Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 9:43-48
Jesus compared the members of the human body to the agents of sinful activities. He did not want His disciples to perform physical surgery but spiritual surgery to excise the sin within us. The language is hyperbolic, but Jesus described real sins. The threefold repetition highlights the importance of the warning (cf. Romans 6:12-13)."It was not a Palestinian custom to refer to an abstract activity but to the specific member of the body which is responsible for it. For this reason Jesus speaks... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 9:33-50
2. The pitfalls of discipleship 9:33-50Jesus next taught His disciples lessons dealing with the dangers that threatened their effectiveness as His disciples. These were the desire for greatness, the folly of a sectarian attitude, and failure in self-discipline. They would suffer as He would. Moreover their suffering would threaten their unity with Jesus and with one another."Jesus warned against the spirit of elitism that can exist within a ministry team and between ministry teams. The answer... read more