The Harmony of the Four Evangelists:
After Martin Luther, Martin Chemnitz and Johann Gerhard are often recognized as the two greatest theologians of the Lutheran Church. Both men served as Superintendents (Bishops) of the Lutheran Church, and Chemnitz distinguished himself through his labors as one of the authors of the Formula of Concord and through his numerous erudite private writings, including his Loci Theologici. Gerhard was renowned throughout the Lutheran world from the 17th century down to the present, in part because of his more‘academic’ works such as the Loci Theologici, but also because of his devotional works, such as the Sacred Meditations and the Daily Exercise of Piety. Only one published work was the fruit of the labors of both Chemnitz and Gerhard: The Harmony of the Four Evangelists. Chemnitz’s incomplete work was continued by his successor to the office of Superintendent of Braunschweig, Polycarp Leyser, but its completion awaited the arrival of a theologian equal to the task of finishing such a monumental undertaking. The Harmony, in short, takes the text of all four Gospels and arranges them in chronological order, and then accompanies the complete text with annotations and commentary by Chemnitz, Leyser and Gerhard. Throughout, The Harmony benefits from the authors’ encyclopedic knowledge of the writings of the Church Fathers, and their pastoral insights explaining the texts in a way which is extremely beneficial for clergy and laity alike.
'via Blog this'
The Harmony of the Four Evangelists
Volume 1, Book 1
by Martin Chemnitz, Polycarp Leyser and John Gerhard
 |
ON THE FIRST VOLUME WHICH CONTAINS THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CHIEF CHAPTER ON THINGS ONE MUST KNOW FIRST
Chap. 1: What the harmony of the Gospel account is, and what its goal and usefulness are.
Chap. 2: On the principal writers who contributed something useful to the investigation and arrangement of the Gospel account, and how each followed the procedure for putting together the Harmony.
Chap. 3: By what procedure one can determine and conclude a true reckoning of the entire time during which Christ was involved in His public ministry on earth, namely, from His Baptism to the time of His passion or ascension; and how one can establish therefrom a true opinion of the age of Christ according to the flesh, namely, from His birth to His passion.
Chap. 4: How one can distribute into specific years the time of the ministry of Christ as we have gathered that in the previous procedure so that one can observe from that arrangement the beginning and end of each year if not precisely, then, in the most likely order.
Chap. 5: By what procedure or method one can search out and detect the order or sequence of the principal narratives in the Gospel account.
Chap. 6: A general outline of the Holy Land showing in general the division and location of its principal regions or the part of its area when Christ traveled in His ministry.
Chap. 7: The general distribution of this entire work from which one understands in general what the authors treat especially in the sequence of the Gospel narrative.
Chap. 8: On the canonical writings of the four evangelists and on their sacrosanct authority in the Church of Christ.
(Book I of The Harmony of The Gospels embraces those things which preceded the beginning of Christ’s public ministry in the Gospel account, namely, the accounts of the conception, birth and rearing of the Baptist and of Christ; and the beginning of the ministry of the Baptist to the Baptism of Christ.)
THE HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS
Chap.1,which contains the introduction,Luke1:1–4,and the summary of John,John1:1–14.
Chap. 2, which contains the account of the conception of the Baptist, Luke 1:5–25.
Chap. 3, which contains the genealogy of Christ, as Matthew, 1:1–17, and Luke, 3:23–38, describe it.
Chap. 4, which contains the account of the conception of Christ, Luke 1:26–38.
Chap. 5, which contains the account of Mary visiting Elisabeth, Luke 1:39–56.
Chap. 6, which contains the account of the Baptist’s birth and circumcision, and of Zacharias’ prophecy and of the Baptist’s rearing, Luke 1:57–80.
Chap. 7, which contains the account of the angel revealing to Joseph the mystery of Christ’s conception, Mat. 1:18–29.
Chap. 8, which contains the account of Christ’s nativity, Luke 2:1–20.
Chap. 9, which contains the account of Christ’s circumcision, Luke 2:21.
Chap. 10, which contains the account of the magi from the east coming to Jerusalem under the guidance of the star to worship the Child, Mat. 2:1–12.
Chap. 11, which contains the account of the purification of Mary and the presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple, at which time happened also the account of Simeon and Anna in the temple, Luke 2:22–39.
Chap. 12, which contains the account of the flight of the Child Jesus into Egypt, Mat. 2:13–15.
Chap. 13, which contains the account of the wretched slaughter of the infants of Bethlehem, Mat. 2:16–19.
Chap. 14, which contains the account of the return of the Boy Jesus into Galilee to the city of Nazareth, Mat. 2:19–23.
Chap. 15, which contains the account of the rearing and life of Jesus from His fifth to His thirtieth year or to the beginning of His public ministry, Luke 2:39–52.
Chap. 16, which contains the account of the calling of the Baptist and the beginning, progress and success of his preaching and baptizing up to the Baptism of Christ, Mat. 3:1–12.
Volume 1 of The Harmony is 336 pages. (ISBN: 978-1468166118). $19.95
 |
The Harmony of the Four Evangelists
Volume 1, Book 2
by Martin Chemnitz, Polycarp Leyser and John Gerhard
Volume 2 of The Harmony follows the Gospel accounts from Christ's baptism through the conclusion of His first year of ministry.
Contents of Volume 2:
Chap. 17: The account of Christ’s baptism or the account of Christ receiving baptism, Mat. 3:13–17, Mark 1:9–11 and Luke 3:21–22.
Chap. 18: The account of the genealogy of Christ as Luke outlines it, Luke 3:23–38.
