LTEUT.-COL. G. MACKINLAY, ON SOME LUCAN PROBLEMS. 201 



we must concentrate the space now at our disposal on 

 the short period containing the more immediate premonitions of 

 the coming death of the Lord, in order to give emphatic atten- 

 tion to this great theme of my gospel." This idea is supported 

 and emphasized by the greater Omission in Luke (B), the 

 existence of which has not, apparently, hitherto been noticed. 



We may notice incidentally that the abruptness of the great 

 Omission and also of the two other greater ones,* are good 

 examples of Luke's habit of hiding his methods. A reply is 

 thus suggested to meet an objection which has been made by 

 some to the existence of the three parallel narratives, that it is 

 unlikely that the Evangelist would have employed them, unless 

 he had said so, and unless he had plainly indicated the beginning 

 and end of each. He did not do so, because it is the habit of 

 the Evangelist often to conceal his methods. 



Our study of these Lucan problems causes the intellect 

 to admire the wondrous skill which the Evangelist has 

 displayed in the presentation of the Gospel story, and the heart 

 is deeply impressed with the immense grandeur of his sublime 

 theme. 



Note. — In the foregoing paper each of the two interruptions of the 

 ordinary Marcan source is called an " Insertion," — a designation which 

 has been employed for some time, and which seems to be suitable. In 

 the Oxford Studies in the Synoptic Problem this term is also employed by 

 one of the authors, but the three others, who write on the subject, use 

 the word " Interpolation " instead. Surely this is an unfortunate desig- 

 nation, because, according to the English Student^ s Dictionary^ J. Ogilvie, 

 1908, the meaning of the word to interpolate, is " to insert a spurious 

 word or passage in a MS. or book." 



Discussion. 



Mr. Walter Maunder, F.R.A.S., said : I was very pleased that 

 Colonel Mackinlay in his valuable paper spoke of the additions 

 made by St. Luke to the synoptic narrative as the greater and 

 lesser " Insertions " rather than "Interpolations." To interpolate 

 is "to insert" some foreign material in a fabric or substance in 

 order to improve its appearance ; it is, in short, adulteration. 



* Luke iv, 13, 14, and xiii, 21, 22. 



