Marcos 9
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Marcos 9
Morris - The fact that Matthew, Mark and Luke all record this remarkable promise immediately before the experience of Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration indicates that they understood the experience to be the fulfillment of the promise. In effect, the three disciples were translated in a vision (Mt 17:9) to the glory of the future kingdom (see notes on Mt 17:3,5,8). Believer's Study Bible - The proximity of this verse to the following context indicates that the transfiguration is the event designated by Jesus as "the kingdom of God present with power." Others have seen this as a reference to either Christ's crucifixion, His resurrection, His ascension, or His return. NET Note - Several suggestions have been made as to the referent for the phrase the kingdom of God come with power: (1) the transfiguration itself, which immediately follows in the narrative; (2) Jesus' resurrection and ascension; (3) the coming of the Spirit; (4) Jesus' second coming and the establishment of the kingdom. The reference to after six days in 9:2 seems to indicate that Mark had the transfiguration in mind insofar as it was a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom (although this interpretation is not without its problems). As such, the transfiguration was a tremendous confirmation to the disciples that even though Jesus had just finished speaking of his death (8:31; 9:31; 10:33), he was nonetheless the promised Messiah and things were proceeding according to God's plan. QUESTION - Was Jesus’ statement that “some who are standing here will not taste death” in Luke 9:27 (also Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1) incorrect? | ANSWER - Luke 9:27 says, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." See also Matthew 16:28 and Mark 9:1 for the parallel quotes. In each of the synoptic Gospels, the next event immediately after this promise from Jesus is the transfiguration. Rather than interpreting Jesus’ promise as referring to His coming to establish His kingdom on earth, the context indicates that Jesus was referring to the transfiguration. The Greek word translated "kingdom" can also be translated "royal splendor," meaning that the three disciples standing there would see Christ as He really is—the King of heaven—which occurred in the transfiguration. The "transfiguration" refers to the event described in the above cited passages when Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of the mountain, where He met with Moses and Elijah—representing the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament—and spoke with them. The disciples saw Jesus in all His glory and splendor, talking with a glorified Moses and Elijah. This is a glimpse of what will occur in Jesus’ kingdom. The disciples were dumbstruck at the sight and "fell on their faces" (Matthew 17:6). It seems most natural to interpret this promise in Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; and Luke 9:27 as a reference to the transfiguration, which "some" of the disciples would witness only six days later, exactly as Jesus predicted. In each Gospel, the very next passage after this promise from Jesus is the transfiguration, which shows Jesus in all His glory which will be seen again in the Kingdom of God. The contextual links make it very likely that this is the proper interpretation. GotQuestions.org Mark 9:2 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; six days: Mt 17:11-13 Lu 9:28-36 Peter: Mk 5:37 Mk 14:33 2Co 13:1 high: Ex 24:13 1Ki 18:42,33 Mt 14:13 Lu 6:12 transfigured: Mk 16:12 Ex 34:29-35 Isa 33:17 53:2 Mt 17:2 Lu 9:29 Joh 1:14 Ro 12:2 2Co 3:7-10 Php 2:6-8 3:21 2Pe 1:16-18 Rev 1:13-17 20:11 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Resources: Matthew 17:1-2+ Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. Luke 9:28-29+ Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. Rod Mattoon on praying -Jesus prayed and His countenance was changed. Let me say that prayer will change your countenance, too. The power of prayer can replace perplexity with peace, fear with faith, consternation with confidence and courage, discouragement with dedication and determination, and hopelessness with hope. There is a bumper sticker that says, "Prayer changes things." It does. Prayer changes you. This is why we are to pray for our enemies because this not only helps to change our enemies, it changes us. Fellowship and communion with God is essential to a transformed life. (Treasures from the Scripture) Steven Cole on while He was praying - Why would the eternal Son of God need to pray? Because He took on human flesh, yet without sin, and He lived in perfect dependence on the Father to show us how we, too, should live. In the incarnation, Jesus’ glory was veiled and He voluntarily limited the use of certain of His divine attributes as He took on the form of a servant and became obedient to death on the cross (Php 2:5-8). He did not surrender any of His divine attributes or He would have ceased to be God (which is impossible), but He took on the limitations of our humanity, apart from sin. As a man, Jesus needed to pray....while as a man in dependence on the Father, Jesus was praying, that His glory burst forth like the sun coming from behind a cloud. This was the intrinsic glory of Jesus that He shared with the Father before the creation of the world (Jn 17:5). It is the glory He now possesses as He sits at the right hand of God. When the apostle John later saw the glorified Jesus, he fell at his feet as a dead man (Rev 1:17). Jesus is undiminished deity and perfect humanity united in one person forever. (Luke 9:27-36) Mt Hermon just north of Caesarea Philippi - click to enlarge The Transfiguration by Raphael, c. 1520 Daniel Akin has some interesting introductory thoughts on the Transfiguration (He Was God Incognito) - Things are not always as they seem.” “Looks can be deceiving.” Never was this more true than when the Son of God left heaven and came to earth, when “the Word became flesh and took up residence among us” (John 1:14), when the fullness of deity came and dwelt in a body (Col 2:9), when the essence of God “did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead, He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men” (Phil 2:6-7). The transfiguration of Jesus confirms that, despite having the outward appearance of a mere mortal man, Jesus of Nazareth is in His nature and essence God—deity dressed in a body. Although He is not the kind of Messiah Savior the nation of Israel was expecting, He is exactly the Messiah Savior they needed. He looks defeated, but He is actually victorious. He dies and is buried by men, but He will be raised and exalted by God. He looks like a regular dude, but in actuality He is deity! The transfiguration is something of “a preview of coming attractions.” (Borrow Exalting Jesus in Mark Christ-Centered Exposition) Six days later - This is one of the few times Mark gives a specific time -- he wants to make sure we see the word "later" and link it with the prediction is verse 1 lest we begin to suggest all manner of interpretations which is what the commentaries in fact do! They ignore the golden rule of interpretation that CONTEXT IS KING! And without having to conjecture, it is obvious that this time refers to 6 days after the promise in Mk 9:1. Luke 9:28+ says "some (or about) eight days after" which is not a contradiction because this includes the day Jesus made the prediction and the day of the fulfillment in the transfiguration. Six days is simply the days between the prediction and the consummation.
Marcos 9
Morris - This is a remarkable statement of faith, to which the Lord responded. This indicates that Christ recognizes that faith itself must be given by God (Ephesians 2:8,9) and welcomes not only our prayer of faith but also our earnest prayer for more faith. