Gospel of Mark - Chapters 13-16 Notes

Chapter 13 [The Eschatological Discourse]

The way the Jews understood it, the Exile was the judgment and the Messiah was going to come and defeat all enemies, mainly Rome. They were a bit off. Christ and the Church correct this. The Jews don't realize that John the Baptist has been telling them to repent because the Messiah is coming to judge Israel and when He does a remnant will survive (Jews and Gentiles) and inherit the Kingdom. 

13:1-2 

As they are leaving, the Apostles are marveling at the Temple and all the buildings. Jesus says: This building won't be here for long. It will be leveled. 

13:3-13

They rest on the Mount of Olives and ask privately about this. Jesus answers that when you see these things take place, these will be the beginning of sorrows. 

64 AD a rebellion begins and Jews try to take Jerusalem. 

70 AD Nero and later Vespasian send Titus who kills off all the rebels there. They level the Temple also. It is the economic center, place of power, etc. They seized the Temple Treasury which was all of the chief priests' wealth. 

128 AD Simon bar Kochba (Son of a Star) shows up, claims he is Messiah, and starts off the 3rd Jewish-Roman War. They temporarily free a chunk of Judea. 

131-132 AD Masada is all that is left and they all commit suicide. Jerusalem is then completely flattened, Simon is killed and the High Priest gets filleted alive. Rome then found a new pagan city atop Jerusalem's ruins and only allowed them into Jerusalem one day of the entire year to mourn the Temple Mound. 

"Many will come saying "I am He". It did. 70 and 132 AD it does take place. 

Simon Bar Kochba even mints himself coinages with "Year One" on it. 

79 AD there is also a huge earthquake and Mount Vesuvius destroys Pompey. Famines and pestilences happen dramatically. Jesus warns the disciples that they will face persecution themselves. This happens to them way before 64 AD in Acts as well. Paul and Peter get executed by Nero and James is killed by the Jews. 

13:14-23 

Code is here (let the reader understand) for the Romans are going to destroy everything. Mark has just seen Peter die in Rome when he writes this gospel. 

The abomination of desolation in Daniel is Antiochus IV who sacrifices to Zeus at the Temple. This is going to happen again in 70 AD when Titus makes sacrifices to Zeus/Jupiter in the Temple before destroying it. 

It sounds like hyperbole but Josephus records how horrible the Jewish Roman War was. It was horrific and that is what Jesus refers to here. The Christians left for Jordan in Petra and Pella. 

There will be a remnant preserved. For the sake of the ones who will believe (Jewish Christians), there will be Jews to survive. If it went further, they would be exterminated. Rome had exterminated before. Phoenicians were by Rome before. Jews barely survive but God saves some. Jesus has warned them here beforehand. He is Messiah so they should know when Bar Kochba claims he is Messiah, he is a liar. Mark had witnessed Peter's death and they'd already fled Jerusalem by that time. 

13:24-27

Shift here. "In those days, after that tribulation". It is not specified when. The last Judgement is here. The 2nd Coming. He brings it up here so they know that it is not the end of the world in 70 AD nor in 132-135 AD. 

13:28-37

A parable of the fig tree about the 2nd Coming is given by Christ. They just saw Him curse the fig tree. You plant a tree to produce fruit and Israel didn't produce fruit. When the fig tree is about to produce figs, we would expect harvest time. Harvest time is the Last Judgment time. We should ask ourselves what kind of fruit we will produce. If a fig tree doesn't produce, you remove it. 

13:30 

This generation (genea-genos-family line, race, ethnic group). 

Here, generation (in 1611 meant generate - to give birth to a family lineage) means "this people".

Which genos? His people. The Christians.

Not all Jews were wiped out in 70 AD. Nor 132-135 AD. Not all Christians have been wiped out either. Christians will survive until the end (the 2nd Coming). 

The promise He made WILL happen. God will protect His people and they will be in this world until it ends. Until He comes so keep watch and be mindful for we do not know the Day nor the hour.

Don't be asleep on the job. The penalty for a Roman officer asleep on the job was the death penalty. 

Chapter 14

14:1-2

After two days it is Passover (Pascha) and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread and the chief priests and scribes plot how to get Jesus and put Him to death. They also want to avoid making Pontius Pilate angry as they remember he has had people executed before for mob violence and attempts at messianic uprisings before. 

14:3-9 

In Bethany, house of the poor Simon the Leper (formerly a leper), Jesus is there with the Apostles and a woman comes in and annoints Him with a spikenard perfume (floral). She breaks the bottle and gives Jesus the whole thing. The disciples become upset because they think that this could have been used to feed a bunch of people. 300 denari's worth is a year's worth of money at that time. Jesus tells them though it is good because He is about to be killed. 

"For you the poor will always be with you". Jesus is saying here: Your concern for the poor... Where was it before? I see her love for Me. Where is your love at hating on this poor woman?

14:10-11

Judas goes off to betray Jesus. He seems to have his doubts now and that his future is unappealing so Judas wants out. Judas doesn't love Jesus and just hates it all. 

14:12-16

The disciples on the first day of Unleavened Bread kill the Pascha Lamb. Jesus gives them information to get them to do it all correctly and because He knows what is about to happen. He is sending a message that obviously He is the Messiah and this is part of the plan. 

14:17-31

What may be happening here is they are not doing the Pascha Seder here. There's a spot in the OT where you save money and then get a feast set up. This could also be Pascha Seder so it is debatable. Jesus never tells Judas to go away. Judas does so and betrays Jesus on his own volition. All the disciples ultimately betray Christ but all but Judas repented. In V. 19 they all ask "is it me?" because they all are thinking about it at least to some extent and were definitely ready to run off and abandon Him. Judas isn't the only one thinking about doing it. 

The Eucharist here is given. Christ cuts the covenant here with the Apostles. A sacrifice is made here.

Food=sacrifice offerings. 

You participate with the sacrifice by eating. You are offering and sharing food with "the gods" (in this case the One True God, Christ) to please them. This was how the OT and even paganism often worked, but in Judaism, it is more for hospitality reasons instead of to appease a wrathful deity. This section is here to remind you of Genesis 18 with Abraham when Yahweh cut the covenant with him. 

Prodigal Son, when the son returns, hospitality is given to the son when he has returned. A sacrifice is there and Communion. Jesus offers Himself as a pleasing sacrifice and takes the evil intentions of humanity and turns it into good. They sing a hymn after the Eucharist is given and taken and go to the Mount of Olices. You can see essentially all of Jerusalem there. Jesus tells them that they will all betray Him. He quotes Zechariah 13:7 in the process. 

Peter protests this and Jesus responds that Peter will actually deny Him 3x and that a rooster will crow twice. Before dawn, in mere hours this is going to happen. Peter does what Jesus says will happen. In only a few hours, Peter as well as the other apostles all do it, including Judas. 

14:32-42

They go to Gethsemane and Jesus brings His 3 closest to stand watch and then goes off to pray. Jesus is sorrowful. He is human after all. The hypostatic union is put on full display here. 

Cup = suffering. 

This is not a public announcement. This is put here to tell us something about Jesus privately to tell and show us that He is God, human, King, and servant. St. Mark has been showing us a lot that Jesus is God. Here, he makes sure to show us that Jesus is fully God and human; God Incarnate, not a god cloaked or pretending to be a human... a real human. 

In paganism, the gods could not die and pretended to be human a lot. Here, Mark shows us that Jesus is totally human and really does suffer and really died and really was scared. If Jesus is really a human, His instinct is to live, not to die. We brought death into the picture. Death and sin are foreign to Jesus. 

Jesus does not want to die but He will so "Your will be done" (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit's will). 

He comes back to the disciples 3x and they all fail to even stay awake. The 3rd time they find Him about to be arrested. The hour has come and they failed to keep the lookout. 

14:43-52

Before finishing speaking, Judas comes and betrays them. While they slept, Judas came back with the chief priests and etc. mob to get him. Judas kisses Judas, a sign to betray Him. Gives off His location. A servant of the high chief priest gets his ear sliced off by sword in the midst of the capture. Then a random youth followed Jesus and then ran off, under 13. All he had on was a tunic and he runs off naked to get away from them. Traditionally this is John Mark who the youth was. 

14:53-65

When Judah the Hammer (1 Maccabees) took back Judaea for a time he made his brother Simon, the high priest and they were until 70 AD. Annas father is Caiaphas, the High Priest. Annas gradually steppend into his role as High Priest. 

The Sanhedrin originally was based on Moses and the system placed in Numbers. Problem is even in Israel of old, they did not obey Torah and then Exile happened and they needed judgment. By Jesus' time it is predicted that the Sanhedrin had owned 85% of the land. The Levites weren't supposed to own or get the land but they control it here. 

They take Jesus to a "trial" at Caiaphas' home. They tell the servents to go out to the fireplace outside (Peter goes there and hangs around to see what happens). They try to charge Jesus with a crime but they can't manage to get two people to even agree until they mention the Temple and question Him if He is Messiah. Jesus answers "yes" and then says "I AM" as well. Jesus is quoting Daniel and uses the Name of the Lord. He is fulfilling it and answers Who He is: God Incarnate. Caiaphas breaks and they condemn Christ to the death penalty. 

