through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage;" 1 John iii. 8—“To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil;" 1 Cor. xv. 24, sqq."Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. For, he put all things in subjection under his feet;" 2 Cor. v. 19-" God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." Cf. Eph. i. 20-22, ii. 16; Col. i. 12-17, 20. The dualistic view of the world which places it under the dominion of Satan, implies condemnation of the "things of the world,"-riches, worldly glory, and pomp, some indifference to human relationships, glorification of poverty, and a certain austerity of moral discipline (άσкŋσis). All these features, which may be conveniently gathered together under the designation Ebionitism, are amply illustrated in the Gospel of Luke. The work, therefore, divides itself into two partsI. The Demonology of the Third Gospel; II. Its Ebionite Tendency. THE DEMONOLOGY OF THE THIRD GOSPEL. IN the introductory chapters of the Third Gospel, especially in those portions peculiar to it, which deal with the birth and boyhood of the two great personages, John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth, even a superficial reader may observe that Luke means to give prominence to the idea of possession by the Holy Spirit, not only as an attribute of sanctity, but as an instrument of marvellous power. At the same time we begin to be aware, after reading the exultant song of Mary, of another power which betokens strife. The victory which the future mother of Jesus celebrates (i. 46-55) is not all accomplished yet, for afterwards we read (ii. 34), “This child is set for the falling and rising up of many in Israel." The first note of this discord and strife between the world that now is" (alov ovTos) and "the world to come" (aiwv ó μéλλwv) is sounded in the prophecy regarding John's manner of life. He shall be "great in the sight of the Lord" (i. 15)-the only true greatness-and as a condition, or consequent, of this greatness, we are told, “He shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb." The prototype of John, the forerunner of Jesus, is Elijah: "He shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah" (i. 17); "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High,1 for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways" (i. 76). And it cannot be denied that John afforded in his own person as complete an opposition to the world and the princes of it as ever Elijah displayed. To the Holy Spirit is directly ascribed the very origin of Jesus (i. 28, 30, 35) as the Son of God, the Son of the Most High, and He shall also be "great" (i. 32); and both mothers, as well as Zacharias, are represented as filled with the Holy Spirit." Upon Simeon also (ii. 25, 26, 27) the Holy Spirit rests, and grants him revelations; and in the same Spirit he comes into the temple. With Joseph, however, the Holy Spirit is nowhere associated. Of John, again, it is said (i. 80), "He waxed strong in spirit"; while of Jesus, note that the corresponding expressions at this stage are: "He waxed strong, becoming full of wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him" (ii. 40)—and "He ad1 Cf. Gen. xiv.; Ps. pass.; Dan. iii., iv., v., vii.; Tobit i. 13, iv. 11. |