Brianroy answers reader's questions: Is Mark's Gospel Reliable?

Recently, someone read a Commentary on the Gospel of Mark and got upset about it. So he asked regarding Mark 2:26’s quote of how the soon to be King David “went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?” and the verse from 1 Samuel 21:1 reading “Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why [art] thou alone, and no man with thee?”

The one posing the question then noted that 1 Samuel shows that it was Ahimelech not Abiathar, and then asked if the Gospel of Mark was reliable. He also asked this question by pointing to Mark 8:12, which I will address below my answer to Mark 2:26.

So was and is the Gospel of Mark reliable?
The answer was and is: Yes.
The Gospel of Mark is reliable; and secondly, the reader who cited a commentary by somebody else (which is moot here), did not return to the earliest or approved Greek texts for context.

Mark vindicates Jesus on Abiathar
πως εισηλθεν εις τον οικον του θεου επι Αβιαθαρ αρχιερεως και τους αρτους της προθεσεως εφαγεν, ους ουκ εξεστιν φαγειν ει μη τους ιερεις, και εδωκεν και τοις συν αυτω ουσιν;

Jesus states "epi Abiathar archiereos"

"upon" or "about (the time of) / in (the time of) Abiathar the First Priest".

Abiathar's father, Ahimelech was in the office as high priest at the time, until the massacre of the Priests at Nob by Doeg the Edomite in 1 Samuel 22:18-19.

18And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

19And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.


In verse 20, Abiathar joins himself to David and becomes First Priest to David.

20And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

But there are plausible explanations. A plausible explanation is defined as acceptable, deserving of applause or approval having the likelihood of just reason and being true. It is what it is. This is the most likely interpretation that exists as read from the Greek in the context of the Greek, to which; there is NO confusion...only proper context that needs to be understood.

Again,
πως εισηλθεν εις τον οικον του θεου επι Αβιαθαρ αρχιερεως και τους αρτους της προθεσεως εφαγεν, ους ουκ εξεστιν φαγειν ει μη τους ιερεις, και εδωκεν και τοις συν αυτω ουσιν; Mark 2:26

Jesus states "epi Abiathar archiereos" "upon" or "about (the time of) / in (the time of) Abiathar the First Priest".

1) Archiereos in the Greek as applied in the Gospels did not always mean the lone High Priest, but in context it could include the 7 elders of the Sanhedrin. Just look at the next three uses in Mark at 8:31, 10:33, 11:18. That means Abiathar was one of the 7 elders and a Kohen who gave David the Matzos, who in turn took that bread outside to the Courts of the Gentiles and gave the bread unto his men. A Kohen who in 1 Samuel 22:18's context of a First Priest was the 86th sanctified priest who wore the linen Ephod, but escaped the massacre at Nob. 86 being the Gematriac of Elohim: G-D.
2) Epi with the Genitive, applies to "the time of" (Acts 11:28, Hebrews 1:2). If the expression "in the time of King David" had been used, when he was anointed but not yet King, would that be so inaccurate when you realize the Greek "epi" means "upon", hence "upon the time of" or "near to the time of"? How long after the eating of the Matzos were the priests killed? And if David appointed Abiathar his First Priest to minister to he and his men, and that distinction when David became King was to be a co-high priest with Zadok (whom Saul appointed) until David died, what then? Hence, the time difference between 1 Samuel 21 and 1 Samuel 22 is testified as a very short duration, perhaps well less than 3 months, bringing the event into the same "season" or the same seasonal cycle and year.

In the Greek, just by looking at the literalist expression of epi, and the Gospel usage of archiereus (the conditioners upon the name and context of Abiathar in its use); these should clearly dismiss the questioner’s doubt or "alleged" contentions regarding Mark 2:26.

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Now, in regard to a concern over Mark 8:12 by the questioner, let’s look at it and its immediate following verse.

12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
13And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.