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:13+ Cried out (2896)(krazo) refers to a loud cry or vociferation, and is a strong word expressing deep emotion. Krazo is one of those onomatopoeic words, the very pronunciation of which imitates the hoarse cry of the raven (listen), and can be an inarticulate and brutish sound or an exclamation of fear or pain. Abbott-Smith says "generally used of inarticulate cries, to scream, cry out (Aesch., etc.)" It is used of the cry of an animal, the barking of a dog and two men in a quarrel, trying to bawl each other down (so Aristophanes, Knights, 1017)" 'The prophet in awful earnestness, and as with a scream of anguish, cries over Israel' (Morison)" Krazō was also a technical, rabbinic term to refer to the loud summons of a prophet, needing to be heard. In Lk 18:39+ the blind beggar cried "to cry clamorously; to scream or shriek." (You can almost hear hid shrieking! He is motivated because he is blind and thinks this Man might help him see!) Believe (4100) pisteuo from pistis; pistos; related studies the faith, the obedience of faith) means to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust. To accept as true, genuine, or real. To have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something or someone. To consider to be true. To accept the word or evidence of. Pisteuo means to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence. To believe in with the implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted. As discussed below Christ is the object of this type of faith that relies on His power and nearness to help, in addition to being convinced that His revelations or disclosures are true. Unbelief (570) apistia from a = without + pistós = believing, faithful) means literally not believing = faithlessness, distrust, lack of belief. It describes an unwillingness to commit oneself totally to another (in this case God's) word. Apistia - 11v - unbelief(10), unbelieving(1). Matt. 13:58; Mk. 6:6; Mk. 9:24; Mk. 16:14; Rom. 3:3; Rom. 4:20; Rom. 11:20; Rom. 11:23; 1 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 3:12; Heb. 3:19 QUESTION - What is the meaning of “I believe; help my unbelief” in Mark 9:24? - See accompanying video ANSWER - In seeking the Lord’s help, a man came to Jesus once, fell to his knees weeping, and said, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24, ESV). The man’s request, startling in its paradoxical phrasing, is quite thought-provoking. How can the man say he believes and at the same time ask for help in overcoming unbelief? The full context of the man’s prayer, “I believe; help my unbelief!” helps make his meaning clearer. Jesus had just returned from the mount of transfiguration when He came upon a large crowd surrounding His disciples. An argument was taking place, and people were stirred up. Jesus asked what was going on, and a man from the crowd explained that the disciples had been trying to cast a demon out of his son but had failed in their attempt. Jesus said, “You unbelieving generation, . . . how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me” (Mark 9:19). The boy was brought to Jesus, but “when the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth” (Mark 9:20). After the boy’s father further explained his son’s condition, he said to Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (verse 22). Jesus assured the man that “everything is possible for one who believes” (verse 23). “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” (verse 24). Upon hearing the man’s request, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Jesus immediately spoke to the unclean spirit and permanently cast it out of the boy. Later, Jesus’ disciples inquired why they were unable to cast the demon out. Jesus told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (Mark 9:29). The dominant theme in this passage is faith and doubt. Jesus’ initial response to hearing of the boy’s condition expresses His disappointment in a lack of faith: “You unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” The boy’s father initially seems to display a lack of faith as well. He asks Jesus to do something for the boy “if you can” (Mark 9:22). Jesus picks up on this doubt, repeating the man’s conditional statement (verse 23). In essence, He responds by saying, “What do you mean, IF I can?” He goes on to assure the man that anything is possible if he has faith. (On at least two previous occasions, Jesus had linked healing to faith in Him—Mark 5:34 and 36). It appears that the only thing preventing the man’s son from being healed is his faith, and he realizes that he has already betrayed a lack of faith. He wants to express faith but at the same time be genuine. So he says, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (verse 24). In essence, he says, “My faith is far from perfect. I may not have enough faith. If my faith is not enough, please help me to have enough.” The CEV puts it like this: “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.” Jesus is pleased with this response and heals the boy. Most Christians can identify with this man from time to time. It is the acknowledgement of our inadequacy that allows God to work in our lives. This is true at the point of salvation. Salvation comes to inadequate sinners who realize their need and ask for forgiveness. It is impossible for “righteous” people to be saved (see Luke 18:9–14). In the same way, Christians know what the Bible says, and we do trust God to take care of and direct our lives, but sometimes we are faced with something that seems to overpower our faith. We don’t seem to have enough faith to follow Him in that moment, so we ask for more faith. We acknowledge that even our faith comes from God. It is His work in our lives that enables us to believe and obey. As always, we can ask for what we need. When we doubt, we can ask for more faith. When we are wavering in our resolve to follow, we can ask for more resolve. When we are unwilling to obey, we can ask to be made willing. An unbeliever has no interest in having more faith or being made willing to obey. The believer knows that his faith and obedience are always deficient, and he will frequently ask God to enable him to live the life that pleases God. If left to our own strength and our own faith, we would never make it. “I believe; help my unbelief” is at once a statement of faith and an admission that our faith is far from perfect. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Why do so many people struggle with a lack of faith? ANSWER - The apostle Paul exhorts Christians to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). What we see here is a contrast between truth and perception—what we know and believe to be true and what we perceive to be true. This is where the Christian struggle with a lack of faith finds its basis. The main reason why so many Christians struggle with a lack of faith is that we follow our perceptions of what is true rather than what we know to be true by faith. Perhaps before going any further it may be helpful to come up with a working definition of faith. Faith, contrary to popular opinion, is not “belief without proof.” This is the definition that many skeptics give for faith. This definition reduces faith to mere fideism—i.e., “I believe despite what the evidence tells me.” Skeptics are right to reject this concept of faith, and Christians should reject it, too. Faith is not belief without proof or belief despite the evidence; rather, faith is a complete trust or confidence in someone or something. That trust or confidence we have in someone is built up over time as he proves himself faithful time and time again. Christianity is a faith-based religion. It is based on faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. God has provided us with His Word, the Holy Bible, as a testimony of His faithfulness to His people all throughout history. In its bare essentials, Christianity is faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ claimed to be the promised Messiah and the Son of God. His life was one of perfect righteousness according to the revealed Law of God, His death was an atoning sacrifice for the sins of His people, and He was raised to life three days after His death. When we place our faith and trust in Christ alone for our salvation, God takes our sin and places it on the cross of Christ and awards us, by grace, with the perfect righteousness of Christ. That, in a nutshell, is the Christian message. As Christians, we are called to believe this message and live in light of it. Despite this, Christians still struggle with believing the biblical account because it doesn’t match up with our perception of reality. We may believe that Jesus was a real person, we may believe that He died by crucifixion at the hand of the Romans, we may even believe that He led a perfect life according to God’s Law, but we don’t “see” how faith in Christ makes us righteous before God. We can’t “see” Jesus atoning for our sins. We can’t “see” or “perceive” any of the great truths of Christianity, and, therefore, we struggle with lack of faith. As a result of this lack of perception, our lives often do not reflect the fact that we really believe what we claim to believe. There are many reasons for this phenomenon among Christians. The main reason we struggle with faith is that we don’t truly know the God in whom we profess to have faith. In our daily lives, we don’t trust complete strangers. The more intimately we know someone and the more time we have had to see him “in action,” the more likely we are to believe what he says. But, if God is essentially a stranger to us, we are less likely to believe what He has said in His Word. The only cure for this is to spend more time in God’s Word getting to know Him. The world, the flesh, and the devil often distract us. By “the world” is meant the accepted “wisdom” of the unbelieving world and the culture in which we find ourselves. For those of us living in Europe and North America, that dominant worldview is naturalism, materialism, skepticism, and atheism. “The flesh,” refers to our sinful nature that still clings to Christians and with which we struggle on a daily basis. “The devil” refers to Satan and his horde of evil spirits who excite and entice us through the world and