It isn't blasphemy to claim you are Messiah. Claiming you are an archangel of God would just make you silly or stupid. Jesus here claims He is not just Messiah but God Incarnate. This is what the Jews try to claim is a blasphemy so they then beat and mock Jesus. 

14:66-72

They beat and abuse Jesus and then await to turn Him over to the Romans. Peter meanwhile in the courtyard is witnessing this and the servants by the fire realize Peter is a disciple and question him, who ends up denying Jesus, 3x just like Jesus said would happen. Peter even curses and swears about it, then realizes what he has done, weeps, and leaves.

Chapter 15

15:1-15

They deliver Jesus to Pilate, who likes to execute. Pilate asks, "Are You the King of the Jews?"

Romans hate kings and do not like that title. Even the emperor doesn't mean king because Rome saw kings as terrible tyrants. They hated it so much they stabbed Julius Caesar for it. Pilate does not want a revolt. He desires to keep Pax Romana for the Empire in this region so Jews causing him a problem causes him a problem and this could mean Pilate's head too.

Jesus answers Pilate but does not answer the Sanhedrin. Jesus admits He is King of the Jews and it perplexes Pilate. The Sanhedrin tries to charge Him with more crimes but Jesus says nothing in response. Pilate then likely for entertainment purposes tries to release a prisoner to the mob that comes. He gives a choice to the mob: Jesus OR a rebel murderer Barrabas. He knows the Sanhedrin are just plotting evil stuff and envy Jesus and Pilate thinks the Sanhedrin are scum too. He assumes Jesus will be freed but they get the mob to choose Barrabas, a rebel Jew. They choose to kill the Messiah and demand a crucifixion. 

Pilate curiously asks, "What has this Jesus guy done?" They just yell more and Pilate allows it. 

15:16-20

They release Barabbas and scourge Jesus and lead Him off to be crucified. The soldiers take Him to the Praetorium, a complex where the Legionaires are. It is where they beat and scourge and flog Jesus. They clothe Him mockingly with purple and give Him a crown of thorns. They hit Him with a reed and spit on Him, mock Him for being "King of the Jews". The reed here is important because in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, they take two goaats. One is sent off to the desert, sins are taken away.

In the Epistle of Barnabas, he explains that in the goat ritual they would put a red rag: blood around it and spit and hit the goat. 

Jesus is the Goat carrying their sins out of the city to cleanse them and bring them back into communion with God. 

15:21-32 

Mark mentions Simon of Cyrene, son of Rufus and Alexander, implying at the time of the writing, that they are alive and still able to be witnesses. Simon of Cyrene helps carry the Cross for Jesus. They go to Golgotha, Place of hte Skull. Tradition in 2nd Temple Judaism says that Adam was buried there and in Rabbinic Tradition, Jerusalem is also Eden/Paradise. This is where Jesus is killed (the New Adam). Tradition is that Jesus' blood dripped into Adam's grave signifying Adam and his descendents (all of us) will be raised from the dead. 

The Romans strip Christ naked and He doesn't drink the wine (myrrh) (it's poisonous). He refuses it. While on the Cross, they try and play lots to sell off His clothes and Isaiah 53 is fulfilled. 

In the 3rd Hour, He is crucified and an inscription is put on the Cross saying "The King of the Jews", his charge. He is crucified with two robbers, Him in the middle. "He was numbered with the transgressors". He is dying for the peoples' sins because He has none. The people mock Him. There are many here who apparently know Jesus and still blaspheme Him. How do you blaspheme a man if He isn't God? 

The chief priests mock Him and say to come off the Cross so they can "see and believe". They would not do it anyways if He did. It is mockery. 

15:33-41

On the 6th Hour, Jesus yells out in Aramaic, "Why hast Thou forsaketh Me? My God. My God." He is praying aloud Psalm 22. On this 6th Hour, there is a great darkness. Christ is expressing confidence here that though He appears forsaken, God is with Him and He will be victorious. This darkness is also evidence that a Day of the Lord and Judgement on the world is about to happen with His death. 

They all misinterpret Jesus here (Pharisees and all) and think He is calling out for Elijah to come and save him so they then try and mock Him again by trying to get Him to take a sponge of sour wine. Jesus then with His last breath dies. 

The judgment begins. The veil of the Temple is torn into two from top to bottom. When Jesus came, He first went to the Temple, the place/house where Yahweh is supposed to be and live in. Jesus has prophesied that the Temple will be destroyed. Much like Jeremiah who said to quit sacrificing because God had left the Temple and they didn't even notice (Israel). 

At the moment, Messiah dies, the veil is torn, signifying that God has left His people (the apostate Jews). The centurion actually says (later will be St. Longinus) "Truly this man was a son of a god", typical of a Roman Gentile centurion. Why does he say this? Because this Gentile witnessed it and can vouch for it. (St. Longinus converted later and became a Christian so he can tell about this event in Mark's time. Another list of witnesses is given: Mary Magdalene, Mary, Mother of James, Joses, and Salome. 

15:42-47

Day before Pascha. Anyone hanging on Pascha is cursing Pascha. Normally, the Romans would not care and would leave you unburied and hanging up there. 

St. Joseph of Aramathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the Kingdom of God, meaning he still believed in Jesus, even after He'd just died. He goes to Pilate knowing he could be executed for this bold act, and asks for Christ's body. Pilate marvels at this and asks the centurion if Jesus has been dead a while and then allows it. Joseph of Aramathea is an upper class Jew and member of the Sanhedrin and Pilate marvels that Jesus only lasted 6 hours and has died and is curious about it. Here are given witnesses to His burial: Jew and Gentile both. 

Chapter 16

16:1-8

Witnesses are given for the Empty Tomb. After the Sabbath had passed, the women go to annoint His body. This is a common burial practice but Joseph had to do a rush job and so the women are coming on Sunday to finish it. On the way, they question how they are going to roll the stone seal away but then they see it actually has already been rolled away. 

In the tomb, is a white robed man sitting there and they are alarmed because he is an angel. The angel tells them that Jesus has Risen and to go tell the disciples and Peter. Christ is going before them to Galilee. At this point, Peter isn't considered one of the disciples. This is written this way because Mark is writing Peter's account here. Why Galilee? They, the uneducated Gentiles get to see Him and rejoice, and they get to see the Resurrection. Jerusalem does not. They get the darkness, the "educated rich" ones. The ladies flee alarmed. 

This is where the earliest manuscripts of Mark end. When you read the entire NT, it is consistently seen that the Apostles and writers talk about the Resurrection and etc. Paul's letters are older too. 

There are likely manuscripts of Mark before Islam that had the rest of Chapter 16 but they have likely been destroyed since then. We know that all the lectionaries in Byantintium have 16:9-20. This may have been added because of the Lectionary. It is debatable and unclear, but this doesn't negate it from being inspired by God. God inspired everything with the process of the development of the Old and New Testaments. 

16:9-13 

When He rose, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, who had 7 demons. She tells the apostles and they don't believe her or them. Jesus appears to them again. Awkward transition here. 

16:14-18

Great Commission is given by Jesus to the disciples. 

16:19-20

Jesus ascends. Goes to the right hand of God. Ascends. Dan 7 is fulfilled. They preached and God was with them and the Holy Spirit. 

---

Some extra notes: The Gospel of Nicodemus, Enoch 1, 2, and 3, etc. all survive because of Orthodox Christians. The Jews in the 2nd and 3rd CE began to destroy these works and forbade these 2nd Temple works be read in Judaism. The Jews also began changing Pascha and added the Seders, adding prayers to them to try and parody the Eucharist. Rabbinic Judaism is a 5th CE response to Christianity and this is not much different from Islam. Until the 3rd CE, Sirach was used by Jews. They did not like that the Christians used it as a catechism book and so removed it from their usage forbidding it. 

The Christians did not have one canon but many of the Old Testament. They read non-canon works like Jubilees and Enoch at home or in private settings. 

Gospel of Mark - Chapters 9-12 Notes

Chapter 9

9:1 

This verse talks about Christ's Resurrection here. He is contrasting what he just talked about in Chapter 8. 

9:2-8 

The Transfiguration. After 6 days they go (Peter, James, and John) to a high mountain. Moses talked to God and descended down it glowing. Elijah appears talking to Christ. Moses and Elijah appear and are in the presence of God (Jesus). Elijah spoke to God on top of a mountain too. Clearly, Jesus is God here and is demonstrating that to be the case.

[Note: Jesus' clothes change]

A cloud comes down and the Father tells them that Christ is His Son and to "Hear Him!". The cloud is the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the Son, and the Father speaks. A picture is given here of the Trinity. 

Moses did not stay on the mountain and neither did Elijah. Jesus cannot either for He has work to do. The Father answers Peter when he foolishly tries to set up three tabernacles. The rest Peter seeks will come but for now, he has work to do. There here is a God we see (Christ) and a God we hear (the Father) here. Both are clearly God here. In 2nd Temple Judaism and Early Christianity, the Christ Jesus of Nazareth is the 2nd Power of Heaven. This is made very clear here. 

9:9-13

Christ tells them not to tell of this event until after He has resurrected. They questioned what rising from the dead meant... Good grief right? They have literally seen and witnessed Jesus resurrect people from the dead. Dense much?

