Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 3

Luke Chapter 3

Now in the fifteenth year. This was the thirteenth year of Tiberius's 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. 1.

Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius succeeded Augustus in the empire and began his sole reign August 19, AD 14. He was a most infamous character — a scourge to the Roman people. He reigned twenty-three years and was succeeded by Caius Caligula, whom he appointed his successor on account of his notorious wickedness, so 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 Barnes on Matthew 2:22.

To Archelaus, Herod the Great left Judea. Archelaus reigned nine years, when, on account of his crimes, he was banished to Vienne. Judea was then made a Roman province, placed entirely under Roman governors or procurators, and became completely tributary to Rome.

Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor sent there and, consequently, had been in Judea only a short time. See the chronological table at the end of the volume.

Herod being tetrarch of Galilee. This was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, to whom Galilee had been left as his part of his father's kingdom.

The word tetrarch properly denotes one who presides over a fourth part of a country or province; but it also came to be a general title, denoting one who reigned over any part—a third, a half, etc. In this case, Herod had a third of his father's dominions but was called tetrarch.

It was this Herod who imprisoned John the Baptist and to whom our Saviour, when arraigned, was sent by Pilate.

And his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea. Iturea was so called from Jetur, one of the sons of Ishmael (Genesis 25:15; 1 Chronicles 1:31). It was situated on the east side of the Jordan and was taken from the descendants of Jetur by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 5:19).

Region of Trachonitis. This region was also on the east of the Jordan, extending northward to the district of Damascus and eastward to the deserts of Arabia. It was bounded on the west by Gaulonitis and on the south by the city of Bostra. Philip had obtained this region from the Romans on the condition that he would extirpate the robbers.

Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene. Abilene was so called from Abila, its chief city. It was situated in Syria, northwest of Damascus and southeast of Mount Lebanon, and was adjacent to Galilee.

Annas and Caiaphas being high-priests. There was, properly speaking, only one high-priest of the Jews; yet the name of high-priest continued to be given to those who had been in that office, and especially when they still possessed some civil office after they had left the high-priesthood. In this case it appears that Caiaphas was high-priest, and Annas had been, but had been dismissed from the office. It is highly probable that he still held an office under the Romans, and was perhaps president of the Sanhedrin. He is mentioned before Caiaphas because he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, and probably was the eldest, and had been longest in office. Instances similar to this may be found in Josephus.

There is one remark to be made here about the manner in which the gospels are written. They have every mark of openness and honesty. An impostor does not mention names, and times, and places particularly. If he did, it would be easy to ascertain that he was an impostor.

But the sacred writers describe objects and men as if they were perfectly familiar with them. They never appear to be guarding themselves. They speak of things very minutely. If, therefore, they had been impostors, it would have been easy to detect them. If, for example, John did not begin to preach in the fifteenth year of Tiberius—if Philip was not tetrarch of Iturea—if Pontius Pilate was not governor of Judea, how easy would it have been to detect them in falsehood!

Indeed, we have evidence of that age, in Josephus, that these descriptions are strictly true; and, consequently, the gospels must have been written by men who were personally acquainted with what they wrote, who were not impostors, and who were honest men. If they were honest, then the Christian religion is true.

What shall we do, then? John had told them to bring forth fruits appropriate to repentance, or to lead a life which showed that their repentance was genuine. They very properly, therefore, asked how it should be done, or what would be such a life.

He that has two coats, and so on. Or, in other words, aid the poor according to your ability; be benevolent, and you will thus show that your repentance is genuine. It is remarkable that one of the first demands of religion is to do good, and it is in this way that it may be shown that the repentance is not insincere.

1. For the nature of religion is to do good.
2. This requires self-denial, and none will deny themselves who are not attached to God.
3. This is to imitate Jesus Christ, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor.

Coats: See Barnes’s notes on Matthew 5:40.

Meat. Provision of any kind.

The publicans.

See Barnes on Matthew 5:47.

There is reason to think that the publicans or tax-gatherers were peculiarly oppressive and hard in their dealings with the people; and that, as they had every opportunity of exacting more than they ought, they often did it, and thus enriched themselves. The evidence of repentance in them would be to break off their sins in this respect, and to deal justly.