Chap. 19: The account of Christ tempted in the wilderness by the devil, Mat. 4:1–11, Mark 1:12–13 and Luke 4:1–13.
Chap. 20: The account of the first witness of the Baptist concerning Christ, who had already been revealed in His baptism and, in the meantime, went off into the wilderness, John 1:15–18.
Chap. 21: The account of the legation which the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem sent to the Baptist, John 1:19–28.
Chap 22: The account of Christ’s return from the wilderness the Jordan and the third witness of the revealed Christ which is the first of the now present Christ, John 1:19–34.
Chap. 23: The account of the second day after Christ’s return from the wilderness and of the two disciples of John who followed Christ, John 1:35–40.
Chap. 24: The account of Simon Peter, first brought to Christ on the third day after Christ’s return from the wilderness, John 1:41–43.
Chap. 25: The account of the calling of Philip and Nathaniel which occurred on the third day after Jesus returned from the Jordan into Galilee, John 1:42–54.
Chap. 26: The description of the first miracle which Christ performed in Cana of Galilee, John 2:1–11.
Chap. 27: The account of Jesus as He goes down from Cana to Capernaum and goes up from Capernaum to Jerusalem, and of what He did on that Passover which occurred during the first year of His ministry, John 2:12–25.
Chap. 28: The account of the conversation between Christ and Nicodemus, John 3:1–21.
Chap. 29: The account of what Jesus did after His conversation with Nicodemus during His teaching and baptizing in the land of Judea until the imprisonment of the Baptist, and what He was doing while John was still baptizing in Aenon, John 3:22–24.
Chap. 30: The description of the untimely zeal of the disciples of the Baptist in favor of their teacher against Christ and, on that occasion, of the last sermon that the Baptist preached before his captivity, John 3:25–36.
Chap. 31: The account of the imprisonment of the Baptist, Mat.14:3–5, Mark 6:17–20 and Luke 3:19–20.
Chap. 32: The account of Christ’s withdrawal from Judea through Samaria into Galilee and of His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Mat. 4:12 and John 4:1–42.
Chap. 33: The account of Christ’s return into Galilee and of the second miracle that He performed in Galilee in the healing of the ruler’s son, John 4:43–54.
The End and Summary of the Acta of the First Year of Christ’s Ministry.
Index of Scriptural and Apocryphal References
Volume 2 of The Harmony is 202 pages. (ISBN 978-1468135565). $22.95
 |
The Harmony of the Four Evangelists
Volume 1, Book 3, Part 1
by Martin Chemnitz, Polycarp Leyser and John Gerhard
Volume 3, Part 1 of The Harmony follows the Gospel accounts from the beginning of Christ's preaching in the synagogues through the Sermon on the Mount.
Book Three, Part One contains chapters 34 through 51:
Ch. 34, the beginning of Christ's public preaching in the synagogs of Galilee, and of how He came into His hometown of Nazareth, and of how the citizens cast Him out, Mark 1:14 and Luke 4:14-30.
Ch. 35, the transfer of Christ's residence from Nazareth to Capernaum, and what the chief points were of Christ's discourses in Galilee, Mat.4:13–17 and Mark 1:14-15.
Ch. 36, the miraculous draught of fishes, and of the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John, Mat.4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20 and Luke 5:1-11.
Ch. 37, the healing of the demonic in the synagog at Capernaum, Mark 1:21-28 and Luke 4:31-37.
Ch. 38, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, Mat.8.14-15, Mark 1:29-31 and Luke 4:38-39.
Ch. 39, the sick people whom Christ healed in the Sabbath, Mat.8:16-17, Mark 1:32-34 and Luke 4:40-41.
Ch. 40, what happened on the day after that Sabbath, Mark 1:35-38 and Luke 4:42-43.
Ch. 41, Christ's travels throughout all Galilee, Mat.4:23-25, Mark 1:39 and Luke 4:44.
Ch. 42, the healing of the leper on the preceding journey, Mark 1:40-45 and Luke 5:12-16.
Ch. 43, the healing of the paralytic, Mat.9:2-8, Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26.
Ch. 44, the calling of Matthew, Mat.9:9, Mark 2:13-14 and Luke 5:27-28.
Ch.45. On the second Passover; that is, what happened during the second year of Christ's ministry, which contains the account of the pool at the Sheep Gate and the sick man healed there, John 5:1-15.
Ch. 46, Jesus' argument with the Jews about the Sabbath and that outstanding sermon which He delivered at Jerusalem on that occasion, John 5:16-47.
Ch. 47, the account of the seventh and last day in the second Feast of the Passover; of the disciples of Christ picking and stripping the ears of corn, from which He takes the true explanation of the doctrine of the Sabbath, Mat.12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5.
Ch. 48, the account of the second Sabbath on which a dispute arose again about hallowing and violating the Sabbath because of the healing of the withered hand, Mat.12:9-13, Mark 3:1-5 and Luke 6:6-10.
Ch. 49, the conspiracy of the Pharisees with the Herodians because of the preceding miracle; of the withdrawal of Christ; what happened during that withdrawal; and what crowds followed Him, Mat.12.14-21, Mark 3.6-12 and Luke 6.2.
Ch. 50, the election of the twelve apostles, Mat.5:1, Mark 3:13-19 and Luke 6:12-19.
Ch.51, the account or description of that detailed discourse which Christ delivered after the election of the apostles, Mat. 5:1–7:29; Luke 6:20–49.
ISBN 978-1475046939 • Paperback • 402 pages • $29.95