our senses. These things all afflict us and cause us to struggle with faith. That is why Christians need to be constantly reminded of what Christ has done for us and what our response should be. The apostle Paul says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Our faith is built up as we have the gospel continually preached to us. Our churches need to be built on the solid preaching of the Word and the regular observance of the ordinances. Instead, too many churches spend their time, energy, and resources on the creation of “programs” that neither feed the sheep nor draw a clear distinction between godliness and ungodliness. Consider the example of the Israelites in the Old Testament. God had performed great miracles in rescuing His chosen people from slavery in Egypt—the Ten Plagues, the pillar of smoke and fire, and the crossing of the Red Sea. God brings His people to the foot of Mount Sinai, gives them the Law and makes a covenant with them. No sooner does He do this than the people begin to grumble and lose faith. With Moses gone up on the mountain, the people convince Aaron, Moses’ brother, to construct an idol (against God’s clear prohibition) for them to worship (Exodus 32:1–6). They were no longer walking by faith, but by sight. Despite all the clear miracles God did in their redemption, they lost faith and began to go on their perception. That is why God instructed the new generation of Israelites before going into the Promised Land to continually remind themselves of what God had done for them: “And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). God knows that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Mark 14:38), and so He commands His people to be in constant remembrance of these things. In conclusion, we need to heed the example of the disciple Thomas. When Thomas heard the stories of the resurrection, he wouldn’t believe them until he saw Jesus with his own two eyes. Jesus accommodated Thomas’ lack of faith by making an appearance to him and allowing him to see and touch Him. Thomas responds in worship, and Jesus says to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Many skeptics today echo Thomas’ sentiment: “Unless I see Jesus face to face, I will not believe!” We must not behave as the unbelievers do. We need to continually keep in mind Paul’s exhortation to walk by faith rather than sight. We learn in the book of Hebrews that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) because faith is believing the Word of God and acting upon it, not responding to our perceptions.GotQuestions.org Related Resource: What does the Bible say about faith? | GotQuestions.org How can I overcome the fact that I am struggling with faith? Can faith change God’s plan? | GotQuestions.org How can I keep the faith? | GotQuestions.org Faith vs. fear - what does the Bible say? | GotQuestions.org How can I overcome the fact that I am struggling with faith? | GotQuestions.org Mark 9:24 - FEED YOUR FAITH AND STARVE YOUR DOUBT! - Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Mark 9:24. This father of a demonized boy had both faith and unbelief, but he took sides with his faith against his unbelief. Whatever we feed grows stronger. What we starve dies eventually. Your faith may be small, even as a grain of mustard seed, but feed it on the Word and exercise it unto godliness and it will gain strength by the day. Pay no attention to your doubts, no matter how feelings may clamor, and they will grow weaker. It is as simple as that. I did not say as easy as that, for Christian maturity is not reached easily, but it is as plain as that if we but follow it. (Vance Havner) Spurgeon Sermon Notes on Mark 9:24—“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Here was a man fully aroused to anxiety, prayer, and the use of means, and yet his desire was not at once granted to him. Even so, many are in earnest about their souls, and yet do not immediately find conscious salvation. This drives them to yet deeper grief. Perhaps this father’s case may help them to understand their own. His child was not cured, but even appeared to be worse than ever. Yet the matter came to a happy issue through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us note the case carefully, and observe— I. THE SUSPECTED DIFFICULTY. 1. The father may have thought it lay with the disciples. Yet alone they could never have done anything. Had their Lord been with them, they could have done everything. The main difficulty was not with the disciples, though it was partly there. 2. He probably thought that the case itself was well-nigh hopeless. The disease was— So fitful and mysterious. So terribly violent and sudden in its attacks. So deep-seated, and of such long continuance. So near to utterly destroying life. But, after all, it is not our own case, or the case of those for whom we plead, which presents any unusual impediment to divine power. The Lord delights to work impossibilities. 3. He half hinted that the difficulty might lie with the Master. “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” “If thou canst.” Had he seen the transfiguration, he would have known the power and glory of the Lord. “Have compassion.” Could he have read the Lord’s heart, he would have felt sure that the Saviour’s pity was already aroused. Rest assured, O anxious heart, that the difficulty of your case lies alone in your want of faith! II. THE TEARFUL DISCOVERY. “He said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” The Lord Jesus repudiated the insinuation that there was any question as to his power, and cast the “if” back upon the father with “If thou canst believe.” Then— 1. The man’s little faith discovered his unbelief. 2. He was distressed and alarmed at the sight of his own unbelief. 3. He turned his thoughts and prayers in that direction. It was now not so much “Help my child,” as “Help my unbelief.” 4. He became deeply sensible of the sin and danger of unbelief. Let us look in the same direction personally, and we shall see that unbelief is an alarming and criminal thing; for it doubts— The power of Omnipotence. The value of the promise of God. The efficacy of Christ’s blood. The prevalence of his plea. The almightiness of the Spirit. The truth of the gospel. In fact, unbelief robs God of his glory in every way, and therefore it cannot receive a blessing from the Lord. Heb. 11:6. III. THE INTELLIGENT APPEAL. “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” In his great perplexity he cries to Jesus only. 1. On the basis of faith,—“Lord, I believe.” 2. With confession of sin,—“mine unbelief.” 3. To One who knows how to help in this matter,—“Lord, help.” 4. To One who is himself the best remedy for unbelief,—“help thou.” Unbelief is overcome when we fly to Jesus, and consider— The majesty of his divine nature. The tenderness of his humanity. The graciousness of his offices. The grandeur of his atonement. The glorious object of his work. Come to Jesus with any case, and in every case. Come with your little faith and with your great unbelief, for in this matter also he can help as none other can. HELPS There is no sin which may not be traced up to unbelief.—Mason. A young man, in the seventeenth century, being in deep distress of mind, applied to Dr. Goodwin for advice and consolation. After he had laid before him the long and black list of sins that troubled his conscience, the doctor reminded him that there was one blacker still, which he had not named. “What can that be, sir?” he despondingly asked. “The sin,” replied the doctor, “I refer to is that of refusing to believe in Christ Jesus as a Saviour.” The simple word banished the anxious one’s guilty fears. There was once a good woman who was well known among her circle for her simple faith, and her great calmness in the midst of many trials. Another woman, living at a distance, hearing of her, said, “I must go and see that woman, and learn the secret of her holy, happy life.” She went; and accosting the woman, said, “Are you the woman with the great faith?” “No,” replied she, “I am not the woman with the great faith; but I am the woman with a little faith in the great God.” A friend complained to Gotthold of the weakness of his faith, and the distress this gave him. Gotthold pointed to a vine, which had twined itself around a plant, and was hanging loaded with beautiful clusters, and said, “Frail is that plant; but what harm is done to it by its frailty, especially as the Creator has been pleased to make it what it is? As little will it prejudice your faith that it is weak, provided only it be sincere and unfeigned. Faith is the work of God, and he bestows it in such measure as he wills and judges right. Let the measure of it which he has given you be deemed sufficient by you. Take for pole and prop the cross of the Saviour, and the Word of God; twine around these with all the power which God vouchsafes. A heart sensible of its weakness, and prostrating itself continually at the feet of the divine mercy, is more acceptable than that which presumes upon the strength of its faith, and falls into false security and pride. Can you suppose that the sinful woman, who lay and wept at the Lord’s feet, was less approved than the swelling and haughty Pharisee?”