New Testament Bible Study by John Stanko

Mark Study 9

Dear Student of the Word,

It's that time again and the next installment of our study of Mark's gospel is attached to this email.  I know you are busy and these studies require a commitment of time and effort.  Any effort that you put into the word of God, however, is time well invested and the returns are fantastic.  I know you realize that, but it can still be difficult to find the time.  It is the same for me as I write, but I have made a promise to myself to work on four verses every day.  I have been able to do that since 2001 and I have completed studies like this for 16 books in the New Testament.  It's amazing what you can do if you do just a little every day consistently.

This week I wrote:

6:52 -- Their hearts were hard!  That's it!  Jesus was confronting their hard hearts!  They had actually been out on their own to teach and heal.  They had already seen Jesus do great and magnificent things. What's more, they knew that Jesus had taken five loaves and two fish and fed thousands.  They were the ones who had counted the raw materials and then inventoried the leftovers in twelve baskets. Yet their hearts were hard!  Jesus was trying to get them out of their ordinary thinking, which was spiritually subnormal, to some level of faith for more and the unexpected. 

As I write this, we will soon celebrate Easter Sunday, which is the day when more people go to church than any other Sunday of the year.  Millions will attend church service, some for the only time of the year, and declare that Jesus is alive, that He was raised from the dead.  Yet they will go right back to their lives and that belief will have absolutely no impact on their daily existence.  Why?  Because their hearts are hard.  They will believe that God raised the dead Jesus, but they won't believe that the same power can be part of their walk.

if God raises the dead, He can do anything!  Yet do you act like He can do anything?  Do you say that Jesus is alive, and don't believe you can go on a missions trip because it costs $2,000?  Do you get a report from the doctor of a potential problem and go into depression?  Do you say we can't do this or that because we can't afford it, don't have the time, or the know-how, or education?  If you do, then you are in the same boat the disciples were in.  Jesus has shown you His power and you think it was a "ghost" -- some freak of nature or unusual work of God.  Don't judge the disciples too harshly until you examine whether or not you are in the same boat with them.

Feel free to add your insight or comments to this study on the site where these studies are posted every week.  You can also give a gift subscription by going to the same site or unsubscribe by clicking on the link below.

Download this week's study:  Download mark_study_9.doc

Mark Study 8

Dear Student of the Word,

It's that time again, time for another installment of our Mark study.  The word of God is magnificent--I know you realize that.  I am always amazed at how readable and relevant the Bible is to our human condition.  The Bible would be good reading even if it wasn't the inspired Word, which of course it is. 

At any rate, this week I wrote: 

v. 14 -- As I stated earlier, Jesus was a celebrity and here His notoriety was caused by what His disciples were doing. Even King Herod received a report about Jesus' work and that of His followers.  Yet there was confusion about who Jesus was and where He had come from.  Since Herod had John beheaded, Herod would have paid particular attention to the rumor that Jesus was John the Baptist back from the dead. 

When you examine that rumor, it was utterly foolish!  How could Jesus be John, when they were cousins and contemporaries of one another?  Jesus was doing the work He did before John was beheaded, so how could He now suddenly be John?  There can certainly be a lot of superstitions even among spiritual people.  Do you have any superstitious beliefs?  Don't answer too quickly.

If you gave a special offering one time and God blessed you in some way right after that, you can easily think, "My offering brought that blessing, so the next time I have a need, I will give just like I did in that instance and God will bless me again."  God may, or He may not.  That belief in the cause and effect of your gift, however, is in some ways a superstition.  Does that make sense?  Do you agree or disagree?  Can you think of any other such beliefs in your life?

Feel free to add your insight or comments to this study on the site where these studies are posted every week.  You can also give a gift subscription by going to the same site or unsubscribe by clicking on the link below.

Download this week's study:  Download mark_study_8.doc

Mark Study 7

Dear Student of the Word,

I'm home in the States and it's nice to have a respite from my travels. There is no respite, however, from our study of God's word and I am glad to bring you this latest installment. We are making progress through Mark as we see Jesus ministering and meeting one need after another.

This week I wrote:

v. 37 – Jesus handpicked those who followed Him to the ruler’s home. I wonder why? Perhaps Jesus' own faith and ability were limited by those with fear. Remember what was said in Matthew:

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith (Matthew 13:58).

Not only did Jesus block out what some were saying, He wouldn’t let others follow Him to the man’s home. If you are serious about faith, you will have to choose your associates more carefully. You need those who will help your faith or at least not hinder it. Is there someone in your life right now who is an un-faith agent? Someone who engenders fear and not faith? What are you prepared to do about that relationship? I am not saying you need to break with that person. I am saying that you need to stop taking your faith cues from that person. You need to be careful what you say to them, what they say to you, and where you “take” them as you walk in faith.

Feel free to add your insight or comments to this study on the site where these studies are posted every week. You can also give a gift subscription by going to the same site or unsubscribe by clicking on the link below.

Download this week's study: Download mark_study_7.doc

Mark Study 6

Dear Student of the Word,

It's a pleasure to send you this study from England, home to so many past champions of missions and the Word. I feel more spiritual just being here (and I need all the help I can get).  I am enjoying working through Mark's gospel.  It always seems that one thought stays with me from the study throughout the day, helping me to stay in the Word a little longer than I ordinarily would. I hope these studies are having that same effect with you.

This week we read about the man who had a legion of demons that Jesus cast out of him and into a herd of pigs.  Here is what I jokingly wrote (it's all right to have some fun with the Word, isn't it?):

v. 14 -- I've heard the term "sheep herder" but not often the term "pig herder."  With 2,000 pigs scavenging for food,  however, I suppose someone had to try and keep them in line.  I wonder if there were pig dogs like there are sheep dogs?  At any rate, the hired help watched this incident happen and took off to tell the owners of their financial ruin.  I am sure that the herders were quite concerned, for it was their responsibility to tend the pigs, not to send them off swimming!  I doubt too if the owners had any kind of pig insurance. This caused quite a stir in the local villages, so everyone came to check things out.  Thank goodness there weren't any pig activists to protest this inhumane treatment of pigs!

Feel free to add your insight or comments to this study on the site where these studies are posted every week.  You can also give a gift subscription by going to the same site or unsubscribe by clicking on the link below.

Download this week's study: Download mark_study_6.doc