Mark

1:14-20

The journey begins, 1:1-5:43

2. Jesus the Son of God, Messiah, 1:14-45

i] The call to follow Jesus

Mark now gives us a summary of the preaching ministry of Jesus, v14-15, and of the calling of two groups of disciples, first Simon and his brother Andrew, v16-18, and then James and his brother John, v19-20. Jesus' calling of his first disciples introduces the early Galilean ministry, 1:14-3:6.

Divisions within this gospel are somewhat arbitrary, so it is not possible to be definite when segmenting Mark's work. There is much to be said for treating 1:1-15 as the prologue and the commencement of the gospel proper at 1:16 with the call of the four disciples, but it is equally possible to argue that the gospel proper begins at v14.

The opening sentence, v14-15, provides for us "the gospel in a nutshell", Edwards. The gospel announces that the long-promised righteous reign of God over his called out and blessed people is about to begin / has begun (the now / not yet dichotomy again!). The rest of the passage deals with an invitation to discipleship, first to Simon / Peter and Andrew, v16-18, and then to James and John, v19-20. The righteous one, empowered by the Spirit, enters Satan's domain to do battle, proclaims the dawning of the new age of the kingdom, and sets about his mighty work. First, he gathers partners in his quest, a group of fallible men who will be with him all the way to Gethsemane. Although slow in understanding the full import of Jesus' person, and inevitably failing him in the face of danger, they will carry his word beyond the confines of Palestine to the ends of the world.

"The Messiah announces that the decisive hour has struck", Hunter, v14.

meta .. to paradoqhnai (paradidwmi) aor. inf. "after [John] was put in prison" - was delivered over, handed over, turned over. This preposition with the articular infinitive forms a temporal clause. The sense is obviously "handed over to be imprisoned / face trial." Mark clearly has Jesus' public ministry following John's. "After John was arrested", CEV.

eiV thn Galilaian "into Galilee" - Not only does Jesus commence his public ministry in his home province, but it also becomes the center for his ministry.

khrusswn (khrussw) pres. part. "proclaiming" - communicating. Attendant circumstance participle identifying action accompanying the main verb "went", Jesus went .... and preached", but also possibly modal expressing how the action of the verb is accomplished, "he came preaching". The ministry of Jesus, as with the ministry of John, is constantly defined as one of communicating a message, and it is this ministry which is entrusted to Jesus' disciples.

to euaggelion (on) "the good news" - the important news. The word was used of an important message, such as news reported from a battlefront. The message may be good news, or bad news, either way, it is important. "God's important message to humanity."

thV basileiaV (a) "of the kingdom" - This variant, "the important message concerning the kingdom originating from God / belonging to God", is widely attested, but is discounted by most scholars. None-the-less, it does remind us of the content of the message, namely, the coming kingdom of God - the dawning of God's promised righteous reign.

tou qeou "of God" - The genitive is usually taken as expressing an ablative sense, separation, so a genitive of origin; "originating / proceeding from God", but an adjectival sense is certainly possible, particularly possessive, "God's Good News", Barclay, even objective, "the Good News about / concerning God."

Mark now outlines the actual message communicated by Jesus, v15. Matthew has John communicating the same message, cf. Matt.3:2, although John's message is qualified by the fact that the inauguration of the kingdom is in the hands of the coming messiah. John's task is to prepare Israel for messiah's coming. Mark emphasizes John's preparatory role and leaves Jesus to communicate the divine message.

legwn (legw) pres. part. "he said" - saying. Coordinate with the participle "preaching", v14, "preaching .... saying."

oJti "-" - that. Introducing an object clause / dependent statement of direct speech.

oJ kairoV (oV) "the time" - opportune time, appointed time. "A specific quality of a particular period of time", Cullmann.

peplhrwtai (plhrow) perf. "has come" - has been fulfilled, filled up to overflowing. The sense "completed" is best, in that the prophecies concerning the coming of the messiah and the inauguration of his kingdom, have now come to fruition in the person and work of Christ, therefore, the kingdom is upon us, is "now". The perfect tense underlines the idea of completion. "The time, prophesied long ago, has come at last."

