Daily Bible Nugget #314, Mark 10:45

The Nugget:

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (KJV)

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a means of deliverance in behalf of many.” (Lavender NT)

My Comment:

There are at least two expressions in this verse (Mark 10:45) that may lead to misunderstanding its message. I see the term “ransom” as a point of difficulty. I also see the expression “for many” as problematical. A third point may well involve our understanding of “for” in the expression “for many.”

The expression “for many” is found also at Matthew 26:28,

Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

I provided the following cross references and note at Matthew 26:28 in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge which may help explain the meaning of “for many,” when we naturally would expect the expression “for all.” As presently translated by the KJV, the expression “for many” might appear to support the mistaken doctrine of “limited atonement.”

which is shed. Mt 1:21. Mk 10:45. Jn 10:11. 11:50-53. *Ro 8:32-34. +*1 Cor 15:3. Ga 1:4. Ep 5:25-27. He 2:17. 3:1. 9:28. 10:3, 4. for. Gr. peri (S#4012g). **Mt 20:28n. many. *FS171F, Is +53:12. Notice that when “many” is used in a contrast (as with one, or one person, Christ), it clearly means all (**Ro 5:12, 15, 19). +*Mt 20:28. +Is 53:12. Mk 10:45. +*Jn 1:9. **Ro 5:12, 15, %+*Ro 5:18, 19. *Ep 1:7. *Col 1:14, 20. *He 9:22, 28. *1 J 2:2. *Re 7:9, 14.

Probably Romans 5:19 is the clearest example to show that “many” is sometimes used to express the idea of “all,”

Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Paul by his words “one man’s disobedience” has reference to Adam. By Adam’s disobedience, many were made sinners, Paul states. In actuality, all have been made sinners, for Paul clearly tells us that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This, then, is a clear example of the use of “many” to mean “all.”

The concept of “ransom” in Mark 10:45 is better understood to mean “means of deliverance” as rendered in the Lavender New Testament quoted above.

The Lavender New Testament provides the following note for Mark 10:45,
means of deliverance:

See Matt 20:28 on discussion of lutron, means of deliverance. It is vital to have a clear understanding that the Son of Man came to serve…to give His life as Priest and Sacrifice or as Offerer and Offering; accordingly, He offered up Himself (Heb 7:27, note g; cf. He 9:14, 26). Consequently, the atonement is Priestly-Sacrificial; thus the Atonement is intrinsically in Himself, and not extrinsic as in penal atonement.

The Lavender New Testament provides the following note for Mark 10:45,
in behalf of:

In behalf of translates the preposition anti. Here we note an off premise argument for substitutionary atonement. Dana and Mantey say that Atonement is penal or substitutionary, and so instead of. They give three sentences from Gen 22:13; 44:33; and Num 3:12 where anti is used, and claim these references “unmistakably deal with
substitution” (§ 107). But the greater issue is the context of substitution, which they do not mention, and that is precisely the point when it comes to Christ’s Atonement – context. We add to what they have already correctly observed with respect to the Genesis and Numbers passages: Yes, these passages “unmistakably deal with substitution” in their context, but not in contexts dealing with the Atonement of Christ! Note that an option is present in these passages. For an example, in Gen 22:13, the point that they did not bring out, Abraham had the option of two offerings: his son, or the ram; and obviously we translate anti (instead of) in a substitutionary sense, one in place of another – the animal in place of (anti) the human being. But the obvious sense in Gen 22:13 is absurd when applied to Calvary. At Calvary there was one option, and only one! God provided no other, as on the mount for Abraham. Thus, at Calvary, there can be no substitution of the Self-sufficient One. There none takes His place; there He takes the place of none. There in utter Self-sufficiency of Himself, by Himself, in Divinity and blood, He makes Atonement in behalf of, not instead of, every son and daughter of Adam’s fallen race, for there is no other Atoning sacrifice!

“Christ died in our behalf, not in our place. Man was dead in sin; Christ did not take our place there. Man was under punishment of the Fall and eternal punishment imminently; Christ was not under punishment whatsoever.

“Christ, a being of another order, took His place in Atonement in the sphere of His being – the God-man. He did not condescend to our place in any sense – to be made sin, to take our punishment due to sin, etc. He was truly Incarnate, but in no sense did He take, or partake of, our fallen nature or the punishment due it. He effected Atonement, not by substitution, but in the merit of His Person, His other than nature, by Divinity and humanity in bloodshed and death! (Cf. Gal 3:13 and note; See use and agreement of prepositions in Atonement passages: Appendix 4).”

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One Response to Daily Bible Nugget #314, Mark 10:45

  1. ken sagely says:

    mk 10.45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
    and to give his life a ransom for many.

    cross refs.
    mt 20.28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
    and to give his life a ransom for many.
    lk 22.26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
    lk 22.27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not
    he that sitteth at meat? but i am among you as he that serveth.

    jn 13.14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to
    wash one another,s feet.
    ph 2.5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
    ph 2.6 Who, being the form of God, thought it not robbery to equal with God:
    ph 2.7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a
    servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
    ph 2.8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
    obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

    heb 5.8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he
    suffered:
    isa 53.10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou
    shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
    and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

    isa 53.11 He shall see of the travial of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities.
    isa 53.12 Therefore will i divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the
    spoil with the strong: because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was
    numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

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