But perhaps the most impressive teaching of Christ in the temple was during the great festivals, when immense numbers of people from all parts of the country came up to Jerusalem. It is in the Fourth Go.spel that the details of this teaching are, for the most part, preserved ; thus in Jn T^""^" we read that during the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus went into the temple and taught, so that the people marvelled at His teaching ; and that on the last day of this feast a climax was reached ; for, while on the one hand He was declared to be the Messiah, on the other this claim was disputed ; and that the chief priests and Pharisees, believing that their opportunity had come, attempted to take Him, but in vain, for the majority of the people sided with Chri.st. The method of Christ's public teaching in the temple, together with the way in which the learned Jews sought to combat it, is graphically described in such passages as Jn 7. 8 ; the whole of the episode dealt with in these chapters took place in the outer Court of tlie Gentiles, where the largest number of people congregated : this is clear from the fact that some of tlie people took up stones f to cast at Christ (8^^). Again, at the Feast of Dedication, Christ was once more in the temple, teaching, with the like result, that the people threatened to stone Him : in this case we are definitely told (Jn 10'-2-^2) that it took place in ' Solomon's Porch,' which was in the Court of the Gentiles (see above, ii. 1). Lastly, that Christ was again present in the temple, and teach- ing, during the other great feast, the Passover, seems tolerably clear from Jn 1212-36.
It is certain, therefore, that Christ made every use of the ojiportunities afforded of pressing home
* The ' corner-stone,' as implied above, has nothing to do with the foundation of a building ; this is quite clear from the
Heb. njs t^NT and from the Syr cur and Pesh. ( AjOT > (-•-->' 5
the root-idea of \0\ is that of ' excrescence ' (see Brockelmann,
Syr. Lex. s.v.). Literally, the phrase might be rendered, ' the top of the highest point ' ; and the spot indicated would pro- bably be the same as that referred to in the narrative of the 'Temptation.
t The other courts were paved.
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TEMPLE
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His teaching in the temple ; * no other spot ottered tlie same favourable conditions, viz. it was the most convenient centre for the gathering together of the multitude ; the frequent presence of priests, Pliarisees, scribes, and lawyers enabled Christ, in the iiearing of the multitude, to contrast His teaching with theirs ; there was also the fact that teacliing in the temple naturally appealed to the nmltitude more tlian if given anywhere else, as the temple was the officially recognized place for instruction.
3. It is extraordinary that no instance of a miracle of healing by Christ is recorded in the Gospels as having been performed in the tem^jle ; but in view of such passages as Ac 3^"'^ 5'^ we cannot doubt that such did t<ake place, especially as the Outer Court of the temple would be a natural spot for the lame and crippled to congregate for the purpose of arousing the pity of those going up to Avorship.
Only once is the temple the scene in a parable, namely, in that of the Pharisee and the Publican (Lk 18'"'^*) ; while in one other, the Good Samaritan ^Lk 10^""^), temple officers are referred to.
4. There are, in the next place, a certain number of passages in the Gospels in which there are direct references to the temple, or something connected with it, though it is not mentioned by name. The temple and its furniture would have been so well known to the people that Christ could use both symbolically without actually mentioning them, and yet His hearers would perfectly understand the reference. The most striking instance of this is where the sanctuary is used as a symbol of Ciirist's risen body (Jn 2'«-2i ; cf. Mt 26«i 27''^ Mk 1458 1529) But, as a rule, these references are not so obvious to modern ears as to those who heard them. The significance of these examples is en- hanced in the case of those which were spoken in tlie temple itself ; among tliem are : Jn 8'- ' I am tiie light of the world ' ; one may reasonably infer that there was a reference here to the seven- branched lampstand in tiie Holy Place ; t but for this artificial light it was altogether in darkness ; tlie context (' lie that followeth me shall not walk in darkness') receives emphasis when one remem- bers this. Ciirist is drawing out the contrast be- tween the JeM'ish teacliing, according to whicii the close approach to God in tiie Holy of Holies meant darkness, and His own, according to which the nearer one approached to Him, the Son of God, tiie greater the light. Again, there is a reference to the temjile service of jn-aise when Christ quotes Ps 82 (LXX): 'Out of tiie mouths of babes and sucklings tliou has perfected praise' (Mt 21^"); here again was an implied contrast between the formalism of tlie tempie-worslup and the whole- hearted praise of tiie ciiildren crying, ' Hosanna to tiie Son of David.' A further and more direct reference to tlie Avorsliip of tiie temple is to be found in Mk 12^, Aviiere Ciirist quotes tiie Shemn -. ' Hear, O Israel, tlie Lord our God, tlie Lord is One'; tiie Shamd (Dt &*) was one of the earliest jiortions of the temple liturgy,:^ and was recited every morning and evening. § In the same section occurs a reference to tiie daily sacrifices in tiie temple, viz. tliat to love God and one's neigiibonr is 'more than wiiole burnt-offerings and sacrifices' (Mk 12^^). Otlier references of tiiis kind are in Mt 5", wiiere Christ speaks of the Sanliedrin ('Council'); Mt 5-^--\ where tiie ottering on the altar in the Court of the Priests (see above, ii. 3) is mentioned; Mt 2.'i""''-, wiiich contains the pro-