Mark 8:34

εἴ τις ([1779][1780][1781][1782][1783][1784][1785]) rather than ὅστις ([1786][1787]2[1788][1789]).

[1779] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[1780] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[1781] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[1782] An asterisk denotes that the word is not found elsewhere in N.T., and such words are included in the index, even if there is no note on them in the commentary.

[1783] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[1784] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 10:15; Mark 10:30 to Mark 15:1; Mark 15:20 to Mark 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[1785] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.
[1786] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.
[1787] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[1788] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

[1789] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mark 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

34. τὸν ὄχλον. Cf. Mark 7:14. Neither Mt. nor Lk. mentions this multitude which comes thus suddenly upon the scene, but Lk.’s characteristic ἔλεγεν πρὸς πάντας indicates that others besides the Twelve are now present. What follows could be appreciated by many outside the Twelve, and self-denial is for all, not for ministers only. Mt. inserts his favourite τότε, thus making this address follow immediately on the prediction of the Passion. In the East a crowd is easily collected.

Εἴ τις θέλει. See crit. note. If anyone desires to come after Me; οὐδένα γὰρ ἄκοντα καταναγκάζει (Euthym.). There is no δεῖ, and εἰ θέλει is put first with emphasis. This “catholic doctrine” (Beng.) is almost verbatim the same in all three, and we may believe that it was regarded as one of the chief treasures among Christ’s remembered Sayings. It seems to have been in “Q”; Matthew 10:38-39; Luke 14:26-27; Luke 17:33.

ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν. Quite different from ὑπάγειν ὀπίσω μου (Mark 8:33). Among the crowd, partly heathen, were some who came out of mere curiosity, and others who followed without counting the cost. Who ever desires to be a genuine follower must accept the conditions. The idea of ἀκολουθεῖν now takes the place of μετάνοια (Mark 1:4; Mark 1:15; Mark 6:12), and the appeal seems to be made to a select few.

ἀπαρνμησάσθω ἑαυτόν. He must give up self-worship and self-will. Self is a home-made idol to be put away (Isaiah 31:7). He must love God with all his powers and his neighbour as himself. The expression is not found elsewhere in N.T.

ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ. The same verb is used of Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21). This is the first mention of the cross in Mk and Lk., but Matthew 10:38 is earlier. Jn nowhere uses it in a metaphorical sense. The metaphor would be intelligible and amazing to those who heard it. Varus about B.C. 4 had crucified 2000 rebels (Joseph. Ant. XVII. x. 10). Quadratus (B.J. II. xii. 6), Gessius Florus (B.J. II. xiv. 9) and others (B.J. V. xi. 1) crucified many. Lk. adds his characteristic καθʼ ἡμέραν to the startling metaphor. If the expansion is his own, it shows much spiritual insight; cf. the change from σήμερον to τὸ καθʼ ἡμέραν in the Lord’s Prayer. In all five passages it is “his cross” or “his own cross,” which intimates that everyone has a cross that no one else can carry. Here the primary reference is to martyrdom; every disciple must be ready for that. To the Twelve, who had just heard the prediction of the Passion, the parabolic Saying would be much more intelligible than to the rest.

ἀκολουθείτω μοι. “Obey Me without question.” It is doubtful whether this is a third condition or a return to ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν, “and in that way he will come after Me.” The Saying could hardly have been invented.