Marcos 15

Marcos 15

Vincent has a similar note on the meaning of aggareuo "This word throws the whole injunction into a picture which is entirely lost to the English reader. A man is travelling, and about to pass a post-station, where horses and messengers are kept in order to forward royal missives as quickly as possible. An official rushes out, seizes him, and forces him to go back and carry a letter to the next station, perhaps to the great detriment of his business. The word is of Persian origin, and denotes the impressment into service, which officials were empowered to make of any available persons or beasts on the great lines of road where the royal mails were carried by relays of riders. Roman law gave a Roman soldier the right to conscript civilians to carry their burdens for one mile (and only for one mile), the equivalent of a Roman mile, slightly shorter than the modern mile. The purpose of this law was to relieve the soldier but it was extremely inconvenient to the citizen pressed into service. To add "insult to injury" those carrying the soldiers equipment or weapons were the very ones the Romans were oppressing! Not surprisingly therefore, the Jews had a particular hatred for this law and soldiers who pressed them into carrying their packs! In fairness, it should be noted that this law could be invoked by any Roman soldier of any citizen anywhere in the Roman Empire, regardless of who the citizen was or what their circumstances were. Undoubtedly, most of Jesus' audience had been forced "to go one mile" and now He is saying go two! Cross (4716) stauros from histemi = to stand) was an an upright stake, especially a pointed one. Thayer adds the stauros was a well-known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the Great, the guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abetters of insurrections, and occasionally in the provinces, at the arbitrary pleasure of the governors, upright and peaceable men also, and even Roman citizens themselves. Stauros is used somewhat in with a figurative (but still very real) supernatural significance as the source of the the doctrine concerning the saving power of the death on the cross endured by Christ (1 Co 1:18 = where "being saved" = present tense). Note another Greek word xulon is also translated "cross". The cross literally. Mt 27:32, 40, 42; Mk 15:21, 30, 32; Lk 23:26; J 19:17 , 19, 25, 31; Phil 2:8; Heb 12:2. FIGURATIVELY of suffering and death Mt 10:38; 16:24; Mk 8:34;10:21; Lk 9:23; 14:27. The cross of Christ in Christian teaching 1 Cor 1:17f; Gal 5:11; 6:12, 14; Eph 2:16; Phil 2:8; 3:18; Col 1:20; 2:14. STAUROS - 27X/27V - Matt. 10:38; Matt. 16:24; Matt. 27:32; Matt. 27:40; Matt. 27:42; Mk. 8:34; Mk. 15:21; Mk. 15:30; Mk. 15:32; Lk. 9:23; Lk. 14:27; Lk. 23:26; Jn. 19:17; Jn. 19:19; Jn. 19:25; Jn. 19:31; 1 Co. 1:17; 1 Co. 1:18; Gal. 5:11; Gal. 6:12; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:16; Phil. 2:8; Phil. 3:18; Col. 1:20; Col. 2:14; Heb. 12:2. It is surprising that STAUROS is not found in the Septuagint! Friberg on stauros - (1) literally cross, an instrument of capital punishment, an upright pointed stake, often with a crossbeam above it, or intersected by a crossbeam ( Mt 27.32); (2) by metonymy, as the means of atonement punishment of the cross, crucifixion (Php 2.8); as a religious technical term representing the significance of the atoning death of Jesus in the Christian religion cross ( 1Co 1.18); metaphorically, the dedication of life and the self-denial that a believer must be prepared to take on himself in following Christ (Lk 14.27) (BORROW Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Vine on stauros -Noun Masculine — denotes, primarily, "an upright pale or stake." On such malefactors were nailed for execution. Both the noun and the verb stauroo, "to fasten to a stake or pale," are originally to be distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of a two beamed "cross." The shape of the latter had its origin in ancient Chaldea, and was used as the symbol of the god Tammuz (being in the shape of the mystic Tau, the initial of his name) in that country and in adjacent lands, including Egypt. By the middle of the 3rd cent. A.D. the churches had either departed from, or had travestied, certain doctrines of the Christian faith. In order to increase the prestige of the apostate ecclesiastical system pagans were received into the churches apart from regeneration by faith, and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols. Hence the Tau or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross-piece lowered, was adopted to stand for the "cross" of Christ. As for the Chi, or X, which Constantine declared he had seen in a vision leading him to champion the Christian faith, that letter was the initial of the word "Christ" and had nothing to do with "the Cross" (for xulon, "a timber beam, a tree," as used for the stauros, see under TREE). The method of execution was borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians. The stauros denotes (a) "the cross, or stake itself," e.g., Matthew 27:32; (b) "the crucifixion suffered," e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:17,18 , where "the word of the cross," RV, stands for the Gospel; Galatians 5:11 , where crucifixion is metaphorically used of the renunciation of the world, that characterizes the true Christian life; Galatians 6:12,14; Ephesians 2:16; Philippians 3:18. The judicial custom by which the condemned person carried his stake to the place of execution, was applied by the Lord to those sufferings by which His faithful followers were to express their fellowship with Him, e.g., Matthew 10:38 . (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Question - Who was Simon of Cyrene? Answer: Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in three of the four Gospels as the man impelled by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross out of Jerusalem. His place of origin has led