Greek Lesson - Mark 6:1-20

By Caravaggio - scan, Public Domain, Link

Parser - tells us the I.D. of the word

Lenski's Mark Commentary - download as a PDF

ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΡΚΟΝ 6 1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

6 και εξηλθεν εκειθεν και ηλθεν εις την πατριδα αυτου και ακολουθουσιν αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου

Fatherland

2 και γενομενου σαββατου ηρξατο εν τη συναγωγη διδασκειν και πολλοι ακουοντες εξεπλησσοντο λεγοντες "ποθεν τουτω ταυτα και τις η σοφια η δοθεισα αυτω, οτι και δυναμεις τοιαυται δια των χειρων αυτου γινονται"

χειρ becomes chiro in English

3 "ουκ ουτος εστιν ο τεκτων, ο υιος μαριας, αδελφος δε ιακωβου και ιωση και ιουδα και σιμωνος - και ουκ εισιν αι αδελφαι αυτου ωδε προς ημας?" και εσκανδαλιζοντο εν αυτω

Not scandalized but fell into the trap of unbelief, those facts were the trigger, the skandalon

4 ελεγεν δε αυτοις ο ιησους οτι ουκ εστιν προφητης ατιμος ει μη εν τη πατριδι αυτου και εν τοις συγγενεσιν και εν τη οικια αυτου

Three-fold - a prophet not without honor except

5 και ουκ ηδυνατο εκει ουδεμιαν δυναμιν ποιησαι ει μη ολιγοις αρρωστοις επιθεις τας χειρας εθεραπευσεν

Lenski, Mark - Only the fact is stated that Jesus was able to do but a few miracles in Nazareth. Luke 4:28-88 explains this inability: the people rose up, thrust Jesus out of the city, and tried to kill him. When Matthew attributes the small number of the miracles performed in Nazareth to the unbelief of the people, this is the unbelief and its manifestation that he refers to. When Jesus healed the few sick persons is not indicated; it may have been on Friday, before the Sabbath

6 και εθαυμαζεν δια την απιστιαν αυτων, και περιηγεν τας κωμας κυκλω διδασκων

peri - ago, go around

7 και προσκαλειται τους δωδεκα και ηρξατο αυτους αποστελλειν δυο δυο και εδιδου αυτοις εξουσιαν των πνευματων των ακαθαρτων

clean, add an a - unclean,

8 και παρηγγειλεν αυτοις ινα μηδεν αιρωσιν εις οδον, ει μη ραβδον μονον, μη πηραν μη αρτον μη εις την ζωνην χαλκον

9 αλλ υποδεδεμενους σανδαλια και μη ενδυσησθε δυο χιτωνας

Travel light - tell the big mission boards!

10 και ελεγεν αυτοις οπου εαν εισελθητε εις οικιαν εκει μενετε εως αν εξελθητε εκειθεν

Use of hospitality

11 και οσοι αν μη δεξωνται υμας μηδε ακουσωσιν υμων εκπορευομενοι εκειθεν εκτιναξατε τον χουν τον υποκατω των ποδων υμων εις μαρτυριον αυτοις αμην λεγω υμιν ανεκτοτερον εσται σοδομοις η γομορροις εν ημερα κρισεως η τη πολει εκεινη

δέχομαι - important parallel with believe but not quite the same

12 και εξελθοντες εκηρυσσον ινα μετανοησωσιν

They did not tell people they were already forgiven.

13 και δαιμονια πολλα εξεβαλλον και ηλειφον ελαιω πολλους αρρωστους και εθεραπευον

All active. The disciples did this, Jesus gave them the exousia.

