First Gospel, being the Gospel according to Mark

Front matter

v^

V

" 9 , T ^ tf> * a N o

Contents

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK.

Page.

Chapter I. John baptizes and preaches. Jesus is baptized, acknowledged from heaven, and driven into the wilderness, where he is tried by the adversary 40 days, ... 7

Chapter I. The four Gospels ; priority of that according to Mark, and the order of the whole, 51

Chapter II. According to Mark signifies agreement, not authorship ; how the book is according to Mark ; its agreement with Peter and disagreement with Paul ; title of Saint to be abandoned, 61

Chapter VII. Name and titles of Jesus and his earliest followers, ..*...... 114 Chapter VIIL Greek language of Jesus, its character and 1*

6 CONTENTS.

uses ; Greek names of the apostles ; Peter not the same

as Cephas ; mistake of John 1 : 43 ; death of Jesus, . .118 Chapter IX. Jesus compared with Aristotle and other great

discoverers and reformers, 127

Chapter X. Religion of Jesus as understood by Eusebius,

314-342 A. D., and the church in his times, .... 130 Chapter XI. Celibacy of Jesus and his law of marriage and

monachism, . . • 137

Chapter XII. John the Baptist and Jesus as reported by

Josephus, 139

Chapter XIII. Personal appearance of Jesus, 143

Chapter XIV. Morality of Jesus, 146

Chapter XV. Theology of Jesus, . . 155

Chapter XVI. Appearances and teachings of Jesus after his

Chapter XVII. Church of Jesus, 169

NOTE TO THE READER 174

BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST SON OF GOD.

Chapter I. 1: 1-13

John baptizes and preaches. Jesus is baptized, acknowledged from heaven, and driven into the wilderness, where he is tried by the adversary 40 days.

1. 2 As it is written by Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way ; 3 a voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Kurios, make straight his paths. [So it has occurred.] 2, 3.

2. 4 John was baptizing in the wilderness, preaching baptism of change of mind for forgiveness of sins, 5 and all Judaea and the Jerusalemites went out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan, a river, confessing their sins. 4, 5.

3. 6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and a belt of skin about his loin, and ate locusts and wild honey, 7 and proclaimed [preached], saying, There comes after me one mightier than I, the strings of whose sandals I am not fit to stoop down and untie. 8 1 baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with holy spirit. 6-8.

4. 9 And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized in the Jordan by John, i0 and immediately, having gone up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the spirit [appeared] as a dove descending on him, and a voice came from heaven, " You are my beloved son ; with you I am well pleased." 9-11.

5. 12 And immediately the spirit thrusts him into the wilderness, i3 and he was there in the wilderness forty days, tried by the adversary, and was with the beasts, and the angels served him. 12, 13.

Jesus comes to Galilee, preaches, calls four fishermen, first teaches at Capernaum, and cures a demoniac, Peter's mother-in-law, and a leper.

1. l: u And after John was cast into prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 saying, The time is completed, and the kingdom of God at hand ; change your minds, and believe in the gospel. 1 •. 14, 15.

2. l6 And passing by the sea [lake] of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew Simon's brother, casting about in the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. 18 And immediately, leaving their nets, they followed him. 19 And going forward a little, he saw James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, and they were in the ship mending the nets ; 20 and he immediately called them ; and, leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired men, they went away after him. 16-20.

3. 21 And they enter into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbaths he taught in the synagogue; 22 and they were astonished at his doctrine ; for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 21,22.

4. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an impure spirit ; and he cried out, 24 saying, Be still ; what is there to us and you, Jesus Nazarene ?

You have come to destroy us. We know you, who you are, God's holy one. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be still, and come out of him. 26 And having torn him, and cried with a loud voice, the impure spirit came out of him. 27 And all were astonished, so that they questioned with themselves, saying, What is this ? The doctrine is new in respect to power ; and he commands the impure spirits, and they obey him ; 28 and his fame went out immediately every where, into the whole boundary of Galilee. 23-28.

