extinct in the time of Christ. The ohl Semitic strain of conception was modified and quickened by contact with Babylonian, Persian, and Grecian peoples, and prevaOed with consider- able force in the later Judaism. The NT reflects the ideas of a time when the older conceptions were breaking up, but had not yet disappeared.