14 και ηκουσεν ο βασιλευς ηρωδης, φανερον γαρ εγενετο το ονομα αυτου και ελεγεν οτι ιωαννης ο βαπτιζων εκ νεκρων ηγερθη και δια τουτο ενεργουσιν αι δυναμεις εν αυτω

15 αλλοι ελεγον οτι ηλιας εστιν αλλοι δε ελεγον οτι προφητης εστιν η ως εις των προφητων

16 ακουσας δε ο ηρωδης ειπεν οτι ον εγω απεκεφαλισα ιωαννην ουτος εστιν αυτος ηγερθη εκ νεκρων

Foreshadowing of Jesus rising from the dead.

17 αυτος γαρ ο ηρωδης αποστειλας εκρατησεν τον ιωαννην και εδησεν αυτον εν τη φυλακη δια ηρωδιαδα την γυναικα φιλιππου του αδελφου αυτου οτι αυτην εγαμησεν

18 ελεγεν γαρ ο ιωαννης τω ηρωδη οτι ουκ εξεστιν σοι εχειν την γυναικα του αδελφου σου

19 η δε ηρωδιας ενειχεν αυτω και ηθελεν αυτον αποκτειναι και ουκ ηδυνατο

Lenski, Mark - Herod's crime was a public outrage. The woman had first married her own father's brother and then ran away and lived with the half-brother of her hus band, who was also her half-uncle and already had a legal wife. Two marriages were disrupted, and the new union was not a marriage. It was plain adultery and within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity. Josephus charges Herodias with the intention of con founding her country's institutions. No wonder John raised his voice in spite of Herod's being the ruler. "To have" =t to have as wife. "The wife of thy brother" brings out one great feature of the unlawfulness.

20 ο γαρ ηρωδης εφοβειτο τον ιωαννην ειδως αυτον ανδρα δικαιον και αγιον και συνετηρει αυτον και ακουσας αυτου πολλα εποιει και ηδεως αυτου ηκουεν

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Too Bad David Scaer Unleashed a Horde of Ignorant Bullies on the LCMS-ELS

I was thinking about this post from Jay Webber, which WELS Discussions made disappear on Facebook.

Jay's tactic, modeled after David Scaer's maneuvers, is older than ragweed and just as prolific.

If you start listing the Objective Justification bullies -

• Jack Casione
• Paul the Plagiarist McCain
• Jay Webber - with an ELCA online STM
• ELDONA (post-conversion, they are just bullies) -

they have one thing in common, a bad education at Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 46825.

Scaer bragged about his longevity in his overpriced autobiography. The Lulu book should be printed free as a warning to all. He failed his German PhD so he recycled his credits at Concordia St. Louis, submitted the same thesis, and got a seminary PhD. All he wanted was being a parish pastor, which is why he went to two different schools for a PhD. Sure, parish pastor Dave, so why not help out a struggling parish now?

That nostalgic claim is not exactly fresh and unusual. All the synodicats who have big salaries and deluxe benefits loudly long for the joys of the parish ministry. They are like the professional baseball players who ache for the joys of backstreet baseball with worn bats and makeshift equipment.

What came through Jay's incautious eructation actually expressed the spirit of the entire Scaer book - disgust with Justification by Faith. Scaer's vendetta against the Chief Article is striking and revealing of the radicals in the LCMS-WELS. In both sects, the radical Leftists took over their synod by replacing Justification by Faith with the mainline favorite - Justification without Faith - Objective Justification.

Just as the abortionists must get rid of all pro-life people, so the OJ fanatics - who are just plain stupid about Biblical doctrine - must rid their synod of any outbreak of Justification by Faith. Like the abortionists, they must paint the traditionalists as entirely evil, destructive, and menacing to all.

Scaer was appalled that Walter A. Maier II was hired to teach at Concordia, Springfield, where he was teaching. The school was transported to Ft. Wayne by Jack Preus, years later. 

Scaer was even more appalled that WAM III was hired at Ft. Wayne, hinting at the fatherly influence of WAM II, but never mentioning his own son teaching at Ft. Wayne.

