Mark 2:9

2:9 Which is easier, ¹  to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’?

Mark 9:2

The Transfiguration

9:2 Six days later ²  Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them, ³ 

Mark 11:25

11:25 Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will ⁴  also forgive you your sins.”

Mark 12:24

12:24 Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you deceived ⁵  for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God?

Mark 13:12

13:12 Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against ⁶  parents and have them put to death.

Mark 14:14

14:14 Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’

Mark 14:35

14:35 Going a little farther, he threw himself to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him.

Mark 14:44

14:44 (Now the betrayer ⁷  had given them a sign, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.”) ⁸ 

Mark 15:15

15:15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, ⁹  after he had Jesus flogged, ¹⁰  he handed him over ¹¹  to be crucified.

Mark 15:21

The Crucifixion

15:21 The soldiers ¹²  forced ¹³  a passerby to carry his cross, ¹⁴  Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country ¹⁵  (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus).

¹ sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.

² tn Grk “And after six days.”

³ sn In 1st century Judaism and in the NT, there was the belief that the righteous get new, glorified bodies in order to enter heaven (1 Cor 15:42-49; 2 Cor 5:1-10). This transformation means the righteous will share the glory of God. One recalls the way Moses shared the Lord’s glory after his visit to the mountain in Exod 34. So the disciples saw Jesus transfigured, and they were getting a sneak preview of the great glory that Jesus would have (only his glory is more inherent to him as one who shares in the rule of the kingdom).

³ tn Although the Greek subjunctive mood, formally required in a subordinate clause introduced by ἵνα ({ina), is traditionally translated by an English subjunctive (e.g., “may,” so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), changes in the use of the subjunctive in English now result in most readers understanding such a statement as indicating permission (“may” = “has permission to”) or as indicating uncertainty (“may” = “might” or “may or may not”). Thus a number of more recent translations render such instances by an English future tense (“will,” so TEV, CEV, NLT, NASB 1995 update). That approach has been followed here.

⁴ tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).

⁵ tn Or “will rebel against.”

⁶ tn Grk “the one who betrays him.”

⁷ sn This remark is parenthetical within the narrative and has thus been placed in parentheses.

⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁸ tn The Greek term φραγελλόω (fragellow) refers to flogging. BDAG 1064 s.v. states, “flog, scourge, a punishment inflicted on slaves and provincials after a sentence of death had been pronounced on them. So in the case of Jesus before the crucifixion…Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15.”

⁹ tn Or “delivered him up.”

⁸ tn Grk “They”; the referent (the soldiers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹ tn Or “conscripted”; or “pressed into service.”

¹⁰ sn Jesus was beaten severely with a whip before this (the prelude to crucifixion, known to the Romans as verberatio, mentioned in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), so he would have been weak from trauma and loss of blood. Apparently he was unable to bear the cross himself, so Simon was conscripted to help (in all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution). Cyrene was located in North Africa where Tripoli is today. Nothing more is known about this Simon.

¹¹ tn Or perhaps, “was coming in from his field” outside the city (BDAG 15-16 s.v. ἀγρός 1).