Chapter # 9 Paragraph # 6 Study # 2
June 6, 2023
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
(408)
1901 ASV
9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, because ye are Christ's, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
9:42 And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
9:43 And if thy hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than having thy two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.
9:44 [where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.]
9:45 And if thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life halt, rather than having thy two feet to be cast into hell.
9:46 [where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.]
9:47 And if thine eye cause thee to stumble, cast it out: it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell;
9:48 where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire.
9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace one with another.
- I. There Is An Immediate Switch Of Subject In 9:41.
- A. The immediately preceding context is of "The John" attempting to hinder an exorcist using the name of Jesus "because he was not following us".
- 1. The "larger" issue is the carnal kingdom ambition of "being great".
- 2. The "smaller" issue is the twisting of the "kingdom authority", given to the apostles, into the supposed "dark kingdom authority" where "opposition" is at work.
- B. Then, in suddenness, Jesus switches from an "apostle's" attempt to restrict another's use of the name of Jesus, to another's act of giving the "apostles" a drink of water "in the name that ye are of Christ".
- 1. The contextual contrast: on one hand, "he that is not against us is for us"; and on the other hand, "if anyone should give to you a drink of water, ... he shall not (ou me) destroy His reward".
- a. There are nine texts in which "apollumi" is used in Mark's record.
- 1) 1:24 -- the unclean spirit questions Jesus as to His intent to "destroy us".
- 2) 2:22 -- the wine, when the skin is burst, is "lost" (i.e., "destroyed" ??).
- 3) 3:6 -- the Pharisees and Herodians conspire to "destroy" Jesus.
- 4) 4:38 -- the storm is said to cause the disciples to be "perishing" (i.e., "destroyed ??).
- 5) 8:35 -- the one who wishes to "save" his soul will "lose" ("destroy" ??) it, but the one who "loses" ("destroys") his soul shall "save" it.
- 6) 9:22 -- the evil spirit routinely sought to "destroy" the boy by casting him into water.
- 7) 9:41 -- our current focus.
- 8) 11:18 -- the chief priests and the scribes were seeking to "destroy" Jesus.
- 9) 12:9 -- the angry owner of the vineyard will "destroy" the vine-growers because they killed his son.
- b. Jesus is saying that nothing that the one who gave the water can do will "destroy" his reward. This is firm (ou me) and strongly indicates that if the one whose action is set in stone as to "reward", certainly no one else can "destroy the reward" either.
- 2. The contrast is significant: an "apostle" attempting to block the actions of another to another's provision of a drink to an "apostle". Which is operating on the basic Kingdom principles?
- 3. There is in this context an extended explanation of "reward".
- a. It begins with "...he shall not lose (destroy) his reward...".
- b. But it immediately shifts to what happens to someone who "offends".
- 1) The "offended" is of "one of these lesser ones".
- a) The translators seem to give the impression that Jesus is still talking about the children.
- b) But a strong case can be made for the idea that He is not still talking about the "children", but of "those considered to be lesser than the apostles by those very apostles" who are, like the exorcist, serving others in the name of Jesus.
- i. The larger context is the disciples' argument over who is "greatest".
- ii. "The John" reveals his complete lack of understanding by "joining the opposition". Jesus had just said that "everyone who is not against us is for us", but "The John" has no qualms about being "against" the exorcist who is operating on the basis of the name of Jesus/Christ. Thus, "The John" is the one who "is against us" because he tries to squelch one who is "for us".
- 2) The issues of "offense" are "Gehenna" deserving actions.
- a) The textual indicators are that 9:44 and 9:46 are not a legitimate part of Mark's words.
- b) The words and truth of the "Gehenna" issue are in 9:48, but the overall text does not have the emphasis that a three-fold repetition would have.
- c) Jesus is addressing The Twelve who are captivated by their lust for greatness.
- i. This does not challenge the concept of the inability to "destroy" one's own reward.
- ii. This does not challenge the reward of any "work" that is properly motivated, but it does challenge the nature of any "work" that is motivated by "the lust for greatness" [Note Luke 10:17-20].
- d) These warnings of Jesus are designed to force the disciples to evaluate whether, or not, they have ever done a rewardable work if they are so focused upon their own superiority.