Ancient literature from this time period often did not narrate events in the exact chronological order. Instead, historical events were arranged for thematic and topical reasons. This is clearly seen in the Gospels as each author felt the freedom to arrange parables, sayings, and other events in view of their particular purposes. The first readers of the Gospels would have expected these kinds of topical arrangements. Only the most fundamentalist interpreter would expect the Gospels to fit rigid