Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary

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Mark 9

1He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.”

2After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves, and he was changed into another form in front of them.

3His clothing became glistening, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.

4Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus.

5Peter answered Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

6For he didn’t know what to say, for they were very afraid.

7A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

8Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus only.

9As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them that they should tell no one what things they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant.

11They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

12He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised?

13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.”

14Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them.

15Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted him.

16He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”

17One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit;

18and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.”

19He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”

20They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.

21He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has been happening to him?” He said, “From childhood.

22Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”

25When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!”

26After crying out and convulsing him greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead, so much that most of them said, “He is dead.”

27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up; and he arose.

28When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?”

29He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but by prayer and fasting.”

30They went out from there and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know it,

31for he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, “The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.”

32But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

34But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest.

35He sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

36He took a little child and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

37“Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”

38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”

39But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name and be able quickly to speak evil of me.

40For whoever is not against us is on our side.

41For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

42“Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck.

43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,

44‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’

45If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched—

46‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’

47If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out. It is better for you to enter into God’s Kingdom with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire,

48‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’

49For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.

50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Early Christian texts and source notes

c. 182–188 (historical edition's dating) | Irenaeus of Lyons

6. He asserts that the fruit of this arrangement and analogy has been manifested in the likeness of an image, namely, Him who, after six days, ascended into the mountain along with three others, and then became one of six (the sixth), in which character He descended, and was contained in the Hebdomad, since He was the illustrious Ogdoad, and contained in Himself the entire number of the elements, which the descent of the dove (who is Alpha and Omega) made clearly manifest, when He came to be baptized; for the number of the dove is eight hundred and one. And for this reason did Moses declare that man was formed on the sixth day; and then, again, according to arrangement, it was on the sixth day, which is the preparation, that the last man appeared, for the regeneration of the first. Of this arrangement, both the beginning and the end were formed at that sixth hour, at which He was nailed to the tree. For that perfect being Nous, knowing that the number six had the power both of formation and regeneration, declared to the children of light, that regeneration which has been wrought out by Him who appeared as the Episemon in regard to that number. Whence also he declares it is that the double letters contain the Episemon number; for this Episemon, when joined to the twenty-four elements, completed the name of thirty letters.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · Against Heresies, Book 1, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1868 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Matt. xvii. 7; Mark ix. 2.

Editorial footnote · Against Heresies, Book 1, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1868 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Matt. xxv. 41; Mark ix. 44.

Editorial footnote · Against Heresies, Book 2, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1869 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Mark ix. 23.

Editorial footnote · Against Heresies, Book 4, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1870 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Comp. Matt. xviii. 6, xxvi. 24; Mark ix. 42; Luke xvii. 2.

Editorial footnote · First Epistle to the Corinthians, The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers / THE FIRST EPISTLE OF CLEMENT. / THE FIRST EPISTLE OF CLEMENT TO THE CORINTHIANS. / Chap. xlvi.—Let us cleave to the righteous: your strife is pernicious. · Original source

1871 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Mark ix. 43-48.

Editorial footnote · The City of God, THE CITY OF GOD. / BOOK TWENTY-FIRST. / ARGUMENT. / 9. Of hell, and the nature of eternal punishments. · Original source

1872 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Mark ix. 38, 39; Luke ix. 50.

Editorial footnote · On Baptism, Against the Donatists, WRITINGS IN CONNECTION WITH THE DONATIST CONTROVERSY. / BOOK FIRST. / Chapter VII · Original source

1872 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Mark ix. 38.

Editorial footnote · On Baptism, Against the Donatists, WRITINGS IN CONNECTION WITH THE DONATIST CONTROVERSY. / BOOK FIFTH. / Chapter xxiv · Original source

Date uncertain | Augustine of Hippo

So then what God by His prophet has said of the everlasting punishment of the damned shall come to pass—shall without fail come to pass,—"their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched." In order to impress this upon us most forcibly, the Lord Jesus Himself, when ordering us to cut off our members, meaning thereby those persons whom a man loves as the most useful members of his body, says, "It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched." Similarly of the foot: "It is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." So, too, of the eye: "It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." He did not shrink from using the same words three times over in one passage. And who is not terrified by this repetition, and by the threat of that punishment uttered so vehemently by the lips of the Lord Himself?

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · The City of God, THE CITY OF GOD. / BOOK TWENTY-FIRST. / ARGUMENT. / 9. Of hell, and the nature of eternal punishments. · Original source