Mark 3:13

Appointing the Twelve Apostles

3:13 Now ¹  Jesus went up the mountain ²  and called for those he wanted, and they came to him.

Mark 3:23

3:23 So ³  he called them and spoke to them in parables: ⁴  “How can Satan cast out Satan?

Mark 3:31

Jesus’ True Family

3:31 Then ⁵  Jesus’ ⁶  mother and his brothers ⁷  came. Standing ⁸  outside, they sent word to him, to summon him.

Mark 6:7

Sending Out the Twelve Apostles

6:7 Jesus ⁹  called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ¹⁰ 

[3:13]  ¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[3:13]  ² tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὅρος, eis to Joro").

[3:23]  ³ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[3:23]  ⁴ sn Jesus spoke two parables to demonstrate the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. The first parable (vv. 23-26) teaches that if Jesus cast out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. The second parable (v. 28) about tying up a strong man proves that Jesus does not need to align himself with the devil because Jesus is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (1:12-13) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 3:29-30). For an explanation of what a parable is, see the note on parables in 4:2.

[3:31]  ⁵ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[3:31]  ⁶ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:31]  ⁷ sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.

[3:31]  ⁸ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[6:7]  ⁷ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:7]  ⁸ sn The phrase unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.