BRF - Dick France
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - A Short Stay in Decapolis
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - A Short Stay in Decapolis
by BRF - Dick France
A SHORT STAY in DECAPOLIS MARK 5: 14-20 Decapolis, the area to which Jesus and his disciples had come on the eastern side of the lake, was a semi-independent confederation of Greek towns, owing allegiance to Rome, but with little contact with Jewish culture and religion…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - MORE PREGNANT SAYINGS
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - MORE PREGNANT SAYINGS
by BRF - Dick France
MORE PREGNANT SAYINGS MARK 4: 21-25 Before we come to the two other ‘story-parables’ of chapter 4, Mark offers us a collection of short sayings which together explore further the nature of revelation and how we must respond to the truth revealed…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - SPELLING IT OUT
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - SPELLING IT OUT
by BRF - Dick France
SPELLING IT OUT MARK 4: 13-20 Mark will tell us in verse 34 that Jesus explained everything in private to his disciples. In that case, this detailed spelling out of what the imagery of the parable represented must be typical of many other such explanations; but this is the only o…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The SECRET
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The SECRET
by BRF - Dick France
The SECRET MARK 4: 10-12 These three verses go to the heart of the problem of the divided response to Jesus and his message. They raise acutely the problem of why, when the same gospel is preached, some believe and others do not. But it is another matter how far they offer an ans…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - WHAT HAPPENED to the SEEDS?
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - WHAT HAPPENED to the SEEDS?
by BRF - Dick France
WHAT HAPPENED to the SEEDS? MARK 4: 3-9 The Parable of the Sower draws on the familiar experiences of a Palestinian farmer, even if not every farmer was so unlucky as to have all these types of problem ground on his farm at once…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - TWELVE GOOD MEN & TRUE
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - TWELVE GOOD MEN & TRUE
by BRF - Dick France
TWELVE GOOD MEN & TRUE MARK 3: 13-19 This was an important moment, the selection, from among the many people who were following Jesus, of the task force on whom the extension of his mission would depend, not only while he himself was still there to supervise them (6:7–13, 30–31) …
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - BESIDE the SEASIDE
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - BESIDE the SEASIDE
by BRF - Dick France
BESIDE the SEASIDE MARK 3: 7-12 The ‘sea’, here as elsewhere in Mark’s story, is of course the Lake of Galilee, a large fresh- water inland lake, enclosed by hills, and the scene of the thriving fishing industry from which Jesus has already drawn four of his followers…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - ‘UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!’
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - ‘UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!’
by BRF - Dick France
‘UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!’ MARK 1: 40-45 The man’s complaint may not have been full-scale ‘leprosy’ as we use the word, but it would be an unpleasant skin-disease which was regarded as infectious, and therefore made the sufferer ‘unclean’…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - KEEPING on the MOVE
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - KEEPING on the MOVE
by BRF - Dick France
KEEPING on the MOVE MARK 1: 35-39 In these verses we conclude the ‘twenty-four hours in Capernaum’ which began in verse 21. Jesus has been busy teaching, healing, casting out demons, and generally making a formidable impression on the people of this seaside town…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - In the EVENING
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - In the EVENING
by BRF - Dick France
In the EVENING MARK 1: 29-34 Straight after the first exorcism comes the first healing. The contrast is remarkable. The first was a dramatic confrontation with evil in a very public arena; the second is the healing of a sick woman in private in her own home…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - SOMETHING NEW in the SYNAGOGUE
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - SOMETHING NEW in the SYNAGOGUE
by BRF - Dick France
SOMETHING NEW in the SYNAGOGUE MARK 1: 21-28 Simon and Andrew lived in Capernaum (1:29), and their home now became Jesus’ base for much of his time in Galilee. In 1:21–38 Mark tells us of twenty-four hours in Capernaum, beginning with the sabbath service in the synagogue, and goi…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - In the WILDERNESS