Conservative Friends Bible Study of Mark #26 Mark Chapter 14:22-52

Ohio Yearly Meeting's Podcast

The podcast begins with a quick review of some of the difficulties in understanding caused by the changes in the meanings from 1600s English to today’s English. There are some mistranslations in our Bibles of those 1600s words (especially of the 1600s words “slave” and “servant”) into today’s English.

Henry compares the description of the “last supper” in Mark 14 with 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26. The phrase, “until he comes” was usually seen by early Friends not as a physical return of Jesus, but as a spiritual second coming of Christ to the individual (at any time in one’s life), bringing His full presence and deep communion with Him. This can happen when we embrace the full realization that He is Christ in us, not requiring an outward ceremonial time of communion. He then becomes the Bread of Life on Whom we can spiritually feed at any time as we fully, without reservation, spiritually open the door and allow Him to come in and eat with us. (Rev 3:20) It is a spiritual partaking of the body and blood of Christ, the Living Spirit. (Later Friends did begin to embrace the concept of a physical return (second coming) of Christ.)

Essential to remember is that the inward (spiritual) meaning behind words is most important. It is easy to do something outwardly, or to read the words of Holy Scripture and let them have no true, spiritual meaning to the individual. The inward, spiritual meaning behind the words is the most important. (2 Cor. 3:4-6)

We must remember that the resurrection of Christ from the dead was always seen by Friends as an actual physical rising.

The word “hour” in Greek can mean a specific hour, or it can also mean a given time or a certain period of time. In Mark 14;41, “. . . the hour has come . . ” means “the period of time in my life has come.”

It is possible the young man mentioned in Mark 14:51-52 is the Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark.

Greek Words

• Kyrios: owner, master
• Adonai (Hebrew): my master
• Doulos: slave
• Diakonos: servant, someone who ministers for someone else
• Abba (Aramaic): Dad, or daddy
• Sarx: can mean both physical flesh and also animal nature
• Pistis: Is often translated faith, or belief. But perhaps a better translation can often be trust, or confidence
• Matheteis: student or disciple.
• Rabbi (Hebrew and Aramaic): teacher
• Lestais: bandit or insurrectionist

Resources

• 1 Cor 11: 23-26
• Rev 3:20
• 2 Cor 3:4-6

References

The quote from William Penn in our introduction is from his book “No Cross, No Crown”, chapter III, paragraph number V, page 27, 1842 HARVEY & DARTON version.

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