Goodbye

Silvanus, Mark, and other Babylonian believers send their greetings.

Fight, fight, fight, fight!

In verses 36-41, we read about the sharp disagreement between Barnabas and Paul over John Mark.

Whose side are you on?

Outline of Acts 15

1. Jerusalem Council: Gentiles don’t need to keep the whole Law
2. This ruling is communicated to the wider church
3. Paul and Barnabas argue about John Mark

Forgiveness and Prayer

In Mark 11:24-25, Jesus tells us to believe that we’ll receive what we ask for.  And to forgive others so we too can be forgiven.

The “word of God” as the Law

Jesus uses the phrase “word of God” to refer to the Old Testament law in Matthew 15:6 and Mark 7:13.

He argues with the Pharisees and teachers of the law that it is hypocritical to allow adult children to devote property to God to avoid using the funds to care for ailing, elderly parents.

Champion of the Little Guy

Barnabas vouched for Paul when nobody else in the early church trusted him.

In Acts 15:36-41, we learn that Barnabas stands up for John Mark, even after Paul decided that Mark was no longer trustworthy.

King David and the Holy Spirit

Mark 12:36 explains that David spoke ”by the Holy Spirit” when writing Psalm 110.

What is the difference between ordinary speech and speaking by the Holy Spirit?

Psalm 110 is an example of predictive prophecy, but David spoke other words of prescriptive prophecy as well.  Maybe speaking “by the Holy Spirit” is another way to say speaking prophetically.

Don’t Mess with the Holy Spirit

We read–in Matthew 12:32, Mark 3:29, and Luke 12:10–a strong warning against blaspheming against the Holy Spirit.

Speaking against Jesus is forgivable, but speaking against the Spirit has consequences in this life and the next.

What makes this sin so serious?

John the Baptist’s Prediction

In Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, and John 1:33, we read that John the Baptist drew an important distinction between his own ministry and Jesus’.

John says that he baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Final Farewell to Mark

As a final farewell to my blog posts related to the book of Mark, I’d like to direct readers to a companion site, the 9-Year Bible wiki.

Blog posts encourage daily reflection, but are not ideal for creating a “big picture” view of a book of the Bible.

This new wiki may help me balance day-to-day thoughts with a longer-term approach to understanding what I’ve read.