Go to Related Reading
About this book

Mark

About this book
Chapter 9

1 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” 2 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiantly white, more so than any launderer in the world could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared before them along with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 So Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 (For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.) 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept this statement to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant. 11 Then they asked him, “Why do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He said to them, “Elijah does indeed come first, and restores all things. And why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has certainly come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.” 14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law arguing with them. 15 When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran at once and greeted him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 A member of the crowd said to him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able to do so.” 19 He answered them, “You unbelieving generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him to me.” 20 So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 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.” 23 Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” 30 They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him. 33 Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.⁠ 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.” 36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” 38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s name will never lose his reward. 42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.⁠ 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. 44 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 45 If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye⁠ than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,⁠ 46 where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.⁠ 47 Everyone will be salted with fire. 48 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Texts in conversation

Compare Mark 9:42 and Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 46:8

New Testament · Early Christian

Share:

Summary

In Mark, Jesus warns that anyone causing a believer to sin deserves a millstone tied around the neck and to be drowned. 1 Clement quotes this as a saying of Jesus, but reshapes it into a call to avoid causing division in the Corinthian church.

Passages

Mark 9:42

New Testament
40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s name will never lose his reward. 42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. 44 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
60–75 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Mark

Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 46:8

Early Christian · First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
5 Why are there quarrels and outbursts of anger and factions and divisions and war among you? 6 Have we not one God and one Christ and one Spirit of grace that was poured upon us? And is there not one calling in Christ? 7 Why do we tear and rip apart the members of Christ, and stir up factions against our own body, and reach such a pitch of folly that we forget that we are members of one another? 8 Remember the words of Jesus our Lord: for He said, “Woe to that man; it would have been good for him if he had not been born, rather than cause one of My elect to stumble. It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around him and be thrown into the sea than to lead astray one of My elect.” 9 Your division has led many astray; it has brought many to despair, many to doubt, and all of us to sorrow. And your rebellion still continues.
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Clement of Rome, 1 Clement

References

“... 1 Clem. 46:8 provides us with another attestation of Q 17:2 // Mark 9:42. 1 Clem. 46:8 is composed of two parts. The first part begins with words that parallel those spoken by Jesus to Judas in light of his imminent betrayal "woe to that man, it would be better for him if he had not been born" (see Matt 26:24 // Mark 14:21). However, these words are applied to a new situation: causing one of his "elect" to fall away. This paves the way for the second part of the saying, which parallels Q 17:2 and Mark 9:42, "It would have been better for him to have been tied to a millstone and cast into the sea than that one of my elect should be perverted." 1 Clem. 46:8 addresses the Corinthian church's spirit of division and strife. It is used as a warning against those who would cause their brothers and sisters within the church to stumble and fall away from the church. ...”
Brian Han Gregg, “The Historical Jesus and the Final Judgment Sayings in Q” (PhD diss., University of Notre Dame, 2005), 337–338.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

Mark 9:42 and Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 46:8

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library