hJ basileia (a) "the kingdom" - The righteous reign of God. Referring to the righteous reign / rule / kingship of God now open to all people in and through the ministry of the messiah. The gathering of this people and the exercise of this reign, is inaugurated and comes to fruition, in the person and work of Jesus. Its reality is imaged in the Old Testament, particularly in the historic kingdom of Israel, before finding its fulfilment in Jesus. There is, of course, debate over whether the kingdom is a time/space reality, or just a symbol. The concept, namely "the righteous reign of God", has more going for it than a symbol, an "idea of God's sovereignty." This righteous reign is realized in Christ.

tou qeou "of God" - An adjectival possessive sense for the genitive seems best, but ablative, origin / source is possible.

hggiken (eggizw) perf. "is near" - has come near, approached, drawn near. Drawing near expresses motion toward, so the perfect tense is probably expressing the idea that the motion in time toward the realization of the kingdom has virtually reached its completion, therefore "at hand", "near", although better, "upon", "rubbing up next to." Of course, the word leads to the great debate over the "now and/or, not yet" shape of the kingdom. Without in any way denying that the kingdom of God is yet to be fully realized in the return of Christ, there is still much to be said for Dodd's version or realized eschatology, although we are on safer ground with an inaugurated eschatology. "The kingdom of God is bursting in upon you."

metanoiete (metanoew) imp. "repent" - change [your direction]. The word carries the sense, "turn around", so the imperative is "turn from your opposition to / abandonment of, God", "turn to God", "be converted." Of course, the word "repent" means something quite different in modern language, so we are best not to use it; "turn back to God", CEV.

pisteuete (pisteuw) pres. imp. "believe" - believe. The sense of the word "believe" is "to put one's weight on", "rest firmly on", rather than "give intellectual ascent to."

en + dat. "in [the good news]" - in [the important message]. The sense of "believe in" may be "believe in (the sphere of) the gospel", Moule IB. Most commentators hold it just means "believe the message."

Early in Jesus' ministry he gathers around him a group of very ordinary people to be with him from the beginning through to Gethsemane, v16-20. "The story of Jesus is the story of community, and there is no Christology apart ecclesiology and discipleship", Boring.

paragwn (paragw) pres. part. "As [Jesus] walked beside" - passing by. The variant "walking" gives the same sense as "passing along/by." The participle is adverbial, probably temporal; "when (while) Jesus was walking along the shore", Barclay.

thn qalassan (a) "sea" - The sea of Galilee is properly a lake, although Mark calls it a sea. Jesus focuses his ministry on the Jewish towns around the lake, making his headquarters Capernaum.

thV GalilaiaV (a) gen. "of Galilee" - The genitive is adjectival, epexegetic, specifying what sea is in mind.

amfiballontaV (amfiballw) pres. part. "casting a net" - The participle forms a dependent statement of perception; "he saw that Simon and his brother Andrew were casting a net into the lake." Also possibly adjectival, acc. in agreement with "Simon"; "he saw Simon and his brother Andrew who were casting a net into the lake."

gar "for" - Introducing a causal clause; "because they were fisherman", "being fisherman", Cassirer.

alieiV (uV ewV) "fisherman" - It is fascinating to note that common fishermen are called to serve as Jesus' apostles (the sent ones), although note that Zebedee employed "hired men", indicating that James and John were not at the bottom of the social scale, cf. v20.

deute "come" - come here. Plural form of the adverb serving as an imperatival interjection.

opisw + gen. "follow [me]" - after [me]. An invitation to take up an apprenticeship with the rabbi Jesus, although in rather stark terms; "Here! Behind me", France. It is most likely that these disciples of John knew Jesus well and now that John had been arrested, were given the opportunity to serve the one John had pointed to.

autoiV dat. pro. "[Jesus said]" - [Jesus said] to them. Dative of indirect object.

