Luke 3:1

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, For the exposition, see the notes at Matthew 3:1....

Luke 3:1._When Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea _It is probable that this was the second year of Pilate’s government: for since Tiberius had held the reins of government, he had, as Josephus informs us, (xviii. 2:2,) appointed Valerius Gratus to be governor of Judea, in room of Annius Rufus. This change might take place in his second year. The same Josephus writes, that Valerius was governor of Judea for “eleven years, when Pontius Pilate came as his successor,” (Ant. 18:2:2.) Pilate, therefore, had governed the province for two years, when John began to preach the Gospel. This Herod, whom Luke makes tetrarch of Judea, was the second heir of Herod the Great, and succeeded to his father by will. Archelaus had received the ethnarchy of Judea, but, when he was banished to Vienna (Jos. Wars, 2, vii. 3) by Augustus, that portion fell into the hands of the Romans. Luke mentions here two

1-14 The scope and design of John's ministry were, to bring the people from their sins, and to their Saviour. He came preaching, not a sect, or party, but a profession; the sign or ceremony was washing with water. By the words here used John preached the necessity of repentance, in order to the remission of sins, and that the baptism of water was an outward sign of that inward cleansing and renewal of heart, which attend, or are the effects of true repentance, as well as a profession of it. Here is the fulfilling of the Scriptures, Isaiah 40:3, in the ministry of John. When way is made for the gospel into the heart, by taking down high thoughts, and bringing them into obedience to Christ, by levelling the soul, and removing all that hinders us in the way of Christ and his grace, then preparation is made to welcome the salvation of God. Here are general warnings and exhortations which Jo...

CHAPTER III. _The time in which John the Baptist began to preach_, 1-3. _The prophecies which were fulfilled in him_, 4-6. _The matter and success of his preaching_, 7-9; _among the people_, 10, 11; _among the_ publicans, 12, 13; _among the_ soldiers, 14. _His testimony concerning Christ_, 15-18. _The reason why Herod put him afterwards in prison_, 19, 20. _He baptizes Christ, on whom the Spirit of God descends_, 21, 22. _Our Lord's genealogy_, 23-38. NOTES ON CHAP. III. Verse...

NOW IN THE FIFTEENTH YEAR - This was the “thirteenth” year of his being sole emperor. He was “two” years joint emperor with Augustus, and Luke reckons from the time when he was admitted to share the empire with Augustus Caesar. See Lardner’s “Credibility,” vol. i. TIBERIUS CAESAR - Tiberius succeeded Augustus in the empire, and began his “sole” reign Aug. 19th, 14 a.d. He was a most infamous character - a scourge to the Roman people. He reigned 23 years, and was succeeded by “Caius Caligula,” whom he appointed his successor on account of his notorious wickedness, and that he might be, as he expressed it, a “serpent” to the Romans. PONTIUS PILATE - Herod the Great left his kingdom to three sons. See the notes at Matthew 2:22. To “Archelaus” he left “Judea.” Archelaus reigned “n

EXPOSITION LUKE 3:1 THE BAPTISM OF JOHN. LUKE 3:1 NOW IN THE FIFTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF TIBERIUS CAESAR. St. Luke's Gospel is framed after the model of approved histories. He commenced with an elaborate rhetorical preface, most carefully worded, stating, in a few well-chosen sentences, the reasons which had induced him to undertake the work. He then (Luke 1:5) skillfully wove into the text of his narrative one or more original documents; these he translated, preserving, with great art, as closely as possible, the spirit, and oftentimes the very words, of his original authority. Now, in this

NOW IN THE FIFTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF TIBERIUS CAESAR,.... Emperor of Rome, and the third of the Caesars; Julius was the first, and Augustus the second, in whose time Christ was born, and this Tiberius the third; he was the son of Livia, the wife of Augustus, but not by him; but was adopted by him, into the empire: his name was Claudius Tiberius Nero, and for his intemperance was called, Caldius Biberius Mero; the whole of his reign was upwards of twenty two years, for he died in the twenty third year of his reign g; and in the fifteenth of it, John began to preach, Christ was baptized, and began to preach also; so that this year may be truly called, "the acceptable year of the Lord". PONTIUS PILATE BEING GOVERNOR OF JUDEA; under the Emperor Tiberius, in whose reign the Jewish chronologer h places him, and the historian i also, and make mention of him as sent by him to Jerusalem: he...

Luke 3:1. Now in the fifteenth yea of the reign of Tiberias Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filed and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Then said he to the multitude that ca...

HEROD Also (Luke 3:19); (Matthew 14:1). (_ See Scofield) - (Matthew 14:1). _...

LUKE 3:1 tetraarcou/ntoj (ter) See the comment on Ac 13.1....