—Christian Scriver. Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again." NET Mark 9:25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." NLT Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. "Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak," he said. "I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!" ESV Mark 9:25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." NIV Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." GNT Mark 9:25 ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἐπισυντρέχει ὄχλος, ἐπετίμησεν τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ λέγων αὐτῷ, Τὸ ἄλαλον καὶ κωφὸν πνεῦμα, ἐγὼ ἐπιτάσσω σοι, ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ μηκέτι εἰσέλθῃς εἰς αὐτόν. KJV Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. YLT Mark 9:25 Jesus having seen that a multitude doth run together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, 'Spirit -- dumb and deaf -- I charge thee, come forth out of him, and no more thou mayest enter into him;' ASV Mark 9:25 And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. CSB Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly coming together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!" he rebuked: Mk 1:25-27 5:7,8 Zec 3:2 Mt 17:18 Lu 4:35,41 9:42 Jude 1:9 deaf and mute spirit,: Isa 35:5,6 Mt 9:32,33 12:22 Lu 11:14 command you: Lu 8:29 Ac 16:18 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 17:18+ And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Luke 9:42+ While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering - Radildly gathering is episuntrecho used only here and meaning run together besides others already gathered. "The historical present, rendered “came running together,” vividly views the multitude as in the act of running together, converging on the place where Jesus was. The people, realizing that something exciting was about to take place, hurried together to observe it." (Hiebert) He rebuked the unclean spirit - All the synoptics recorded the fact of His rebuke to the demon, but only Mark preserved His very words. Saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command (epitimao) you, come out of him and do not enter him again." - Jesus gives first a command for deliverance from the demonic power and then a command to ensure future protection from the demon entering the boy again (the preceding description does suggest that the demon would enter and leave the boy, but Jesus' command closed the door of entry forever!) (cf. Mt 12:43–45+). Hiebert - His emphatic I, in “I command thee,” stressed His authority; it was the Master Himself, not one of His weak disciples, now commanding the demon. (Gospel of Mark - An Expositional Commentary) He rebuked (2008)(epitimao from epi = upon + timao = to honor) means literally to put honor upon and then to mete out due measure and so then to find fault with, to censure severely, to rebuke, to express strong disapproval of, or to denounce (cp the incredible example in Mt 16:22). Note that one may rebuke another without producing conviction of guilt, either because, as in Mt 16:22 (Jesus rebuked by Peter, cp similar uses in Mt 19:13; Mk 8:32; 10:13; Lk 18:15; 19:39) the one rebuked is not guilty of any fault or the rebuke may be insufficient to produce acknowledgement of fault by the offender (cf the repentant thief's rebuke of the non-repentant thief on the cross = Lk 23:40). Epitimao also conveys the sense of to command or warning which includes an implied threat (Lk 8:24; Mt 16:20) Epitimao - 30v - rebuke(6), rebuked(13), rebuking(3), sternly telling(2), sternly told(1), warned(5). Matt. 8:26; Matt. 12:16; Matt. 16:20; Matt. 16:22; Matt. 17:18; Matt. 19:13; Matt. 20:31; Mk. 1:25; Mk. 3:12; Mk. 4:39; Mk. 8:30; Mk. 8:32; Mk. 8:33; Mk. 9:25; Mk. 10:13; Mk. 10:48; Lk. 4:35; Lk. 4:39; Lk. 4:41; Lk. 8:24; Lk. 9:21; Lk. 9:42; Lk. 9:55; Lk. 17:3; Lk. 18:15; Lk. 18:39; Lk. 19:39; Lk. 23:40; 2 Tim. 4:2; Jude 1:9 Related Resources: What does the Bible say about demon possession / demonic possession? What are unclean spirits? Are unclean spirits demons? What does the Bible say about demonic oppression? Is epilepsy mentioned in the Bible? Can a Christian be demon possessed? Can a Christian be demonized? How do we distinguish a psychological disorder from demon possession? What does it mean that the name of the demon was Legion? Who were the seven sons of Sceva? Can a Christian today perform an exorcism? How much emphasis should be given to demonic deliverance in the Christian life? Mark 9:26 After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, "He is dead!" NET Mark 9:26 It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He is dead!" NLT Mark 9:26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, "He's dead." ESV Mark 9:26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead." NIV Mark 9:26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." GNT Mark 9:26 καὶ κράξας καὶ πολλὰ σπαράξας ἐξῆλθεν· καὶ ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ νεκρός, ὥστε τοὺς πολλοὺς λέγειν ὅτι ἀπέθανεν. KJV Mark 9:26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. YLT Mark 9:26 and having cried, and rent him much, it came forth, and he became as dead, so that many said that he was dead, ASV Mark 9:26 And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out: and the boy became as one dead; insomuch that the more part said, He is dead. CSB Mark 9:26 Then it came out, shrieking and convulsing him violently. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, "He's dead." After crying out: Mk 9:18,20 1:26 Ex 5:23 Rev 12:12 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 17:14-20+ 18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Luke 9:42+ While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. THE DEMON'S LAST EFFORT TO DESTROY THE BOY After crying out (krazo) and throwing (sparasso) him into terrible convulsions (sparasso), it came out - The demon makes one last throw, but Jesus rebuked the demon and cast him out. "The spirit screamed in rage and wreaked final fierce vengeance on his victim before coming out. The convulsion was violent and prolonged." (Hiebert) What the Bible Teaches – The final effort of the demon to keep the boy within his power is characteristic. In Mark 1:23-27 the man in the synagogue at Capernaum was just about to be delivered when the unclean spirit made one last, mighty effort to hold him or destroy him. Rev 12:12 refers to a coming day, but we are seeing a great display of Satan's rage in these last days because he knows that his time is short and the church is about to be delivered forever out of his reach. We have often seen Satan make a gigantic last effort to hold a sinner who is on the very threshold of salvation. We should not miss Luke's statement that the Lord did three things: He "rebuked the unclean spirit", "healed the child", and "delivered him again to his father". The healing of the child was a necessary thing for Mark says that when the spirit was commanded to come out of him, it "rent him sore ... and he was as one dead". It was a complete deliverance, for He commanded the spirit never to enter into him again (Mark 9:25). The Lord does not give a partial deliverance. and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, "He is dead!" (apothnesko) - After total body seizures the body may indeed look like a stiff corpse. Throwing... into a convulsions (4682) sparasso means to convulse, throw into a (violent) spasm, shake to and fro, to pull to and fro. Three times in the NT - Mk. 1:26; Mk. 9:26; Lk. 9:39. Liddell-Scott adds sparasso means -to tear, rend in pieces, mangle, Lat. lacerare, Eur., Ar.:-Med., to tear one's hair, Eur. 2. to rend asunder, Aesch. 3. metaphorically. to pull to pieces, attack, In non-biblical usage the word can mean “to tear, maul,” or “rend asunder (as by violent animals), to attack violently, to retch in spasms”. Medical writers used sparasso of the convulsive action of the stomach Dead (599) apothnesko from apo = marker of dissociation implying a rupture from a former association, separation, departure, cessation + thnesko = die) literally means to die off (that is, to die and thus be away from this earthly realm). Apothnesko speaks of literal physical death (Ro 6:9+) but figuratively (metaphorically) of a believer's death to sin (Ro 6:2+, Ro 6:7+, Ro 6:8+, Col 3:3+), self, Satan, the law (Ro 7:6+, Gal 2:19+) and the world (Col 2:20+, cp Gal 6:14+ - crucified used instead of died) which was effected when Christ was crucified and when by faith we believed in Him and in God's reckoning (albeit a "mysterious" teaching) were crucified with Him (Ro 6:6+). Apothnesko in Mark - Mk. 5:35; Mk. 5:39; Mk. 9:26; Mk. 12:19; Mk. 12:20; Mk. 12:21; Mk. 12:22; Mk. 15:44 Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. NET Mark 9:27 But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up. NLT Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. ESV Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. NIV Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. GNT Mark 9:27 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς κρατήσας τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἤγειρεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀνέστη. KJV Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. YLT Mark 9:27 but Jesus, having taken him by the hand, lifted him up, and he arose. ASV Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. CSB Mark 9:27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. Mk 1:31,41 5:41 8:23 Isa 41:13 Ac 3:7 9:41 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE TOUCH OF JESUS COMPLETES THE CURE But - Term of contrast. The crowd thought him dead, but the truth was that Jesus had restored him. The demon was gone but the boy was in a post-epileptic state. Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up - When Jesus delivers and heals, it is complete. The boy was lying still but the touch of Jesus brought him back to full consciousness. Luke says Jesus "healed the boy and gave him back to his father." (Lk 9:42+) Mark makes no statement about the effect of the miracle on the crowd. Luke 9:43+ says "And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples," Mark 9:28 When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, "Why could we not drive it out?" NET Mark 9:28 Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we cast it out?" NLT Mark 9:28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?" ESV Mark 9:28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" NIV Mark 9:28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" GNT Mark 9:28 καὶ εἰσελθόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς οἶκον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ κατ᾽ ἰδίαν ἐπηρώτων αὐτόν, Ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτό; KJV Mark 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? YLT Mark 9:28 And he having come into the house, his disciples were questioning him by himself -- 'Why were we not able to cast it forth?' ASV Mark 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, How is it that we could not cast it out? CSB Mark 9:28 After He went into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" began questioning: Mk 4:10,34 Mt 13:10,36 15:15 Why: Mt 17:19,20 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 17:19+ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” A PRIVATE CONFERENCE When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, "Why could we not drive it out?" - We is emphatic "we nine." They were puzzled and confused for they had cast out demons before (Mk 6:13+). Questioning is in the imperfect tense picturing the disciples asking over and over "Why not?" Believer's Study Bible - The disciples had previously found success in casting out demons (Mk 6:13), but in this incident they were powerless. Jesus' answer to their question of inability is instructive. The disciples needed to recognize that spiritual ability comes through complete dependence on God's power, which is available to us through prayer. Like the disciples, we cannot afford to become dependent on our past successes (which can cause us to become self-dependent). Reliance on God through prayer is a constant process. Mark 9:29 And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer." NET Mark 9:29 He told them, "This kind can come out only by prayer." NLT Mark 9:29 Jesus replied, "This kind can be cast out only by prayer. " ESV Mark 9:29 And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." NIV Mark 9:29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. " GNT Mark 9:29 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Τοῦτο τὸ γένος ἐν οὐδενὶ δύναται ἐξελθεῖν εἰ μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ. KJV Mark 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. YLT Mark 9:29 And he said to them, 'This kind is able to come forth with nothing except with prayer and fasting.' ASV Mark 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer. CSB Mark 9:29 And He told them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer [and fasting]." This: Mt 12:45 Lu 11:26 by prayer: 1Ki 17:20-22 2Ki 4:33,34 Mt 17:21 Ac 9:40,41 2Co 12:8 Eph 6:18 Jas 5:15 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 17:20+ And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer (proseuche)" - "this kind may be taken generally to denote the genus evil spirit, but more probably the meaning is “this class or sort of demon.” Jesus elsewhere taught that there are differences between the demons (Matt. 12:45) and here indicated that this kind was particularly difficult to expel. It could successfully be driven out only through prayer. Rather than castigating them for their failure, Jesus pointed them to the true source of power to meet such a condition. They had failed to realize that there was no hope to dislodge it except through a believing appeal to the power of God. They had failed to maintain their continued sense of dependence upon God’s power through continued communion with Him. Having known the power to cast out demons, they had taken it for granted. This demon’s stubborn refusal to obey their command resulted from their failure to resort to prayer for God’s power to overcome the demon." (Hiebert Gospel of Mark - An Expositional Commentary) MacArthur agrees adding "The implication is that emboldened by their earlier successes, the disciples depended on their own power and neglected to pray. The lesson for them was that humble, dependent prayer is the highway that faith takes to the power of God. Matthew’s account adds that Jesus rebuked them for the littleness of their faith (Mt 17:20; cf. 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; Luke 12:28), revealing that it was that weakness that kept the disciples from praying. But if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, they would have been able to unleash the power of God and overcome any difficulty. The mustard seed, the smallest seed used in agriculture in Israel, does not represent a level of faith to be achieved but rather the minimal faith that believers already have—such as that illustrated by the father. Jesus healed many without faith, but here the miracle is connected to faith because that is the necessary lesson for the disciples in the future. Their power will come by believing prayer. That man’s weak faith was sufficient to bring the power of God to bear on his son’s situation. In the same way imperfect but persistent (cf. Luke 11:5–10; 18:1–7) faith is sufficient. It is those who do not ask who do not receive divine power to overcome life’s difficulties (James 4:2). The disciples’ failure set them up for this invaluable lesson on the necessity of believing, persistent prayer. (MNTC-Mk) (Bolding added) Henry Morris - The words "and fasting" were apparently dropped (or possibly added) from (or to) the original account since a few of the ancient manuscripts do not have them. In any case, the Lord was stressing that this type of continuing demonic possession, combined with actual illness (probably epilepsy, combined with deafness and dumbness), was extremely difficult and required intense prayer. Fasting would almost inevitably accompany such single-minded prayer. Christ Himself, being the unlimited, omnipotent Creator, could respond instantly to the father's earnest faith and sincere desire for stronger faith. Prayer (4335) proseuche from pros = toward or immediately before + euchomai = to pray or vow) is the more general word for prayer and is used only of prayer to God. The prefix pros would convey the sense of being immediately before Him and hence the ideas of adoration, devotion, and worship. The basic idea is to bring something, and in prayer this pertains to bringing up prayer requests. In early Greek culture an offering was brought with a prayer that it be accepted. Later the idea was changed slightly, so that the thing brought to God was a prayer. In later Greek, prayers appealed to God for His presence. Oswald Chambers - The sphere of ministration This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. Mark 9:29. “Why could not we cast him out?” The answer lies in a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. This kind can come forth by nothing but by concentration and redoubled concentration on Him. We can ever remain powerless, as were the disciples, by trying to do God’s work not in concentration on His power, but by ideas drawn from our own temperament. We slander God by our very eagerness to work for Him without knowing Him. You are brought face to face with a difficult case and nothing happens externally, and yet you know that emancipation will be given because you are concentrated on Jesus Christ. This is your line of service—to see that there is nothing between Jesus and yourself. Is there? If there is, you must get through it, not by ignoring it in irritation, or by mounting up, but by facing it and getting through it into the presence of Jesus Christ. Then that very thing, and all you have been through in connection with it, will glorify Jesus Christ in a way you will never know till you see Him face to face. We must be able to mount up with wings as eagles; but we must also know how to come down. The power of the saint lies in the coming down and the living down. