{"id":109,"date":"2018-04-10T22:33:03","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T05:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drbarrick.org\/?p=109"},"modified":"2018-09-05T21:20:07","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T04:20:07","slug":"the-synoptic-gospels-inerrancy-misrepresentation-of-persons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drbarrick.org\/?p=109","title":{"rendered":"The Synoptic Gospels’ Inerrancy: Misrepresentation of Persons"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Matthew 8:5\u201313<\/strong> reports the miracle of Jesus healing a Roman centurion\u2019s servant. Matthew seems to say the centurion himself approached Jesus with the request. Luke 7:1\u201310<\/strong>, however, speaks only of some Jewish leaders coming to Jesus with the centurion\u2019s request. Is there a mistake in one of these two Gospel accounts?<\/p>\n

A possible answer to this difficulty involves the fact that people of authority often send representatives to speak for them.<\/strong> When a news report says, \u201cToday the President announced . . . ,\u201d we are fully aware that he himself did not do so, but his press secretary or other representative made the announcement. The focal point of the accounts in both Gospels comes when the centurion indicates Jesus need only to speak, to issue the command for healing, rather than to go Himself to the centurion\u2019s residence (Matthew 8:8\u20139; Luke 7:6\u20138). Matthew merely provides a shortened account, leaving out a detail Luke supplies. This kind of abbreviated report characterizes Matthew\u2019s Gospel<\/strong>\u2014see also Matthew 8:14\u201315 (compare Mark 1:29\u201331); Matthew 9:1\u20138 (compare Mark 2:1\u201312); Matthew 9:18\u201326 (compare Mark 5:21\u201343); and Matthew 11:2\u20136 (compare Luke 7:18\u201323).<\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s vocation as a physician might cause him to show more interest in individuals. A focus on individuals characterizes his Gospel:<\/strong><\/p>\n