(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Healing on the Sabbath and casting out demons
- And He entered into the synagogue again, and a man having a *withered hand was there.
- And they were watching Him closely to see if He will heal him on the Sabbaths so they might accuse Him.
- And He tells the man having the withered hand: “Rise, stand in our midst.”
- And He says to them: “Is it lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbaths? To save a life or to kill?” But they were keeping silent.
- And having looked around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of their heart, He tells the man: “Extend your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
- And having gone out, the Pharisees immediately were offering counsel against Him with the Herodians, on how they might destroy Him.
- And Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples, and a great crowd followed from Galilee, and from Judea,
- and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon; hearing how much He was doing, a great crowd came to Him.
- And He instructed His disciples so a boat might wait on Him because of the crowd, so they don’t constrict Him.
- For He healed many, so others tried to press upon Him so that as many as had diseases might touch Him.
- And whenever the unclean spirits were seeing Him, they were falling down before Him and were crying out, saying: “You are the Son of God.”
- And He was rebuking them often, so they wouldn’t make Him known.
The twelve
- And He ascends up to the mountain and summons whom He Himself was wanting, and they went to Him.
- And He appointed twelve [whom He also called apostles] so they might be with Him, and so He might send them to proclaim,
- and to have authority to cast out demons.
- And He appointed the twelve, and added the name Peter to Simon,
- and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (He also added to them the name Boanerges, which is translated: “Sons of Thunder”),
- and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
- and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Divided against itself
- And He goes into a house and the crowd assembles again, so they aren’t even able to eat bread.
- And having heard this, the men from His family went out to grab Him, for they were saying: “He’s out of His mind.”
- And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying: “He has Beelzebul.”1“Beelzebul” from the Hebrew phrase “Baal Zebub” that translates as “lord of the flies”. It’s likely a play on words for the pagan Canaanite god Baal. One of his names was “Ba’al Zevul”, which roughly translates as “Lord of the exalted house”. Since “Ba’al Zevul” sounds very similar to “Baal Zebub”, it was likely a derogatory Hebrew nickname for the Canaanite god. Apparently, the title was later applied to an actual demon. There is some debate on whether Beelzebub is a nickname for Satan, or for another high ranking demon. And: “He casts out demons by the ruler of demons.”
- And having summoned them, He was speaking to them in parables: “How is Satan able to cast out Satan?
- “And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom isn’t able to stand.
- “And if a house is divided against itself, that house won’t be able to stand.
- “And if Satan rose against himself and was divided, he isn’t able to stand, but is coming to an end.
- “But having entered into the house of the strong man, no one is able to plunder his goods unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.
- “Amen I tell you that all things will be forgiven the sons of men; their sins and their blasphemies, whatever they blasphemed.
- But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit doesn’t have forgiveness through the age,2“through the age” this Greek phrase “εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα” is omitted from most modern translations, despite it being present in all three the source texts from which the vast majority of modern translations are translated. Including this phrase makes the verse harmonize perfectly with Matthew and Luke’s account. but is guilty of the sin of ages.”
- (He said this because they were saying: “He has an unclean spirit”.)
- And His mother and His brothers come; and standing outside, they sent word to Him, summoning Him.
- And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they tell Him: “Behold; your mother, and your brothers, and your sisters are outside seeking you.”
- And answering them, He says: “Who is My mother and My brothers?”
- And having looked around at the men who are sitting in a circle around Him, He says: “Behold, My mother and My brothers.
- “For whoever does the will of God; this is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
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