Mark 1:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

NIV: The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

NASB: And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

CSB: They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

NLT: The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority — quite unlike the teachers of religious law.

KJV: And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

NKJV: And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Mark does not actually mention Jesus' miraculous incident with fish and nets (Luke 5:1–7). Even if he had, skeptical eyewitnesses could have assumed Jesus' knowledge of where to fish was coincidental. This makes the upcoming verses the first time Mark records a bona fide miracle (Mark 1:23–28). Although Mark's gospel focuses on the actions of Jesus, he begins the account as Jesus would have intended: with Jesus teaching. Despite the attention Jesus' miracles garnered, those signs were always in service to His teaching. In the Bible, God occasionally used miracles to serve the needs of His people, but primarily meant them to authenticate the message of the prophet or teacher who performed them (John 20:30–31).

Before the people present could be amazed at Jesus' impending miracle, they are "astonished" with His teaching. The Greek root translated as "astonished" is ekplesso, which means to be struck with amazement; almost as someone who is physically thrown back. Even today, Jewish rabbis bolster their interpretation of Scripture by citing the opinions of teachers who came before them. Even the Old Testament prophets began with, "Thus says the Lord…" Jesus, however, does not rely on confirmation from other sources. He teaches as if He is the authority on the passage at hand—because He is. This is quite a shock to the Pharisees. As the Jewish scholars, they are insulted by a rabbi who doesn't defer to their authorized interpretations.

Jesus is in the business of teaching, first and foremost. Mark mentions "teaching" twenty times (ESV). In addition to the synagogue, Jesus taught by the sea (Mark 2:13), among the villages (Mark 6:6), privately with His disciples (Mark 9:31), to the chief priests and scribes (Mark 11:18), and in the temple (Mark 14:49). Mark often notes the remarkable ability of Jesus to teach in diverse places with great authority and influence among all types of people.

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 Peters' 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.