5. 29 And immediately going out of the synagogue, they came into Simon's and Andrew's house, with James and John. 30 And Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with fever, and they immediately tell him of her ; 31 and he came, and, taking her hand, raised her up, and immediately the fever left her, and she served them. 32 And when it was evening, and the sun went down, they brought him all that were sick, and the demoniacs ; 33 and the whole city was assembled at the door; 34 and he cured many that were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons ; and suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew him. 29-34.

6. 35 And in the morning very far in the night, rising up, he went out, and departed into a desert place, and there prayed ; 36 and Simon and those with him pursued him, 37 and found him, and say to him, All men seek you ; 38 and he says to them, Let us go elsewhere into the adjoining villages, that I may preach there, because for this have I come. 39 And he preached in their synagogues in the whole of Galilee, and cast out demons. 35-39.

7. 40 And a leper comes to him, asking him, and kneeling to him, and saying, If you will you can cleanse me. 41 And Jesus pitied him, and extended his hand, and touched [him], and says, I will; be cleansed. 42 And when he spoke, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed ; 43 and charging him, he immediately cast him out, 44 and says to him, See that you tell no man any thing, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded for a testimony to them. 45 And he went out, and began to publish many things, and to spread the report abroad, so that he was no longer able openly to go into a city, but was without in desert places; and they came to him from every where. 40-45.

Chapter III. 2: 3: 1-6

Jesus, a second time at Capernaum, cures a leper, forgives and cures a paralytic, calls Levi, and eats with publicans, neglects fasts, allows picking grain and cures a withered hand on the Sabbath.

1. Q: l And entering again into Capernaum after [some] days, it was heard that he was in a house, 2 and immediately many were assembled together, so that there was no longer room about the door, and he spoke to them the word. 3 And they come to him, bringing a paralytic carried by four, 4 and not being able to approach him on account of the multitude, they uncovered the roof where he was, and having dug through, let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic, Child, your sins are forgiven you. 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts, 7 Why does this [man] speak thus ? He blasphemes ; who can forgive sins but one, God ? 8 And immediately Jesus, knowing by his spirit that they think thus in themselves, says to them, Why do you think thus in your hearts ? 9 In what is it easier to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven, than to say, Arise, take up your bed and walk? 10 But that you may know that the son of man has power to forgive sins on the earth, he says to the paralytic, I tell you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. 12 And he arose, and immediately took up his bed, and went out before all, so that all are astonished and glorify God, saying, We never saw the like. 2: 1-12.

2. 3 And he went out again by the lake, and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them. 14 And passing along, he saw Levi the son of Alphseus sitting at the custom-house, and says to him, Follow me ; and he arose and followed him. I5 And it comes to pass, as he is reclining in his house, that many publicans and sinners reclined with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many that followed him. 16 And the scribes and Pharisees, seeing him eating with the sinners and publicans, said to his disciples, Does he eat and drink with the sinners and publicans? 17 And Jesus hearing, says to them, The well need not a physician, but the sick ; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. 13-17.

3. 18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting, and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples fast not ? 19 And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with th£m ? As long as they r have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast ; 20 but days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in that day. 21 ISTone sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment ; otherwise the new filling takes from the old, and the rent is made worse ; 22 and none puts new wine into old skins ; otherwise the wine breaks the skins, and the wine is lost and skins are [spoiled]. 18-22.

4. 23 And it came to pass that he went on the Sabbaths through the grain, and his disciples began to make the journey picking the heads. 24 And the Pharisees said to him, See, why do they do on the Sabbath what it is not lawful [to do] ? 25 And he said to them, Have you never read what David did. when he had need and was hungry, and those with him ? 26 how he entered into the house of God under Abiathar the chief priest, and ate the show bread, which it is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave [it] to those with him ? 27 And he said to them, The Sabbath was made on account of man, not man on account of the Sabbath; 28 so that the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath. 23-28.

