Chapter Ix:18–50
CHAPTER IX:18–50
Outline of Chapter 9:18–50
Theme: The Work Thou Gavest Him to Do
B. The Retirement Ministry
9:18–20 Peter’s Confession
9:21–27 The First Prediction of the Passion and Resurrection
9:28–36 The Transfiguration of Jesus on the Mountain
9:37–43a The Healing of an Epileptic Boy
9:43b–45 The Second Prediction of the Passion (and the Resurrection)
9:46–48 Who Is the Greatest?
9:49, 50 He Who Is Not Against You Is for You
9:18–20 Peter’s Confession
Cf. Matt. 16:13–19; Mark 8:27–29
18 Once while Jesus was praying in private—(only) his disciples were with him—he asked them, “Who do the people331 say I am?” 19 They replied, “John the Baptist; and others (say) Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life.”332
20 He asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
The theme of the Synoptics, including Luke, we may conceive to be The Work Thou Gavest Him to Do. The first division under this theme is Its Beginning or Inauguration (Luke 1:1–4:13). The second is Its Progress or Continuation (4:14–19:27). The first subdivision of this second part, namely, The Great Galilean Ministry (4:14–9:17), has now been completed. The second subdivision, The Retirement plus Perean Ministries, begins at this point (9:18) and continues through 19:27.
Reasons for this kind of outline, as also a brief description of the main contents of each division and subdivision, can be found on pp. 8–10 of N.T.C. on Matthew. Tentative dates (certainty is impossible) are as follows: Retirement Ministry a.d. 29, April to October; Perean Ministry a.d. 29, December, to a.d. 30, April. For the intervening Later Judean Ministry, October to December, see especially the Gospel According to John (7:2–10:39).