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” said Paul, and the things he referred to were mostly humiliating things. It is in our power to refuse to be humiliated and to say—‘No, thank you, I much prefer to be on the mountain top with God.’ Can I face things as they actually are in the light of the reality of Jesus Christ, or do things as they are efface altogether my faith in Him, and put me into a panic? (My Utmost for His Highest) Mark 9:30 From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. through: Mt 27:22,23 He did not want anyone: Mk 6:31,32 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it - Go through is in the imperfect tense which pictures them moving from place to place with no prolonged stays. Because of the miracle spread in the region of the place where the transfiguration had taken place, privacy was no longer available, so they moved on to Galilee and ultimately to "home base" in Capernaum (Mk 9:33). This detail is only found in Mark's Gospel. Candidates For Humility He who is least among you all will be great. — Luke 9:48 Today's Scripture: Mark 9:30-37 “What do you think of the candidates?” That’s what a reporter for a news magazine asked a young woman at Dartmouth University after a debate among presidential hopefuls. She didn’t say a word about their positions on the issues or their skill at debate. She simply remarked, “None of them seems to have any humility.” Benjamin Franklin, the early American statesman, made a list of character qualities that he wanted to develop in his own life. When he mastered one virtue, he went on to the next. He did pretty well, he said, until he got to humility. Every time he thought he was making significant progress, he would be so pleased with himself that he became proud. Humility is an elusive virtue. Even Jesus’ disciples struggled with it. When Jesus learned that they had been arguing about who was the greatest, He responded, “If anyone desires to be first, he should be last of all and servant of all” (Mk. 9:35). Then He took a little child in His arms and indicated that we need to humbly serve others as if we were serving Christ. True greatness does not lie with those Who strive for worldly fame; It lies instead with those who choose To serve in Jesus' name. —DJD Humility can be sought but never celebrated. Surprised By Top Honors If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. —Mark 9:35 Today's Scripture: Mark 9:30-37 When Mike Peters won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for political cartoons, he wasn’t expecting the honor. He described his response by saying, “It is like you are asleep and it is 2 in the morning and you are hugging your pillow and you are in your funny pajamas and somebody bursts through the door and they come over and start shaking you and they say, ‘Wake up, wake up!’ And you say, ‘What is it?’ And they say, ‘You have just won the Boston Marathon!’ And you say, ‘But I’m not running in the Boston Marathon.’ And they say, ‘Doesn’t make any difference, you won.'” We can find at least one element that is common to both Mike Peters’ analogy and the account in Mark 9. Jesus taught that heaven too will hold some surprises. Honor and glory will be granted for behavior that was so natural, so undistinguished, and so noncompetitive. Take, for instance, the simple illustration of receiving a child in Jesus’ name. He was talking about having a humble servant attitude, being willing to reach out and help the lowliest of people so that we might show them the love of Christ. Such simple acts will be greatly rewarded. Yes, many of God’s children will be surprised to find that their faithful service has brought them top honors. By: Mart DeHaan To live for self and get ahead Brings limited reward, But if we care for others' needs, We're honored by the Lord. —DJD Work well done for Christ will receive a "well done" from Christ. Mark 9:31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later." The Son: Mk 9:12 Mk 8:31 Mt 16:21 20:18,19,28 21:38,39 26:2 Lu 9:44 18:31-33 Lu 24:26,44-46 Joh 2:19 3:14 10:18 Ac 2:23,24 4:27,28 2Ti 2:12 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JESUS' SECOND PASSION PROCLAMATION For (gar) term of explanation. What is Mark explaining? Clearly he was explaining why Jesus was moving in such a manner as to remain unrecognized. He sought seclusion with His disciples which had begun when He had left for Tyre (Mk 7:24). "His public ministry in Galilee was ended, and Jesus was devoting His efforts to preparing the disciples for the future." (Hiebert) He was teaching (didasko) His disciples (mathetes) and telling them - This is the second time He predicts His death and resurrection (See Mk 8:31). Teaching and telling are both in the imperfect tense this crucial truth about His mission! Given this obvious repetition about His passion Bruce says this was very likely “the text of Christ’s whole talk with His disciples as they went along." The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed - This is the second prediction of His death (see Mk 8:31, third prediction in Mk 10:33-34) The new detail is delivered which means to be given over to the power of another. There is clearly a hint of the coming act of betrayal by Judas who will make possible the giving over of Christ to the authorities. Indeed the same verb is used of the act of betrayal by Judas as well as of God’s delivering up Jesus for our redemption (Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:32). Mark 10:33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered (paradidomi) to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. Delivered (betrayed, handed over) (3860)(paradidomi from para = alongside, beside, to the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys the basic meaning of to give over from one's hand to someone or something, especially to give over to the power of another. Uses in Mark - Mk. 1:14; Mk. 3:19; Mk. 4:29; Mk. 7:13; Mk. 9:31; Mk. 10:33; READ ABOUT HIS BETRAYAL IN SEVERAL OF THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES = Mk. 13:9; Mk. 13:11; Mk. 13:12; Mk. 14:10; Mk. 14:11; Mk. 14:18; Mk. 14:21; Mk. 14:41; Mk. 14:42; Mk. 14:44; Mk. 15:1; Mk. 15:10; Mk. 15:15 He will rise three days later - Despite the simplicity of this statement, the disciples still did not understand as the next verse explains. Hiebert on will rise - Mark again uses the active voice, indicating that Jesus would rise in His own power and might. Matthew uses the passive (DIVINE PASSIVE), pointing to God as the agent of the resurrection. In His teaching Jesus kept His death and resurrection together. They are the foci around which the whole Gospel story moves. (Gospel of Mark - An Expositional Commentary)
Marcos 9
Morris - WORM DOES NOT DIE. Jesus often spoke warnings of hell, with this entire passage (Mark 9:42-50) being a prime example. The undying worm indicates never-ending disintegration and the unquenchable fire indicates eternal suffering, however they may be implemented. The contemplation of such a future ought to drive men to "flee from the wrath to come" (Matthew 3:7), but instead it often impels them to even more adamant unbelief. Nevertheless, it was their very Creator who was here issuing the warning. Norman Geisler - MARK 9:48—Why did Jesus say worms would not die in hell? PROBLEM: Jesus said that hell is a place “where `their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’ ” (Mark 9:48). But what do everlasting worms have to do with hell? SOLUTION: Jesus is not speaking of earthworms, nor any other kind of animal here. He is speaking about the human body. Notice, He did not say “where the worm does not die” but, rather, “where their worm does not die.” The antecedent of “their” is a human being who sins and dies without repentance (cf. 9:42–47). “Worm” is simply a way to refer to the human “worm,” or shell known as the body. This fits with the context where He is speaking of the parts of the body, such as, “hands” and the “foot” (9:43–45). Jesus said here that we should not fear the one (man) who could destroy our body, but not our soul, but, rather, to fear the One (God) who could send soul and body into the everlasting flames (Luke 12:4–5; cf. Mark 9:43–48) (When Critics Ask) Mark 9:48 OBLIVIOUS TO ETERNAL DISASTER! - There is a place where their worm does not die but many refuse to believe. They are like the people in the following illustration - There was a report in the news recently about a subway train in New York City that veered onto the wrong tracks. It happened on the A Line when the train operator pulled onto the wrong tracks as he left the Canal Street Station. He headed uptown on the downtown rails. The dispatcher saw what was happening and frantically tried to radio the train but the crew later said they never heard the emergency broadcasts. The driver continued for several stops unaware of his mistake until he saw the