Pisteuomen - πιστευομεν - T. Michael W. Halcomb

I thought I would take a break from the Abiathar issue but I found myself having to do at least one more post on it. So here are a few more comments (reflecting on and adding to what I’ve already said): 1. I’ve been looking in detail at the seeming screw-up in Mk. 2.26, the one where Jesus refers to Abiathar as the “high priest”. I've concluded that it does not have to be written off as an error (I should state again that I am not attempting here to cover up some uneasiness with what appears to be a historical slip-up so as to preserve a modern doctrinal construct). 2. Instead, there is a very good explanation as to what is going on in this verse. 3. That explanation has to do with Mark’s movement between two languages: Aramaic (his first language) and Greek (his second language). 4. When one reads the New Testament that we have, they find that Mark uses some form of the term “ ἀρχιερέως ” (generally, high or chief priest) eight times: Mk. 2.26; 14.47, 53, 54, 60, 61, 63, 66. 5. I...

Mark 2.23-7 is an interesting pericope. It’s main focus is on Jesus and His disciples who, after picking some grain on the Sabbath, are confronted and challenged by the Pharisees. Though there could be two offenses here, 1) The picking of the grain on the Sabbath (e.g. viewed as work) or, 2) Walking more than the allotted and allowed on the Sabbath. It seems most likely that the first offense is in view. Within this story, though, there is yet another story: Jesus recounts an instance where King David, along with his followers, went into the temple and ate the consecrated bread because they were hungry. (I should say here that there is no reason to doubt that this event concerning David happened, though some have.) To this, I would also add that one need not resort to arguments that either Mark or Jesus got this story wrong or that they misquoted Scripture. It is common, in many commentaries at least, to find persons suggesting that this passage is a clear invention or that it is found...