When the reader cited Mark 8:12: Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation, he did not seek out what is the history of the recording of Mark and how does this saying compare with the other Gospels on the same quotation. This background knowledge also assuages / removes doubt.

The Gospel of Mark was written by a satellite interpreter and believer called Mark, who for perhaps 2 years in ROME (perhaps many years more elsewhere if part of Peter's traveling entourage) translated Peter’s speeches in Aramaic into Greek or Latin or perhaps one of the Egyptian dialects for the hearers at the places Peter preached his sermons.

When Peter was arrested at the end of May 57 A.D., Mark was approached by those at the Church of Rome to perhaps record what Peter had preached. Only then, Mark so recorded for those in Rome in 57 A.D. the specifics of what he heard Peter preach. But he wrote no less than what he knew he remembered for sure. Peter at this time was now being imprisoned for the desecration and suicide of a living Roman deity / exposed magician, and the wrath of Rome would have been indicative of assuring certain martyrdom unless Peter renounced his faith and swore to faith in the gods of Roman, as Roman law mandated. Since Peter was certain to never renounce Christ, Peter’s fate was sealed.

In the meantime, Mark neither added, nor intentionally took away from what he set down...and so the statement of Mark 8:12 stands as accurately recorded. It is just as accurate as the Old Testament's lacunae in First Samuel chapters 11 mentioned in Josephus' Antiquities Book 6 as found in Qumran Cave 4's / 4QSam's manuscript extant.
“[Na]hash, king of the sons of Ammon, sorely oppressed the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, and he gouged out [all] their right eyes and struck [quaking fear] in Israel. There was not left one among the sons of Israel [on the other side of the Jordan, whose] right eye was n[ot put out] by Naha[sh, the king] of the sons of Ammon; except those 7,000 men [fleeing fom] the sons of [A]mmon and (who) entered [J]abesh-Gilead. About a month later.… “{the Dead Sea Scroll text continues, now faithfully following with our received texts from 1 Samuel 21:1 ff.}.

Just because there is a minor absence in the text now, an absence that was previously accurately and soundly recorded, we can state concretely that neither 1 Samuel nor Mark is "unreliable". In fact, quite the opposite…they are sound and trustworthy Scriptures.

Mark (who wrote post Luke 11:29
29And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

of 50 A.D.

and post Matthew 12:39,
39But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

And post Matthew 16:4,
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

of 55 A.D.)

wrote his satellite interpreter recollections when Peter was imprisoned for 30 days, and Peter was made aware of it before being executed on June 29, 57 A.D.
Mark then left a Greek copy in Rome, delivered copies to John in Ephesus and likely the Church in Jerusalem (where fragments of Mark's Gospel were counted as among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran Cave 7 in Zierstil script), and then founded the Churches of Alexandria, dying in or about in AD 62 as a martyr).

Zierstil Greek script is that writing which dates from ca. 100 B.C. – ca. 60 A.D., though some have erroneously capped this style at 50 A.D.

I have covered all this in the Redating of the New Testament to 47-57 A.D. for those who are interested in the actual history of when the New Testament works were written, with verifiable dating conclusions more accurate than anything currently offered in the text books until they use my dating of the NT as their timelines.

Brianroy answers readers questions about the Bible.

An individual wrote and asked:
I do have a question though, concerning three passages of scripture ... How do you see these passages?

Zechariah 8:23 Thus saith HaShem of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying: We will go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you.'

Jeremiah 16:19 O HaShem, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge, in the day of affliction, unto Thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say: 'Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, vanity and things wherein there is no profit.'

Deuteronomy 4:5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as HaShem my G-d commanded me, that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it. 6 Observe therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, that, when they hear all these statutes, shall say: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'

[Then he asks to the effect of: are they historical only or end-time prophecy related?] Could you help me?

My Reply:

The context of Zechariah 8, as it appears to me, is an entire chapter describing the beginning years of the Millenial Reign.

Verse 3, the L-RD says "I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be called the city of Truth..." etc.

When does the L-RD return? Has He yet?

