Sin & Salt
Mark 9:42-50
Sin will lead to being salted with fire but salt will lead to peace
Audio from the author
#sinandsalt
Published April 29th, 2016
Main point summary
Diagram
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Notes
notes
Main point summary
Sin & Salt: Sin will keep you from entering the kingdom and salt will characterize members of the kingdom.
Diagram
NT
Mark 9:42-50
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Καὶ
solid
drop
revrocket
equal
line
subjectverb
ὃς
ἂν
pred
σκανδαλίσῃ
directobject
ἕνα
prepphrase
pstack
cword
τῶν
τούτων
μικρῶν
participle
τῶν
πιστευόντων
vertical
[εἰς
ἐμέ]
dashed
free
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ἐστιν
καλόν
μᾶλλον
indirectobj
αὐτῷ
obtuse
μύλος
ὀνικὸς
rocketship
περίκειται
βέβληται
εἰς
τὴν
θάλασσαν
περὶ
τὸν
τράχηλον
αὐτοῦ
καὶ
εἰ
Καὶ
ἀπόκοψον
αὐτήν
ἡ
χείρ
σκανδαλίζῃ
σε
σου
ἐὰν
vsnum
Mark 9:43
Mark 9:42
Mark 9:45
καὶ
ἀπόκοψον
αὐτόν
ὁ
πούς
σκανδαλίζῃ
σου
σε
ἐὰν
καὶ
ἔκβαλε
αὐτόν
ὁ
ὀφθαλμός
σκανδαλίζῃ
σου
σε
ἐὰν
ὅπου
shelf
ὁ
σκώληξ
τελευτᾷ
οὐ
αὐτῶν
τὸ
πῦρ
σβέννυται
οὐ
καὶ
Mark 9:47
Mark 9:48
γὰρ
Πᾶς
ἁλισθήσεται
πυρὶ
Mark 9:49
ἐστίν
predicate
καλόν
σε
infinitive
εἰσελθεῖν
κυλλὸν
εἰς
τὴν
ζωὴν
(εστιν)
ἀπελθεῖν
εἰς
τὴν
γέενναν
εἰς
τὸ
πῦρ
τὸ
ἄσβεστον
ἔχοντα
τὰς
χεῖρας
δύο
ἢ
ἐστίν
σε
εἰσελθεῖν
χωλὸν
εἰς
τὴν
ζωὴν
καλόν
(ἐστίν)
βληθῆναι
εἰς
τὴν
γέενναν
ἔχοντα
τοὺς
πόδας
δύο
ἢ
ἐστιν
καλόν
σέ
εἰσελθεῖν
μονόφθαλμον
εἰς
τὴν
βασιλείαν
τοῦ
θεοῦ
(ἐστίν)
βληθῆναι
ἔχοντα
ὀφθαλμοὺς
δύο
εἰς
τὴν
γέενναν
ἢ
τὸ
ἅλας
καλὸν
δὲ
ἀρτύσετε
αὐτὸ
ἐν
τίνι
τὸ
ἅλας
γένηται
ἄναλον
ἐὰν
ἔχετε
ἐν
ἑαυτοῖς
ἅλα
εἰρηνεύετε
ἐν
ἀλλήλοις
καὶ
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Mark 9:50
diagram
Arc
editing
Mark 9:42-50
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Καὶ ὃς ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων [εἰς ἐμέ],
And(και) If anyone should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
καλόν ἐστιν αὐτῷ μᾶλλον εἰ περίκειται μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ
[then] it would be better for him rather that a large millstone were hung around his neck
καὶ βέβληται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν.
and he were thrown into the sea.
progression
conditional
Καὶ ἐὰν σκανδαλίζῃ σε ἡ χείρ σου,
And(και) if your hand causes you to sin
ἀπόκοψον αὐτήν•
[then] cut it off.
καλόν ἐστίν σε κυλλὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν
[for] it is better for you to enter into life crippled
ἢ τὰς δύο χεῖρας ἔχοντα ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὴν γέενναν, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον.
rather than having two hands to be thrown in hell, into the unquenchable fire.
alternative
ground
καὶ ἐὰν ὁ πούς σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε,
And(και) if your foot causes you to sin
ἀπόκοψον αὐτόν•
[then] cut it off.
καλόν ἐστίν σε εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν χωλὸν
[for] it is better that you enter into life lame
ἢ τοὺς δύο πόδας ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν γέενναν.
rather than, having two feet, be thrown into hell.
