Luke 5
Luke 5 | |
---|---|
Book | Gospel of Luke |
Category | Gospel |
Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 3 |
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Luke 5 is the fifth chapter of the
Text
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 39 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
- Papyrus 4 (AD 150-175; extant verses: 3-8, 30-39)[2]
- Papyrus 75 (175-225)
- Codex Vaticanus (325-350)
- Codex Sinaiticus (330-360)
- Codex Bezae (~400)
- Codex Washingtonianus (~400)
- Codex Alexandrinus (400-440)
- Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450)
- Codex Guelferbytanus B (5th century: extant verses 1-4)
Catching fish and people: The first disciples (5:1-11)
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Verses 1-11 report the call of Jesus' first disciples. Jesus arrives at the Lake of Gennesaret, or Sea of Galilee. Biblical scholar William Smith suggests that "there was a beautiful and fertile plain called 'Gennesaret'" at the northwestern angle of the Sea of Galilee, and "from that was derived the name of 'Lake of Gennesaret'" used by Luke in Luke 5:1.[3] According to Eric Franklin, Gennesaret was the district to the south of Capernaum,[4]: 933 where Jesus' ministry in chapter 4 had been set.
Here Jesus proceeds to preach the "word of God" to the many listeners, using
The story of the calling of the
- Woe is me, for I am undone!
- Because I am a man of unclean lips. (Isaiah 6:5)
- Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. (Luke 5:8) [8]
The calling of the first disciples is related in a different manner in John's Gospel, not in connection with the miraculous catch of fish, and with Andrew being the intermediary who brings Simon to Jesus.[9]
In the final chapter of John's Gospel, the evangelist relates a later miraculous catch of fish, when the risen Jesus encounters seven of his disciples fishing again at the lake. At first, they do not recognize him. Then Jesus asks them to fish on the right side of the boat. They catch a large load and start to recognize who he is (John 21:1-14).
Healing of a leper (5:12-14)
Jesus encounters a
Jesus' fame and his retreat (5:15-16)
Jesus is now followed by many who listen to him and want to be healed. Luke comments that he often retreated into the wilderness to pray.[10] Jesus' habit of spending time in prayer is mentioned several times in Luke: 3:21, here, 6:12, 9:18, 9:29,[11] and 22:41.
Healing of the paralyzed man (5:17-26)
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Jesus is teaching in a house with
In John 5, Jesus also heals a paralyzed man (at the pool of Bethesda), which brings him into conflict with the religious authorities, because the healing takes place on the Sabbath.
The calling of Levi (5:27-32)
Jesus calls on Levi, a tax collector, to follow him. Levi does so immediately. Later he arranges for a big feast for Jesus with other tax collectors are in attendance. Pharisees and some teachers of the law complain that Jesus is feasting with tax collectors and other outcasts. Tax collectors are despised as they collaborate with the Romans and tend to enrich themselves. Jesus' answer is that people who are healthy do not need a doctor, he has come to help those who need to repent. This event is also related in Mark 2:13–17 and in Matthew 9:9–13 (where the tax collector is called Matthew).
About fasting (5:33-35)
Criticism arises about the conduct of Jesus' disciples, their lack of fasting and praying - in contrast to the disciples of
A double parable (5:36-39)
The response to the criticism about fasting is immediately followed by a double parable.[15] Jesus compares "old" and "new": firstly, a new patch of garment is not fit for an old garment, and secondly, new wine is not fit for old wineskins. The reasons are clear: tearing a new piece of clothing to fix an old clothing would destroy the new one and may not fit, and using old wineskins that have already been stretched by use may not accommodate new wine that will expand the old wineskin beyond its limits during fermentation: they burst and all is lost. The parable is also recounted in Matthew 9:14–17 and Mark 2:21–22, but only Luke uses the term παραβολὴν, (parabolēn, a parable) in his account.
A traditional interpretation of the double parable is that Jesus' new teaching cannot be accommodated by the old patterns of thought:
Verse 39
- And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better'.[19]
Jesus proceeds to declare that old wine is usually preferred to new wine – "the old [wine] is better" – a comment not found in the other two synoptic gospels.[4]: 934 This verse gives rise to some difficulty in interpretation. If Jesus is teaching a separation from Judaism, would he say that the old is better?[18] A number of explanations have been given. One view holds that the line does not belong here and should be disregarded or removed, a view taken by Marcion.[18] Another view proposes that Jesus is just pointing out that old and familiar patterns are hard to shed.[16] Another explanation suggests that Jesus is trying to save the Old, and the New refers to the teachings of his critics. Other explanations retranslate the Greek original words differently in an attempt to make sense of the statement.[18]
A different approach is the proposal not to assume that Jesus is talking about "old" and "new" religious teachings, but about his ways of choosing disciples. So Jesus uses new methods (new clothes) to provide new men (wineskins) with a new message (wine).[18] He does not reject the "Old", but the "Old" is limited and not accessible to everybody. As he starts his ministry he demonstrates that his reach is inclusive, thus he finds the sinners, the rejected, the poor and the sick.[18]
The interpretation favored by John Calvin looks at old garments and old wineskins as representations of Jesus' disciples. In his Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke he explains that the new wine and unshrunk cloth represent the practice of fasting twice a week. Fasting this way would be burdensome to the new disciples, and would be more than they could bear.
See also
Notes
- ^ and they glorified God and were filled with awe. Luke 5:26, New Revised Standard Version
References
- ^ "Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels". Jerusalem Bible. 1966. p. 5, New Testament.
- ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
- ^ Smith, W. (1901), Galilee, Sea of in Smith's Bible Dictionary
- ^ a b c Franklin, E., 59. Luke in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary
- ^ Englishman's Concordance: ζωγρῶν
- ^ Vincent, M. (1886), Vincent's Word Studies on Luke 5, accessed 30 May 2018
- ^ Luke 4:38–39: New International Version
- ^ Luke 5:8: New Catholic Bible (2019)
- ^ John 1:35–42
- ^ Luke 5:16: New King James Version. The word "often" is inserted by the NKJV editors
- ^ Meyer, H. A. W. (1880), Meyer's NT Commentary on Luke 5, translated from the German sixth edition, accessed 2 September 2023
- ISBN 0-943575-31-1.
- ^ Mark 1:1–12
- ^ Farrar, F. W. (1891), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Luke 5, accessed 15 July 2020
- ^ Kee, A., The Old Coat and the New Wine: A Parable of Repentance, Novum Testamentum, Vol. 12, Fasc. 1 (Jan., 1970), pp. 13-21
- ^ a b Craig A. Evans, page 96
- ISBN 0-85111-778-3, pp. 91-92.
- ^ a b c d e f "Grace Commentary Luke 5:33-39". Archived from the original on 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- ^ Luke 5:39: NKJV
External links
- Luke 5 King James Bible - Wikisource
- English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate
- Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
- Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)
Preceded by Luke 4 |
Chapters of the Bible Gospel of Luke |
Succeeded by Luke 6 |