poihsw (poiew) fut. "I will make" - Used in the sense of "cause someone to do something", Cranfield, so "I will make you become in the future, after a course of preparation, ...", Grant.

genesqai (ginomai) aor. inf. "-" - [I will make you] to be/become [fishers of men]. The infinitive forms an infinitival phrase, object of the verb "make". The infinitival phrase is in the form of a double accusative construction, with the acc. pers. pro. "you", functioning as the subject of the infinitive, and "fishers of men" as the object of the infinitive; "follow me and I will see to it that you become fishers of men."

anqrwpwn (oV) gen. "[fishers] of men" - [fishermen] of men. The genitive is adjectival, attributive, limiting "fishermen"; "fishermen who fish for men." In Jeremiah 16:16, we read of God sending his servants to fish-out his people for judgment, for blessing or cursing, cf. Am.4:2, Hab.1:14-17, also Ezk.47:8-10. This image may well prompt Jesus' use of a fishing metaphor here and so remind us again that the preaching of the gospel is like a two edge sword, it both blesses and curses. If the Old Testament allusion is somewhat strained, we are bound to read back a knowledge of the Christian mission to make sense of the metaphor. The disciples will gather people into the kingdom through the preaching of the gospel; "I will make you fishermen who catch men", Barclay.

euquV "at once" - immediately. Mark expresses a speedy response to image Jesus' authority.

afenteV (afihmi) aor. part. "they left" - leaving, abandoning. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "followed". The act of leaving their nets may serve to illustrate a renunciation of the world in service to Jesus, but since we know that the disciples retained their property, including fishing boats, cf. Jn.21:3, it is more likely that they packed up their gear for the time being in order to go on mission with their new rabbi.

ta diktua (on) "their nets" - the nets. The word can mean any net, although probably "casting net" is intended.

hkolouqhsan (akolouqew) aor. "followed" - they followed after. A literal "following" is probably intended, "went with him", CEV, although a derived sense may be present, ie. "follow as a disciple", "became his followers", Barclay.

autw/ dat. pro. "him" - Dative of direct object after the verb "followed".

It has been argued that the call of James and John appears later in the oral tradition, but that Mark has moved it forward and stitched it to the call of Simon and Andrew. See Marcus.

probaV (probainw) pres. part. "when he had gone [a little further]" - having gone on [a little]. The participle is adverbial, forming a temporal clause, as NIV.

tou Zeedaiou (oV) gen. "[James] son of Zebedee" - [James] of Zebedee. The gentiive is adjectival, relational, so "son of Zebedee."

en tw/ ploiw/ "in a boat" - in, with, by the boat. The definite article need not be translated, in fact it may serve as a possessive pronoun, "their", while the preposition en probably expresses sphere of operation, "beside the boat", rather than "in", since the last place a person works on a net is in the confined space of a boat.

katarizontaV (katartizw) part. "preparing" - mending, restoring, strengthening. The participle forms a dependent statement of perception (often formed by an infinitive), "he saw ..... that they were preparing their nets." Also possibly adverbial, temporal, "while they were preparing their nets", even a relative clause "who were in the boat mending their nets", RSV. As noted by Cranfield, obviously "preparing" their nets for the next day's fishing - mending, cleaning, folding, etc.

euquV "without delay" - immediately. Used also in v18 and possibly wanting to convey an instantaneous call and response, but probably here just expressing a sense of haste - a forward movement to the story. If the latter, then best not translated.

ekalesen (kalew) aor. "he called" - call, summon, invite. The stronger sense, as in "summon before a court of law", is reflected in the derived sense, "called to discipleship." The meaning "invited" is to be preferred.

afenteV (afihmi) aor. part. "they left" - having left. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "followed"; "they left ..... and followed ..."

outwn "their [father Zebedee]" - [the father Zebedee] of them. Genitive of relationship.

en + dat. "in [the boat]" - Locative.

meta + gen. "with" - Expressing association / accompaniment.

twn misqwtwn (oV) "the hired men" - the hired labourers. Not to be confused with servants or slaves. These men were employees of Zebedee.

Mark Introduction

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