Scaer is like his former students on LutherQuest (sic) who are scandalized by my PhD from Notre Dame but not by the many PhDs from Notre Dame at Ft. Wayne. They need to review the saying about what comes out of a man 

Mark 7 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Scaer also indulges in the categories used by Calvin and Walther.

• Calvin - anyone who disagreed with him was an Arminian.
• Walther - anyone who disagreed with him was a false teacher.

"Yet both Robert Preus and Jack Preus could not accept what they saw as the denial of objective justification by both Walter Maier I and his son Walter Maier II. His views also became an issue in September 1989 with the calling of Walter Maier III, whose views were seen by some faculty members as virtually identical with his father’s view. Neither understood this doctrine according to traditional Missouri Synod definitions. For the Preus brothers, this was not a minor issue. Jack Preus was not the only one to look into the issue. Ralph Bohlmann also did. The inability of the Missouri Synod once and for all to bring this matter to a conclusion may partially lie in that the Missouri Synod had long been “Protestantized” in an Arminian direction."

Scaer, David P.. Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer. Luther Academy. Kindle Edition. #5646.

We never learn the reason for Scaer's disgust with the Chief Article, other than the false claim of Justification by Faith going against the LCMS traditional view.

Thanks to prior research done by the sainted Pastor Harley and additional research done by someone else, it is clear that the original official view of the LCMS was - Justification by Faith - for many decades.

Like the warning of Orwell's 1984 novel, all of history must be re-written and the past destroyed to support the newer, better understanding.

And where else is this practiced, even on Luther's grave? Jay Webber's ELCA online ILT -

 Since David Scaer's pal Jack Kilcrease teaches there, we can assume they are slaves of the crafts and assaults of OJ.

 Note the language - the Quia Marias miss that the Chief Article is by faith, not at all bad in Paul or Luther, even if it gives the fanatics the heebie-jeebies. They believe, as James says, but their hides bristle. James 2:19

 The Walter Maier clan looks jolly rather than fierce.

 Why did the LCMS fail to stop Dr. Walter Maier I from teaching inerrancy and Justification by Faith? Now the OJ LCMS of Matt the Fatt opposes inerrancy and Justification by Faith.

Wonders in the Creation Garden

This Chaste Tree shrub has no problems with being pruned or being moved.

Surprises - especially the pleasant ones - are common in the Creation Garden.

This year is full of wonders, because the rainfall has been generous, but so has the sunshine. Before I can empty the rainbarrels, they are overflowing again. Nevertheless, I empty them regularly to prevent skeeters.

Almost Eden got me involved in shrubs, so I now have two fully developed Chaste Trees and two little ones. The little ones came from fearing I killed one from a move in dry weather. Once the replacement came, the dead one was thriving. Chaste Tree has a definite medicinal smell; its deep blue flowers are enticing to bees and striking to neighbors. Our neighbor Mrs. Gardener said, "What is that beautiful plant?"

 Joe Pye is easy to grow, if watered in dry spells.
I order mine early from Growthers Exchange.

Joe Pye came up so often on butterfly plant lists that I bought a group of them from The Growers Exchange, the only plant source I trust now. They were slow to impress, but last year the senior example soared to 7 feet, filled the air with its scent, and attracted butterflies constantly. The junior class is looking robust, and even the new Little Joe Pyes are budding in time. Little Joe Pye was developed for those who do not want a giant in the garden, so it is more of a flower box plant.

Our first Mountain Mint was buried by accident under cardboard and mulch, but burst through later to flourish and spread.

Mountain Mint, which also drives insects crazy, arrived as a tiny plant. This year two large areas are ready to bloom at about five feet in height.

 Cats love Cat Mint, a mint that grows in circumference but does not go wild with roots.

Cat Mint grows low, but two plantings have grown in circumference and bloomed very early to host the bees and tiny beneficial insects most people ignore or swat away. My plan for dry weather is to plant some dug from the mother ship around the maple, to have a colorful circle in an area which favors weedy growth.