headlights of a southbound train coming toward him. Both trains managed to stop in time or it could have been a disaster. Interestingly, the passengers had no idea they were on the wrong tracks or that their lives were in danger. They sat there napping or reading their newspapers or listening to their earphones, oblivious to the potentially fatal mistake. QUESTION - What is the worm that will not die in Mark 9:48? ANSWER - Jerusalem’s ancient garbage dump—a place called Gehenna—was illustrative of the ceaseless agonies of hell. This dump was on the south side of Jerusalem. In Old Testament times, children had been sacrificed to idols there (2 Kings 23:10); in Jesus’ day, it was a place burning with constant fires to consume the waste that was thrown there. The material burned there included everything from household trash to animal carcasses to convicted criminals (Jeremiah 7:31–33). Needless to say, the Jews considered Gehenna a cursed place of impurity and uncleanness. The word translated “hell” in Mark 9:43 is the Greek word Gehenna, which comes from the Hebrew name for a place called the “Valley of Hinnom.” Jesus uses this place to paint a vivid image of what hell is like. The Jewish people often associated the Valley of Hinnom with spiritual death. In Mark 9:48, when Jesus says, “Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (ESV), He is quoting from Isaiah 66:24: “They will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” In both texts the word translated as “worm” literally means “grub” or “maggot.” A maggot would have an obvious association with a dump like Gehenna where dead bodies are thrown; however, the maggot Christ speaks of “will not die.” Taken at face value, this text is one of the most horrific descriptions of what hell is like. The thought of eternal torment, likened to maggots eating away at a rotting corpse, is undoubtedly ghastly. Hell is so awful that Christ said, figuratively speaking, it’s better to cut off the hand that causes you to sin than to end up in hell (Matthew 5:30). Mark 9:48 does not mean that there are literal worms in hell or that there are worms that live forever; rather, Jesus is teaching the fact of unending suffering in hell—the “worm” never stops causing torment. Notice that the worm is personal. Both Isaiah 66:24 and Mark 9:48 use the word their to identify the worm’s owner. The sources of torment are attached each to its own host. Some Bible scholars believe the “worm” refers to a man’s conscience. Those in hell, being completely cut off from God, exist with a nagging, guilty conscience that, like a persistent worm, gnaws away at its victim with a remorse that can never be mitigated. No matter what the word worm refers to, the most important thing to be gained from these words of Christ is that we should do everything in our power to escape the horrors of hell, and there is only one thing to that end—receiving Jesus as the Lord of our lives (John 3:16).GotQuestions.org Mark 9:49 "For everyone will be salted with fire. NET Mark 9:49 Everyone will be salted with fire. NLT Mark 9:49 "For everyone will be tested with fire. ESV Mark 9:49 For everyone will be salted with fire. NIV Mark 9:49 Everyone will be salted with fire. GNT Mark 9:49 πᾶς γὰρ πυρὶ ἁλισθήσεται. KJV Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. YLT Mark 9:49 for every one with fire shall be salted, and every sacrifice with salt shall be salted. ASV Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire. CSB Mark 9:49 For everyone will be salted with fire. NKJ Mark 9:49 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. NRS Mark 9:49 "For everyone will be salted with fire. everyone: Lev 2:13 Eze 43:24 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries For everyone will be salted with fire - This is a difficult verse to interpret. Some understand this to refer to the refining trials of believers. NET Note - The statement everyone will be salted with fire is difficult to interpret. It may be a reference to (1) unbelievers who enter hell as punishment for rejection of Jesus, indicating that just as salt preserves so they will be preserved in their punishment in hell forever; (2) Christians who experience suffering in this world because of their attachment to Christ; (3) any person who experiences suffering in a way appropriate to their relationship to Jesus. For believers this means the suffering of purification, and for unbelievers it means hell, i.e., eternal torment. ESV Study Note - For everyone will be salted with fire is a puzzling statement that occurs only in Mark, and many interpretations have been proposed: (1) Against the background of Lev. 2:13, “with all your offerings you shall offer salt” (see also Ezek. 43:24), some think Jesus means that believers themselves are now what is being offered to God (cf. Rom. 12:1), and the “salt” that is in them is the purifying “fire” of God’s Holy Spirit. The cleansing and purifying properties of salt support this idea, but this is surely an obscure way to refer to the Holy Spirit, and the connection to the larger context of Mark 9:43-48 is unclear. (2) A second interpretation also views believers as a sacrifice to God against that same OT background but understands the salt to represent purification by the “fire” of suffering and hardship, which is related to the costliness of discipleship implied in the willingness to give up even a hand or an eye (vv. 43-48). In other words, “Be willing to give up anything (vv. 43-48), and also to suffer for Christ’s sake, for something costly and painful will come into everyone’s life (v. 49).” But the “salt” and the “fire” also make the sacrifice pleasing to God and have a purifying effect on the believer. And as salt does not destroy but preserves food, so the suffering will not destroy the believer. (3) Others think that “everyone” means both believers and unbelievers, and thus the verse teaches that unbelievers will undergo the terrible fire of God’s judgment (cf. vv. 47-48), but believers, while not experiencing hell, will still in this life undergo the purifying, cleansing fire of God that comes through hardship and suffering. Interpretations (2) and (3) are similar, (2) being perhaps the best. (See ESV Study Bible - Google Books Result) The mention of salt leads to a contrast in v50. The disciples have already been told that they are the salt of the earth (Mt 5:13). As preservatives in a decaying order and as seasoners in a tasteless society, believers are to maintain their usefulness through walking with the Lord. Believer's Study Bible - v. 49,50) Interpretation of these verses, which are unique to Mark's Gospel, is admittedly difficult. Verse 49 must be related to the discussion which precedes it. Therefore, the passage should be understood as the awesome announcement by Christ that all unbelievers will exist eternally in fire in the day of punishment. The mention of salt leads to a contrast in v. 50. The disciples have already been told that they are the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). As preservatives in a decaying order and as seasoners in a tasteless society, believers are to maintain their usefulness through walking with the Lord. Ryrie - Just as salt preserves, everyone who enters hell will be preserved through an eternity of torment. Some understand this to refer to the refining trials of believers. Grant Osborne - Most likely the background is the use of salt as a purifying agent, especially its presence in the cereal (Lev. 2:13) and burnt offerings (Ezek. 43:24) to symbolize a pure sacrifice. This is probably not the image of eternal hellfire but rather considers the life of discipleship as a sacrifice to God and the process by which God purifies one’s life via testing and trials (the “refiner’s fire” in Mal. 3:2). (Teach the Text - Mark) Swindoll - Mark alone records the enigmatic statement “For everyone will be salted with fire.” It seems like a strange mix of metaphors until you study the Hebrew sacrifices. God required the Hebrews to bring unblemished animals for their sin offerings, which were to be consumed entirely upon the altar. Salt, a symbol of the covenant (Num. 18:19), was a necessary ingredient in sacrifices (Lev. 2:13). Jesus used these Old Testament symbols to illustrate the cost of discipleship, which would involve suffering and sacrifice. Discipleship—citizenship in the kingdom of God—demands complete, unreserved commitment, even to the point of sacrificing one’s body before succumbing to sin (Rom. 12:1). Fortunately, a relatively brief period of suffering here on earth will have been nothing compared to the “glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18)..