many to wonder if he was of African descent (and therefore black), or if he was simply born there as were many others of Greek, Roman, and Jewish descent. Cyrene was situated in modern-day Libya, on the northern coast of the African continent. Settled by the Greeks in 630 B.C. and later infused with a significant Jewish population, Cyrene was the capital of the Roman district of Cyrenaica at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. By then, Cyrene was home to a large number of Greek-speaking, or Hellenistic, Jews. Many Jews from Cyrene had returned to their native Israel and were part of a community in Jerusalem called the Synagogue of the Freedmen comprising Jews from many other provinces including Alexandria (Egypt), Cilicia and Asia (Acts 6:9). Luke records men from Cyrene being among those converted at Pentecost (Acts 2:10). After the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7), believers from Cyrene were among the first to be scattered by the persecution in Jerusalem; arriving in Antioch, they preached to the Gentiles there (Acts 11:20). These believers were instrumental in the formation of the church at Antioch, where, for the first time, “the disciples were called Christians” (Acts 11:26). Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Matthew only records his name and place of origin (27:32), but Mark and Luke say that he was “on his way in from the country” (Luke 23:26). Mark, uncharacteristically, provides the most information about Simon, adding that he was “the father of Alexander and Rufus” (Mark 15:21), men obviously well known to Mark’s readers. It is speculated that the Rufus mentioned here may be the same man Paul greets in his letter to Rome, whom he calls “chosen in the Lord” and whose mother “has been a mother to me, too” (Romans 16:13). Paul’s knowledge of Rufus’s family indicates that at some point they lived further east. So does any of this indicate whether Simon was black? Ultimately, we don’t know for sure. There is always the possibility that Simon was an African who converted to Judaism, or that he was of mixed descent. However, considering that people of Jewish lineage lived throughout the Roman Empire, it is also possible that Simon of Cyrene was olive-skinned.(GotQuestions.org) Allen Ross - Romans 16:13 “Rufus” In Paul’s greetings at the end of the Book of Romans there is a mention of a man named Rufus: “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me.” This verse clearly indicates that Rufus and his mother were close to the apostle Paul, and well-known in the church in Rome. But what makes the reference interesting is the probable link to Mark’s gospel. In Mark 15:21 we have this note: “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they compelled him to carry the cross.” Everyone is familiar with the story of Simon carrying the cross of Jesus. But why does Mark bother to tell the readers who his sons were? Well, the traditional understanding of Mark is that it was composed in Rome. Mark refers to Rufus because the church in Rome would know him, and thereby make the connection to the account of his father’s carrying the cross. This makes it more than likely that Paul is referring to the same person in the letter to the Romans. The translation “chosen in the Lord” may not be the best for this verse, since according to Paul every Christian is chosen or elect. But the term here might mean “choice, eminent” or “special”--something like that. His story may have made him somewhat famous in the community. And then Rufus’ mother had become a mother to Paul. Here again we can only guess at the circumstances, but there are some hints in the Bible. According to Philippians 3:8 and other passages it may be that Paul’s conversion cost him dearly, including family ties. Conversion to Christ would naturally lead to being cut off from the family, perhaps even from a wife. It looks like Rufus’ mother had given Paul a special place in her family and in her life so that he would not feel so alone. Paul was looking forward to seeing this lovely Christian woman who had become a mother to him. If these connections and explanations are valid, and there is no reason that they should not be, then we have a great story of the Gospel in the family of Simon of Cyrene. Not only did he carry the cross, but he and his family turned to Christ, and Rufus became a pillar in the church in Rome, and Simon’s wife cared for the apostle Paul. What marvelous grace. Related Resource: Who was Rufus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Bearing His Cross They compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross. —Mark 15:21 Today's Scripture: Mark 15:16-21 In the eyes of most people in the crowd, Jesus was a common criminal going to the place of execution. So to help Him bear His cross was both degrading and humiliating. Simon of Cyrene was pressed into this service (Mark 15:21). Yet this was perhaps the most glorious day in his life. It is possible that he believed in the Savior, and that his wife and children did also. Some Bible teachers come to that conclusion because many years later, when the apostle Paul sent his greetings to the Christians in Rome, he referred to a man named Rufus and his mother (Romans 16:13). I believe that he was the son of Simon mentioned by Mark in his gospel (15:21), which probably was written in Rome. This is likely the reason Mark said that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander. When we walk with Jesus and “take up the cross” (Luke 9:23), we too will experience the ridicule of the world for identifying ourselves with the Savior. Yet through it all, like Simon of Cyrene, our lives will be transformed, and our testimony will have an influence on the lives of family and friends around us. "Take up thy cross and follow Me," I hear the blessed Savior call; How can I make a lesser sacrifice When Jesus gave His all? —Ackley Following Jesus costs more than anything—except not following Him.