Mark 1:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.

NIV: They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

NASB: They *went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach.

CSB: They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.

NLT: Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach.

KJV: And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

NKJV: Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.

Mark 1:21 begins the third section of Mark, which outlines Jesus' ministry in Galilee (Mark 1:21—6:29). Jesus and His four newly-picked disciples—Andrew, Simon Peter, James, and John—are in Capernaum, where Simon Peter lives. On the Sabbath, Jesus goes into the synagogue to teach.

The Greek term sunagoge means "bringing together, gathering," and refers to the structure where such a gathering occurs. This center of teaching, in the Jewish faith, is called a "Synagogue." Some Jewish scholars believe synagogues existed from the time of Moses, though they most likely started during the Babylonian captivity when the Israelites were scattered all over the region and the temple was destroyed. Jews met in synagogues on the sabbath and feast days, to pray and listen to both the reading of Scriptures and commentary on the text. It was in a synagogue that Jesus announced His ministry in His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16–21) and where Paul often started preaching the gospel (Acts 9:20; 17:17). A later version of the synagogue in Capernaum still stands mostly intact.

As the temple held the Ark of the Covenant, every synagogue features an "ark," or cabinet, containing the Torah. This is a set of hand-written scrolls of the Jewish Bible, corresponding to the Old Testament. It is still common practice for a non-priest / non-Levite to read from the Torah. After Jesus read, He would have sat down to teach.

Mark's focus in this verse emphasizes several factors that frustrate critics of the Bible. He provides details regarding location, and the city of Capernaum was well known. The day, place, and Jesus' actions are clear: He is teaching in the synagogue on a Saturday. There were many eyewitnesses, meaning Mark could not have easily fabricated this account. Doing so would have left too many ways to dismiss his story. The time, location, and witnesses could easily be investigated to verify whether the story was accurate. This makes it difficult to write off Mark's account as fictional.

However, Mark appears to write based on someone's eyewitness account—likely Peter who would have been in the room.

Mark 1:21–45 opens a longer section describing the healing and preaching ministry of Jesus Christ. In this segment, Jesus impresses onlookers with His mastery of the Scriptures. He also amazes people with His authoritative style. During this teaching, Jesus heals a man afflicted with demonic possession. The resulting publicity brings a massive crowd to the home of Simon Peter, where Jesus is staying. Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law of a fever, and cures a leper, before leaving the region to continue His ministry.

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.