| Mark 6 | |
|---|---|
 Leaf containing Mark 6:27-54 inCodex Alexandrinus from c. AD 400-440. | |
| Book | Gospel of Mark |
| Category | Gospel |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 2 |
| Gospel of Mark |
|---|
Mark 6 is the sixth chapter of theGospel of Mark in theNew Testament of the Christian Bible. In this chapter, Jesus goes toNazareth and experiences rejection by his own family. He then sends hisApostles in pairs to various cities in the region, where they might also face rejection. Finally, Jesus goes back to theSea of Galilee and performs some of his most famous miracles, including thefeeding of the 5000 andwalking on water. This chapter also gives an account of themurder ofJohn the Baptist.
The original text was written inKoine Greek.This chapter is divided into 56 verses.
Some earlymanuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
In 1972, Spanish papyrologistJose O'Callaghan proposed in his work¿Papiros neotestamentarios en la cueva 7 de Qumrân? ("New Testament Papyri in Cave 7 at Qumran?")[1] that among theDead Sea scrolls,7Q5, a small Greekpapyrus fragment discovered inQumranCave 7 (dated between 50 B.C. and 50 A.D), actually contains the text from Mark 6:52-53, and this was later reasserted and expanded by German scholarCarsten Peter Thiede in his workThe Earliest Gospel Manuscript? in 1982.Carlo Maria Martini, S.J.,Archbishop of Milan and part of the five member team which edited the definitive modern edition of the Greek New Testament for theUnited Bible Societies, agreed with O'Callaghan's identification and assertions,[2] but the majority of scholars have not been convinced by O'Callaghan's and Thiede's arguments.[3][4][5][6]
Jesus leaves "from there" (i.e.Capernaum),[7] and goes to his "home town" (Greek:τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ,tēn patrida autou).[8]Heinrich Meyer argues that "there" refers toJairus' house,[9] the last location mentioned inchapter 5, andJohn McEvilly concurs that this was likely to have been the case.[10]
Nazareth is not named here explicitly, butMark 1:9 states that "Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee".[11] It lies about 42 kilometres (26 mi) from Capernaum on modern roads.[12]
Mark relates the story of Jesus' initial acclaim and later rejection at Nazareth, "his own country". The account is also found inMatthew13:53-58 and it is related at an earlier point in Jesus' ministry inLuke4:14-30. Verse 2 notes that "many who heard him" were impressed by thewisdom which had been given to him (or, "to such a man": manuscripts differ in the wording of this verse),[9] and the "mighty works" performed by his hands.[13] Since in verse 5, Mark goes on to note that Jesus performed a minimal amount of healing in Nazareth, it is generally supposed that they had heard of the miracles which Jesus had performed inCapernaum and elsewhere.[9] His neighbours question his authority and do not seem to think much of the Jesus they remember or his family. "Isn't this the carpenter (τέκτων,tektōn)? Isn't thisMary's son and the brother ofJames,Joseph,Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?"
Jesus replies with aproverb,Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is aprophet without honor.[14]John 4:44 records the same sentiment:Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country, but in John's accounttheGalileans received Him, having seen all the things He did inJerusalem at thefeast.[15]
Jesus' brothers are here and in Matthew and probablyActs12:17 mentioned by name, though not his sisters.[weasel words] This chapter, coupled withMark3:21,31-35 paints a negative view of Jesus' family relations, though other sources, such asGalatians1:19 show that James was at least active in theearly Church after Jesus'crucifixion. The negative view of Jesus' family may be related to the conflict between Paul and the Jerusalem Church.[16]
In verses 7–13, Jesus sends the twelve out to the various towns, in pairs, to heal the sick and drive out demons:
Irish BishopGeorge Chadwick argues that in the face of rejection, Jesus' response is to accelerate his mission, varying as well as multiplying the means for the evangelisation of the country.[18] The twelve who he sends out are to take only their staffs, and if any town rejects them, they are to "... shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them" (11), which Robert Miller describes as "... a gesture both ofcontempt and of warning".[19][full citation needed]
On the injunction to take no bag and nomoney, BishopTom Wright notes that this is given as an emergency directive for "a swift and dangerous mission", and should not be treated as "a programme for the continuing life of the church".[20]
"Tunics" (Greek:δύο χιτῶνας,duo chitonas, verse 9) were the long garments worn under the cloak, next to the skin.[21]
Mark then tells of the death ofJohn the Baptist at the hands ofHerod Antipas. Herod is married to his wifeHerodias, former wife of his brotherHerod Philip I. John condemns Herod so Herod incarcerates John, although Mark refers to a respectful relationship between Herod and John: "a mixture of reverence and superstitious dread towards the prophet and man of God".[22] Herodias seeks revenge on John during a birthday party for Herod. Her daughter (Salome) dances for Herod and persuades Herod to kill John. John's disciples take his body and put it in a tomb. This account is also found in Matthew14:1-12. The year in which John died is unknown.Josephus reports Herod killing John to quell a possible uprising around AD 36.[citation needed] Herod Philip died in 34 and Herod Antipas died sometime after 40 after being exiled to eitherGaul orSpain.
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The "apostles", (οἱ ἀπόστολοι,hoi apostoloi) come back (regroup) and report to Jesus on "what they had done and what they had taught". Anglican writerGeorge Maclear suggests they have returned toCapernaum.[14] He takes them on a boat to a deserted place where they can rest. Verse6:30 is the only time in the received canonical texts where Mark uses "οι αποστολοι", although some texts also use this word in Mark 3:14[23] and it is most frequently – 68 out of 79 New Testament occurrences – used byLuke the Evangelist andPaul of Tarsus.
Mark then relates twomiracles of Jesus. When they land, a large crowd is already waiting for them. Jesus teaches them several unrecorded things, then feeds the entire crowd of 5,000 men (Greek:ἄνδρες,andres, most frequently meaning 'male adult' in New Testament usage[24]) by turning five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to feed everyone.Matthew 14:21 says there were 5,000 men "besides woman and children".
Jesus sends thedisciples in a boat ahead of him toBethsaida. It is night and they are only halfway across when Jesus walks across the lake and meets them. At first they are scared and think it is a ghost, but Jesus reveals himself and gets into the boat, amazing the disciples.
These two miracles occur inJohn6:1-24 and Matthew14:13-36 and the feeding of the crowd is in Luke9:10-17.
The feeding of the 5,000 people and the resurrection of Jesus appear to be the only miracles recorded simultaneously in all four Gospels.[25]
They reachGennesaret and people recognize Jesus. People bring sick people on mats to wherever they hear Jesus is. They beg him to let them touch him, even only touching the "fringe of his cloak"[26] (6:56NRSV), and all the people who do so are healed. Jesus seems willing to help all who ask for it.[27]Raymond E. Brown argued that this section leaves readers suspecting that such enthusiasm for healing is not the right comprehension of or faith in Jesus.[28] This section is an example of aMarcan summary, in which several stories about Jesus are all wrapped up into one description. They help show the magnitude of his power and perhaps the nature of the danger the authorities see him as presenting to the public order.[27]
C.P. Thiede drew on papyrology, statistics and forensic microscopy to try to prove O'Callaghan's case, yet without convincing the majority of other leading specialists.
| Preceded by Mark 5 | Chapters of the Bible Gospel of Mark | Succeeded by Mark 7 |