Mark 12:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong."

NIV: He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"

NASB: He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.'

CSB: He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken."

NLT: So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.'

KJV: He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

NKJV: He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.”

The Sadducees have used a law about marriage to try to disprove the existence of the afterlife (Mark 12:18–23). In response, Jesus quotes the words God used to identify Himself to prove the resurrection is real. This confrontation illustrates the difference between eisegesis and exegesis. These are also described as "reading into" and "reading from" a text.

Eisegesis interprets Scripture through a preconceived worldview. It uses Scripture out of context to prove a belief. The belief comes first, and the written text is interpreted so that it agrees with the preconceived notion. In this case, the Sadducees believe that we cease to exist after we die. To prove that belief, they scour the Old Testament for a passage that confirms their bias.

What they find is the passage on levirate marriages. If a woman's husband dies before she has children, she is to marry the man's brother. In this way, she doesn't have to leave the security of her in-law's home, she gains a son to care for her, and her first husband gains an heir. The Sadducees' hypothetical situation is that a woman's husband dies and she winds up marrying six of his brothers with no children. Since the idea of a woman being married to seven men in the afterlife seems ridiculous, the Sadducees infer there must not be an afterlife.

Jesus uses the biblical interpretation method of exegesis. Exegesis understands the passage in context, as it is presented and intended, and derives spiritual truths from the passage itself. Jesus uses Exodus 3:6 to show that God declared that He is still the God of those who had physically died. If He is still their God, they must still exist, so there must be an afterlife. An exegetical interpretation of the law doesn't deduce that levirate marriages prove the afterlife doesn't exist, it deduces that in the afterlife there is no marriage (Mark 12:24–25).

The same mistake made by the Sadducees is often committed by modern critics of the Bible. They deduce an absurd conclusion, and fail to realize that the absurdity only disproves their assumptions, not Scripture itself.

Mark 12:18–27 describes the Pharisees' and Herodians' futile attack on Jesus' base of support. Earlier, they posed a political question, trying to force Him to choose between the Roman rulers and the Zealots (Mark 12:13–17). It didn't work. Now, the Sadducees pose a theological question that seems to present a choice between their own woodenly literal interpretation of Scripture and the Pharisees' broader beliefs. These religious leaders fail to understand that Jesus doesn't need to align with any of them. If He's on any side, it's God's. This riddle is also found in Matthew 22:23–33 and Luke 20:27–40.

This chapter contains lessons taught by Jesus in various circumstances. He explains the eventual destruction of traditional Judaism, the relationship between secular and sacred obligations, the nature of the resurrection, and the most important of God's commandments. Jesus also expounds on Messianic statements in the Old Testament. Jesus also condemns the glory-seeking shallowness of the scribes, and extolls the virtues of sincere, faith-based giving.

Days before, Jesus has entered Jerusalem, hailed as a hero by the people (Mark 11:1–11). While teaching in the temple courtyard, Jesus shows superior understanding of Scripture over the chief priests, scribes, and elders (Mark 12:27–33), the Pharisees and Herodians (Mark 12:13), the Sadducees (Mark 12:18), and the scribes again (Mark 12:35, 38). Sadly, even in the instance where a scribe does understand Scripture, that is no guarantee he will follow it to its logical conclusion: Jesus (Mark 12:28–34). In contrast, a humble widow exemplifies the faithfulness and piety the leaders lack (Mark 12:41–44). Jesus leaves the temple for the last time to teach the disciples on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13). In Mark 14, He prepares for the crucifixion.

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.