The apostles ask why the scribes say Elijah comes first. They just saw Elijah up on the mountain. 

9:13 

Jesus refers to John the Baptist. Elijah did come and Jesus says I am Messiah. The apostles do not fully grasp the Old Testament here. They are trying but still see mostly from an earthly, worldly perspective.

[Note: John the Baptist is not physically Elijah nor a reincarnation of Elijah. What is meant here is that John the Baptist possesses the same spirit of God that the prophet Elijah possesses]

9:14-29 

The disciples are talking to everyone and the scribes are there trying to have a talk with the disciples and ask them what they're discussing with them. 

A person asks Jesus to heal his son of a spirit of muteness. The disciples could not deliver this child from his demon. Jesus heals the boy. "Lord I believe. Help me with my unbelief". This person is honest and has some faith but also has some doubt. Faith is confidence and trust that this is true. 

9:29 

This spirit can only come out through prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting are both important for a Christian to do. This grows and strengthens and spiritually nourishes us. 

There is no exam at the Last Judgment. What we say and do matter. "I believe but this is hard". "Help me trust You". Christ is telling them where faith comes from. Faith is not just an intellectual assent. It must transform you beyond just a belief. 

9:30-32

He teaches the Son of Man will be betrayed and killed and the disciples are too afraid to ask Jesus what He is saying. 

9:33-50 

Jesus at Capernaum asks the disciples what they were arguing about. They keep silent because they have been disputing over who would be the greatest disciple. Jesus tells them to be humble for the first shall be last and the last shall be first. 

They are still thinking that the Messiah will conquer Rome as a King. 

Jesus takes a child to show them an example of the first shall be last. 

Children at this time were seen as nothing here in this culture and essentially carried the status a slave had. The disciples must be like a child to be great in God's Kingdom. Children were lower than slaves in this culture. 

"He who receives these little ones receives Me". Treat these least important people like Me (Jesus). We are ALL in His Image. 

Whatever you are doing to man, you are also doing to God. 

Whoever causes even the least important people to stumble should be ready for eternal judgment. Be careful how you teach others and what you do. God will avenge. The person you hate the most is how you truly feel about Christ for even they are made in His Image. 

This one guy is found casting out demons in Christ's name but the disciples tell him to quit. This person is great. He doesn't have to be one of the 12 Apostles to do it. The way to greatness is to be a servant/slave. 

9:42-50 

Cut off what is bad. Do good. Don't lose your faith. If salt loses its saltiness, it's worthless and needs to be thrown out. We must not be apostates and we must not lead people astray. 

"Every sacrifice is seasoned with salt". Food is sacrificed to God who "eats" with priests. You'll season it. It is nasty if you don't and won't taste good. You must season yourself metaphorically so you taste good to God for you are an offering to God with your life (Romans 12).

Chapter 10

10:1-12

Wherever Jesus goes, crowds follow. He is now in Judea and teaches again. He is in the Pharisees' territory now and they test and question Him. They try to pull a trick question on him to ruin His standing with the crowd. An attempt at a gotcha moment. 

They answer Jesus when He asks a question in return. The Law of Moses was designed to keep their wives. In a divorce or a marriage, they had to present their certifications which would force them to have it put over their heads. This was to try and keep the men responsible and to care for their wives. The Pharisees give their interpretation. Usually, these men were given a wife in an arranged marriage by age 13 and the law was put there by God to keep them from abandoning their wife. In the 1st CE and before that and even after, a divorce could be a death sentence for a woman and her children as well. 

Jesus goes to Genesis 1 and 2:7 and talks about how marriage was intended by God to be. 

The man and woman are one in flesh. Eve is Adam's half (not side). 

The bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. She is part of Adam and to divorce her is to divorce your half, to cut yourself in half. This is also cutting the covenant of marriage (referring to Abraham cutting the covenant with God in Genesis 15).

10:10-12

The disciples ask about it again to get clarification. 

Why do we allow 2nd or 3rd marriages in Orthodoxy? We take marriage seriously but 

1) Jesus says specifically that this 2nd marriage is happening right after the 1st marriage (not something we allow). 

2) Our services have different marriage ceremonies. They are not ideal but it is the real world and a bishop as well must okay it. It has to be for the sake of salvation and penitential too. 

A 3rd marriage, if even allowed, and usually not, is entirely penitential. 

The Church does NOT grant divorces out. We accept that they have happened. 

The disciples ask about marriage and Jesus doesn't give any wiggle room. 

10:13-16 

Children aren't seen as people in this time. To enter the Kingdom you must be the lowest of lows. Even slaves had more rights than children. Jesus blesses them and says not to forbid them from Him. 

10:17-31

Someone comes running and asks what must be done to inherit eternal life. Calls Jesus "Good Rabbi" like a Pharisee. Jesus answers this way to push him a bit. Jesus tells him what to do and this man doesn't get it. He is a bit full of it. Jesus does love this guy even though he doesn't get it. Jesus tells him to go and give up his riches and bear the cross. This man though had a lot of stuff and chose his stuff. 

The apostles are astonished and Jesus calls them children. Not a compliment. 

None of these men are rich and ask "Who can be saved if it's this hard?"

We all have this temptation that we can't live without this stuff we have in our society. What do we value? Christ or the material things we love and value?

10:28-31 

Peter answers in a way like "We follow You right? We're doing good!" and Jesus is showing them not to look for greatness and riches when we enter Jerusalem.

10:32-34 

They are amazed because they are in Jerusalem now. Sees many Pharisees and Romans, and sees crucified people too here. Jesus tells them He will be betrayed, delivered to the Gentiles, die, and rise again. 

10:35-45 

James and John of Zebedee ask that they be Christ's top men. Jesus says they must be the lowest of lows. On His left and right hand are crosses. Jesus tells them they will be martyred one day for Him. 

All of the apostles get upset with them. 

Jesus says the 1st shall be last. The last first. This inverts the social order. 

10:46-52 

They are in Jericho and see blind Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, begging. He cries, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" The people tell him to be quiet but he yells all the more. He calls him "Teacher", the same as the Rich Man. He, in contrast to the Rich Man, a blind beggar follows Jesus on the road and takes mockery and more and follows him to inherit eternal life.

Chapter 11

11:1-11

They're in the slums of Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives. Christ tells them to get a colt that no one has sat on. He is going to ride it and says to tell them God needs it. It is not going to be seen as stealing because God owns it. The people that own it will give if they say, "God needs it". These people who have NOTHING give it to them. Contrast this to the people in the city. 

No saddle so they put clothes on the colt so Jesus can ride it. The people (crowd) believe He is the Messiah. They seem to think though that Jesus will be a conqueror. This is the same mob who will turn on Jesus. 

11:12-14 

Christ doesn't stay in Jerusalem. He stays in Bethany to be with the poor. Jesus is hungry and curses a fig tree (which is out of season for fruit). The disciples heard it so He did this deliberately as an example. He had just looked around Jerusalem and the Temple. This fig tree is like Jerusalem. No fruit. They condemn themself. "The axe is at the root of the tree". A Day of the Lord is about to happen with their refusal to be God's people. Through the Cross. 

11:15-19

Jesus comes to Jerusalem and the Temple and drives out those who bought and sold in the Temple. The elites there own about 95% of the land. Jesus doesn't come here to pray this time. He goes there to drive them out and calls them a "den of thieves". 

The scribes and Pharisees who own/control everything and hoard all this wealth also oppress the poor and get pissed off at Jesus who has begun messing up their profits. They're using the Temple essentially as Corporate Headquarters instead of being shepherds like they are supposed to and CALLED to do. They plot how to destroy and kill Jesus from this point on. 

11:20-26

The fig tree Christ cursed before has withered now. Peter notices it. Jerusalem and the Temple (Israel) is in apostasy and dead. Unfaithfail harlots. Israel is to soon be judged by Christ on the Cross and the Old Covenant is about to be fulfilled. Even its roots, aka the Chief Priests, which are supposed to nourish the people (Israel) are dried up/dead. 

11:23-26

They still have not gotten He is God and Messiah and the 2nd Power of Heaven. They are also faithless like dumb children. Jesus talks to them about prayer to teach them and they do not believe. They have no faith and Jesus points this out to them. Their faith and belief that He can and will save, He can and will. He also says prayer won't be answered if they haven't forgiven. It is not just this. It is just what is listed here. 

11:27-33

The chief priests, scribes, elders, etc. ask by whose authority Christ does these things so Jesus asks them a question back about John the Baptist's baptism. They answer "I don't know" and so Jesus says He won't answer them. Jesus' answer is God. His authority also is from God. 

Chapter 12

12:1-12 

A parable is given of a man and a vineyard to the Pharisees. 

The vineyard owner sends his son and they kill him. The servants are supposed to be dealing with this vineyard that is the owners'. The land is God's and He is looking for fruit and they do not want to give it to Him. The servant is the OT prophets while the Son is Jesus, who has come to the Temple asking for fruit and finding none. None is there, they kill the Son, and the Landowner, God, will destroy them (this happens in 70 AD).

