Mark 3

King James Version

Full text for Mark Chapter 3

1¶ And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, ‹Stand forth.›

4And he saith unto them, ‹Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?› But they held their peace.

5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, ‹Stretch forth thine hand.› And he stretched [it] out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

8And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and [from] beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.

9And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

10For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

12And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

13¶ And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth [unto him] whom he would: and they came unto him.

14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

16And Simon he surnamed Peter;

17And James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21And when his friends heard [of it], they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

22¶ And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

23And he called them [unto him], and said unto them in parables, ‹How can Satan cast out Satan?›

24‹And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.›

25‹And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.›

26‹And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.›

27‹No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.›

28‹Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:›

29‹But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:›

30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

31¶ There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

33And he answered them, saying, ‹Who is my mother, or my brethren?›

34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, ‹Behold my mother and my brethren!›

35‹For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.›

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, provoking the Pharisees and Herodians to plot against him. He then withdraws, gathers a great multitude, and appoints twelve apostles to preach and cast out devils. Later, Jesus refutes accusations of casting out devils by Beelzebub, warning against blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, and declares that his true family consists of those who do God's will.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath in the synagogue, an act that angers the Pharisees and leads them to conspire with the Herodians for his destruction. Jesus subsequently withdraws to the sea, where vast multitudes from various regions follow him, seeking healing from their afflictions, and unclean spirits acknowledge him as the Son of God, though he silences them. He then ascends a mountain and ordains twelve apostles, granting them authority to preach, heal, and cast out devils. As the crowds press upon him, scribes from Jerusalem accuse him of being possessed by Beelzebub and casting out devils by the prince of devils. Jesus refutes this charge with parables, explaining that a divided kingdom cannot stand, and warns against the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Finally, when his mother and brethren seek him, Jesus teaches that his true family comprises those who do the will of God.

Long Summary

The third chapter of Mark commences with Jesus entering a synagogue and encountering a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees watch intently, hoping to accuse him if he heals on the Sabbath. Jesus challenges them, asking if it is lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill, but they remain silent. Grieved by their hard hearts, Jesus commands the man to stretch forth his hand, and it is immediately restored. This act prompts the Pharisees to conspire with the Herodians to destroy him. Jesus then withdraws to the sea, followed by immense crowds from Galilee, Judaea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, and regions beyond Jordan, as well as Tyre and Sidon, all seeking healing. He instructs his disciples to have a small ship ready to prevent the pressing multitude from overwhelming him, as he had healed many and unclean spirits acknowledged him as the Son of God, though he strictly charged them to keep his identity secret. Ascending a mountain, Jesus calls to him those whom he chose and ordains twelve apostles, commissioning them to be with him, to preach, and to possess power to heal sicknesses and cast out devils. The list of these twelve includes Simon (surnamed Peter), James and John (surnamed Boanerges, “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who would betray him. Later, as the multitude again gathers, preventing even a meal, scribes from Jerusalem arrive and accuse Jesus of casting out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. Jesus responds with parables, questioning how Satan can cast out Satan, asserting that a kingdom or house divided against itself cannot stand. He further illustrates that one cannot plunder a strong man's house unless the strong man is first bound. Jesus then issues a solemn warning, declaring that while all other sins and blasphemies may be forgiven, blasphemy against the Holy Ghost has no forgiveness, but incurs eternal damnation, specifically because they attributed his power to an unclean spirit. The chapter concludes with Jesus's mother and brethren arriving and seeking to speak with him. When informed, Jesus looks upon those seated around him and proclaims that whoever does the will of God is his true brother, sister, and mother, redefining familial bonds through spiritual obedience.

Core Concepts

  • Sabbath ControversyJesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, directly challenging the strict interpretations of the religious authorities, who then plot against him.
  • Multitudes and HealingJesus attracts vast crowds from diverse regions who seek him for healing from various afflictions, demonstrating his widespread influence and power.
  • Appointment of the TwelveJesus formally selects and ordains twelve apostles, giving them authority to preach, heal, and cast out devils, establishing the foundation of his ministry's outreach.
  • Blasphemy Against the Holy GhostJesus addresses the scribes' accusation that he casts out devils by Beelzebub, warning that attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to evil is an unforgivable sin leading to eternal damnation.
  • Spiritual KinshipJesus redefines his family not by blood ties but by spiritual obedience, stating that those who do the will of God are his true mother, brother, and sister.
  • Opposition to JesusThe chapter highlights the escalating opposition from religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees and scribes, who actively seek to discredit and destroy Jesus.
  • Authority Over Unclean SpiritsJesus demonstrates consistent power over unclean spirits, who recognize and declare his divine identity, though he commands their silence.