καὶ ἐὰν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε,
And(και) if your eye cause you to sin
ἔκβαλε αὐτόν•
[then] put it out.
καλόν σέ ἐστιν μονόφθαλμον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ
[for] it is better that you enter into the kingdom of God one-eyed
ἢ δύο ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν γέενναν,
rather than having two eyes be thrown into hell
ὅπου ὁ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ τελευτᾷ
where their worm does not die
καὶ τὸ πῦρ οὐ σβέννυται.
and the fire is not quenched.
series
locative
Πᾶς γὰρ πυρὶ ἁλισθήσεται.
For(γαρ) everyone will be salted by fire.
* καλὸν τὸ ἅλας•
Salt is good
ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας ἄναλον γένηται,
but(δε) if the salt becomes unsalty
ἐν τίνι αὐτὸ ἀρτύσετε;
[then] you will flavor it by what?
concessive
ἔχετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἅλα
Have in yourselves salt
καὶ εἰρηνεύετε ἐν ἀλλήλοις.
and(και) have peace among one another.
ideaexplanation
inference
What will keep you from kingdom life?
What is the way to live in the kingdom?
na28
discourse
Notes
Introduction: What is your greatest concern in life right now? The way in which we answer this question will tell us a lot about ourselves. It tells us what we think is our greatest need. In other words it tells us something about our perception of ourself. Mark's gospel is primarily designed to show us who Jesus is but it is also designed to show us who we are. In other words, the book addresses both our perception of Jesus and our perception of ourselves in order to give us a proper perception of Jesus and ourselves. Without the one we will not have the other. We need both. This passage addresses the disciples self-perception in order for them to understand who Jesus is and what he must do. Context: 9:30-32 - Jesus foretells His death and resurrection. Disciples response: "But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him." 9:33-37 - The disciples argue about who is the greatest individual among them? 9:38-41 - The disciples are concerned about who is the "greatest" group bearing the name of Jesus? Passage: The disciples are preeminently concerned about themselves in relation to each other and in relation to those outside their group. this was their greatest concern in life immediately after Jesus tells them he is going to die! This is why, among other reasons, they do not understand Jesus when he foretells his death and resurrection. In this passage Jesus is trying to reorient the disciples thinking in order that they would understand their greatest problem and their greatest need. Verses 42-49 answers the question "What will keep you from kingdom life?" Keep in mind Mark 7:20-23, It is your heart that causes you to sin. Therefore, Jesus is not commanding a literal "cutting off" of body parts but rather he is using this as an analogy to show the seriousness of sin and falling away. Reflect: How serious is my sin? How serious is the sin of those you love? How seriously do I treat sin? Verse 50 answers the question "What is the way to live in the kingdom?" (this change is made abruptly via the catchword "salt") Reflect: How is my life marked by salt? In light of the preceding issues (9:33-41), what does it mean to "be at peace" with one another? What practical things can I do to "be at peace" with one another? Application: "Never, until sin is seen and sorrowed for as the greatest evil, will Christ be seen and rejoiced in as the greatest Good." -John Yates (from the foreword to "The Evil of Evils" by Jeremiah Burroughs) We can know all of these truths about the gospel but until we feel the weight of sin we will not feel the glory of grace. If our focus is on comparing ourselves with others then we will miss out on experiencing the joy of the gospel because the gospel will not help attain "greatness" whether individual or corporate. Have salt in yourselves and seek to have peace with one another. Pursue the good of one another. Live sacrificially toward each other, helping each other in the fight against sin and the fight to see Jesus clearly. In the end the disciples fall away (Mark 14:27; σκανδαλίζω)--even despite Peter's resolve to not fall away (Mark 14:29)-- and i t is the one person who never caused anyone to sin who is cut off. But he is cut off for their sakes. He is crushed for their iniquities. So that they(and we!) can have the forgiveness they need to enter the kingdom, the transforming power to live sacrificially in the kingdom and the example of Jesus to model their life after. In Jesus we are forgiven and spared from the worm that does not die and the fire that is not quenched. As well as saved to live at peace with one another. Summary: Sin will lead to being salted with fire but salt will lead to peace. Jesus has dealt with the fire and provides the salt. Bibliography: Bayer, Hans F. A Theology of Mark: The Dynamic Between Christology and Authentic Discipleship . Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2012. Bolt, Peter G. The Cross from a Distance: Atonement in Mark’s Gospel . Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2005. Decker, Rodney J. Mark 9-16: A Handbook on the Greek Text . Waco: Baylor University Press, 2014. France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark . Reprint ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014.
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