The Bible

 

Mark 9

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1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.

13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

   

Commentary

 

Explanation of Mark 9

By Rev. John Clowes M.A.

Explaining the Inner Meaning of Mark 9

Verses 1, 2. BUT it is otherwise with those who are principled in faith, in charity, and in works of charity, for these no longer experience any separation of life from the Divine Being, but behold heaven opened through the LORD'S Divine Humanity, and see in that Humanity the All of Divinity.

Verses 3, 4. And that from it proceeds all Divine Truth, both historical and prophetical.

Verses 5, 6. Which state of interior perception affects the will of those who are in the truths of the church, so that they earnestly desire the reception of the Word in themselves, yet know not how it can be accomplished.

Verse 7. Until they are instructed from the letter, that they ought to obey the LORD, who is Divine Truth, or the Word.

Verse 8. And who on this occasion is seen to be the All of the Word in themselves.

Verses 9, 10. Which yet cannot be seen but by faith in the LORD'S Divine Humanity.

Verses 11, 12, 13. Agreeably to the testimony of the Word, which teaches that the LORD'S Humanity was glorified, or made Divine, by temptation-combats, in which it was representative of the Word, and suffered itself to be treated as the Word itself had been treated by the church.

Verses 14, 15. That much inquiry is made in the church concerning goods and truths, and especially concerning the LORD'S Humanity.

Verses 16, 17, and first part of the 18. So that application is made in favour of those who, through infernal influence, are destitute of the perception and understanding of truth, that they may be delivered from such influence.

Verse 18, latter part. Which yet cannot be affected by goods and truths, unless in conjunction with their Divine Source.

Verse 19. To accomplish which conjunction, successive changes of state are necessary, both of Divine consolation and of temptation-combats.

Verse 20. And these temptation-combats become extreme, in proportion as the Divine presence is near, and operative to gain the victory.

Verses 21-24. Commencing at the first period of regeneration, sometimes by the lusts of evil in the will, and sometimes by the seduction of false principles in the understanding, but in all cases tending to the manifestation of the Divine mercy, and of the Omnipotence of a right faith grounded in that mercy.

Verses 25, 26. Which faith, being directed to the LORD'S Divine Humanity, draws from Him a Divine Power for the restoration of the perception and understanding of truth, and for the total removal of infernal influence.

Verses 26, 27. Yet not without violent opposition from the infernals, insomuch that it appears as if they prevailed to destroy all perception and understanding both of good and truth, when yet this is merely an appearance.

Verses 28, 29. Nevertheless this opposition can only be overcome by those whose interiors are opened, through temptation-combats, to the LORD'S Divine Humanity.

Verses 30, 31. Therefore the LORD endured those combats, and thus glorified, or made Divine, His Human Principle.

Verse 32. Which is a doctrine little understood, because the natural man is alarmed at it.

Verses 33, 34. For the natural man is eager to exalt himself in self-love, rather than to abase himself under a sense of his own nothingness.

Verses 36, 37. When yet the eternal Truth teaches, that man becomes great only by the humility which inclines him to promote the good of others, and that innocence therefore ought to be exalted above every other good, since all who are in innocence are in the LORD, and the LORD in them.

Verses 38-40. Mankind, therefore, ought not to be judged from outward profession, or from the religious sect to which they belong, but from the sincerity with which they oppose and reject what is evil because it is sin against the LORD.

Verse 41. For all who, from a principle of obedience, do what is good and true, are the LORD'S children and heirs of His kingdom.

Verse 42. As, on the other hand, all who reject innocence, separate themselves from the LORD, and plunge themselves into all infernal evils and falsities.

Verses 43-46. Therefore every natural affection which rejects the goods of innocence, ought to be separated, since it is safer to be in simple good without genuine truth, than to know what is good and true, and yet oppose it.

Verses 47, 48. In like manner the natural thought of the understanding, which rejects the truths of innocence, ought to be discarded, since it is better not to know and apprehend such truths, than to know and apprehend, and still live a life of evil.

Verses 49, 50. For all genuine good desires truth, and all genuine truth desires good, in which case it becomes good, and therefore all ought to cherish such desire, by cherishing the spirit of mutual love, which is the source from the Lord of true peace.