Mark 5:37

5:37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, ¹  and John, the brother of James.

Mark 6:8

6:8 He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff ²  – no bread, no bag, ³  no money in their belts –

Mark 8:12

8:12 Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth, ⁴  no sign will be given to this generation.”

Mark 9:22

9:22 It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Mark 9:35

9:35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Mark 13:20

13:20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them ⁵  short.

Mark 13:32

Be Ready!

13:32 “But as for that day or hour no one knows it – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son ⁶  – except the Father.

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 15:36

15:36 Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, ⁷  put it on a stick, ⁸  and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!”

[5:37]  ¹ tn Grk “and James,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[6:8]  ² sn Neither Matt 10:9-10 nor Luke 9:3 allow for a staff. It might be that Matthew and Luke mean not taking an extra staff, or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light,” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways.

[6:8]  ³ tn Or “no traveler’s bag”; or possibly “no beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).

[8:12]  ³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[13:20]  ⁴ tn Grk “the days.”

[13:32]  ⁵ sn The phrase nor the Son has caused a great deal of theological debate because on the surface it appears to conflict with the concept of Jesus’ deity. The straightforward meaning of the text is that the Son does not know the time of his return. If Jesus were divine, though, wouldn’t he know this information? There are other passages which similarly indicate that Jesus did not know certain things. For example, Luke 2:52 indicates that Jesus grew in wisdom; this has to mean that Jesus did not know everything all the time but learned as he grew. So Mark 13:32 is not alone in implying that Jesus did not know certain things. The best option for understanding Mark 13:32 and similar passages is to hold the two concepts in tension: The Son in his earthly life and ministry had limited knowledge of certain things, yet he was still deity.

[15:36]  ⁶ sn Sour wine refers to cheap wine that was called in Latin posca, a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.

[15:36]  ⁷ tn Grk “a reed.”