5. 3 : 1 And he went again into the synagogue, and a man was there having a withered hand. 2 And they watched him to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath, that they might accuse him, 3 And he says to the man having the withered hand, Arise [and come] into the midst. 4 And he says to them, Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill ? And they were silent. 5 And looking round on them with anger, being grieved at the hardness of their heart, he says to the man, Stretch out [your] hand ; and he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 And the Pharisees went out immediately with the Herodians, and held council against him to destroy him. 3: 1-6.

Chapter IV. 3: 7-35

Jesus is followed by multitudes, appoints twelve apostles, repels the charge of having Beelzeboul for an assistant, and claims all who do the will of God for relations.

1. 7 And Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed ; and a great multitude from Judaea, 8 and Jerusalem, and Idumaea, and beyond the Jordan, and those about Tyre and Sidon, hearing what he did, came to him. 9 And he commanded his disciples to hold firmly the boat for him, on account of the multitude, that they might not oppress him, 10 for he cured many, so that those who had plagues fell on him, that they might touch him ; n and the impure spirits, when they beheld him, worshipped him, and cried, saying, You are the son of God ; 12 and he charged them many times not to make him known. % : 1-12.

2. 13 And he goes up on the mountain, and calls whom he would, and they went to him. 14 And he appointed twelve to be with him, that he might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to cast out demons ; 16 and he named Simon, Peter, and [chose] James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, and called them Boanerges, which is, sons of thunder ; 18 and [he chose] Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananite, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 13-19.

3. And they come into a house, 20 and again the multitude comes together, so that they are not able to eat bread ; 21 and those with him, hearing of [it], went out to take him, for they said, He is beside himself; 22 and the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzeboul, and casts out demons by the ruler of demons. 93 And calling them, he said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan ? 24 And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand ; 25 and if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand ; 26 and if the adversary rise up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 But none can enter into a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he .first binds the strong man; then he can also plunder his house. 28 Truly I tell you, All the sins and blasphemies with which they blaspheme, shall be forgiven the sons of men; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness for eternity [the aion], but is the subject of an eternal [aionian] sin, 30 because they said, He has an impure spirit. 21 " 30,

4. 31 Then come his brothers and his mother, and, standing without, sent to him to call him ; 32 and a multitude sat around him, and they say to him, Behold your mother and your brothers and your sisters seek you without. 33 And he answered and says to them, Who is my mother or [who are] my brothers ? 34 And looking round on those sitting about him, he says, Behold my mother and my brothers. 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother, ai-35.

Chapter V. 4:5:5

Jesus teaches in parables by the lake, concerning soils, lights, measures, sowers and reapers, and mustard seed, and stills a tempest.

1. 4:1 Akd again he began to teach by the lake; and the greatest multitude is gathered to him, so that having entered into the ship, he sat on the lake, and all the multitude were near the lake on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said to them in his teaching, 3 Hear : behold, the sower went out to sow, 4 and it came pass in sowing that some fell by the way, and the birds came and devoured it; 5 and other [seed] fell on a rocky [soil], where it had little earth, and immediately it came up, because it had no depth of earth ; 6 and when the sun rose, it was scorched, and because it had no root, withered. 7 And other [seed] fell among thorns [thistles], and the thorns [thistles] came up and choked it, and it produced no fruit. 8 And other [seed] fell on good soil, and produced a stalk which grew up and increased, and bore 30 and 60 and 100 [kernels]. 9 And he said, He that has ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone those about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables, n and he said to them, To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those without ail things are in parables, 12 that they may see attentively and not perceive, and hear attentively and not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven. 13 And he says to them, Do you not understand this parable ? How then W T ill you understand all parables ? 14 The sower sows the word, and those in whom the word is sown by the way are those who 15 when the word is sown, and when they hear, immediately comes the adversary and takes away the word sown in them. 16 And in like manner, those sown on the rocky places are'those who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, 17 and have no root in themselves, but are temporary; then when affliction or persecution comes on account of the word, immediately they stumble. 18 And those sown among thorns [thistles] are those who hear the word, and the cares of the aion [present time] and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires of other thing's entering in, choke the word, and it is made unproductive. 20 And those sown on the good soil are those who hear the word and receive it, and bear fruit, one 30, one 60, and one 100. 4 : i-20.

