Chapter # 2 Paragraph # 1 Study # 6
June 25, 2019
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: The accusation of the scribes was the result of "good theology" embraced by "hardened hearts".
Introduction: In our last study I made the claim that the "attitude" required in "forgiveness" is "repentance", but the root is "faith". There are three issues: a desire for "reconciliation with God"; an attitude of genuine humility mixed with a turn to God as "willing" to be compassionate; and a "faith" embrace of the promise that if humility in the face of a compassionate God is present, so also is "forgiveness of sins". Note how
Hebrews 11:6 declares these truths: faith is essential; the "faith" is in an "existing in the present" God Who is characterized as One Who becomes ( ginomai ) a "rewarder" of those who seek Him. This "seeking" assumes a "need" and the rewarding assumes a willingness to meet that need.
Now, as we pursue Mark's newest forward step [the focus upon "faith"] in the face of the earlier focus upon repentance, we come to his description of the response of the scribes.
- I. The Markan Descriptions of the Scribes.
- A. The "scribes" are first mentioned in 1:22 as grossly inept "teachers" of "doctrine".
- B. Then, we see in Mark's fourth mention of them in 3:22 that, because of extreme "hardness of heart" (3:5) they accuse Him of being in league with Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.
- C. Then, in 12:38, Mark records Jesus' warning against the scribes because of their lust for status.
- D. What this boils down to is revealed in our current text: some correct "theology" twisted by a completely erroneous "T"heology because of "hearts" that are "hardened" in their lusts against Truth.
- 1. Their "lust" for status in the eyes of men makes them "hardened idolaters" who only use the truth when it justifies their own pursuits.
- 2. This "lust" is easily seen by their presence and posture in the house.
- 3. This "lust" is the reason for their ineptitude, and its revelation to observers as to its roots is self-defeating in that the attenders to the synagogue do not trust them (and, thus, give them no honor).
- II. Mark's Description of the Scribal Reasoning.
- A. First, it is reasoning that arises out of their hearts.
- 1. This is not automatically negative at this point: Mark's later comments do come later.
- 2. This is an automatic result for everyone when they are put in a position to have to deal with the dissonance between incontrovertible facts and contrary prior beliefs.
- a. There could be no denial of Jesus' "authority" over demons and diseases.
- b. However, when Jesus is declared to be responding to "faith" in Him with a declaration of both a participation in the family of God ("Child") and an on-going forgiveness of sins ("your sins are being forgiven"), there is an incontrovertible clash between what Jesus is teaching and what has been "held as true doctrine" for a long time.
- c. Thus, "reasoning" is reasonable.
- B. But, when the "reasoning that is coming out of the heart" simply pronounces "judgment" against Jesus, we can see a serious problem with the scribal methodology in theology and its resultant lack of "authority".
- 1. The accusation of "blasphemy" is an accusation of a wicked heart (7:21-23).
- 2. In some cases in the "Law" it was a capital crime.
- 3. It does not answer the already-established facts.
- a. John had introduced Jesus and was considered by most to be a prophet of God (Mark 11:32).
- b. Jesus obviously had supernatural authority and powers that were being used for "good".
- C. The "question" that is used to justify the reasoning is "good theology", but is corrupted by "an evil heart of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:12).
- 1. The argument that only God can forgive sins is true when it is used in the realm of the intention of God to produce a relational kingdom.
- a. Human beings can "forgive sins" when they follow the process required by faith in the instructions of Matthew 18.
- b. But, when God is directly in the picture, only He can actually "forgive".
- 2. But, to use this truth to accuse Jesus of teaching blasphemous concepts reveals an unwillingness to deal with any/every "fact" that is a stumbling stone to the objective (status in the eyes of men).
