Opening Events. Probably early spring, 28 A.D.

¹⁷From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

¹⁴Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”

¹⁴Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. ¹⁵He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

¹⁶He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,

²⁰He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

²²All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

²³He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, ^b do also here in your hometown.’” ²⁴He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. ^{c 25}But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land. ²⁶Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”

²⁸They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things. ²⁹They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff. ³⁰But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way.

[1]4:18 NU omits “to heal the brokenhearted”

[2]4:19 Isaiah 61:1-2

¹³Leaving Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

[1]4:16 Isaiah 9:1-2

³¹He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day, ³²and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.

¹⁸Walking by the sea of Galilee, he[1] saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.”

²⁰They immediately left their nets and followed him. ²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them. ²²They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.

[1]4:18 TR reads “Jesus” instead of “he”

¹⁶Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”

¹⁸Immediately they left their nets, and followed him. ¹⁹Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. ²⁰Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

¹Now it happened, while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. ²He saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets. ³He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.”

⁵Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the net.” ⁶When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking. ⁷They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came, and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” ⁹For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught; ¹⁰and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”

¹¹When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.

²¹They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. ²²They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ²⁴saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”

²⁵Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”

²⁶The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” ²⁸The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.

³³In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴saying, “Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”

³⁵Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

³⁶Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” ³⁷News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.

¹⁴When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵He touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and served him.[1]

[1]8:15 TR reads “them” instead of “him”

²⁹Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. ³¹He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.

³⁸He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her. ³⁹He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them.

¹⁶When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick; ¹⁷that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.”[1]

[1]8:17 Isaiah 53:4

³²At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons. ³³All the city was gathered together at the door. ³⁴He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

⁴⁰When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. ⁴¹Demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Rebuking them, he didn’t allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

a) For the second rejection see No. 90

b) This reference seems to imply an antecedent ministry. Probably there were some unrecorded miracles performed at Capernaum during the brief stay of John 2:12 (No. 33). Or the reference might possibly (though hardly) be to the healing of the nobleman's son of Capernaum who was healed from Cana. (No. 46.)

c) See No. 45, note 2. John 4:44

d) It seems that after the return of Jesus through Samaria to Galilee in December, 27 A.D. the disciples were permitted to return to their families and their accustomed labors, not to be recalled until the beginning of the great Galilean ministry in spring. Possibly there was one exception, John, who as the probable witness brings the account of the Unnamed Feast. This may explain the intervening silence in the Synoptists' account as also the supplementary character of the Gospel of St. John.

e)The parentheses indicate that the passage has been taken out of its own true order. Except in cases in which there is no chronological sequence involved, we for the first time are leaving the natural order of the individual Gospels. And until the death of John the Baptist there will be other transpositions, especially in Matthew, whose Gospel, it seems, was in part based on topical rather than a strict chronological arrangement. In spite of the ingenious arrangement of some older harmonists they cannot be avoided. The present author made the same attempt, in which neither time, thought, labor, nor paper was spared, for the purpose of constructing a harmony which leaves each Gospel in its own undisturbed sequence, but he was forced to give it up. In the present passage Luke himself does not seem to insist upon an order which places this miracle after the healing of Peter's mother-in-law-as evidenced in the reaction of Peter. When Christ miraculously delivered his own mother-in-law from a "great fever" Peter is silent. But when Christ performed this miracle Peter is moved to the expression: "Depart from me : for I am a sinful man." The unexpected nature of the miracle seems to indicate that it is to be placed before the healing of the demoniac in the synagogue, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, and other miracles of healing in the same evening. Luke 4:33-40. From the sudden introduction of the sons of Zebedee in verse 10 Luke himself seems to indicate that above Passages are parallel.

f) Transposed. See remarks on previous transposition. No. 54. This is the first time we are leaving the natural order of Matthew. And not without good reason. According to Matthew Peter's mother-in-law was healed after the Sermon on the Mount. According to Luke the event took place before. Mark does not bring the Sermon on the Mount, but he is in complete harmony with Luke for the intervening events. And after the transposition of a few sections or groups of events he is also in constructed or relative harmony with Matthew. It is therefore assumed that Matthew does not insist upon a strict chronological sequence for these parts of his Gospel. Our own arrangement is based upon the following principles:

1. The Synoptists wrote independently of each other.

2. As a basic rule the natural order of each Gospel is to be followed throughout.

3. A few parts of Matthew, and also a few sections of Luke, are topical, rather than strictly chronological.

4. Unless expressly stated, transpositions are to be allowed on occasion, and a consideration of the purpose for which the events are grouped or the circumstances in which they are introduced is to be permitted.

5. All transpositions from the natural order of the respective Gospels are to be made only where absolutely necessary and after all other attempts at harmonization have failed.

g) Transposed, but immediately following previous section
 

Bible References taken from:
The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible, based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.