You are invited to the Adult Sunday School Sunday – 9:15 – 10:00am. The class is currently studying the Book of Mark. To join in, click the link below. All are welcome!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82868405334?pwd=6dk0CSrALrm8JYSvqM3hUD3CecWNfA.1
All are welcome!
NOTES FROM AUGUST 3, 2025 Sunday School Class
- Mark is one of the four gospels which the church recognizes in the Bible. Gospel means
“good news” and the gospels are theological works by different authors telling the
“good news” of Jesus the Christ (Messiah). Scholars have named Mark, Matthew and
Luke the “synoptic” (same eye) gospels because of the material they share. - Before studying what scholars say about Mark, it may help to read some of Mark and
think about what the author is saying and how he is saying it. Also think about what this
author doesn’t say. The following is the Revised Standard Version translation of the
original Greek, for the first two chapters. Note that the numbering of chapters and
verses was done later.
3.
“1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is
written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of
Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the
Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his
waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes
the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop
down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the
Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open
and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are
my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness
forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended
him.
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of
God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and
believe the good news!”
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew
casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said,
“and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed
him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John
in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father
Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue
and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them
as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their
synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit 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!”
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man
violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new
teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey
him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of
Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they
immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.
The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-
possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had
various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons
speak because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went
off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for
him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach
there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in
their synagogues and driving out demons.
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you
can make me clean.”
41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he
said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to
anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses
commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and
began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town
openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from
everywhere.
2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had
come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not
even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing
to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus
because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through
it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said
to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does
this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their
hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to
say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and
walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive
sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He
got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and
they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began
to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax
collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were
eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the
teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax
collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked
Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but
yours are not?”
19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?
They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the
bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.
21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece
will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into
old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the
wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked
along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why
are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions
were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the
house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And
he also gave some to his companions.”
27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28
So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
What is going on in this story? What do you notice? What speaks to you? Is anything is necessary to give effect to duties and powers assigned by the Constitution of the church. The jurisdiction of each council is limited by the express provisions of the Constitution, with powers not mentioned being reserved to the presbyteries.
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