The Pharisees and Sadducees knew exactly what Jesus said since they were evil landowners and a den of thieves. They want to kill Him and would if there wasn't a mob of people. 

12:13-17

The chiefs sent some Pharisees and Herodians to try and get Him in His words. They ask Him about taxes to Caesar. Notice they are all different groups that hate each other and are working together, to get rid of Jesus. They have become unified under Satan and hate God Incarnate. They say He is a True and Good Teacher to try and butter Him up. Ask about Caesar - pay the tax or not? It is a trick question obviously. They are trying to get Rome to execute Him there if He says no. If He says yes, to pay taxes, then the mob will probably get Him. This seems like a win-win to them. 

Jesus answers: Calls them on their hypocrisy and then asks for a denarius (a coin). Asks whose image is engraved on this coinage and then says, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what's God's". They marvel because He has outsmarted them here. This is on one level an image of Caesar, and a person. Who owns Caesar? God, who created him. He is saying give to Caesar what is his but give God everything back to God. Who is hoarding everything? The Pharisees and Sadducees and Herodians who own everything and won't give the land back to the people. None of this is theirs. It is God's. 

12:18-27 

Some Sadducees show up now, who say there's no resurrection. The priests of the Temple, who only accept Torah as 5 books, just the Pentateuch. They try to make JEsus look dumb with a question about the Resurrection. 

Who's wife, after 7 brothers had her as a wife will she be in the Resurrection? 

Jesus answers that there is a resurrection and says there is no marriage after it. Says that they don't understand the Scripture. 

In the Resurrection, they will be different. A different world and reality. Jesus quotes the Pentateuch where God tells Moses in Exodus, He is God of the Living and God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

They can't be God's in the present tense if they're not to be resurrected from the dead. The Sadducees end up running off. 

12:28-34 

Scribes come. They ask, which is the first commandment of all? Jesus answers that: Deuteronomy 6:4-5. He quotes the Shema. This is like our Jesus Prayer to the Jews and they still use it today. Jesus then continues and quotes Leviticus 19:18 next. He has just summarized the entire Old Testament here with all bases covered. Love of neighbor is an expression of God's love. After that, they don't question Him. 

12:35-37

Jesus asks the crowd, why the scribes say the Messiah is the Son of David. If David says the Lord said to My Lord, how is He the Son? He quotes Psalm 110. Jesus is telling them that the Messiah is God Himself and not just some man. The commoners heard it greatly. 

12:38-40

Beware the scribes. He condemns them because they are in high authority and have spent their lives studying scripture but live evil lives and do evil. They should know and do better but do not. 

12:41-44

Jesus sits opposite the Temple's Treasury and watches the people pay their temple tax and sees a widow put in a quadrant (2 mites); essentially a penny is the modern equivalent. The widow probably had to beg for money, and just gave everything to God. 

Gospel of Mark - Chapters 5-8 Notes

Gospel of Mark - Chapters 5-8 Notes

By Lazarus Conley

Chapter 5

5:1-20

They go to the land of the Gadarenes; Galilee. A man possessed by a demon meets Jesus who had been out in the tombs. The demoniac continuously breaks chains, is naked, and is crazy from the demons. 

In the Greco-Roman world, this guy was not seen as evil. A Greco-Roman pagan would likely have seen him as having been touched by the pagan gods. He was likely being chained up by people who were trying to get the demon in him to tell them stuff - in this way, they would make contact with the "gods". The man has obviously gone down the wrong path. 

The demons are doing destruction to him. The Holy Spirit kept people safe.

The demoniac man bows to Jesus. He recognizes who Jesus is: Son of the Most High God.

Jesus tells the demon who has been tormenting the man to stop tormenting him. The demon says his name is "Legion". This man is possessed by thousands of demons. The demons ask that they not be sent to hell yet so Jesus gives some pity when they ask to be expelled into some pigs so Jesus does in fact allow it. Jesus only allows it however due to foreknowledge. The demons know that their time of reckoning is coming but they want to prolong it so Jesus lets them leave in the pigs (2000 in all) and they end up running off a cliff and drowning themselves in the sea because demons ultimately can only destroy so they destroy themselves. They torment the pigs, and creation, and end up in hell anyway because that's all they are capable of is a path to destruction and unrepentance. It is given to us in this chapter that the Pharisees and Scribes are also on this path and on the side of the demons. Demons only seek to ruin and destroy creation and so do they, unfortunately. 

The herdsmen of the pigs see this take place. They have lost their pigs, and source of income, and now others are coming to see the former demoniac is now sane and normal and all begin to freak out over it. They fear him and then ask Jesus to leave. Why? Because these are Jews who are raising swine, first of all. They are impious and the demoniac now has been freed and rendered sane again. Jesus has just wrecked their world. He has gotten rid of their wealth, income, and their false gods. Later, after the Resurrection, we will see the Apostles return here. 

Jesus and the Apostles leave and the formerly possessed man desires to go with them but Jesus tells him to go home and tell the people what happened so this man goes to Decapolis and preaches about Jesus. 

5:21-24 

The mob returns after Jesus gets to the other side of the sea of Galilee. He sees Jairus (a Latin name), a Jew who owns and rules the synagogue there. His daughter is dying and sick, so he asks Jesus to heal her. Jesus agrees and goes with him and the mob of people follow. Jairus believes fully that Jesus will heal her. 

5:25-34 Along their way to Jairus' home, a woman with a blood issue who has suffered and is broke now because of it hears Jesus is coming by, and decides that if she only touches His clothes she will be healed by the Messiah. She does it and is healed. If you had a menstrual issue like she has for 12 years, she was counted as unclean and would have been excluded from all life in general as a Jew. If she had been caught publicly touching anyone, she would be stoned. Great faith is shown here by her. 

Jesus asks "Who touched Me?" She gets scared that she might be stoned but she tells the truth of what she did and Jesus shows He is not angry and comforts her and wants everyone to see what has happened and show her faithfulness. Jesus has cleansed her. She like all of us are being transformed by Christ. 

5:35-43

Jairus' daughter has already died when they get there. Jesus says to "continue to believe". Peter, James, and John come into the house with Jesus and everyone is wailing and crying. The people ridicule Christ who says the daughter is sleeping. This girl is 12 years old and He tells her to rise. It is not a coincidence that this girl is 12 years old and the bleeding woman has also dealt with her issue for 12 years. Jesus makes the girl eat. Doing so will let everyone know for sure that she is truly alive. This also in its own way shows soul sleep is a false doctrine. When Jesus says not to tell anyone, it is to protect them from people like the Pharisees because we see that they wanted to kill Jesus and Lazarus.

Chapter 6

6:1-6 

Jesus goes to Nazareth and on Sabbath, He teaches. The people are astonished when He gets up, preaches, and teaches.They are amazed because they know Jesus. He is the son of Mary, a lowly carpenter (really a generalized day-laborer/handyman/jack-of-all-trades), the step-brother of James, Joses, Judas, Simon, and His step-sisters as well. He is poor as well. When he does miracles they all become offended. The fact that they call Jesus Mary's son gives an implication that Jesus is not Joseph's child and is a bastard. St. Joseph accepted, as did St. Mary, the social stigma that they would get. Prophets are not accepted in their hometown. Jesus marvels at their unbelief, heals some people, and leaves. 

6:7-13

Jesus sends disciples 2 by 2 to different villages and with nothing but a staff. Wherever you are allowed to go and stay for a bit stay a bit and if they reject you, leave. They leave and then go off to preach and do acts of repentance. They cast out demons and heal people. 

A judgment is spoken about on Sodom and Gomorrah and we learn that it was not actually about homosexuality but much more than that. It was because there was no righteous person there at all and because of that, they would all face judgment for it in their inhospitality, etc. Inhospitality to the gods was what gave you judgments and Sodom and Gomorrah do this to some extent because they try to rape helpless strangers (Lot is hospitable).

We see in this section that the practice of anointing someone with oil and healing the sick is done. We still do this today and do so to try and heal from the destructive effects of sin as well. 

6:14-29

Herod has St. John the Baptist beheaded. He had him in prison for a long time. His wife Herodias forms a plan on Herod's birthday and it leads to the execution of John. The daughter does an exotic dance for Herod and there is also a connection to demons and Satan here. This is his own step-daughter that he begins lusting after. Herod's entire family is deeply corrupt and disgusting. 

Herod grows fearful when he hears of Jesus, knowing that some people are saying that Jesus is John resurrected. 

6:30-44 

[Random fact: St. John the Baptist's body is in Syria and his head was in Constantinople. Now it is in France]

We see this mention of King Herod, the corrupt coward, and morally disgusting earthly king. Now we get the True King who cares for Israel like a True Monarch should.

The apostles try and take a break with Jesus but the mob of people follow them. Jesus tells the apostles to feed these people. The people are desperate. Jesus then feeds the 5000, treating them as human beings. 

The disciples we find here were callous when they said to let these people go and buy food. Jesus told them to feed them to challenge them in their lack of compassion. This is also to teach them a lesson. It's multi-faceted. The apostles should not be seeing these people as nuisances. God became a poor labor-working wandering homeless Jew. 

The apostles become sarcastic to Jesus and talk about money to Him. So Jesus takes the fish and bread and feeds all these people and they are filled too. 

