FUNCTIONAL FAITH
The Wording

Mark 1

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Berean Standard Bible

Goodspeed New Testament

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1

This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.

2

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “Here I send my messenger on before you; He will prepare your way;

3

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

Hark! Someone is shouting in the desert, ‘Get the Lord’s way ready, Make his paths straight,’ ”

4

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

John the baptizer appeared in the desert, and preached repentance and baptism in order to obtain the forgiveness of sins.

5

People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

And all Judea and everybody in Jerusalem went out to him there, and accepted baptism from him in the Jordan River, acknowledging their sins.

6

John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

John’s clothing was made of hair cloth, and the belt around his waist was leather, and he lived on dried locusts and wild honey.

7

And he proclaimed: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

And this was his message: “After me there is coming one stronger than I am, one whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie.

8

I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. ”

I have baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the holy Spirit.”

9

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

It was in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

10

As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.

And just as he was coming up out of the water he saw the heavens torn open and the Spirit coming down like a dove to enter into him,

11

And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

and out of the heavens came a voice: “You are my Son, my Beloved! You are my Chosen!”

12

At once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness,

The spirit immediately drove him out into the desert.

13

and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.

And he remained in the desert for forty days, and Satan tried to tempt him there; and he was among the wild animals; but the angels waited on him.

14

After the arrest of John, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God.

After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news from God,

15

“The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”

saying, “The time has come and the reign of God is near; repent, and believe this good news.”

16

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

As he was passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets in the sea, for they were fishermen.

17

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for men.”

18

And at once they left their nets and followed Him.

They immediately abandoned their nets and followed him.

19

Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.

He went on a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; they too were in their boat putting their nets in order.

20

Immediately Jesus called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.

He immediately called them. And they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went off after him.

21

Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and right away Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.

They proceeded to Capernaum, and on the very first Sabbath he went to the synagogue and taught.

22

The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

And they were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them like one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

23

Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue:

Just then there was in their synagogue a man under the control of a foul spirit, and he cried out,

24

“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

“What do you want of us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, you are God’s holy One!”

25

But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!”

Jesus reproved him, and said, “Silence! Get out of him!”

26

At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.

The foul spirit convulsed the man and gave a loud cry and went out of him.

27

All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!”

And they were all so amazed that they discussed it with one another, and said, “What does this mean? It is a new teaching! He gives orders with authority even to the foul spirits, and they obey him!”

28

And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee.

And his fame immediately spread in all directions through the whole neighborhood of Galilee.

29

As soon as Jesus and His companions had left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the house of Simon and Andrew.

30

Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and they promptly told Jesus about her.

Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed, sick with a fever, and they immediately told him about her.

31

So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.

And he went up to her, and grasping her hand, he made her rise. And the fever left her, and she waited on them.

32

That evening, after sunset, people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed,

In the evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons,

33

and the whole town gathered at the door.

and the whole town was gathered at the door.

34

And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and drove out many demons, and he would not let the demons speak, because they knew that he was Christ.

35

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.

Early in the morning, long before daylight, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely spot, and prayed there.

36

Simon and his companions went to look for Him,

And Simon and his companions sought him out

37

and when they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for You!”

and found him, and said to him, “They are all looking for you!”

38

But Jesus answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns so I can preach there as well, for that is why I have come.”

He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else, to the neighboring country towns, so that I may preach in them, too, for that is why I came out here.”

39

So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

So he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out the demons.

40

Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

There came to him a leper appealing to him on his knees, saying to him, “If you only choose, you can cure me.”

41

Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!”

And he pitied him and stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose! Be cured!”

42

And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed.

And the leprosy immediately left him, and he was cured.

43

Jesus promptly sent him away with a stern warning:

And Jesus immediately drove him away with stern injunctions,

44

“See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

saying to him, “See that you say nothing about this to anybody, but begone! show yourself to the priest, and in proof of your cure make the offerings for your purification which Moses prescribed.”

45

But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter.

But he went off and began to talk so much about it, and to spread the story so widely, that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in unfrequented places, and people came to him from every direction.

Functional Faith Reading

The Greek word translated "gospel" is euangelion — good news, not religious system. Mark opens not with doctrine but with direction: a herald crying in the wilderness, using the exact language of Isaiah 40, where the personal name Jehovah is the one whose path is being cleared. The quotation is addressed to someone distinct from Jehovah — someone whose way Jehovah himself is preparing.

Most readings collapse that distinction immediately, reading the Son into the Father's identity before the story has even begun. But Mark is careful. The Father speaks from heaven. The Pioneer emerges from the water. The Spirit descends as a third distinct presence. Three are visible here — and they are not the same.

What Functional Faith recovers is the relational architecture Mark builds in these opening verses. The Father sends. The Pioneer is sent. Jehovah prepares the path — and the one who walks that path comes dripping from the Jordan, not as Jehovah, but as the Father's beloved firstborn, commissioned in public, confirmed by voice, and immediately driven into the wilderness to be tested. A pioneer is proven by what he endures, not by what he escapes.

For someone walking the Way, this matters enormously. The Pioneer did not arrive immune to the wilderness. He walked into it right after his commissioning. Your hard season after a genuine beginning is not a sign of failure.

Sit with this

What does it mean to you that Jehovah prepared a path for someone distinct from himself — and that path led immediately into the wilderness?

Sources

SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)License

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Copyright 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software.

Licensed CC BY 4.0.

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