Twist family Bible study: the Gospel of Mark

[Shakesthecoffecan]

I am intrigued by the passage about having to take up your cross, it is like the individual crosses are unique to each person, or that is how it sounds to me.

[Wayne]

Yeah ... e.g., for me, to pretend to be straight would be to lose my soul.

So maybe one way of taking up my cross is to be honest about being gay.

[Shakesthecoffecan]

Wow. That is powerful.

[Wayne]

Chapter 9 opens with an interesting statement by Jesus: "some of those who are standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power"

Does he mean that the kingdom of God will come during the normal lifetimes of the people there? Or that some of them will live supernaturally long lives until the kingdom comes? A passage at the end of the gospel of John suggests that Peter and some of the other disciples thought that the author of the gospel of John might be one of those who would live for an extended time. John 21:22-23 But the author of John then clarifies that that is not what Jesus actually said.

I tend to prefer non-supernatural explanations when I can come up with any, so I'm inclined to think Jesus meant the kingdom, the new way of living, was coming soon, during their normal lifetimes. So probably within 30 to 50 years anyway.

[Wayne]

What did happen in that time frame, about 40 years later, was the siege of Jerusalem.

The Roman army completely destroyed the city and led the Jews off to slavery.

Flavius Josephus, a a former Jewish commander now loyal to Rome, wrote:

"Anyone who had known the place before, arriving at the site, would have asked where the city was."

[Wayne]

Meanwhile, back in AD 30 or so, Jesus takes Peter, John, and James up on a mountain, traditionally believed to be Mount Tabor:



His clothes start to shine exceedingly white, and Moses and Elijah appear with him and talk with him.  This is the Transfiguration.

[Wayne]

After a while the radiance abates and Moses and Elijah disappear. Jesus instructs Peter, John, and James not to tell anybody about this until the Son of Man rises from the dead. They debate what he means by "rising from the dead."

I'm curious about the Son of Man myself ... I'm not sure yet - do we know for sure that when he said "the Son of Man" he was talking about himself?

[Wayne]

He heals a boy of something that sounds like epilepsy.

He tells the apostles that "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later."

So this clearly sets out the crucifixion and resurrection story.

The apostles meanwhile are debating who among them is greatest.   

Always one for irony, he notes that "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

[Wayne]

To follow up on the interpretation of the "son of man" ... Wikipedia comes through again!

Scholars differ in their interpretation of this phrase. It was very common in Middle Eastern texts for a very long time.

Usually it means "people" or "everybody" or "one" or "someone",  but sometimes it implied "I".

It was not at all a regal sort of title, but might imply an humble condition, like (if you'll pardon me    ) "poor S.O.B." - oooh! or "mo fo."   

It sounds like the way we use the impersonal "you" in English to mean "one." As in "you have to be 18 to vote." We aren't really specifying that the person we're speaking to is the person who needs to be 18.

So while the traditional Christian interpretation of this phrase "son of man" is that Jesus is referring to himself, it's always worth considering what it would mean if you interpret it as the impersonal "you."

[Artiste]

Hi all...!!!

Since I just discovered this thread, I just read few from the start.

Because my face is still enflammed from the big tooth taken out, I will, if I may, just ask if you have had any lines yet concerning: homosexuality?

Awaiting your news,

hugs!!