MARK 8:27 TO MARK 9:1. THE GREAT CONFESSION, AND THE FIRST VIEW OF THE CROSS. Here opens a new section of the gospel. The tendency to seek retirement with the Twelve, pronounced from Mark 6:31 onwards, now dominates the story. Jesus devotes Himself to traming the Twelve in the shadow of the Cross. T... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECOND FEEDING OF THE MULTITUDE. This narrative is now generally regarded as a second version of the incident recorded in ch. 6. Indeed Wendland, Wellhausen, and HNT treat Mark 8:1 as a doublet of Mark 6:34; Mark 7:1; Mark 7:31. That both accounts of the feeding of the multitude are closely foll... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REQUEST FOR A SIGN REFUSED. The Pharisees require some special authentication from Jesus beyond exorcisms and healings. They are said to tempt Jesus either because their question was intended to embarrass, or because unintentionally (like Peter in Mark 8:33) they renewed what had been one of the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BLINDNESS OF THE DISCIPLES REBUKED. This is a difficult paragraph. Mark 8:15 contains a genuine utterance of Jesus which does not necessarily belong to its present context. Lk. gives it in another connexion (Luke 12:1) and Wellhausen points out that Mark 8:14 and Mark 8:16 seem artificially sepa... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BLIND MAN OF BETHSAIDA. This cure is described and wrought in a thoroughly popular manner. The use of spittle (Mark 7:33) was widespread in those days. A similar cure is attributed to Vespasian (Suet. _Vesp._ ch. 7). HNT adds a Greek parallel, Alcetas Halicus. The same being blind saw a vision.... [ Continue Reading ]
MARK 8:27 TO MARK 9:1. THE GREAT CONFESSION, AND THE FIRST VIEW OF THE CROSS. Here opens a new section of the gospel. The tendency to seek retirement with the Twelve, pronounced from Mark 6:31 onwards, now dominates the story. Jesus devotes Himself to training the Twelve in the shadow of the Cross.... [ Continue Reading ]