Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 6 Study # 2
March 29, 2022
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: "Knowing", when disconnected from the divine agape, leads to an aggressive pursuit of seriously flawed objectives.
Introduction: In our study last week, we considered the four issues involved in
6:53. Those issues were: Mark's purpose for using a relatively rare term for "crossing over" and his "point" that it signaled the basic truth that the disciples, at this point, should have been "believing", but were not; Mark's purpose for using the descriptive phrase "upon the land" (the boat was actually out of the water and upon the beach); Mark's purpose for revealing that the destination was changed from Bethsaida to Gennesaret (to emphasize Jesus' actions as the One capable of bringing about "Kingdom conditions" in harmony with the early announcement that "the Kingdom of God is at hand"); and Mark's purpose for using a very rare verb to describe the fact that the boat and the disciples were "brought" to a mooring place that was a mirror for the Ark coming to rest upon the land at Ararat so that the impact of this event was to present Jesus as being able to bring about a "new beginning" just as Noah had.
The overall point was that Jesus was, again, presented as The Mighty One whom John had announced Who was more than capable of fulfilling the Plan of God relating to The Kingdom Of God.
In our study this evening we are going to go further into the issues involved in Mark's record of the result of the arrival at Gennesarat: the impact of the crowd's "knowledge" of Jesus so that they scurried around all of the regions close by to bring the physically infirm to Jesus to touch His garments and be healed.
- I. The "Exit" From The Boat.
- A. If Mark did not have a particular "point" to make with these words, he would not have written them.
- 1. Matthew's record does not have these words in it (14:34-35).
- 2. Luke does not even record the event.
- 3. John does not use these words either (John 6:21 and following).
- B. Mark's references to the use of a boat give us some understanding of the significance of the "exit".
- 1. Mark refers to "a boat/boats" in 15 places in his record.
- a. Our current text is # 13 of those 15.
- b. Prior to this text, "a boat/boats" show up in 12 places.
- 1) The first two are in the extended introduction where we are told that the first four of Jesus' disciples were summoned away from their "boats".
- 2) The third use is in 4:1 where Jesus uses a "boat" to put some distance between Himself and the undisciplined crowd.
- 3) The fourth and fifth uses are in 4:36-37 within the context of the storm on the sea that threatened to drowned the disciples.
- 4) The sixth use is the first of two directly parallel passage to our current text -- referring to an earlier "exit" from the boat which brought Jesus into immediate conflict with a legion of demons (5:2).
- 5) The seventh use (5:18) involves the former demoniac seeking to go with Jesus and being denied the privilege.
- 6) The eighth use (5:21) is the second directly parallel passage to our current text -- its reference is to Jesus "crossing over" and being subsequently surrounded by a large crowd.
- 7) The ninth use (6:32) tells us of Jesus' plan to let the disciples take a break from the crowds.
- 8) The next three uses are all in the record of the walk upon the sea (6:45, 47, and 51) and bring us to our current text.
- c. The final two references are in 8:10 and 14 and constitute the culmination of the entire section of this portion of Mark's record.
- 2. The issues for Mark are basically two: the uses of a "boat" to put distance between the crowd and Jesus/His disciples; and the uses of a "boat" to provide the "setting" for the major lessons the disciples are supposed to learn.
- a. The issue of "separation" from the crowd is deliberate: the crowd is carnal and undisciplined (chasing after their own desires with no thought to anyone else).
- b. The issue of "necessary lessons" is also deliberate: the disciples are not "learning" from the events involving the crowd so that Jesus has to take them through their own experiences with their inadequacy as the major point.
- C. The particular "exit" of our current study thrusts the disciples back into the crowds and the strong implication is that they will not "learn" while the crowds press them into "hyper busyness" mode (as both 6:52 and 8:17 indicate).
- II. Mark's Rather Shocking Use of "euqus epignontes".
- A. As we have seen several times previously, "euqus" means, effectively, "focus here".
- B. And the use of epignontes is remarkable for its meaning and significance.
- 1. It is an intensified form of "ginosko", a word that John uses regularly in his Gospel and First Letter to indicate a "knowledge that can lead to salvation" (Galatians 4:9).
- 2. As an intensified form, it signals a more profound level of "knowing".
- a. Mark 2:8 uses this form to indicate Jesus' ability to "know" what people are silently thinking and to take action on the basis of that "knowing".
- b. Mark 5:30 uses this form to indicate that Jesus could sense the flow of power out of Himself, and to take action on that basis.
- c. Mark 6:33 uses this form to tell us that the people "knew" where Jesus and The Twelve were going, and the action they took was to get there before Him/them.
- d. Mark 6:54 is Mark's last use of this form and it again tells us of a sufficiently profound "knowing" that it moved them to scurry around and get every sick person they could find to Jesus for healing.
- 3. To translate it "recognize" in this text is to evidence a lack of "Focus Here" (euqus).
- C. In the rest of the New Testament, epignontes follows the idea of a more precise knowing.
- 1. In respect to the benefits of this more precise knowing: 1 Corinthians 13:12 says "we shall know as we have been known"; Colossians 1:6 says the believer's "fruitfulness" arises out of a "knowing/understanding" of the grace of God in truth; 1 Timothy 4:3 speaks of being able to eat certain foods with gratitude because of "believing and knowing" the Truth.
- 2. In respect to the dangers of this more precise knowing: Romans 1:32 says those to be condemned "know" the ordinance of God regarding their liability; and 2 Peter 2:21 says that certain false teachers "have known" the way of righteousness and turned from it.
- D. Mark's use of this intensified verb in our text indicates that he wants us to "think" about what it means that the crowd "knew" Jesus and immediately ran all about those regions in order to get people to be healed.
- 1. Throughout Mark, the "healings" were performed by Jesus to indicate His identity as "The Mighty One".
- 2. But, there are sufficient cases of people being extended this grace of "healing" without regard for their inner motives (that's why is it called "grace").
- 3. Thus, for our edification, Mark wished for us to realize a profound truth: "knowing" is not a good thing when it is wedded to one's own fleshly values.
- 4. For one to "know" with any real benefit, the "knowing" must be guided by the "loving" that is of God.