5 loaves and 2 fish - the 13 people were going to eat and share in this. This miracle happens and they feed all of them. He tells the disciples to go sit in groups with them. 5000 men, plus women and children, are fed. 

6:39-44

There is a connection to God feeding Israel manna. They are out in a deserted area being fed. 

6:45-52 

Jesus sends them off, sends the people away, and then goes to pray on the mountain. The wind was rough and they are in the river. Jesus is on land and sees them and they are rowing hard; struggling. He walks on them by them at the sea at night and would have passed them by. It is about 2 AM in the morning. 6-8 hours have passed and the apostles are still fighting this current to get to their location. They thought Jesus was a ghost for a brief bit. Jesus says to them "Do not be scared" because it obviously scared and bothered them. The wind ceases. An allusion is given here: they are fighting God and are going against His current. 

6:53-56 

Everywhere Jesus went, people kept coming and bringing Him people to be healed. They are even simply just touching His hem of His clothes (reference to the bleeding woman) and are being made well. 

Chapter 7

7:1-23

The Pharisees and scribes show up. They go after Jesus' disciples for not washing their hands in a ritualistic, special way. Everything has to be pure and clean too. The Jews get this from the OT laws somewhat but it is moreso symbolic for them to cleanse their minds and their hearts. 

Jesus then quotes Isaiah 29:13 to them and calls them out as they are hypocrites. He says they lay aside the Torah's commands. They don't teach on repentance. They only hate and judge and condemn. They are unclean in both body and soul. He then brings up how they dishonor mother and father with their crap. They do not pay back their parents and says to give the debts to God. They are conning people out of money and using "God" for evil by twisting words. They make people end up sinning too by taking away all their money. The Pharisees and scribes here deserve death and the Pharisees don't respond to Jesus here. 

Jesus calls the people over and teaches them that what is impure is when you do evil and sin. He goes back to what the commandments actually mean. The Pharisees have no love so they are filthy on the inside. The disciples ask Jesus about the parable. Jesus explains it again to them. 

7:24-30

Jesus goes to Tyre and Sidon; Lebanon; Gentile area. He goes secretly to a Gentile's house but He cannot hide. A Greek woman's daughter had an unclean spirit and she begged for His help. She believes Jesus can heal her and is not a fan of the pagan practices. She is obviously a God-fearer. Some Greco-Romans were fascinated with Judaism. Jesus talks to her and gives her a response that she'd expect to get from a Jewish rabbi. Jesus sees how she will respond to her when he calls her a dog, asking why He should give food for Israel to the dogs? She responds smartly and with humility that she wants merely the crumbs and whatever He is willing to give to her. She shows her humility and her true faithfulness here and Jesus then gives her compassion. She knows He will have compassion because He does care and love them both. The demon then leaves the child when she returns home. She, the Gentile, is clean while the Pharisees are filthy. This "dog" is clean while these rulers of Israel amount to a pile of feces. 

7:31-37 

Departing Tyre and Sidon, Jesus goes through Decapolis to Galilee. Jesus cures a deaf man with an impediment of speech by breathing on him and by Word saying "Be opened". Jesus here refers back to Genesis and creation. He is recreating by speaking a Word on this man, giving him a new voice and new ears. Jesus astounds the people who hear of this.

Chapter 8

Mark presents Christ as King taking His throne. This gospel is eyewitness testimony from Peter's sermons. The reason it lists things obscurely at times like this with Simon of Cyrene for example is because they were still alive and could tell you, the reader, that this had really happened and was true.

St. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, the Marys' are all named here because they were still alive. It happened and people saw and reported it. This became important with the Church Fathers as well when certain heretics were spreading heresies. St. Irenaeus for example (3rd Generation Christian) would recall that he was taught by St. Polycarp (2nd Generation Christian) who had been taught by St. John, Jesus' Disciple. THIS IS APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION; THE CONTINUITY OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

8:1-3 

Jesus feeds 4000 people. They're all hungry and have followed Jesus for 3 days. 

8:4-10 

They fed them and then got into the boat and headed to Dalmanatha. Jesus initiates this one, not the Apostles. Bread from heaven. The disciples complain like Moses dealt with Israel when God fed them heavenly manna. 

8:11-12 

The Pharisees come to test Jesus and ask for a sign from heaven. Jesus sighs and says "no sign shall be given to this generation". Their question is dishonest as they have seen Him do plenty of signs and still deny Him. 

Jesus also doesn't do these healings and miracles to get people to believe. Because they believe, He does it. 

8:13-21 

They get into the boat again and forget the bread and only left with one loaf. Jesus warns them of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. Yeast can poison you. It can fill you up but it can and will hurt and not feed you. The disciples however do not get what Jesus is saying here. 

Jesus responds to them, almost like a "C'mon guys! How do you not get this?!?" 

We should depend on God, not the world. What the enemy tries to give you is poison and false even if they sound good. God will handle it and take care of them ultimately. 

8:22-26

In Bethsaida, they bring a man who is blind (they believe Jesus can heal him). Jesus spits on his eyes (recreating the man's eyes). The Pharisees can't see at all and the disciples' eyes are fuzzy yet. This man begins to see things fuzzily until Jesus heals him fully with the next action that He makes. The blind man is an image of the Pharisees first, and then an image of the disciples' current spiritual condition.

8:27-30

Jesus at Caesarea Philippi asks "Who do they say that I am"? 

The apostles answer: "Some say Elijah, others a prophet". 

Peter says Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus then tells them strictly to tell no one. It is humility is why He says this. It is also not time yet to fulfill it all. 

8:31-38

Jesus tells them He will die and resurrect and Peter goes and tries to rebuke Jesus for it because he doesn't like hearing this message. Peter still at this time expected the Messiah to live and defeat Rome, not be killed. 

Jesus then rebukes Peter: "Get behind Me, Satan!" and then tells them all a lesson here. Follow Me and take your Cross. Die for Me. You will be publicly executed for Me and My sake for following Me. 

Gospel of Mark - Introduction - Chapters 1-4 Notes

 Introduction -

The Gospel of Mark is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Who is Mark? He's not one of the 12 Apostles. He has a Latin name. John Mark is identified in the Acts of the Apostles. They did not have last names at this time but there were a lot of John's so this helped distinguish him from other John's. 

Mark was not born in Judaea and to do any business dealings he'd have to have two names: One Jewish and one Roman, like an alias or a legal name, John/Mark. 

Mark is from a Christian family, his cousin is St. Barnabas and he has several family connections. In the 40s AD, he accompanied Barnabas and then did so with St. Peter in Rome. He is originally from Cyrene, (modern-day - Libya) which is part of five cities and a port town. 

How is St. Mark a witness? He records St. Peter's account and sermons and pieces them together. Mark is educated and of a merchant family and likely was the first apostle to produce a gospel (64-69AD). The final draft of what is now Mark's gospel was written and edited likely after St. Peter's death. This is just an educated guess at best however, it aligns with what we know of the creation of the gospel through historical texts and it seems pretty clear that St. Mark wrote this after St. Peter's death (64AD).

After St. Peter's death, Mark became the Bishop of Antioch and was martyred in 68 AD. His Gospel is written eyewitness testimony from St. Peter. 

Fun fact: In the iconography of the Church, St. Mark is often portrayed as a Lion and is Italy's patron saint. 

God has given four different gospel accounts. This is proof that the gospels are speaking the truth because it is all four different accounts with additional things and things they didn't say or omitted. Mark wrote this Gospel in Greek through human beings from their memories in the 1st CE and their language. He doesn't write it very well in Greek like St. Paul usually does.

St. Mark as one will see focuses largely on the nature of humanity in his Gospel. 

[Chapter 1]

1:1-8 - "The gospel" victory of Jesus. Son of God. Messiah. Caesar is a son of a god in Rome so calling Jesus by this title is punishable by Roman law. It is a political and theological statement being made here that we in the modern day often overlook. 

Here in vv.1-8 we see Mark use Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 and smushes them together. 

"The voice of one crying/calling out". 

The Messiah is to bring the Israelites out of the Babylonian Exile. John the Forerunner (Baptist) calls them to come out of the city to the wild to pave the way for the Messiah. 

They'd been in Jerusalem and rededicated it, etc. but they still did not see or experience or feel the presence of the Lord being inside the Temple like God had before, so the majority of Jews felt that the Exile was still taking place and that the End of Exile had not been fulfilled yet. They felt they were still enslaved and still being punished by God in Exile awaiting the promise of Restoration. 

John shows there is a real end to the Exile coming and that it is happening now/about to with the Messiah to show up soon. 

vv. 4-5 John the Forerunner begins the start of this New Way by baptizing and purifying these New People. This vv. 4-5 is hyperbole for it's not all people but it is a significantly large amount of people. 

vv. 6-8 - John is clothed in camel hair he has crafted on his own. He lives off the land eating bugs and honey. Elijah dressed similarly in the OT. John the Forerunner is the New Elijah, one with the same Spirit of God as Elijah the Prophet. He has been tasked as the Forerunner to prepare the Way for the Messiah. 

"I baptize you with water and He will baptize you with Holy Spirit". Almost says it cryptically. 

