Canonical Reading Plan for Oct 22, Mar 15-16

Today's readings are Mar 15-16.

Mar 15:2 relates Pilate's pronunciation of Jesus' kingship. Ironically, Jesus is proclaimed King by a pagan Gentile governor. In Mar 15:12-15 Pilate succinctly declares Jesus to be innocent. The Roman governor has examined Jesus and His activities and finds Jesus doing nothing illegal. This is an independent, outside confirmation that Jesus is being tried and judged inappropriately.

During the crucifixion, we hear Jesus cry out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Mar 15:34). We should not miss what happens here. First, we see Jesus has not lost His faith and trust in the Father. He continues to confess Him and "My God." Second, we see the extent of Jesus' suffering as a man. Somehow, without surrendering His nature as God (He was fully man and fully God simultaneously and at all times), He feels the separation that sin causes between man and God. Yet, Jesus remains a full-fledged member of the Trinity as the Son. We know the Trinity is unchanging forever because God never changes. So, the Trinity remains intact and fully functional with Jesus maintaining His role as the Son. Yet, as a man, Jesus feels the anguish and heartbreak of being alone. This is difficult for us to comprehend. As such, it must be accepted in faith.

For those of us who have experienced heartbreak and isolation, this should be an encouragement that we never suffer anything that our Lord has not suffered. He was "...a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief" (Is 53:3), particularly at this moment on the cross. Jesus as a man not only identifies with our struggles and pain but as God, He comforts us and wipes every tear away.

The verses in Mar 16:9-20 are notated in most Bibles as "not included in the earliest manuscripts." If the passage following verse 8 is read carefully, there is a significant change in language and expression beginning with verse 9. Many scholars believe these verses were added sometime between the 4th and 9th centuries to soften the end of Mark's gospel, which otherwise ends abruptly with the women afraid and trembling.

Some folks get agitated over this issue, claiming it brings into doubt the veracity of the Bible. However, we should approach this carefully and thoughtfully. Rather than calling into question the authenticity of the Bible, finding out these verses don't belong here should reinforce the Bible's authenticity.

The book of Deuteronomy tells us the word of God cannot be added to or subtracted from (Dt 4:2) as does Revelation (Rev 22:18). We are blessed with scholars and linguists that have devoted their lives to the study of the Bible and where it came from. They have, through painstakingly faithful efforts, been able to determine that someone, nearly fifteen hundred years ago, tried to add to the original text of the Gospel of Mark. Praise God for the work of these people. Through their efforts, we see that the mistake of adding to the Bible was made long ago and is now rectified by the addition of those double brackets.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that we are reading translations whenever we read in any language other than Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic. Our modern translations are reliable and faithful to the original text. Yet, they remain translations. While faithfully reproduced, no single translation is more divinely inspired than any of the others. Furthermore, subtle changes can occur in a translation as our knowledge of the original languages improves, and at other times, even as our own language changes.

As an example of how a translation can change over time, if you read John 3:16-17 in the Old English of the original 1611 King James Version of the Bible, which some believe to be divinely inspired, it looks like this photo of an actual page in that Bible:

Here’s how John 3:16 reads in the original version:

“16 ¶ For God so loued þe world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne: that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life.17For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world: but that the world through him might be saued.”

The KJV, which itself was translated utilizing other translations, has been updated at least twice since 1611. The same passage now reads “¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Does the more recent version of the King James qualify as changing the word of God? Did someone add to it or subtract from it? No. The result of the changes is a more readable word and a more useful tool in learning about the character and nature of God and His plan to bring His children home. We should be thankful so many men and women have labored so hard to bring us the wide variety of reliable translations available today. God can and will use each one.