Mark 3

And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.

And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

And Simon he surnamed Peter;

And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

What does Mark 3:27 mean?

Explanation

Mark 3:27 metaphorically represents Jesus explaining the principle behind His casting out of demons.

The "strong man" in this parable symbolizes Satan or evil forces, and his "house" represents the domain or the individuals under demonic influence.

The "goods" or "possessions" refer to the people held in spiritual bondage by the devil.

By stating that one cannot enter into the strong man's house to plunder his goods without first binding the strong man, Jesus is illustrating that in order to rescue people from demonic possession or influence, one must first overpower the controlling evil force.

This verse can indicate Jesus' own authority and power over evil forces, as He was casting out demons and liberating people from their control.

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Historical Context

The Gospel of Mark was written in a period when people believed in the very real presence and influence of demonic forces. During the time of Jesus, exorcisms were quite common, and there were various beliefs and traditions regarding evil spirits.

This verse falls within a passage (Mark 3:22-30) where the scribes accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.

Jesus refutes their accusations using logical arguments and parables, such as the one pertaining to the strong man, to demonstrate His power and the kingdom of God's advancement against the forces of evil.

Theological Insights

Different theological perspectives may offer unique insights into this verse:

Traditional Christian theology might view this as a reference to Jesus' victory over Satan, seeing Christ as the one who can bind the strong man and redeem humanity from the clutches of evil.
Liberation theology could interpret this as a mandate for social justice, relaying that systems of oppression can only be dismantled when their powerful holds are first broken.
Some eschatological views might believe the binding of the strong man is an event that will occur in the end times, where Satan will be restrained, and Christ's ultimate triumph will be evident.

Practical Applications

The verse can be applied in daily life as a reminder of the power of courage, strategy, and right authority.

In facing personal challenges or societal problems, the lesson is that success requires addressing and subduing the underlying forces that maintain the status quo.

This extends to personal habits, where overcoming a vice or addiction involves dealing with its root causes, or to advocacy and activism, where systemic issues are targeted at their foundations.

Cross-References

Matthew 12:29 - "Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house."
Luke 11:21-22 - "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils."
Ephesians 6:12 - "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Language Study

The phrase "bind the strong man" (δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρὸν, dēsēi ton ischyron) contains two key terms:

δήσῃ (dēsēi) - a variation of δέω (deō), meaning "to bind, tie, fasten," indicating the act of restraining or overpowering.
ἰσχυρὸν (ischyron) - derived from ἰσχύς (ischys), meaning "strong, mighty, or powerful," referring to someone with great strength or power.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparing this to other cultural and religious narratives, the theme of challenging and overpowering a malicious entity is common.

For example, in Hinduism, gods often battle demons to restore cosmic order, while in Greek mythology, heroes like Hercules undertake labors to overcome monstrous foes.

Such stories express the universal principle of good confronting evil and the necessity of subduing the adverse power to bring about change or rescue.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern scientific understandings of mental illness, psychology, and social dynamics take a different view from the ancient world of demonic possession.

Today, 'binding the strong man' could be metaphorically likened to dealing with the root causes of psychological or social problems through evidence-based approaches in psychiatry, psychology, and sociology rather than literal demonic entities.

Commentaries

Commentary from biblical scholars on Mark 3:27 varies, but many agree it highlights Jesus' authority over evil and His role in God's kingdom overcoming the works of Satan.

Scholars such as William Lane (New International Commentary on the New Testament) and R. T. France (The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text) emphasize that this passage serves to defend Jesus' exorcisms as the work of God against the forces of darkness.

Some commentators, like John R. Donahue and Daniel J. Harrington (The Gospel of Mark), also delve into the broader context, focusing on the Beelzebub controversy, providing a deeper sociocultural understanding of the text.

Mark 3

Mark 3

What does Mark 3:27 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 3:27 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?