ministry of our Lord stresses the gospel of mercy and deliverance, while instead of

announcing the kingdom John preaches remission of sins.

We all know what a prominent position is given by Matthew to the parables of the

mysteries of the kingdom, in no lesser prominence the distinctive parables of Luke set

forth his peculiar teaching.  Who but Luke could record the parable of the Good

Samaritan? How fitting is the parable of the Prodigal Son! The parable of the Unjust

Steward with its use of oikonomia illustrates Paul's usage of the word when translated

"dispensation". The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is the doctrine of Romans

in picture form, and contains the only evangelical use of "justification" found in the

four gospels. The parable of the "ten pounds" is similar, but not the same as the parable

of the "ten talents" recorded by Matthew. The special point of Luke's parable is the

statement that it was uttered to correct the impression "that the kingdom of God should

immediately appear". Consequently this nobleman "went into a far country to receive for

Himself a kingdom, and to return".

The reader will find upon careful comparison, that in the smallest details, Matthew

and Luke can be discovered consistently heading for their distinctive goals, and while

such an examination cannot be conducted in these pages, the reader who has never

attempted it, has a joy awaiting him that no second hand acquaintance with Holy Writ can

provide.

For the full exposition of the Gospel of John the reader will be able to consult our new

book Life Through His Name, to be published shortly, but in order to make this series as

complete as possible yet without undue repetition, we will discuss the dispensational

place which this Gospel occupies.

In the first place let us get well into mind the fact that the primitive church had three

gospels, and three only. So far as we have any knowledge neither Matthew, Mark, Luke,

Peter nor Paul saw or knew of the Gospel according to John. Polycrates, Bishop of

Ephesus, at the end of the second century, and Irenaeus, the scholar of Polycarp, who was

himself a disciple of John, record the fact that John remained in Ephesus till the times of

the Emperor Trajan, and that he died there in extreme old age, as is testified by Eusebius

also. The mistake concerning John that is exposed in John 21: 23, may have obtained

some credit by the fact that John outlived all the other apostles. It is evident that the

gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke contained all the teaching that was essential during

the period governed by the Hope of Israel and that the statements concerning the

"world", "whosoever" and the "other sheep" found in John's Gospel would have been

premature or "undispensational" at the time. The relative place of the different sections

of the New Testament, with particular reference to John's Gospel might be set out thus: