Section I. CONTENTS.

1. As has been stated in chap. i., the bulk of Mark’s narrative is substantially taken up into Matthew's longer story. But to that narrative of the archaic Gospel is added much new material, con- sisting mainly of the teaching of our Lord. This teaching as reproduced in the first Gospel consists not of short pregnant sen- tences such as Mark has preserved, but of connected discourses of considerable length—the longest and the most important being that familiarly known as the “ Sermon on the Mount”. Whether this connected character is due to the Teacher or to the evangelist has been disputed, the bias of critical opinion being strongly in favour of the latter alternative. Extreme views on either side are to be avoided. That Jesus uttered only short pithy sayings is a gratuitous assumption. In connection with deliberate efforts to instruct the disciples, the presumption is in [αν ασ of continuous discourse. On the other hand, in some of the discourses reported in Matthew, ¢.g., that in chap. x. on apostolic duties and tribulations, agglomera- tion is apparent. To what Jesus said tu the twelve in sending them forth on their Galilean mission the evangelist, naturally and not inappropriately, adds weighty words which bear on the more mo- mentous mission of the apostles as the propagandists in the wide world of the Christian faith. A similar instance of editorial com- bination of kindred matter only topically connected may be found in the parabolic discourse (chap. χι). Matthew's seven parables were doubtless all spoken by Jesus, but not that day. The parables spoken from the boat were probably all of one type, presenting together a critical review of Christ’s past ministry among the people. On the other hand, I am inclined to think that the contents of chaps. xviii. and xxiii. for the most part belong to the respective occasions with which they are connected in the Gospel. The call for careful admonition to the twelve at Capernaum was urgent, and the Master