2. 21 And he said to them, Does a light come to be put under a modius [peck measure; more exactly 1.916 gallons], or under a bed, and not be put on a light-stand ? 22 For nothing is hidden which shall not be made manifest, nor is any thing concealed that shall not come to light. 23 If any one has ears to hear, let him hear. 21-23.

3. 24 And he said to them, See how you hear; with what measure you measure it shall be measured to you, and you shall have additions ; 25 for he that has, to him is given ; and he that has not, from him what he has is taken away. 24,25.

4. 26 And he said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, 27 and sleep and wake night and day, and the seed germinates and grows, he knows not how. 28 The earth bears fruit spontaneously ; first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head ; 29 but when the fruit allows, immediately he sends the sickle, because the harvest has come. 26-29.

5. 30 And he said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God, and with what parable shall I give it ? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown on the earth is the least of all seeds on the earth, 32 and when sown it comes up and is the greatest of all herbs, and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of heaven dwell under its shade. 30-32.

6. 33 And with many such parables spoke he the word to them as they could hear, 34 but spoke not to them without a parable, and privately explained all to his disciples. 33-34.

7. 35 And he says to them on that day when it was evening, Let us cross over to the other side ; 36 and leaving the multitude, they take him as he was in the ship ; but there were other boats with him ; 37 and there is a great tempest of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that the ship is already filled ; 38 and he was in the stern on the pillow sleeping, and they awake him, and say to him, Teacher, do you not care that we perish ? 39 And being awakened, he rebuked the wind, and said to the lake, Be still, be quiet ; and the wind spent [itself], and there was a great calm. 40 And he said to them, Why are you so fearful ? How have you no faith ? 41 And they were greatly afraid, and said to each other, What then is this man, that the wind and lake obey him? 35-41.

CHAPTER VI. b ~6 : 1-6E

Jesus visits the Gerasenes, cures a demoniac, a woman with a hemorrhage of 12 years, restores the daughter of Jairus to life, and visits Nazareth.

1. 5 ! 1 Axd they went across the lake into the country of the Gerasenes ; 2 and when he went out of the ship there immediately met him a man from the tombs with an impure spirit, 3 who had his dwelling in the tombs, and no one was able any longer to bind him with a chain, 4 because he was often bound with fetters and chains, and his chains were drawn asunder and the fetters crushed, and no one could tame him ; and all night and day in the tombs and in mountains, he was crying and cutting himself with stones. 6 And seeing Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him, 7 and crying with a loud voice, says, What is there to me and you, Jesus, son of God the Most High? I adjure you by God not to torment me, 8 for he said to him, Impure spirit, come out of the man. 9 And he asked him, What is your name ? And he says to him, Legion is my name, for we are many. 10 And he beseeches him much that he will not send them out of the country. n And there was near the mountain a great herd of swine feeding, 12 and all the demons besought him, saying, Send us to the swine, to enter into them. 13 And Jesus permitted them immediately, and the impure spirits w^ent out and entered into the swine, and the herd rushed violently down the precipice into the lake, about 2000, and were drowned in the lake. 14 And those that fed them fled and told [it] in the city and country, and they came to see what was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and behold, the demoniac that had had the legion [was] sittingdown, and clothed, and of sound mind ; and they were afraid. 16 And those that saw related to them how it had happened to the demoniac, and concerning the swine. 2*

* 7 And they began to beseech him to depart from their bounds. 18 And when he went into the ship, the [man] w^ho had been a demoniac besought him that he might be with him; 19 and he suffered him not, but says to him, Go to your house to your own, and tell them what the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you. 20 And he went away, and began to proclaim in the Decapolis [ten cities] what Jesus had done for him ; and all wondered. 5 : 1-20.

