Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 8]
Matthew's narrative is due to ecclesiastical development and
effort to justify ecclesiastical prerogatives, see discussion on
¯Mt 16:16,18. The disciples had confessed him as Messiah before.
Thus Joh 1:41; 4:29; 6:69; Mt 14:33. But Jesus had ceased to
use the word Messiah to avoid political complications and a
revolutionary movement (Joh 6:14f.). But did the disciples
still believe in Jesus as Messiah after all the defections and
oppositions seen by them? It was a serious test to which Jesus
now put them.
8:30 {Of him} (\peri autou\). As being the Messiah, that he was
the Christ (Mt 16:20). Not yet, for the time was not yet ripe.
When that comes, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the very
stones will cry out, if men will not (Lu 19:40).
8:31 {He began to teach them} (\•rxato didaskein autous\). Mark
is fond of this idiom, but it is not a mere rhetorical device.
Mt 16:21 expressly says "from that time." They had to be told
soon about the approaching death of Jesus. The confession of
faith in Jesus indicated that it was a good time to begin. Death
at the hands of the Sanhedrin (elders, chief priests, and
scribes) in which Pharisees and Sadducees had about equal
strength. The resurrection on the third day is mentioned, but it
made no impression on their minds. This rainbow on the cloud was
not seen. {After three days} (\meta treis h•meras\). Mt 16:21
has "the third day" (\t•i trit•i h•mer•i\) in the locative case
of point of time (so also Lu 9:22). There are some people who
stickle for a strict interpretation of "after three days" which
would be "on the fourth day," not "on the third day." Evidently
Mark's phrase here has the same sense as that in Matthew and Luke
else they are hopelessly contradictory. In popular language
"after three days" can and often does mean "on the third day,"
but the fourth day is impossible.
8:32 {Spake the saying openly} (\parr•si•i ton logon elalei\). He
held back nothing, told it all (\p•n\, all, \r•sia\, from
\eipon\, say), without reserve, to all of them. Imperfect tense
\elalei\ shows that Jesus did it repeatedly. Mark alone gives
this item. Mark does not give the great eulogy of Peter in Mt
16:17,19 after his confession (Mr 8:29; Mt 16:16; Lu 9:20),
but he does tell the stinging rebuke given Peter by Jesus on this
occasion. See discussion on ¯Mt 16:21,26.
8:33 {He turning about and seeing his disciples} (\epistrapheis
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MR8.RWP.html (6 of 8) [28/08/2004 09:04:28 a.m.]