Luke Chapter 3

“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, etc.] Emperor of Rome, and the third of the Caesars; Julius was the first, and Augustus the second, in whose time Christ was born, and this Tiberius the third; he was the son of Livia, the wife of Augustus, but not by him; but was adopted by him, into the empire: his name was Claudius Tiberius Nero, and for his intemperance was called, Caldius Biberius Mero; the whole of his reign was upwards of twenty two years, for he died in the twenty third year of his reign f151; and in the fifteenth of it, John began to preach, Christ was baptized, and began to…”

“PREACHING, BAPTISM, AND IMPRISONMENT OF JOHN. (Luke 3:1-20) Here the curtain of the New Testament is, as it were, drawn up, and the greatest of all epochs of the Church commences. Even our Lord's own age (Luk 3:23) is determined by it [BENGEL]. No such elaborate chronological precision is to be found elsewhere in the New Testament, and it comes fitly from him who claims it as the peculiar recommendation of his Gospel, that he had "accurately traced down all things from the first" (Luk 1:3). Here, evidently, commences his proper narrative. Also see on Mat 3:1. the fifteenth year of Tiberius--reckoning from the…”

“Now in the fifteenth year - This was the “thirteenth” year of his 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. i. Tiberius Caesar - Tiberius succeeded Augustus in the empire, and began his “sole” reign Aug. 19th, 14 a.d. He was a most infamous character - a scourge to the Roman people. He reigned 23 years, and was succeeded by “Caius Caligula,” whom he appointed his successor on account of his notorious wickedness, and that he might be, as he expressed it, a…”

“The fifteenth year of Tiberius - Reckoning from the time when Angustus made him his colleague in the empire. Herod being tetrarch of Galilee - The dominions of Herod the Great were, after his death, divided into four parts or tetrarchies. This Herod his son was tetrarch of Galilee, reigning over that fourth part of his dominions. His brother reigned over two other fourth parts, the region of Iturea, and that of Trachonitis (that tract of land on the other side Jordan, which had formerly belonged to the tribe of Manasseh.) And Lysanias (probably descended from a prince of that name, who was some years before…”

“3:1–4:13 After the birth narrative, Luke sets the stage for Jesus’ public ministry. He tells about the ministry of John the Baptist as forerunner of the Messiah and Jesus’ baptism, genealogy, and temptation. 3:1 the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius: Tiberius Caesar became co-emperor with his stepfather Caesar Augustus in AD 11 and full emperor in AD 14, reigning until AD 37. Depending on which date Luke is referring to, John’s public ministry began around AD 26/27 or AD 29/30; Jesus began his own ministry shortly thereafter. • Pilate: Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea from AD 26–36 (see “Pontius Pilate”…”

“am 4030, ad 26 Tiberius Caesar: Luk 2:1 Pontius Pilate: Luk 23:1-4, Luk 23:24; Gen 49:10; Act 4:27, Act 23:26, Act 24:27, Act 26:30 Herod: Luk 3:19, Luk 9:7, Luk 23:6-11 his: Mat 14:3; Mar 6:17 Ituraea: Ituraea was a province of Syria east of Jordan, now called Djedour, according to Burckhardt, and comprising all the flat country south of Djebel Kessoue as far as Nowa, east of Djebel el Sheikh, or mount Hermon, and west of the Hadj road. Trachonitis, according to Strabo and Ptolemy, comprehended all the uneven country on the east of Auranitis, now Haouran, from near Damascus to Bozra, now called El Ledja and…”