Chapter # 1 Paragraph # 7 Study # 3
February 19, 2019
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
(050)
1901 ASV
23 And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25 And Jesus rebuked
him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26 And the unclean spirit, tearing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? a new teaching! with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
28 And the report of him went out straightway everywhere into all the region of Galilee round about.
- I. "...A Man With an Unclean Spirit Was in the Synagogue..."
- A. The word order is actually "...was in the synagogue of them a man with a spirit unclean...".
- B. This word order reveals the critical issue: week after week, there was being (imperfect indicative) in their synagogue a representative of the "spirit world" which was "unclean".
- 1. Mark's focus upon the synagogue indicates his realization that all "truth" has its "center" in the truth about, and the worship of, God.
- a. It is no accident that God had set up a "nation" with its "focus" upon The God to be an indication to the nations that "Theology" is to be their first interest.
- b. It is also no accident that God's primary adversary (Satan: 1:13) does all that he can to get people to put any other subject of inquiry before "Theology" so that they may be more easily kept from "Truth".
- 2. This may indicate that "the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2) had representatives of his dark realm scattered throughout the regions of Jewish worship to keep an eye (or, more accurately, "ear") on the "scribes" as they taught so that they could do what they could to undercut that teaching if there was truth in it.
- a. When the "Holy" Spirit was mentioned (1:8, 10, and 12), the issue was that He would be the motivating, and effectual, force behind the "good" (holy) thing that was about to happen.
- b. Thus we can argue that when the "spirit" is unclean, the issue is still a "behind the scenes motivator of activity", but those activities are morally filthy because the "spirit" is "filthy".
- 3. This does indicate that Mark considered it critical that Jewish "teaching" did not create any heartburn in the unclean spirits.
- a. As long as there is no "authority" in the teaching, "faith" cannot rise to the level of any kind of actual usefulness to God. This is the underlying reason for Paul's demand of Timothy that he refrain from "fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in [by] faith..." (1 Timothy 1:4). As long as there is no "authority", there cannot be any "faith", and without "faith" it is impossible to please God.
- b. The dark realm does not find any teaching objectionable as long as human beings cannot "believe God" and begin to walk in truth. This is the beginning of the policies of the darkness, the ending of which is condemnation by God of the human beings in His creation. Between this "beginning" and "ending" are all manner of painful disasters (body, soul, and spirit) that befall those whose experiences are dominated by "unclean spirits". [There are, also, all manner of painful experiences that befall those who walk in the Truth, but their experiences are mitigated by their relationship with God.]
- c. That the "unclean spirit" was in the synagogue week by week also indicates that the "spirit world" clearly understands that everything is governed by "the words which express the issues that determine the relationship between God and men".
- 4. Mark is clearly setting this truth forth: Jewish theology and practice was almost completely subverted by this time in human history. This explains the enormous hostility in the "religion" to "John" and "Jesus", both of whom preached the words that teach "forgiveness of sins upon the expression of repentance" by men as a "grace-based" reality in God, and the words that teach that men must "abandon" every pursuit that keeps them from "following" Jesus.
- a. The first major issue in Mark's introduction is the identification of Jesus as the Spirit-empowered "Beloved Son" of "Heaven".
- b. The second major issue in Mark's introduction is John's doctrine of both the towering importance of "forgiveness of sins" by God and the methodology of such forgiveness.
- c. The third major issue in Mark's introduction is Jesus' summons to "follow" Him and the inherent requirement of such action that those who "follow" "abandon" (1:18 and 20) any possessions or pursuits that would hinder/prevent such "following".
- c. Then, there is the reality that the second leads automatically to the third and that the third cannot be genuine if the second is not.
- C. That Mark records that the presence, and activities, of the "unclean spirit" were tied to a "man" strongly argues that there are some definite limitations upon the "spirit world" when it comes to their ability to impact the "physical world".
- 1. There is a reason that "unclean spirits" strongly resisted being "cast out" of their human hosts (5:12).
- 2. There is, in support of this idea, Paul's declaration that departures from the faith are generated by "seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1) which are always promoted by the lips of human beings.
- II. The Unclean Spirit's Scream of Terror.
- A. Mark only used the word translated "cried out" twice and the second use informs the first (6:49) because it is very clear from the second use that there is "terror" behind the "cry". This points us to this use because the words expressed here are those of "terror" also.
- B. What the "spirit" said.
- 1. It was "said" as "truth" (lego).
- 2. "What to us and to you?"
- 3. "Jesus Nazarene" (the central "problem" between God and His sentient creation: resisting the lack of "reputation", "status", and "power").
- 4. Have you come to destroy us (the root of the "terror")?
- 5. I know You, who You are: the Holy One of The God.
- C. How Jesus responded in measure to him, saying (lego)...
- 1. Be made silent.
- 2. Come out of him.
- D. What the "unclean spirit" did.
- 1. He caused the man to convulse.
- 2. He made a loud sound
- 3. He came out from him (as commanded).