Mark 7 Background Information with Maps and Images (Picture Study Bible - Mark) Free Bible Online

Mark 7

1 - Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem.

2 - Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault.

3 - (For the Pharisees and all the Jews, don't eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.

4 - They don't eat when they come from the marketplace unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)

5 - The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?"

6 - He answered them,"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,'This people honors me with their lips,but their heart is far from me.

7 - But they worship me in vain,teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'Isaiah 29:13

8 - "For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men-the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things."

9 - He said to them,"Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

10 - For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;'Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9

11 - But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God";'

But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God";'

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12 - then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

13 - making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

14 - He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them,"Hear me, all of you, and understand.

15 - There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

16 - If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"

17 - When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.

18 - He said to them,"Are you also without understanding? Don't you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can't defile him,

19 - because it doesn't go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus purifying all foods?"

20 - He said,"That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man.

21 - For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,

22 - covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.

23 - All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

24 - From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn't want anyone to know it, but he couldn't escape notice.

25 - For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.

26 - Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.

27 - But Jesus said to her,"Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

28 - But she answered him, "Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

29 - He said to her,"For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter."

30 - She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.

31 - Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the middle of the region of Decapolis.

32 - They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him.

33 - He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue.

34 - Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him,"Ephphatha!" that is,"Be opened!"

35 - Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly.

36 - He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it.

37 - They were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!"

The Book of Mark

Mark 1:15 - And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mark 2:12 - And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Mark in The New Testament - A Brief Overview

Painting of St. Mark by Titian - 1560

Introduction to The Gospel of Mark

The Word Gospel. The second book of the English Bible that most of us read from is the Gospel of Mark. Mark is the second of the four gospel writings, yet there is only one gospel about Jesus Christ and there are four different writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word "Gospel" means "good news", and the good news is about Jesus Christ dying on the cross and then 3 days later conquering death and rising from the dead, offering salvation to all mankind, this is the Gospel.

Summary of The Book of Mark

Brief Summary. Jesus of Nazareth is the suffering servant who came to die for the sins of all men. He did His work and "immediately" went to the cross, so be encouraged all who are suffering because Christ suffered for you.

Purpose. The Book of Mark is the shortest of the 4 Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. and he seems to write his account of the Gospel of Christ with a sense of urgency. He mentions the word "immediately" 27 times. In Mark many times Jesus exercises actions rather than words, which would impress his Roman readers who the Book seems to be addressing. He portrays Jesus as a man of power and miracles, who could set aside the laws of nature at will. Yet this powerful Son of God was the suffering servant who would give up His life as a ransom for all mankind (Mark 10:45). The clear purpose of mark was to encourage those suffering persecution that their master suffered first, and He suffered for them.

Audience. Apparently Mark wrote his Gospel account to encourage gentile Christians in Rome who were facing the persecutions of the Emperor Nero. History is clear about the atrocious behavior of the Romans and especially the insanity of Nero. The other evidence that scholars bring up concerning mark's audience as being gentiles is the fact that Mark does not deal with Jewish Laws and he only quotes one prophecy from the Old Testament. There is also careful thought into explaining Jewish customs and idioms. (See Mark 3:7; 5:41; 7:2; 10:46; 14:36; 15:34; 9:43; 14:12; 15:42).

Authorship. The gospel of Mark does not proclaim who the author is within the document, yet the information that we know about Mark can be seen in the writer of this gospel. It is evident that the writer was Jewish, he was a Christian, and he was familiar with every day Jewish life, as well as the Jewish Scriptures. We know from the Scriptures that Mark was Jewish, and he knew the teachings of Jesus very well. He also knew the teachings of the rest of the apostles. It is also important to notice that after Peter was imprisoned he went to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark (Acts 12:12-17). Also Peter mentions in his epistle "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13). During Paul's missionary journeys Mark became a companion of Paul and Barnabas, and he left them at Perga in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13), after Paul had rebuked him. Many years later Mark regained the favor of Paul  (Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11). Early Church tradition unanimously ascribes the second gospel to Mark as a companion of Peter and the writer of the second Gospel. One prologue to the Gospels which was written around 160 AD has this statement: "Mark� Was Peter's interpreter, and after Peter's decease wrote down this gospel in the region of Italy." Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian also attest to Mark as the author.

Location. Nothing in the Gospel of Mark indicates where it was written from. Most of the early writers who boast of Mark as the author also name Rome as the place it was written.

Date. Early Christian writers and traditions place the Gospel of Mark sometime close to the end of Peter's life, around 60-65 AD. Most scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, while the Second Temple in Jerusalem was still standing (Mark 13:1-2). Many scholars do not believe in the miracle of predictive prophecy and argue that the Gospel of Mark was written after the fall of Jerusalem, because of the accurate details of the events that Jesus spoke about.  Mark's Gospel account seems to have been written as encouragement to the Christians who were facing the persecution of the Emperor Nero which took place in 64 AD.

Outline of the Book of Mark

The Servant Comes - Chapter 1:1-13
The Servant's Work - Chapters 1:14-13:37
The Servant's Death - Chapters 14:1-15:47
The Servant's Resurrection - Chapter 16:1-20

The Name Jesus In Ancient Hebrew Text
"Yeshua" in First Century Hebrew Text. This is how the name "Jesus" would have been written in ancient Hebrew documents. The four letters or consonants from right to left are Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin (Y, SH, OO, A). Jesus is the Greek name for the Hebrew name Joshua or Y'shua which means "The LORD or Yahweh is Salvation".

Mark Resources

Outline of the Life of Jesus in Harmony
Simple Map of First Century Israel
Topographical Map of First Century Israel
Map of the Ministry of Jesus
Map of the Roads in Ancient Israel
Map of the Roman Empire