Almost Eden sold me 17 Spirea bushes (Neon) for about $1.50 each. They were small but hardy, planted as the fence around the rose garden, which expanded beyond them. The result has been that the Spirea, mints, and Joe Pyes have grown almost together, but leaving room for roses to grow and soak up the sun.

Fever Few grew to five feet and bloomed. It was just a tiny flower when I grew it in Midland, where it spread to every bare spot. The moment it bloomed, beneficial insects were on it.

Shasta Daisies, the dandelion of flowers, grew from two plants and my efforts at dividing them. They are fully budded and just starting to bloom. Tachinid Flies love daisies - and those flies love killing aphids.

 A wise gardener praises his neighbor's Hotas, which have to be thinned. What better way to increase these natural Hummingbird feeders?

When I planted Hostas, I feared that rabbits would devour them. The current herd of cute bunnies suggests some sampling of all the plants, but no big losses. The Hostas are robust and blooming, ready to be divided later. I was going to do that in the fall but decided to let them have their leap year first:

1. Planting new ones, keep them alive year.
2. Second year, sleep year.
3. Third year, leap year, which is true of many shrubs.

 Portrait of the Creation gardener, before the harvest.
I cut these Easy Does It roses for our granddaughter's wedding. My siblings asked, "Did you really grow them?" Our paternal grandfather and our mother were legendary rose gardeners.

Typical WELS

Good morning Pastor Jackson,

Don’t know if you saw this on the WELS Discussion board or not but thought I’d bring it to your attention: Winnebago Lutheran Academy Teacher Under Fire Female Circumcision Lesson.  Some readers on the WELS Discussion board can’t see the forest for the trees, getting hung up on little details instead of the true meat of the story.  Does the story have plenty of clickbaity words that will catch a Google search?  Oh indeed.  The reporter isn’t foolish in that regard.  School choice in Wisconsin, Lutherans, linking this story to the gay valedictorian that wasn’t allowed to address the school, female circumcision, it is all a potential cornucopia of hot takes and buzz words.

Regardless of how one feels about how the school handled this topic and the teacher that brought it up female circumcision in class, personally I feel that he was completely run out of town on a rail by a weak-kneed school administration, there’s one point in the story that only illustrates the bullying mentality that can run rampant in the WELS:

                “Several persons who had affiliations with the academy were contacted by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, but declined to be interviewed for fear of retribution, they said.”

“Fear of retribution”.  Retribution.  At this point, I shouldn’t be shocked by any from the synod or synodical schools or school boards of education, but “retribution”?  Amazing what was said by these people not commenting, isn’t it?

Retribution.  I think of Clint Eastwood during the finale of Unforgiven when I think of retribution.  I certainly don’t think of a “Christian” school.  But now my eyes are opened as to how a definition can be broadened.  As an alum of this school, I find this even more destatable and simply disgusting.

And now because of these events, a good man and a good teacher is kicked out.  No chance for another call and the public sector won’t touch him, if he even wanted to go that way.  A 24-year veteran instructor of WLA is gone and over something that certainly didn’t warrant a forced resignation.  I had him as an instructor back when he started there and as his focus was social studies, this wasn’t a topic that was beyond the realm of coverage.  Besides he taught it for 15 years and the school board and administration apparently had no issues with it for over half of his teaching ministry there. 

Oh and to add to it being even more disgusting, here’s the newest update as of yesterday 6-17-19: Fond du Lac Teacher Claims He Was Forced To Resign After Lecture about Female Circumcision In that article, we get a reply from a pastor who says nothing, brings up no real details other than being weak-kneed, and I’m shocked some random and not-relevant Scripture passages weren’t thrown in for good measure, as that’s the usual Winnie-Lu way.  Perhaps that pastor could also answer as to why there were persons affiliated with the Academy who feared retribution for speaking about this.  Doubtful that’ll ever come to light.

I hope and pray that all is well with you and your family.

Take care and keep up the good fight on Ichabod!