The Gospels and Contemporary Biographies: Concluded

Abstract

The New Testament Gospels, viewed as literature and as records of historical facts about Jesus, find their closest ancient parallel in those writings of Plato and Xenophon which describe the personality, the teaching, and the career of Socrates. Dating the Dialogues of Plato and the Memorabilia of Xenophon at about 380-350 B.C., and the Gospels at about 70-1oo A.D., a time interval of four hundred and fifty years separates the two groups of writings. For the present purpose, however, this interval is without significance, waiving the superficial and attending to the essential aspects of the comparison. The work that Socrates did for Greek thought and life in the fifth century B.c. was strikingly parallel to the work that Jesus did for Jewish thought and life in the first century A.D. Each was representative of the highest conscientiousness, intelligence, aspiration, and purpose of his nation, each regarded himself as appointed by God to a special mission for the uplift of his people and as continually guided by God to its performance. There was not a little difference of form and manner between the two ministries, but they had a common function-to inaugurate a new standard of conduct, to replace the current morality with a superior type of moral thought and practice. Both Socrates and Jesus were lofty, strenuous, ethical idealists, bent upon converting and driving their nations to a higher ethics. Both pointed out the defects of the commonly accepted standard and the unideal conduct of the national teachers and leaders. Both held aloof from the institutions and classes of the social order, working in an unattached and single-handed way, reaching the public through a direct personal relationship and appeal. Their ministry was without charge. Each attached