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LT.-COL. G. MACKINLAY, ON 



Luc AN Triplications. 



We shall consider some examples of St. Luke's use of triple 

 iteration, and of his appeals to memory in order to give 

 emphasis, involving a very elaborate hterary arrangement. 

 Lastly, we shall make a practical deduction, useful in these 

 days of unsettlement, and of the desire on the part of many 

 to restate their behefs in terms of present-day knowledge. 



Triphcation is sometimes employed in Scripture for the 

 purpose of giving emphasis ; for instance, the three smitings 

 of his ass by Balaam showed the vehemence of his anger 

 (Num. xxii, 28-33), and the same prophet's thrice repeated 

 blessing of Israel demonstrated the earnestness of his message, 

 particularly as cursing had been expected from him (Num. xxiv, 

 10). 



But it is in the writings of St. Luke that the most frequent 

 employment of this method of giving emphasis is to be found, 

 and in beautiful variety. 



The purport of the Acts — the preaching of the Gospel through- 

 out the world by the power of the Holy Spirit — is emphasized 

 by the triple account of the commissioning of St. Paul for that 

 purpose at his conversion, and also by a somewhat similar triple 

 account of the commission to Peter to begin the same work, 

 when the servants of Cornehus came to him. These are supported 

 by many other tripUcations. 



In hke manner St. Luke has emphasized the object and chmax 

 of his Gospel — the Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus 

 Christ — by no less than thirty. 



The general arrangement of the triphcations in the two books 

 is on similar hues. 



Those in the Gospel of St. Luke fall into four groups : — 



1. Divine proclamations of our Lord (four in number). 



2. Those which point forward to the Crucifixion or 



emphasize some doctrine dependent on it (sixteen). 



3. Those during the Betrayal, Trial and Crucifixion of our 



Lord (six). 



4. Those in the last Resurrection chapter, which point back 



to the Great Sacrifice, or else emphasize some blessing 



directly resulting from it (four). 

 Manifestly we have not space in this paper to consider them all, 

 but we shall take a complete group as a sample of the whole, 

 and we shall select the third ; it does not contain a large number 

 of triplications, and several of them have long been recognised ; 