1:9-13 - John baptized Jesus from Nazareth in the Jordan River. Jesus does not come for repentance for He has nothing to repent of, being without sin. Jesus sees the Spirit descend, like a dove/bird (not literally a dove). Everyone then hears a voice from heaven: "You are My Son, with Who I am well pleased". 

The Messiah is anointed. His Coronation begins here. This is clear from the enthronement language being used here that this is the case. The beginning of the King. The Prophet John anoints the King Jesus like Prophet Samuel does King David. Like David, Jesus was already King but not sitting on the throne yet. David had to reign amidst his enemies before this. Jesus will do the same til the 2nd Coming. The rest of the Gospel is that story. 

1:12-13 - Tempted by Satan like King David when he could have killed but instead fled King Saul. David had to deal with Saul, the enemy. Jesus like David is successful versus Satan in the desert. 

1:14-15 - John is in prison and Jesus begins preaching against the world of Satan. Zeus/Jupiter is seen by the Jews as Satan and Ceasar is an agent of Satan. Jesus is already seen proclaiming that the Kingdom of God is already victorious and at hand, so repent and believe in this victory. 

1:16-20 - The Apostles join Jesus (Simon/Peter, Andrew, James, and John of Zebedee) in Galilee. Fishermen on the seacoast in the Sea of Galilee/Tiberius, they join Him and walk away from their livelihood as peasants to follow Him. They actually own their own boat so this is a big deal to do this. 

1:21-34 - They go to Capernaum. Nazareth has no significance whatsoever archaeological-wise. It was a super-poor area and Capernaum at this time barely had any buildings. Jesus goes to the Synagogue and teaches there. One man comes in with a demon - a lesser spirit that possesses him. People would get possessed and many actually tried intentionally to become possessed by demons all the time in the Greco-Roman world. They had a "genius". 

We know these demons are the enemy. Culturally, this man in Galilee may have even been seen as great since Jews and Gentiles were forced to intermingle a lot, definitely would have been seen that way by a few Gentiles as being "touched by 'the gods'". 

This demon recognizes the Messiah and so Jesus exorcised the man by command. These spirits are just a little less than a god to pagans so who commands them out but someone who may be God Incarnate? :) 

Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law who was sick and then she serves them. When the sun sets, Jesus heals many people ridding them of a lot of demons, and doesn't let the demons say who He is. 

Note: The demons do not repent and remain hostile but the people repent and believe and see transformation. 

1:35-39 - Galilee is a more Gentile part of the nation than Jew by far. Christ is here delivering people from demons and healing people there. 

1:40-45 - This leper (no known cure at the time) tells Jesus He can heal him if He wills it. This speaks of who the leper thinks He is, the Messiah. Sent by God or God Himself. More powerful than all. Jesus does heal the unclean man and touches him.

When Jesus cleanses the leper, the leper now has to go to the priesthood to be let back into society. However, instead of doing that, the guy tells everyone, enough so that He can't go to the cities or else He will face resistance, which it isn't yet time for Jesus to face. Jesus is growing popular and massive groups now are coming to see Christ. 

[Chapter 2] 

2:1-12 - Jesus enters Capernaum and is in St. Peter's mother-in-law's house and has large crowds. A group of men bring a paralytic to Jesus and take part of the roof off just to get their friend to Jesus to be healed. They care for this paralytic friend and are confident of who Jesus was/is and that He can do this. 

Some scribes see this and see Jesus tell the man he is healed. They ask how He can forgive sins when only God alone can do so.

These motives of the scribes aren't innocent/pure or just a theological issue being raised. Jesus knew what they were thinking and what was in their hearts and responded to them declaring He was the Son of Man and telling the paralytic to get up and walk and he does. 

2:13-17 - Jesus leaves the city, they follow, and He teaches them. As He passes, He meets Levi/St. Matthew, the tax collector tells him to follow Him. This would be seen as an unclean man following Jesus here. The Pharisees and scribes freak out and Jesus responds that "the healthy don't need doctors" and that He is calling sinners to repentance to be made righteous. 

Levi leaves his former life to join Jesus. Jesus is willing to talk to all the tax collectors and sinners to bring them to righteousness and repentance when the Pharisees aren't. 

Jesus is arguing for a whole interpretation of the Torah that is different from the Pharisees. The purpose of the Torah is to identify the disease of sin so that they can be cured while the Pharisees' purpose and interpretation of it is to identify and throw away or purge Judaea of the wicked. 

2:18-22 - The Pharisees, Jesus shows, would have to accept these people and that they can't do so because of their pride and arrogance. 

John the Forerunner's disciples and the Pharisees are fasting and see Jesus' disciples not fasting so they challenge Jesus on this matter. 

Jesus responds with metaphors about a Bridegroom and wineskins saying you don't fast before the wedding. You celebrate. A time shall come when they will not them and will fast. 

Next, is a metaphor of a garment and sewing. Then is one of the old and new wineskins. Christ is doing new things and they want it to be the old way and more importantly THEIR WAY, with THEIR structures they've built up. Christ is calling them to change their mindset and as they are, currently, they don't get it and He won't play by their rules. He is the New. They are the Old. Just like the sinners need to be made new, so do the Pharisees. 

2:23-27 - The Pharisees are watching Jesus now. On the Sabbath, the disciples take some grain. They appeal to the crowd so Jesus responds and uses King David's run from Saul as an example, when he and them ate the priest's food. He is, by analogy, the King, and the disciples, His men, and the Pharisees are the persecutors sent by Saul/Satanic influences. 

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. God made a day of rest for mankind out of love, not as a rule to legally enforce like a lawyer. The commands of God (Law/Torah) are for the good of humanity to help them and better them, out of love. 

A Sabbath-breaker is sick and unhealthy to Christ because they don't get rest. 

[Chapter 3]

3:1-6 - Synagogue on Sabbath, there's a man there with a withered hand. Before Jesus heals him, He asks if He is to do good or evil on Sabbath. Is it lawful? If I ignore him is it not evil? Is it bad to do good? None can answer and Jesus gets angry at the Pharisees here because they are hypocrites. The Pharisees are also mad that they can't answer Him. They should not be mad that Jesus is doing these good things. They are because they have hard hearts and they don't care about these people at all. They suck and have no love and only care about their positions of power. We should strive ourselves to not be like these unfortunate men. If we are given positions of power we must use it for good and to help others. 

Jesus heals the man and then the Pharisees go to the Herodians and plot to destroy Jesus. 

3:7-12 - Many people come to see Jesus, some 600+ miles by foot's worth. From Tyre and Sidon to Galilee. Jesus even now has a boat ready to flee from this mob of people. He has cleansed many of demons. The demons merely see Him and flee yelling that He is "the Son of God". 

3:13-19 - The 12 are mentioned. Judas the Betrayer is mentioned. They are all appointed and participate in what Jesus has been doing. Preach, heal, and cast out demons. Judas did all this too with them. At this time, Judas may not have wanted to betray Him. Just because we claim we follow Christ does not mean we do all the time. 

3:20-30 - So many people are coming to them all that they can't catch a break. Jesus' own people/family end up coming to see Him for an intervention of sorts. The Pharisees have begun claiming that Jesus is possessed by a demon Beelzebub, who is casting out smaller demons. 

Beelzebub means "High Lord of Flies/Dung". They're calling him literally Lord of Shit.

Jesus calls them out for this and asks: How can and why would Satan cast out Satan? If Satan did that, Satan would be screwing himself over and messing up his plans for humanity. 

Jesus then calls the Pharisees to him and points out that they have come thanks to Satan and that Jesus is battling Satan and they are on Satan's side. 

Jesus tells them they can be forgiven but they will not because they are calling the Holy Spirit's work, Satan. Calling God your adversary; enemy. If you continue on this path, God will condemn you for this and He tells them this so they might repent, out of love. 

3:31-35 - His brothers and Mary, his mother come to talk to Him. His step-brothers. His point here he makes is the disciples are His family and those who follow God, including His step-brothers and mother, are family. Genealogy doesn't make one family. All who follow God are family.

[Chapter 4] 

4:1-9 - Jesus again teaches the people. This time He is on a boat preaching so that He can make a getaway from the mob of followers if need be. St. Mark is more into showing that Jesus is the New King David. Jesus tells them lessons through parables and this one in particular is the Parable of the Sower. 

4:10-12 - The Disciples ask what it means and why He is doing these parables so he cryptically quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 here. Isaiah 55 is also referenced here where Jesus' quote is from part of the Servant Songs. 

The Servant will suffer so He can bear their sins. The prophecy says people will have their hearts darkened so they'll kill the Suffering Servant and He can bear their sins as He planned to do so through the Cross death, and Resurrection. 

4:13-20 - If you understand this parable it will help you understand all others (Isaiah 55.10-13). Paraphrased: 75% of people who hear what I say won't get it. The people will reject the Word of God that Jesus preaches and it won't take root in them because Satan has already spread his roots into them and ruined the message. God is already the Pharisees' enemy.

Then some people find hardship and persecution come to them and they run. 

Then some hear but then get concerned with the world and lose their focus (v. 20 Good soil produces good results). 

Lastly, v. 20, the good soil produces good fruit and those who hear and do are these. 

