Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 2]
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2:1 {Decree from Caesar Augustus} (\dogma para Kaisaros
Augoustou\). Old and common word from \doke•\, to think, form an
opinion. No such decree was given by Greek or Roman historians
and it was for long assumed by many scholars that Luke was in
error. But papyri and inscriptions have confirmed Luke on every
point in these crucial verses 2:1-7. See W.M. Ramsay's books
(_Was Christ Born at Bethelehem?_ _Luke the Physician_. _The
Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the N.T._).
{The World} (\t•n oikoumen•n\). Literally, {the inhabited}
({land}, \g•n\). Inhabited by the Greeks, then by the Romans,
then the whole world (Roman world, the world ruled by Rome). So
Ac 11:28; 17:6. {Should be enrolled} (\apographesthai\). It was
a census, not a taxing, though taxing generally followed and was
based on the census. This word is very old and common. It means
to write or copy off for the public records, to register.
2:2 {The first enrolment} (\apograph• pr•t•\). A definite
allusion by Luke to a series of censuses instituted by Augustus,
the second of which is mentioned by him in Ac 5:37. This second
one is described by Josephus and it was supposed by some that
Luke confused the two. But Ramsay has shown that a periodical
fourteen-year census in Egypt is given in dated papyri back to
A.D. 20. The one in Ac 5:37 would then be A.D. 6. This is in
the time of Augustus. The first would then be B.C. 8 in Egypt. If
it was delayed a couple of years in Palestine by Herod the Great
for obvious reasons, that would make the birth of Christ about
B.C. 6 which agrees with the other known data {When Quirinius}
(\Kur•niou\). Genitive absolute. Here again Luke has been
attacked on the ground that Quirinius was only governor of Syria
once and that was A.D. 6 as shown by Josephus (_Ant_. XVIII.
I.I). But Ramsay has proven by inscriptions that Quirinius was
twice in Syria and that Luke is correct here also. See summary of
the facts in my _Luke the Historian in the Light of Research_,
pp. 118-29.
2:3 {Each to his own city} (\hekastos eis t•n heautou polin\). A
number of papyri in Egypt have the heading enrolment by household
(\apograph• kat' oikian\). Here again Luke is vindicated. Each
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Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Luke: Chapter 2)