Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 1].
will of God by their traditions and petty legalism (Mr 7:9,13).
They were casuists and made false interpretations to prove their
punctilious points of external etiquette to the utter neglect of
the spiritual reality. The people noticed at once that here was a
personality who got his power (authority) direct from God, not
from the current scribes. "Mark omits much, and is in many ways a
meagre Gospel, but it makes a distinctive contribution to the
evangelic history _in showing by a few realistic touches_ (this
one of them) _the remarkable personality of Jesus_" (Bruce). See
on Mt 7:29 for the like impression made by the Sermon on the
Mount where the same language occurs. The chief controversy in
Christ's life was with these scribes, the professional teachers
of the oral law and mainly Pharisees. At once the people see that
Jesus stands apart from the old group. He made a sensation in the
best sense of that word. There was a buzz of excitement at the
new teacher that was increased by the miracle that followed the
sermon.
1:23 {With an unclean spirit} (\en pneumati akathart•i\). This
use of \en\ "with" is common in the Septuagint like the Hebrew
_be_, but it occurs also in the papyri. It is the same idiom as
"in Christ," "in the Lord" so common with Paul. In English we
speak of our being in love, in drink, in his cups, etc. The
unclean spirit was in the man and the man in the unclean spirit,
a man in the power of the unclean spirit. Luke has "having," the
usual construction. See on ¯Mt 22:43. Unclean spirit is used as
synonymous with {demon} (\daimonion\). It is the idea of
estrangement from God (Zec 13:2). The whole subject of
demonology is difficult, but no more so than the problem of the
devil. Jesus distinguishes between the man and the unclean
spirit. Usually physical or mental disease accompanied the
possession by demons. One wonders today if the degenerates and
confirmed criminals so common now are not under the power of
demons. The only cure for confirmed criminals seems to be
conversion (a new heart).
1:24 {What have we to do with thee?} (\ti h•min kai soi?\) The
same idiom in Mt 8:29. Ethical dative. Nothing in common
between the demon and Jesus. Note "we." The man speaks for the
demon and himself, double personality. The recognition of Jesus
by the demons may surprise us since the rabbis (the
ecclesiastics) failed to do so. They call Jesus "The Holy One of
God" (\ho hagios tou theou\). Hence the demon feared that Jesus
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