Well how do we deal with this seeming discrepancy? Was there one temple cleansing or two?
Arguments / Evidence for One Temple Cleansing:
- John’s Gospel is more “theological” rather than “chronological” in his approach to writing his account of the life and teachings of Jesus
- Matthew places the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of the Passover week, and John tells us that “the Jews” Passover was at hand (Matthew 2:12).
Sellers:
- Matthew mentions those that “sold and bought” being in the temple (Matthew 21:12);
- John says the Lord found in the temple “those that sold oxen,” etc. (John 2:14).
- Matthew refers to the presence of those that “sold doves” (Matthew 21:12);
- John also speaks of the “doves” (John 2:16).
Matthew tells us that Christ “overthrew the tables of the money-changers” (Matthew 21:12); John also tells us that Christ “overthrew the tables” (John 2:15).
Matthew mentions that Christ “cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple” (Matthew 21:12);
John declares He “drove them all out of the temple” (John 2:15).
Note, in the Greek it is the same word here translated “drove” as is rendered “cast out” in Matthew!
House of Prayer
Matthew declares Christ said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13);
John records that the Lord said, “Make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise” (John 2:16).
We have no doubt that the Lord made both of these statements in the same connection, but John records the one which expressly affirmed His Divine Sonship. In each case Christ declared the temple was God’s.
Matthew records how Christ spent the night in Bethany, and next morning He returned to Jerusalem, and was in the temple teaching, when the chief priests and elders of the people came to Him and said, “By what authority doest thou these things?” (Matthew 21:23).
John also records that after Christ had cleansed the temple, the Jews said to Him, “What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?” (John 2:18).
Arguments / Evidence for Two Temple Cleansings:
John begins with the phrase, “On the third day….” This section ends with John writing the words, “After this…” John then begins his account of the temple cleansing saying, “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand…” These are all temporal elements indicating set time periods.
The temple could well have been corrupted at two different times during the three years of Jesus’ ministry.
The different details recorded by John likely are due to the fact that we are dealing with two different temple cleansings.
Only John mentioned
- the oxen and sheep,
- the whip of cords,
- the scattering of the money,
- Jesus’ command, “Take these things away,”
- the disciples’ remembrance of Psalm 69:9: “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up” (2:17).
Nothing in the first five chapters of John’s gospel account is found in Matthew, Mark, or Luke.
Now I have given you a summary of the evidence I will give you time to make your choice. My conclusion tomorrow.
You can learn from ANYONE if you ask wise questions.
Ian Vail
Good advice lies deep within a person’s heart & the wise draw it out.
Proverbs 20:5
The best thing to spend on your children is time.
Anon
If you think being meek is weak then trying being meek for a week.
Ian Vail