2. 21 And Jesus having crossed in the ship again to the other side, a great multitude was collected to him, and he was by the lake. 22 And one of the synagogue-rulers comes, Jairus [Jair] by name, and seeing him, falls down at his feet, 23 and beseeches him much, saying, My little daughter is in the last stage [of life] ; come and lay [your] hands on her, that she may be saved and live. 24 And he went with him, and a great multitude followed him and pressed upon him. 25 And there was a certain woman with a hemorrhage of twelve years ; 26 and she had suffered [tried] many things by many physicians, and expended all she had, and was not benefited, but rather grew worse. 27 Hearing of Jesus, she came in the crowd from behind and touched his garment ; 28 for she said, If I can only touch his garments, I shall be saved. 29 And immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she knew [felt] in her body that she was cured of the plague. 30 And Jesus immediately, having known [felt] in himself the power which had gone out of him, turning round in the crowd, said, Who touched my garments ? 31 And his disciples said to him, You see the multitude press on you, and do you say, Who touched me ? 32 And he looked round to see her that had done this; 33 and the woman, afraid and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and worshipped him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has saved you ; go in peace, and be well of your plague. 21-34.

4. 35 While he was yet speaking, [persons] come from the synagogue-ruler's, saying, Your daughter has died, why further trouble the teacher ? 36 But Jesus immediately hearing the word spoken, says to the synagogue-ruler, Fear not, only believe. 37 And he suffered none to accompany him except Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. 38 And they come into the house of the synagogue-ruler, and he beholds the tumult, and [persons] weeping and making many lamentations ; and going in, he says to them, Why do you make a tumultuous noise and weep ? The little child has not died, but sleeps. 40 And they laughed at him. And putting all out, he takes the father and mother of the little child, and those with him, and goes in where the little child was ; 41 and taking the little child's hand, says to her, Talitha kum, which is interpreted, girl, (I tell you,) arise. 42 And immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years old. And they were at once astonished with great astonishment ; 43 and he strictly charged them that none should know it, and directed food to be given her. 21-13.

5. 6 : * And he went out thence, and comes to his native country, and his disciples follow him ; 2 and when it was the sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many, hearing, were astonished, saying, Whence has this [man] these things, and what is the wisdom which is given him, that such powers are exercised by his hands ?

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joset, and Judas, and Simon ? And are not his sisters here with us ? And they stumbled at him.

4 And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his native country, and among his relations, and in his house ; 5 and he could exercise no power there, except, putting his hands on a few, he cured them, and wondered on account of their unbelief. 6: 1-6.

Chapter VII. 6:6-56

Jesus travels and employs the twelve apostles as assistants, is thought by Herod [Antipas] to be John the Baptist, Herod's murder of John, report of the twelve apostles, Jesus feeds 5000, visits Bethsaida, walking on the- lake visits Gennesaret, and cures many.

1. 6 :6 And he went in a circuit about the villages, teaching; 7 and calls the twelve, and began to send them out by twos, and gave them authority over impure spirits, 8 and charged them to take nothing for the way except a stick only ; not bread, not a sack [for provisions], nor money for the purse, 9 but to be furnished with sandals; and put not on [says he] two coats. 10 And he said to them, Wherever you enter a house, remain there till you depart from the place. n And whatever place will not receive you, nor hear you, when you go out thence, shake off the dust from under your feet for a testimony to them. 12 And having gone out, they preached that they should change their minds, ]3 and cast out many demons, and anointed many sick with oil, and cured them. 6-13.

2. H And king Herod [Antipas] heard, for his name was famous, and said, John that baptizes, has risen from the dead, and on that account [superior] powers are exercised by him ; 15 but some said, He is Elijah, and others, He is a prophet like one of the prophets ; 16 but Herod, hearing, said, John whom I beheaded, is raised up. 14-16.

3. 17 For Herod had sent and took John, and bound him in prison, on account of Herodias his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. 18 For John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife; ]9 and Herodias had a quarrel with him, and wished to kill him, but could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and watched chaptee vii. 6 : 6-56. 21