We know Jesus will return and cleave the Mount of Olives in Zechariah 14:4, that He will show Israel the wounds in His hands (inclusive of wrists) in Zechariah 13:6, and that Israel will look upon Him whom they have pierced and mourn in biterness as if for an only Son in Zechariah 12:10.

The return of the L-RD also requires a river of waters to go out from the Mount through the new Valley of Azal through Olivet eastward in Zechariah 14:8 (cf. v. 5, and Ezekiel 47:1ff.).

In fact, the 10 strangers joining to one Jew in Zechariah 8:23 seems to tie in nicely to the participating in an inheritance in Ezekiel 47:21-23,

21 “Thus you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It shall be that you will divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger dwells, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord G-D.

so that those who are settling in Judea (of the Tribe of Judah, or Benjamin) may, in that DAY, have this prophecy fulfilled, where 10 men from the nations take hold of a Jew, and join to him, and he becomes their effectual synagogue or Church leader and teacher as well. They become married to that tribe, and any children they have in that Tribal territory is received and accepted as a member of that Tribe (be they in Judah's, or elsewhere in Israel such as with Gad or Reuben, etc.).

You may also wish to compare the City of Truth designation in Zechariah 8:3 to the time period of the G-D of Truth in Isaiah 65:16...again, a Millenial Reign Era designation.


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Regarding Jeremiah 16:19:

I first look to verse 16.

Notice the language as consistent with Revelation 6:16-17 which immediately preceeds Revelation 7's 144,000 Witnesses.

These 144,000 will be endued with powers like and even greater than exhibited by Christ according to the L-RD in John 14:12.

"Amen, Amen, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."


To me, Jeremiah 16:16 can be taken as a dual prophecy. But instead of the short term and then way in the future end times separation of fulfillments, it is a dual way in the future end time fulfillment. There are those hunted and killed in the hills, mountains and caves, probably by Muslim and One World Government forces (in that Time)...tying this in with verse 18 where the Wrath of the LORD is poured out upon those who have practiced idolatry in the Land as Jews (cf. vv.11-13, 20)...and then the second part of this dual prophecy, there will be those of the 144,000 who will seek out them who will hide in caves, and hills and mountains to proclaim the Gospel.
But how far reaching is this geographically? There are a whole lot of mountains and hills and caves on planet Earth.

Verse 15 tells us that this prophecy is dealing with the Land of Israel. Making this search do-able in a timeframe of perhaps months.

So now we look at the events in the context of being in the 7 year Tribulation and Great Tribulation periods, and ask...when will the Gentiles come to Israel and confess their erroneous ways? During the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, or the second 3 1/2 years Great Day of The LORD Great Tribulation?
No.

It will again fall into the same context of the early days...months...years of the Millenial Reign of Christ. For in the midst of the days of wrath, Jeremiah 16:19 is speaking yet in a further prophetical future time period beyond the one that it is now in. So while the verses immediately surrounding Jeremiah 16:19 are in the Tribulation Week, Jeremiah 16:19 itself is projecting into the Millenial Reign of Christ.


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As for Deuteronomy 4:5-6,

notice where the focus is:
that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess.

This is dual prophecy: near term to be fulfilled after the Joshua conquest of the Land (1511-1496 B.C.); and to be fulfilled in the Millenial Reign at the End of Days.


In regard to the Millenial Reign:

The Law passes not away to those of Israel to perform in the Land of Israel. The nations at that time, are obligated to often come up to the Land of Israel, and to pay homage to the L-RD and observe events there. In regard to the nations themselves, there appears to be greater leniency outside the borders of the Land of Israel. So that perhaps if you break the Sabbath in the nations in those yet coming times, you get jailed...whereas if you break the Sabbath in the Land of Israel during the Millenial Reign, you get taken outside the Camp (in this case the Land of Israel) and killed (i.e., stoned to death) like in Numbers 15:32-36.

At least, that is how these appear to me. Hope this helps. Peace.