Editing Capernaum (section)

==New Testament==
[[File:Brooklyn Museum - Healing of the Lepers at Capernaum (Guérison des lépreux à Capernaum) - James Tissot - overall.jpg|thumb|left|[[James Tissot]] – ''Healing of the Lepers at Capernaum'' (Guérison des lépreux à Capernaum) – [[Brooklyn Museum]]]]

Capernaum is cited in all four [[Gospel|gospels]] ({{bibleverse|Matthew 4:13, 8:5, 11:23, 17:24|multi=yes}}, {{bibleverse|Mark 1:21, 2:1, 9:33|multi=yes}}, {{bibleverse|Luke 4:23,31, 7:1, 10:15|multi=yes}}, {{bibleverse|John 2:12, 4:46, 6:17, 24, 59|multi=yes}}) where it was reported to have been the hometown of the [[tax collector]] [[Matthew the Apostle|Matthew]] and located not far from [[Bethsaida]], the hometown of the [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostles]] [[Saint Peter|Simon Peter]], [[Andrew the Apostle|Andrew]], [[James the Great|James]] and [[John the Apostle|John]]. [[Jesus]] spent time teaching and healing there. On a [[Biblical Sabbath|Sabbath]] day, Jesus taught in the [[synagogue]] in Capernaum and healed a man who was possessed by an [[devil|unclean spirit]] ({{bibleverse|Luke|4:31–36}} and {{bibleverse|Mark|1:21–28}}). This story is notable as the only one that is common to the gospels of [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] and [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] but not contained in the [[Gospel of Matthew]]. Afterward, Jesus [[Healing the mother of Peter's wife|healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law]] of a fever ({{bibleverse|Luke|4:38–39}}). According to {{bibleverse|Luke|7:1–10}} and {{bibleverse||Matthew|8:5|NKJV}}, this is also the place where Jesus healed the servant of a Roman [[centurion]] who had asked for his help. Capernaum is the location of the [[Healing the paralytic at Capernaum|healing of the paralytic]] lowered by friends through the roof to reach Jesus, as described in {{bibleverse|Mark|2:1–12}} and {{bibleverse|Luke|5:17–26}}.

In {{bibleverse|Matthew|9:1}} the town is referred to only as "his own city", and the narrative in {{bibleverse|Matthew|9:2–7}} does not mention the paralytic being lowered through the roof. Most traditional [[Biblical commentary|biblical commentators]] (e.g. [[Johann Albrecht Bengel|Bengel]], [[Joseph Benson|Benson]] and the [[Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary]]) assume that in {{bibleverse|Matthew|9:1–7}} "his own city" means Capernaum, because of the details that are common to the three [[Synoptic Gospels]].<ref>[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/9-1.htm Biblehub.com commentaries on Matthew 9:1], accessed 27 December 2016</ref>

According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus selected this town as the center of his public ministry in [[Galilee]] after he left the small mountainous hamlet of [[Nazareth]] ({{bibleverse|Matthew|4:12–17}}). He [[woes to the unrepentant cities|cursed Capernaum]], along with [[Bethsaida]] and [[Chorazin]], saying "you will be thrown down to [[Christian views on Hades|Hades]]!" ({{bibleverse|Matthew|11:23}}) because of their apparent lack of faith in him.