::: PROPER HERMENEUTICS AND THE FOLLY OF THE "TWO CONVERSATION" ARGUMENT :::

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PROPER HERMENEUTICS AND THE FOLLY OF THE "TWO CONVERSATION" ARGUMENT
- Part 12

Studying Grammar and the Contextual Flow of The Olivet Discourse to Disprove the Doctrine of Dispensationalism

Michael F. Blume

WHO ASKED THE QUESTIONS:

The common sense reading of the three passages would simply cause one to realize that although Luke did not mention the disciples asked anything on the Mount of Olives, the conversation Luke recorded was indeed on the Mount of Olives. The questions were the same in Luke 21 as in Mark 13.

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Mark 13:4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

Luke 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

If futurists claim differences in accounts mean more than one conversation, then Mark's variation from Matthew's list of questions would mean they did not write about the same conversation, or at least a big chunk of the same, let alone Luke's disparity with the others.

The overall similarity in very sequence of events shows one overall conversation. This similarity and obvious picture is too overwhelming to allow little details that also do not conclusively indicate two conversations to allow us to believe there were two. Yes, there are variations of details. But they do not conclusively prove two conversations, period.

For example, the issue of how many disciples came to Jesus and asked questions does not conclusively prove two conversations. Futurists have told me that only four disciples are said by Mark to have asked Jesus the questions presented there in a very private chat.

Mark 13:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

Luke does not mention any note of privacy.

Luke 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

Just because Luke did not mention the Mount of Olives nor that the disciples asked Jesus anything privately does not mean it was not at the Mount of Olives they asked of these things, nor that they did not ask Him privately. Futurists have personally told me that Luke's version shows all twelve asking Jesus questions. Luke did not say how many asked anything. He simply used a plural pronoun "they". "They" could mean any number of optional conclusions. We must find the antecedent for THEY in the verses before in order to determine who THEY were.

Luke 21:5-7 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, (6) As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (7) And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

We only read "SOME" to be the only viable antecedent for "THEY" in verse 7. We are not told who the "some" are, and can only conclude they were "some" of the people who were there. There was obviously many people at the temple when "some" spoke of its beauty. Were these "some" a portion of the disciples from a larger portion of all the disciples, or were the "some" simply the disciples amongst all the other people who may have had nothing to do with Jesus? We are not told! All we know is that the THEY who asked Jesus the questions were the SOME mentioned in verse 5. While futurists claim "they" are all twelve disciples, in contrast to the four named in Mark, there is absolutely no grounds for that conclusion.

Does the picture that says all three accounts shoe one and the same people asking one and the same series of questions before one and the same conversation ensued by Jesus afterwards fit with what we have presented here? Yes! Since Luke does not distinguish who the "some" are in 21:5, whom we know were the "they" who asked questions in verse 7, the "they" could very well be the same four who asked questions in Mark 13. This would mean "some" in Luke 21:5 not only would be a smaller portion of the entire crowd at the temple in that verse, but it could be "some" of the disciples. That means the "they" in verse 7 were "some" of the disciples, which matches Mark's reference to only four of the disciples asking questions. But for futurists to insist THEY and SOME mean all twelve disciples in Luke is nonsense.

Now consider Matthew 24's version.

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

All we read here is that "disciples", without any number of them indicated, asked Jesus questions. Futurists may claim "disciples" means all twelve. That is not necessarily so. . It could mean all twelve or it could be distinguishing what kind of people asked Him questions, regardless of how many they were, in contrast to any other kind of people we might consider. If we were told that the Pharisees asked Jesus these questions, we would not think that demanded us to realize every Pharisee there was asked the questions! If we were informed that the lawyers asked him the questions, we would likewise not imagine every lawyer that existed asked Him. Likewise, when we are told "the disciples" asked him questions that does not have to be understood as all twelve disciples. It could very well be the same four who were asking questions in Mark. In fact, "the disciples" asked Jesus "privately" just as Mark related a private question session.

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