Lesson Three Healer, Teacher Mark 2:1-28 Men s Inductive Study Knowing the Scriptures Studies in the Gospel of Mark Introduction: Hopefully you are beginning to settle in with the inductive process and if not, then it s time for you to ask for some additional help before discouragement sets in. At the beginning of this next time together those who feel the need for further instruction with the study can ask their group leader to be excused from their normal group time and join the senior leadership to review the inductive learning process. Remember, this is for questions dealing with the inductive method of Bible study and does not deal with the content or meaning of the text under study. As you know, the meaning of God s Word is covered by the pastor s weekly teaching and followed up by the small group time every Tuesday night. If you would like to participate in looking again at the basics of inductive study call your group leader this week and make arrangements to meet with your senior leaders for an evening of help and encouragement. Inductively Speaking: For the next several weeks we will be discussing many aspects of the observation process before we move into the interpretation and application steps of our study. Continue to complete the entire inductive process each week so that you will be fully immersed in building your inductive study skills. In last week s Inductively Speaking section we learned that it is essential to a godly study of Scripture to prayerfully read His Word. This week the subject of Inductively Speaking is based again on reading. This time we will look at the benefits of reading imaginatively. In this instance the student of Scripture needs to liven up his reading by imagining himself in the story being told by the writer. This will give a meaningful perspective to the passage. By placing yourself as the main character, minor player or even someone on the sidelines observing, you may be able to imagine what you would do in similar circumstances. Very often it is beneficial to update the story to the times we live in to give you the opportunity to feel the impact of the story as if it were happening today. Remember, God s Word is eternal. Although God gave the people of that day encouragement, warnings, promises, exhortations and counsel, His Word is eternal and usable by God s people today just as it was in years past no matter if it was 3000 BC, AD 70, AD 1000 or present day. Think for a moment about how Abraham felt as he laid Isaac upon the altar of sacrifice or Moses as he returned from his mountain top experience with God only to discover his brother Aaron worshiping the golden calf and dancing about with the multitude of Jews. What about our Lord as He stood in the Jordan River while His Father opened up heaven to anoint Him with the Holy Spirit or being an observer standing on the river bank as John instructed them all to follow Jesus? What about the day of ascension when Jesus left this earth and joined His Father? What was the reaction of some 500 observers and what would your reaction be to such a miraculous scene? Make God s Word come alive by the approach you take. Our early church brothers and sisters lived in exciting times and so are the times we live in as we expect His soon return. Amen!
Memory Verse: Acts 10:38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. NKJV Day One Text: Begin this week s lesson by reading the passage. Hint: Read the passage repeatedly, prayerfully, thoughtfully, meditatively and patiently. Mark 2:1-28 1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" He said to the paralytic, 11 "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" 13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. 15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" 17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." 18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins." 23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?" 27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." NKJV
Day Two I. Observation: Finding the literal facts or most obvious details of the passage. Hint: Begin observation by asking the questions who, what, where, when, why, and how. Verses 1 12 II. Interpretation: Discovering the lessons or meaning of God's instruction to His people. Hint: Try to place yourself with these people, in their circumstances, at this time of Bible history. Verses 1 12 III. Application: Applying the lessons and meaning of God's instructions to His people. Hint: Apply the lesson or lessons you found in the interpretation section in the form of a question. Verses 1-12
Day Three I. Observation: Finding the literal facts or most obvious details of the passage. Hint: Begin observation by asking the questions who, what, where, when, why, and how. Verses 13-17 II. Interpretation: Discovering the lessons or meaning of God's instruction to His people. Hint: Try to place yourself with these people, in their circumstances, at this time of Bible history. Verses13 17 III. Application: Applying the lessons and meaning of God's instructions to His people. Hint: Apply the lesson or lessons you found in the interpretation section in the form of a question. Verses13 17
Day Four I. Observation: Finding the literal facts or most obvious details of the passage. Hint: Begin observation by asking the questions who, what, where, when, why, and how. Verses 18 28 II. Interpretation: Discovering the lessons or meaning of God's instruction to His people. Hint: Try to place yourself with these people, in their circumstances, at this time of Bible history. Verses 18 28 III. Application: Applying the lessons and meaning of God's instructions to His people. Hint: Apply the lesson or lessons you found in the interpretation section in the form of a question. Verses 18 28
Day Five Word Studies: In this portion of the lesson we will take a closer look at one or two key words in the chapter. You will need to have your tools or resources at hand. (Such as: more than one Bible translation, a dictionary or Bible dictionary, concordance, atlas, and encyclopedia) If you don t have all of these, simply use what you do have to enrich your learning. To do some digging on your own, start with your dictionary (or Bible dictionary) and then look up the references to add to your understanding. If you have additional resources, you may want to keep digging. (You may want to make notes in the Comparative Commentary section.) After you ve completed the investigative process, write a definition in your own words. Your investigation in today s lesson will lay the groundwork for deeper discoveries in subsequent lessons, so be as thorough as you can. Perceived: Mark 2:8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? NKJV Dictionary definition: What does the Bible have to say? Proverbs 1:2 Acts 10:34 Write your own definition: Reasoned: Mark 2:8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? NKJV Dictionary definition: What does the Bible have to say? Luke 24:15 Acts 17:2
Write your own definition: Day Six Summation Sentence: A simple personal statement about what God has shown you from this passage. Comparative Commentary: Notes and insights from Matthew, Luke and John. Mark 2:1 12 (Matthew 9:2 8; Luke 5:17 26) Mark 2:13 17 (Matt 9:9 13; Luke 5:27 32) Mark 2:18 27 (Matt 9:14 17; Luke 5:33 39) (Matt 12:1 8; Luke 6:1 5) Prayer Requests:
Lecture Notes:
2005 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved. Written by D. Vance and C. Thomas for 2005 Men s Bible Fellowship. www.harvest.org.