Lectionary Calendar

Wednesday, May 31st, 2023
the Week of Proper 3 / Ordinary 8

Bible Commentaries
Mark 13

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Verse 1

As Jesus was leaving the temple. Matthew gives the most details of this. See notes on Matthew 24:0. Mark does add a few things to the account.

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Peter, James, John, and Andrew. Matthew says only: “the disciples.” “In private” must mean “away from the crowds.” The temple’s destruction had been announced more or less in public (Matthew 23:38; Matthew 24:2).

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Verse 9

You yourselves must watch out. The instructions of Mark 13:9-11 are not given in Matthew 24:0, but are found in Matthew 10:18-20. See notes there. Jesus probably said these things to his disciples a number of times. Watch out, Not to escape persecution, but to be prepared for it. Taken to court. The Jewish courts. Each of the larger towns had their own court. The Sanhedrin was the Jewish “Supreme Court.” You will be beaten in the synagogues. Every synagogue had three men with the authority to punish. Beating [whipping] was one way they did this, with thirty-nine lashes as the usual number given (Deuteronomy 25:3; 2 Corinthians 11:24). You will stand before rulers and kings. Roman officials such as Felix, Festus, Gallio, Agrippa, Nero, etc. To tell them the Good News. God wants everyone to hear the Good News and believe it. Compare what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22.

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Verse 18

18.

Will not happen in wintertime. Matthew 24:20 adds: “or on a Sabbath!” The reasons for this are given in the notes on Matthew 24:0. History records that the sign Jesus mentions for “running away,” the surrounding of the city by the Romans, and the panic that caused their sudden pullback, took place on a Tuesday, in October. So their prayer was answered.

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Verse 30

30.

Before the people now living have all died. Jesus qualifies his prediction by putting it into a definite time frame. It would be in the natural lifetime of the generation then alive! See on Matthew 24:34.

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Verse 32

32.

No one knows, however. As Jesus stands in his human form, he says that he does not know the time of his Second Coming, when he returns to judge the earth. How foolish, then, for “Bible Scholars” to set dates.

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Verse 37

37.

Watch! Matthew tells how Jesus stressed this by using the parables of the Ten Girls (Matthew 25:1-13); The Three Servants (Matthew 25:14-30); and his picture of the Judgment when he gathers all earth’s people and separates them into two groups (Matthew 25:31-46).

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MarkMrk 12 MarkMrk MarkMrk 14

Bibliographical Information
Ice, Rhoderick D. "Commentary on Mark 13". "The Bible Study New Testament". https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/ice/mark-13.html. College Press, Joplin, MO. 1974.

Bible Commentaries
Mark 13

The Bible Study New TestamentBible Study NT

Verse 1

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 18

Verse 30

Verse 32

Verse 37

Bible CommentariesMark 13

The Bible Study New TestamentBible Study NT

Verse 1

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 18

Verse 30

Verse 32

Verse 37

Bible Commentaries
Mark 13