The Gospel according to Mark

Second book of the New Testament 

Mark (Peter's disciple)

(Part 2)

We continue this issue to the Systematic Study of the New Testament, which includes the study of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the book of Acts. The study is based on the Portuguese version of the New Testament that the reader can see from this link: http://www.bibliaonline.com.br/asv/mt/1. 

Relevant answers to questions are at the end of the text below. 

Questions 

1. Who were, according to Mark, the twelve disciples of Jesus and that he gave them power?

2. The scribes accused Jesus of having to part with Beelzebub, otherwise, how could cast out demons? Response that Jesus gave them?

3. Asked by his disciples, Jesus explained to them the meaning of the parable of the sower. What did he tell them then?

4. Containing the parable of the seed?

5. After healing of the demoniac that Jesus made in the province of Gadarenes, the people asked the Master to depart from their terms. The former patient, then in his right mind, begged him to take him on his boat. Jesus answered?

Text for reading 

6. It is lawful to do well on Saturday? - Jesus came later in the synagogue, where there was a man who had a withered hand. How was the Sabbath, the Pharisees were watching to be able to accuse him of violating the Sabbath, if he did something. The Master addressed the man, saying, "Arise and come to the middle." And then asked those present: "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or harm? save life or to kill? "They were silent. Jesus then looked at them with anger and being grieved for the hardness of his heart, said the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched, and the hand was restored whole as the other. The Pharisees were indignant and went out, and took counsel with the Herodians against Jesus, trying to see how the kill. The Master then withdrew with his disciples to the sea, followed by a large crowd from Galilee, Judea and elsewhere. (Mark 3:1 to 3:7.) 

7. The unclean spirits were saying that Jesus was the Son of God - As noted, all who had some bad illness, if pressed upon Jesus to touch, but the unclean spirits saw him, fell down before him, and cried saying, Thou art the Son of God, which is why the Master rebuked them much, not to make him known. (Mark 3:11 and 3:12.) 

8. The real family of Jesus - After having responded to the scribes who accused him of having to part with Beelzebub, his brothers arrived () and his mother and had him call. Someone then said, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren seek thee, and are out there. Jesus answered them, saying: "Who is my mother and my brothers?" And he looked around to those sitting beside him, added: "Behold my mother and my brothers. For whosoever shall do the will of God, that's my brother and my sister and my mother." (Mark, 3:31 to 3:35.) 

9. Nobody put your light under a bushel - Once explained to his disciples the true meaning of the parable of the sower, Jesus said to them: "Come perhaps a lamp and put it under a bushel, or under the bed? does not come before to put on the stand? Because there is nothing covered that shall not be manifest, and nothing is done to hide, but to be discovered. If anyone has ears to hear, hear. "That said, the Master said: "Take heed what you hear. With the measure with which you will measure the medirdes you, and you will be still added. For he that hath, to him shall be given, and, it has not, even what he has will be taken away." (Mark, 4:21 to 4:25.) 

10. Jesus calms the wind and placated the storm - where Jesus was addressing the people making use of parables, and without parables he never spoke, but everything stated in private to his disciples. Occurred then, once, a fact that surprised a lot of these. After leaving the crowd on shore, were the disciples and Jesus into the boat. Then rose a great storm, which caused the waves rose over the boat, threatening to make it sink. As Jesus slept in the stern, the disciples awakened, beseeching him for help. The Master then woke up, rebuked the wind and said to the sea: "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased and there was a great calm, after which he asked them: "Why are ye so fearful? Have you still no faith? "His disciples were in great fear and said to each other," Who is this that even wind and sea obey him" (Mark 4:33 to 4:41.)

Answers to questions 

1. Who were, according to Mark, the twelve disciples of Jesus and that he gave them power? 

Simon, whom he named Peter, James and John, sons of Zebedee, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who delivered him. The Master gave them the power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons. (Mark, 3:13 to 3:19.)

2. The scribes accused Jesus of having to part with Beelzebub, otherwise, how could cast out demons? Response that Jesus gave them? 

Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand, and if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and is divided cannot stand, but will end. (Mark, 3:21 to 3:30.) 

3. Asked by his disciples, Jesus explained to them the meaning of the parable of the sower. What did he tell them then?  

Here's how Jesus explained the parable: The sower sows the word, those along the way are those in whom the word is sown, but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. Likewise those who are sown on stony ground, which heard the word, immediately receive it with joy, but have no root in themselves, but are time: afterward, when affliction or persecution because of the word, immediately they offended. And others are those sown among thorns, which hear the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those sown on good ground are those who hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, a hundred others, for one. (Mark 4:2 to 4:20.)

4. Containing the parable of the seed?  

The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground. And should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knoweth not how. For the earth bears fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, the full grain in the ear. And when the fruit is ripe already, put him up just the sickle, for the harvest is come. And he said, shall we liken the kingdom of God? or what the parable represent? It's like a mustard seed which, when sown upon the earth, is the smallest of all seeds that are on earth, but has been sown, grows, and becomes the greatest of all herbs, and produces great branches , so that the birds can nest under its shade. (Mark, 4:26 to 4:32.)

5. After healing of the demoniac that Jesus made in the province of Gadarenes, the people asked the Master to depart from their terms. The former patient, then in his right mind, begged him to take him on his boat. Jesus answered? 

No. Jesus did not attend, but said, Go to your house to yours, and tell them how great things the Lord did, and how he had mercy on you. And he was, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him and all marveled. (Mark 5:2 to 5:20.)