4:21-25 - After the Resurrection, the Apostles will get the parables (due to the Holy Spirit). Devout people recognize Jesus and are spiritually in tune. 

A parable of a lamp under a basket is used. You don't waste your lamp. You use it to light the room. Jesus is talking about our faith and the gospel. He says to pay attention and keep measuring correctly. Don't be a dishonest merchant in other words. Be fair. Give generously and God will be to you. He is telling the disciples that they will get more understanding if they will do what they do already understand. 

Jesus also takes a shot at the scribes here some because they memorize the Scriptures and know them but don't know them actually because they don't live them out and they KNOW they do not do so. 

4:26-29 - He continues the parables with scattered seeds, which illustrates the point that He just made earlier. Scatter seed, tend it, see when it is ripe and harvest it. Doesn't have or know it all but does what he does have and knows in practice. Go and do likewise. 

4:30-32 - Mustard seed becomes a big tree. Small bits of good and God can make big things. 

4:33-34 - When alone, Jesus explained the parables He spoke to them and made more points with these people. 

4:35-41 - Jesus and they go on a boat across the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Others are following them. As this takes place, a storm begins and Jesus is fast asleep. It gets bad so the disciples wake Jesus and He calms the storm. He is calm while they are freaking out. He tells the storm to cease. The disciples mutter to themselves asking "Who is this guy"? 

The disciples at that moment, did not believe or trust Him. They think they are all going to die here. Earlier Jesus had been called Beelzebub. Baal is a storm god. Here Jesus shows He is Lord of Lords, not Baal. Not Asherah. Not Zeus. Yahweh Incarnate, Jesus. Yahweh is in control. He is Jesus. 

Does It Matter What Christians Believe? A Response to Joel McDurmon

By: William Vincent

Joel McDurmon's article for reference:

https://www.lambsreign.com/blog/Full_Preterism_and_salvation_by_creeds?fbclid=IwAR39ZvwfBgIM4Caj2oZKhqC51_zcDgh_giblnp6KogmsDAgAySfC1ztn-D4 

Does it matter what we believe? Can I, for instance, believe that Jesus is the brother of Satan? Can I believe that Jesus was the first creation of Jehovah? Can I believe Jesus was a great prophet, second only to Mohammed? Can I believe that Jesus was the greatest avatar of Krishna? These are, after all, variations of faith in Jesus. Is there a point at which what a person believes about Jesus matters to whether or not they can claim to be saved in the Christian sense? In a recent article entitled Full Preterism And Salvation By Creeds: A Brief Note, Joel McDurmon suggests that having some actual boundaries to Christian faith is uncalled for. That if we take such a notion seriously, doing as St. Paul suggests and call such teachings anathema, then we have gone too far. Joel writes “I am not the judge of people’s hearts, certainly not of people who in good faith are making and[sp] effort to understand the scriptures, yet profess faith in Christ and show fruit consistent with that profession.” Is he willing then to make room for the various views I listed above? Joel suggests that if we are to be consistent with our “creedalism” then we should pronounce anathema on those who vary from the statements of the Athanasian Creed. I would counter Joel and say that if he is going to be consistent with his lack of creedalism, that he should make room for ALL Christian heresies. If he is to be consistent, anyone who claims to believe anything about Jesus sincerely should be assured salvation and called a Christian without hesitation; unless their group rejects being called Christians I suppose.

I think, however, it is important to address the strawman that Joel has set up here. It is important because is seems to be the consistent strawman that all Full Preterist and Full Preterist sympathizers want to set up. This being some variation of the creeds vs scripture argument. Joel’s article (in part) is entitled salvation by creeds. This is clearly a strawman. The importance of the creeds, particularly those like the Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed is that they bear witness to what was believed historically by Christians; to the point of death. These creeds are considered ecumenical because Christians of ALL times and places have wholeheartedly confessed them. Let’s really take time to consider this: is Joel ready to reconsider the teachings of Aruis? This, after all, was the point of both counsels of Nicea and the formation of the Athanasian Creed. If Joel is willing to allow FP a place, why not Aruis? If, however, it is too much to question the common affirmation of Christianity that Jesus Christ is “true God of true God”, then how can we go forward and deny that “he shall return in glory and judge the living and the dead”? How can we deny the “resurrection of the body” and still call what we believe the Christian faith? The ancient gnostic sects would certainly love to hear of this inclusion. Joel asked if anyone was brave enough to cry anathema, to that I respond not only those who teach these perversions but also to those who bid them “god’s speed”.

Joel says that these creeds do not offer exegetical support. This seems to show gross ignorance of the historical Christian faith and it’s defense against heresies. The Church Father’s wrote extensively in defense of the common faith, and did so with extensive appeal to scripture. With this said, it should also be noted that the defense of the Christian faith was with scripture and it’s common understanding among the faithful. These are NOT mutually exclusive. In fact, as St. Vincent of Lerins argues effectively in his renown canon, it is in this context that the faith of scripture is faithfully transmitted from one generation to the next. Vincent writes “But here someone perhaps will ask, since the canon of Scripture is complete, and sufficient of itself for everything, and more than sufficient, what need is there to join with it the authority of the [historical] Church's interpretation? For this reason — because, owing to the depth of Holy Scripture, all do not accept it in one and the same sense, but one understands its words in one way, another in another; so that it seems to be capable of as many interpretations as there are interpreters. For Novatian expounds it one way, Sabellius another, Donatus another, Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, another, Photinus, Apollinaris, Priscillian, another, Iovinian, Pelagius, Celestius, another, lastly, Nestorius another. Therefore, it is very necessary, on account of so great intricacies of such various error, that the rule for the right understanding of the prophets and apostles should be framed in accordance with the standard of ecclesiastical and ecumenical interpretation.” [1] The appeal is not to creeds against scripture, but rather appealing to the proper understanding of scripture by the common witness of Christians in all times and all places. In other words, the Full Preterist, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon and all other heretical views do not stand against simply the words of a creed, but against the common testimony and witness of all Christians, in all times and in all places. One might argue against the interpretation of some present-day exegete, but should one truly be in opposition to a faith held for two millennium by all those who we can call Christian?

Joel seems shocked that the Athanasian Creed says that one cannot be saved without confessing the faith outlined in it’s statements. That is a strong statement for sure. But I would like to know what particular confession of that creed that Joel thinks is negotiable. Can a person deny the Trinity and be saved? Can a person deny the Deity of Christ and be saved? Can a person embrace Tritheism and still be saved? Can a person deny the true incarnation of Christ? Can they deny the hypostatic union – that Christ was fully God and fully man? Are these points negotiable, or is it just the “eschatological” statements that Joel finds offensive? Would Joel affirm the salvation of the Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon? If not, why not? Should he not be consistent? Why should we even stop at confessing the above? Why not question whether or not a person needs to believe in Christ at all? Many Full Preterists have embraced just that. Just how much can a person deny about the Christian faith and still be assured salvation through Christ? I would like to hear Joel answer this question.

The creeds are NOT the source of Christian faith. Rather the common historical faith is the source of the creed. They are the summation and universally accepted witness to it. This point must be fully grasped. The creeds COULD NOT exist if the faith they outline was not universally accepted by the Church. In fact, I must press the point that St. Paul says “there is one Lord, one faith and one baptism.” But of course he is also the Apostle who writes of the resurrection and the Apostle who admonishes us to cry anathema to those who preach in contradiction to this very faith. In the end the heretics and their sympathizers are in opposition to the very Apostolic foundation that they want to twist. Anathema! 

1. Retrieved from https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3506.htm

The Death of Max King

This blog post will be short. Today I was given the news that Max R King, who is basically the modern founder of Full Preterism, died today. I don’t have a lot to say. He seemed to be a nice guy but taught blatant heresies that harm people and bastardize Christianity. I don’t say that to be rude or disrespectful. I genuinely hope God is a universalist in the way St Gregory of Nyssa believes because I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes when he’s judged by Christ for directly and indirectly leading people down the road he went down over his 90+ years of life. There are so many people, over the course of his life, that King led astray with his heretical unitarian and full preterist teachings, whether from him directly teaching them, or indirectly from people he mentored like Don K Preston or William Bell, who I shall continue to fight against for their attempts to bastardize Christianity and the Christian faith. May God have mercy on King's soul. I hope you, the readers, will all join me in praying for his soul and for the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, God-Incarnate, the 2nd Power of Heaven, to have mercy on King for on the Final Day we shall all be judged one way or another. Amen. 

Response to Gary DeMar On His Hypocrisy/Let's Discuss The Sergius-Preston Debate

 

It looks like we have gotten a Part 3 to Gary DeMar's hit pieces on me after all in the form of cheap shots aimed at me via a Facebook post. Gary has clearly not accepted my apology for calling him a moron after he viciously attacked Sam Frost. After blocking Frost, I was blocked when he proceeded to continue to talk disgustingly with Don Preston about him which led to the reason I posted what I did in anger but what else can be said? 

I apologized publicly to Gary. He doesn't have to accept apologies, clearly has no plans to, and clearly plans to continue to try and demonize, villify, and discredit me. If Gary wishes to continue in this petty behavior, so be it. I pray Gary can get over someone calling him a moron.

