wolfbiblemoon

Mark 15-16

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:11:00 GMT

Posted by: wolfpurplemoon

When the disciples went out into the world to spread their message after Jesus rises, God worked with them confirming their message with several signs. These were acts that could be performed by people who believe: they will be able to drive out demons, speak new languages, pick up snakes, drink poison without being harmed, and heal the sick. These don't seem to be very convincing signs and I think they have simple explanations.

People who seem to be possessed by demons are often suffering some sort of psychological disorder so noone who thinks they are driving out demons is helping. Anyone can babble incoherently especially if in a religiously motivated fervour, so I don't think that a bunch of people doing that would be much of a sign. There are people who pick up snakes with their hands, they're called herpetologists, still not a sign. I'd be incredibly sceptical about anyone claiming to be able to drink a poison they'd had no previous exposure to without harm, I doubt their claims would hold up under scientific conditions. And as for healing people by touching them, I think there have been plenty of studies which show that faith healing has no more than a placebo effect.

comments

Mark 14

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:29:00 GMT

Posted by: wolfpurplemoon

Jesus has a last meal with the disciples, gets betrayed, arrested and condemned to death in pretty much the same way as detailed in Matthew. Though the disciple who runs off naked was new.

comments

Mark 12-13

Sat, 27 Nov 2010 21:06:00 GMT

Posted by: wolfpurplemoon

Jesus points out that the couple of coins a poor widow put into a charity box was worth far more to her than the bigger offerings the rich were leaving. Apparently this shows she has greater faith than the rich men.

A line used as an excuse for missionaries to 'developing' countries, before the end times that Jesus predicts can come the gospel must be preached to all nations, I think that's been achieved already.

comments

Mark 10-11

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:18:00 GMT

Posted by: wolfpurplemoon

Mark 10 doesn't seem to have anything that wasn't covered by Matthew, but I'm not 100% well right now so I may be missing things.

Jesus rides into Bethlehem on a colt instead of two donkeys.

Apparently the fig tree Jesus cursed for not having any fruit wasn't even in season anyway.

comments

Mark 8-9

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 13:23:00 GMT

Posted by: wolfpurplemoon

Jesus has to heal a blind man twice because it didn't quite work the first time. He also has to cast out a demon that the disciples were using the wrong method for so were unable to do it themselves.

John tells Jesus that they tried to stop a man who was casting out demons, but Jesus says that he shouldn't be stopped because anyone who does a miracle in his name will be unable to say anything bad about him. And also that anyone who is not against them is for them, bit of a jump to make but slightly less insidious than 'if you're not with us you're against us' I suppose.

comments

Mark 6-7

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:04:00 GMT

Posted by: wolfpurplemoon

More of the same as what Matthew told us already of Jesus' welcome in his home town, sending out the disciples, the beheading of John the Baptist, the feeding of the five thousand, walking on water, and more healing the sick.

When Jesus sees the crowd he later feeds five loaves and two fish to he takes pity on them because they seemed to him like sheep without a shepherd, so he teaches them things (must have quite an ability to project his voice in a crowd that size).

An added part to the fact that nothing going in to a person can defile them means that no food is therefore considered unclean, negating the long biologically inaccurate lists of animals considered clean and unclean from the OT.

It seems that some people are healed without Jesus meeting them and others need him to lay his hands on their afflicted body parts (ears and tongue for a deaf and mute man).

comments

Mark 4-5

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:28:00 GMT

Posted by: wolfpurplemoon

Mark repeats some parables from Matthew, as well as the story of Jesus controlling the weather after sleeping through a storm, and some more healings (including the woman who hadn't been cured by doctors for 12 years but then her faith in Jesus cured her instantly)

A slight difference to the demon possessed pig story, just one possessed man but two thousand pigs get drowned (the people still ask Jesus to leave). Jesus tells this guy to tell people what was done for him, apparently outside the Jewish regions he wouldn't be accused of having a political goal so it doesn't matter who knows what he's done.

comments

Mark 1-3

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 22:25:00 GMT

Posted by: wolfpurplemoon

Mark starts when John the Baptist meets Jesus, John believes himself to be unworthy of Jesus and has a humble existence eating only what he finds in the desert (locusts and wild honey). This time when Jesus is baptised the dramatic appearance of a dove and a booming voice drives him into the wilderness for 40 days.

No details about what 'temptations' Satan offered that Jesus endured, he hung out with wild animals and was looked after by angels (so can't have been too bad out there).

Jesus starts collecting disciples, driving out demons and healing people. He doesn't let the demons speak because they'll reveal who he is before he's can explain everything himself.

Jesus tries to avoid the mobs of people by sticking to remote areas but they find him anyway.

Jesus says he is mixing with sinners (and tax collectors) because a physician wouldn't be needed by a healthy person and therefore the righteous don't need Jesus.

Jesus' family think he is out of his mind and try to arrest him, and that leads to the same accusation as in Matthew, that he must be possessed by Beezelbub (I still think Jesus is wrong that Satan wouldn't work against his own in order to convince people to follow him), and now it makes sense why he would disown his own family, they did just accuse him of being out of his mind.

comments