Week 26: The Controversies of Jesus
Week 26: The Controversies of Jesus
There is no doubt that Christ was a controversialist. He was in constant debate with the religious leaders of his day. He disagreed with them, and they disagreed with him. So Mark, having given us an overview of Jesus’s public ministry in his chapter 1, collected together in chapter 2 four controversies. What is particularly striking about them is that in each debate, explicitly or implicitly, Jesus advances a claim regarding his unique identity. After these four controversies we will look at three more (on tradition, divorce, and authority), which Mark includes in later chapters of his Gospel.
Sunday: The Debate over Forgiveness
Monday: The Debate over Fraternization
Tuesday: The Debate over Fasting
Wednesday: The Debate over the Sabbath
Thursday: The Debate over Tradition
Friday: The Debate over Divorce
Saturday: The Debate over Paying Taxes