In this Facebook post Gary declares I have no credibility because I debated Don K Preston. This seems extremely hypocritical considering there is nothing wrong with debating someone under a pseudonym. It is also very weird that Gary DeMar makes a fuss about someone's credibility when he is sharing posts about Don Preston who is not only a heretic being he is a full preterist, but also a proven grifter that fakes his credentials. Don Preston after all is the grifter who claims he has an honorary doctorate but when investigated over this claim it all turned out to be a fake "honorary doctorate" from an unaccredited and fake seminary in California called Vision International University that he and William Bell both got it from.

With all the money Don Preston has from his book sales he could have put some actual work in and earned a real and respectable degree from an accredited university or seminary. Yet, he chose not to and this is because he would be eaten alive by academia or a seminary for his outlandish and clownish beliefs about eschatology were he to try and defend his beliefs. This is evident with each and every book he puts out which amounts to nothing more than pseudoscholarship. 

No, instead of putting in the work and earning a respectable degree, Don Preston went to a degree mill that gave him a free degree that ANYONE can get. An unearned and unaccredited fake degree from a diploma mill that Don parades around and puts on every book he sells, as if this was some amazing feat and accomplishment. 

Couple this with the FACT that Don claims to be the president of a "Preterist Research Institute" when the reality is it isn't an institute for researching preterism at all. It has contributed zero research to preterism, zero research to and for academia, and not a single contribution to or for any seminaries are available. Nothing. 

What we do have however, is some information available to us about what Don does with all the book sale cash he gets. It's fine to have a business but Don claims this is a "Preterist Research Institute" which is extremely misleading. (Can find information here at: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/preterist-research-institute,205884258/ ) 

It's hypocritical of Gary to talk about someone's credentials and then give a grifter like Don K Preston a platform as if he is someone who is credible. Let's get real here.

What this amounts to are cheap shots, projections, and ad hominems from DeMar. It's all a fallacious argument strategy to attempt to take the debate away from the actual topic (the OP/original point) and attempt to redirect the attention to some contrived issue with their opponent(s).

Gary appears to be very insecure with regards to the arguments and discourse that's gone on. It is an unfortunate fact that he REFUSES to write so much as a single sentence that condemns Full Preterism as a dangerous heresy. Instead, when pointed out how he has made some rather faulty assumptions that he holds in common with full preterists and how that leads to dangerous error, instead of giving any answer substantially, he blocks everyone who asks questions and calls him out on this ridiculous and bizarre behavior.

This has all been a distraction from DeMar. Instead of listening to some of the challenges and requests from many people to denounce full preterism and uphold the resurrection of the dead, etc. he has instead picked me out for calling him a "moron" over something that happened between him and my friend Frost. He's not answered any of the challenges given to him by multiple people. Nope. Instead he focuses on me calling him a "moron". Not whether or not Full Preterism is a dangerous heresy but "Lance was mean to me and called me a moron". 

Which by the way, I should be thanking Gary DeMar for these articles! He's put me on many people's email lists. I've quite literally tripled in readership and viewers to this blog and received more praise than hate mail with many people hoping Gary will come to his senses and condemn full preterism while upholding the resurrection of the dead. 

 

Now for my last part I wish to cover the Sergius Bale/Don Preston debate because I wish to share what my intentions were in making that fake account to debate Preston in the first place. 

I ask Gary and the reader: If I constantly talked about Gary, blocked Gary from responding, and then simultaneously demanded Gary, the blocked person, to respond to all the challenges I give, how is Gary supposed to respond to this and how is Gary supposed to engage with this? One simply cannot do so. It is unreasonable. This is what Don Preston did to me. The only way for me to do any discourse or any exchange was to make a new account. However, Don also immediately would block when he saw "Lance Conley" so I did something simple. I took on a pseudonym and named myself "Sergius Bale". Is that seriously the work of someone evil? There's always more to the story than what Gary or Don have shared. It is super easy it seems for Gary to justify any behavior Don pulls since full preterists are clearly part of his tribe and he doesn't see them as being in danger of heresy since he refuses to condemn it. 

Ask yourself why Gary thinks it is wrong for Lance Conley to fake his credentials as Sergius Bale, knowing he was intent on revealing the truth after the debate finished, but Gary finds it absolutely fine that Don Preston proudly and unrepentantly fakes his credentials to the public with his fake honorary degree from a fake university he got from a degree mill? This is hypocrisy, plain and simple.  

I absolutely did fake Sergius Bale's credentials saying he was a Greek Orthodox man who lived in Austrailia teaching history as a professor at a university. I fail to see how this is any different than Don Preston faking all of his credentials to the public. I also had EVERY intention of exposing who I was AFTER the debate ended because I wanted to expose Don Preston for the charlatan he is. 

You see, before I had even bothered to set this account up, Preston had blocked me on Facebook and Youtube and his blog posts and then publicly kept demanding I answer him. He also simultaneously would claim that he refused to do any debate or discourse with me because I "lacked credentials". So it is quite simple: Since Don has fake credentials from a fake degree mill from a fake university, I made Sergius Bale a fake professor from a fake university with fake credentials. 

The saddest part though is, this fake account "Sergius Bale" was extremely easy to tell that it was not a real person. All one had to do was google the pictures to find out that this was not a real person. As a matter of fact, it only took a few weeks for a bunch of the more intelligent people in the Full Preterism - A Thing Of The Past group to fact check the sources, think critically, and figure out that it was me behind the account. The fact that I was able to fake being someone proficient in Koine Greek to Don Preston should speak volumes about his lack of scholarship or intelligence.

I kid you not that when I engaged with Don on several points on that group that he DEMANDED and BEGGED for a debate with Sergius Bale. The only reason Sergius Bale's credentials even came into question was because when I engaged in this written debate with Preston he became completely infuriated because, fact is, "Sergius" beat Don in the debate he begged and pleaded Admin: William Vincent of the group and I for. Don could have googled and fact checked who Sergius was and my credentials like others had done and easily figured out that this was a fake account. What really threw me for a loop was seeing that most of the people who believe the 2nd Coming is future did question the Sergius Bale account while I can't think of a single full preterist that did so because 1) they all believed Sergius was real as they don't fact-check sources, 2) they don't investigate, 3) they don't critically think about anything and just take everyone and anyone's word for things, 4) are unfortunately people who fall prey to grifters like Preston in full preterism. This is just a few of a myriad of reasons that full preterists fell for a fake account. Couple that with the fact that most of the full preterists have multiple fake accounts themselves and it becomes obvious that no one was really angry at Sergius being a fake account and were just trying to cover for Don losing badly at a written debate. 

Here are just a few messages that went back and forth between Preston and Sergius. William Vincent and I can both provide more if necessary that vindicate that Don really wanted to debate Sergius. I even kept mentioning Lance Conley just because at this point it was comical that Don was so adamant to debate me. It should disturb people (which was one of my points in doing this fake account) that Preston claims to be the president of a "research institute" and yet could not do some BASIC research, enough to know who he was debating. I have also never claimed to be some prestigious Bible scholar. Don has and does. I also always fully intended to reveal it was Lance Conley who was really Sergius Bale after the debate ended. It just ended before the debate could finish because once Don was losing, THEN to save face, he began trying to dig dirt on his opponent and FINALLY got some intelligence to ask questions and look for a Greek professor in Austrailia named Sergius Bale.  

I think I've dealt with this enough. The truth is all this stuff from Gary and the full preterists, with the overacting and melodramatic reactions of their followers are all being done to help cover now for not just Don but also Gary's backsides. 

All Gary has done here is attempt a diversion and an ad hominem piece on Facebook and now exposed to his readers through that article of Don's to what a dimwitted moronic grifter Preston really is (I will not apologize for that ad hominem). He's exposed his grifter friend can't refute me in debate which should not be any real shocker since Don has no real credentials and is a pseudoscholar posing as a prostegious Bible scholar.

It has also exposed that Gary DeMar is using the Sergius-Preston debate from over a year ago now (12-7-2021) so he can try to blow smoke and cover for his inability to answer questions that have been on many readers of his recent Facebook posts minds. The fact he has to block Sam Frost, William Vincent, and I for asking him simple questions shows insecurity on his part. What is he so scared of? That he may have to admit Frost has a point? That he might have to engage in actual discourse? That he might have to publicly tell people that full preterism is a heresy? That he might have to actually continue to uphold the resurrection of the dead? That he may have to rethink some of his preterist ideals and presuppositions? That oikoumene might not be solely about Rome? What a scary proposition that must be for Gary. I end this post with a blog post from Sam Frost about the word oikoumene.

And Gary, if you're reading this, I am sorry for calling you a moron still. Even if you don't accept my apology, you are still a Bible teacher, so you really should publicly renounce full preterism as a heresy publicly, uphold the resurrection of the dead, and quit blocking and running away from people who ask you questions about it. If you are secretly a full preterist in cohoots with Don Preston like many are beginning to believe, the only thing I can say is you need to find better friends and repent of the heresy. Peace.

https://vigil.blog/2023/01/06/hes-got-the-whole-world-in-his-hands/?fbclid=IwAR3CiGUp_TPCVRCAUISNrGPnV4YKYuFBtym-VQ6BcRW7SfNWSNNjg1rO9VU