(See Insights on Mark). Verses 49 and 50 are especially difficult. Therefore we will examine them clause by clause. “For everyone will be seasoned with fire.” The three main problems are: (1) Which fire is referred to? (2) What is meant by seasoned? (3) Does everyone refer to saved, to unsaved, or to both? Fire may mean hell (as in vv. 44, 46, 48) or judgment of any kind, including divine judgment of a believer’s works, and self-judgment. Salt typifies that which preserves, purifies, and seasons. In eastern lands, it is also a pledge of loyalty, friendship, or faithfulness to a promise. If everyone means the unsaved, then the thought is that they will be preserved in the fires of hell, that is, that they will suffer eternal punishment. If everyone refers to believers, the passage teaches that they must: (1) be purified through the fires of God’s chastening in this life; or (2) preserve themselves from corruption by practicing self-discipline and self-renunciation; or (3) be tested at the Judgment Seat of Christ. “And every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.” This clause is quoted from Lev. 2:13 (see also Num. 18:19; 2 Chron. 13:5). Salt, an emblem of the covenant between God and His people, was intended to remind the people that the covenant was a solemn treaty to be kept inviolate. In presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1, 2), we should season the sacrifice with salt by making it an irrevocable commitment. Mark 9:50 “Salt is good.” Christians are the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). God expects them to exert a healthful, purifying influence. As long as they fulfill their discipleship, they are a blessing to all. “But if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?” Salt without saltiness is valueless. A Christian who is not carrying out his duties as a true disciple is barren and ineffective. It is not enough to make a good start in the Christian life. Unless there is constant and radical self-judgment, the child of God is failing to achieve the purpose for which God saved him. “Have salt in yourselves.” Be a power for God in the world. Exert a beneficial influence for the glory of Christ. Be intolerant of anything in your life that might lessen your effectiveness for Him. “And have peace with one another.” This apparently refers back to verses 33 and 34, where the disciples had argued over which of them was the greatest. Pride must be put away and replaced by humble service for all. To summarize, verses 49 and 50 seem to picture the believer’s life as a sacrifice to God. It is salted with fire, that is, mixed with self-judgment and self-renunciation. It is salted with salt, that is, offered with a pledge of unalterable devotedness. If the believer goes back on his vows, or fails to deal drastically with sinful desires, then his life will be savorless, worthless, and pointless. Therefore he should eradicate anything from his life that would interfere with his divinely-appointed mission, and he should maintain peaceful relations with other believers. (See Believer's Bible Commentary: Second Edition) Walter Kaiser, et al - Saltless Salt? Mark 9:50 One can use salt to season meat or bread, but if the salt that one was going to use loses its saltiness, what can be used to season it? But how can salt lose its saltiness? If it is truly salt, of course, it must remain salt and retain its saltiness. But probably in the ordinary experience of Galilean life, salt was rarely found in a pure state; in practice it was mixed with other substances, various forms of earth. So long as the proportion of salt in the mixture was sufficiently high, the mixture would serve the purpose of true salt. But if, through exposure to damp or some other reason, all the salt in the mixture was leached out, what was left was good for nothing. As Luke, in his amplified version of the saying, puts it, “it is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill” (Lk 14:35 RSV). It might have been thought that the dunghill was all that it was fit for, but Jesus may have used a word that meant “manure”: “it is no good for the land, not even as manure.” Matthew says, “It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men” (Mt 5:13), that is to say, people throw the useless stuff out into the street. The figure of insipid salt appears in the words of the rabbis, with reference (it seems) to Israel’s role as the salt or purifying agency among the nations of mankind. Matthew’s version of Jesus’ saying begins with the words “You are the salt of the earth” (Mt 5:13) addressed to his disciples. This implies that the disciples have a particular function to perform on earth, and if they fail to perform it, they might as well not exist, for all the good they will do. In what respect they are said to be salt is not specified, so the nature of their function has to be inferred from the context and from what is known of the effect of salt. They may be intended to have a preserving and purifying effect on their fellows, or to add zest to the life of the community, or to be a force for peace. The idea of an insipid Christian ought to be a contradiction in terms. One way in which the quality of saltiness can be manifested is in one’s language. “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,” Paul writes to the Colossians (Col 4:6), where the “salt” seems to be that ready Christian wit or wisdom (specially apt in the answering of questions about the faith) which is far removed from the slanderous and unsavory talk deprecated earlier in the same letter (Col 3:8). Since the disciples are spoken of as the salt of the earth in the same context of the Sermon on the Mount in which they are also spoken of as the light of the world and a city set on a hill (Mt 5:14), it is evidently their public life that is in view. They must be seen by others as living examples of the power and grace of God, examples which others are encouraged to follow. Mark adds some other sayings in which salt figures. These “salt” sayings follow the warning that it is better to enter into life maimed than to be consigned with all one’s limbs to the “Gehenna of fire” (Mk 9:43–48). A transition between that warning and the “salt” sayings is provided by the sentence “Everyone will be salted with fire” (Mk 9:49). The fires which burned continuously in the Gehenna or municipal garbage dump south of Jerusalem reduced the risk of disease, which might have arisen from the decomposing organic matter; fire had a purifying effect, as salt also had. The point of Jesus’ words in this “transitional” sentence may be that the fire of persecution will have a purifying or refining effect in the disciples’ lives (see 1 Pet 1:6–7). Some texts of Mark append here a quotation from Leviticus 2:13 (where the reference is more particularly to the cereal offering): “Season all your grain offerings with salt.” This clause is probably not original in this context, but those who were responsible for inserting it (being moved to do so probably by the common theme of salt) may have intended it to mean “Every Christian, by enduring persecution, will be cleansed thereby and so become a more acceptable offering to God.” Then, after the saying about the salt that has lost its saltiness, Mark concludes this series of sayings with “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Again, we should understand this injunction better if we knew the situation in which it was originally spoken. “Have salt in yourselves” might mean “Have salt among yourselves” and might refer to the eating of salt together, an expression of fellowship at table and therefore of peaceful relations. If this is so, then “be at peace with one another” is a nonfigurative explanation of “have salt among yourselves.” But we cannot be sure. (Hard Sayings) Related Resources: What is a salt covenant? | GotQuestions.org What did Jesus mean when He described His followers as the salt of the earth? | GotQuestions.org Mark 9:50 "Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." NET Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." NLT Mark 9:50 Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other." ESV Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." NIV Mark 9:50 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." GNT Mark 9:50 Καλὸν τὸ ἅλας· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας ἄναλον γένηται, ἐν τίνι αὐτὸ ἀρτύσετε; ἔχετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἅλα καὶ εἰρηνεύετε ἐν ἀλλήλοις. KJV Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. YLT Mark 9:50 The salt is good, but if the salt may become saltless, in what will ye season it? Have in yourselves salt, and have peace in one another.' ASV Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace one with another. CSB Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you make it salty? Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another." NKJ Mark 9:50 "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." NRS Mark 9:50 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." is good: Job 6:6 Mt 5:13 Lu 14:34,35 Have salt: Eph 4:29 Col 4:6 peace: Ps 34:14 133:1 Joh 13:34,35 15:17,18 Ro 12:18 14:17-19 2Co 13:11 Ga 5:14,15,22 Eph 4:2-6,31,32 Php 1:27 2:1-3 Col 3:12 2Ti 2:22 Heb 12:14 Jas 1:20 3:14-18 1Pe 3:8 Mark 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JESUS' CALL FOR RADICAL OBEDIENCE Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." - Jesus commands Have salt which is a present imperative and calls for us to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey. John