Mark 4

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:17

And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word straightway they stumble.See list of analogies above. "Tribulation or persecution ..." may not be viewed as anything unexpected. As sure as the sun rises, believers in Christ may expect the scorching and withering effect of the world's opposition to the truth. Any casual, shallow, or partial commitment to Christ will quail before it. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:18

And others are they that are shown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word.Sown among the thorns ... Alas, this is true of so many in all ages, and is, in a sense, true to some extent of all. Human hearts are seed beds, not merely of the truth of God, but also of every possible philosophy of men. Here there is a significant difference between soils and hearts. Soils do not choose to be thorny ground; but human hearts are endowed with the power to expel the thorns, the power to... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:19

And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.In the analogies, the thorns stand for the cares, riches, and lusts of other things, or, as Luke stated it, "cares, riches, and pleasures of this life" (Luke 8:14). Are not most of earth's pleasures "lusts" of various kinds? Even the pursuit of legitimate pleasure if excessive, may become, in fact, a "lust."For numberless souls, it is just a case of... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:20

And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.The good ground ... is not merely ground of sufficient quality and depth to produce a harvest, but it is likewise unencumbered ground. In the fast-moving current era, perhaps the encumbrances are the greatest deterrent to fruit-bearing.Thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold ... Why the various yields from ground uniformly "good"? As in the... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:21

And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand?This verse and through Mark 4:25 make up a paragraph of disconnected sayings of Christ, brought together here in a remarkable application in a new context, indicating that the sacred Scriptures have a vitality and meaning of their own, even out of context. Jesus did here exactly what Paul did in Romans 10:8, where he quoted Deuteronomy 30:11-14 with an application not found in... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:22

For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.The same idea in different words is in Matthew 10:26. Dummelow's understanding of Jesus' repetition of this maxim here seems to be correct:Our Lord corrects a false impression which might have arisen from the mention of a mystery (Mark 4:11). If the gospel was for a moment treated as a secret, it was so only because this temporary secrecy was essential to its... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:23

If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you; and more shall be given unto you.Take heed what ye hear ... has the obvious meaning of enjoining selectivity in the things men choose to hear; but Dummelow advocated another reading as quite possible, "Understand (weigh well the meaning of) what ye hear."[25] Both ideas are valid Scriptural injunctions.With what measure ye mete, etc. ... Euthymius... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:25

For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.This is no high-handed injustice of robbing the poor to enrich the affluent; but it is the statement of an eternal law, applicable in context or out of it.In context:To the diligent student of divine truth more of divine truth shall be revealed. The slothful student shall not only learn no more, but shall even forget what he already knows[27]In another context: Jesus applied this... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:26

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.THE PARABLE OF THE SEED GROWING SECRETLYTrench was in a great quandary between applying this parable to earthly... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:30

And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth, yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof.THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEEDHow shall we liken, ... In this, Jesus employed a device often... read more

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:17

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:18

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:19

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:20

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:21

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:22

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:23

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:25

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:26

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Mark 4:30

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