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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, February 18, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 10

Read the full edition

MARK XVI.

By E. G. Rust

VERSE 1. And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Ques. What had these women been doing during this holy Sabbath day?
Ans. They had been resting “according to the commandment.” Luke xxiii, 56.
Q. Was their coming to anoint him an evidence of belief, or unbelief, in his resurrection?
A. Unbelief. Supposing him dead, and having no knowledge of his rising on the third day, they came to pay their last respects to his remains.
Q. Was this anointing the same as embalming?
A. It was probably the same. “They took the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.” John xix, 40.
Q. Inasmuch as Nicodemus and Joseph had already anointed him (John xix, 38, 39), why should these holy women now do so the second time?
A. In order to especially show their love and reverence for their Lord. Dr. Clarke says that as the embalming by Nicodemus and Joseph was hurriedly performed, they now, after the Sabbath had passed, came to complete the work.
Bitter indeed must have been their disappointment as they saw Him in whom centered all their hopes laid away, cold and inanimate, in the dreary tomb. Those alone of his disciples who saw the time pass in 1844 without bringing their Lord from Heaven, can realize the depth of their sorrow at this time.
VERSE 2. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Q. How are we to understand the record in Matt. xxviii, 1, where it says, “In the end of the Sabbath,” &c.?
A. Lexicographers and commentators are generally agreed that the original has the signification of “The Sabbath being past,” &c. “After the end of the week: this is the translation given by several eminent critics.”—Clarke.
Q. How can we harmonize the fact of the women here coming at sunrise, with the statement in John xx, 1?
A. Probably those who loved the Lord commenced coming to the sepulchre very early in the morning, even before it was light, not having slept, perhaps during the whole night. The discrepancy which there seems to be between these two writers is easily explainable, we think, from the fact that there was a continual coming and going from the sepulchre at this time, and John receives his knowledge of the event from the account given by Mary, who probably was on her way while it was yet dark.
VERSE 3. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
Q. How did they know a stone was placed at the door of the sepulchre?
A. Mary Magdalene and others “beheld where he was laid” when Joseph “rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.” Mark xv, 46, 47; Luke xxiii, 55.
Q. Did they know that he had been previously embalmed?
A. According to the different evangelists, some of these women, at least, followed after, witnessed the operation of embalming and beheld where he was laid.
VERSE 4. And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
Q. By whom was the stone rolled away?
A. An angel. Matt. xxviii, 2.
VERSE 5. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment: and they were affrighted.
Q. Who was this young man?
A. An angel. John xx, 12.
Q. What facts may we learn from these statements?
A. That these heavenly beings do not grow old, for we learn that the “morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy,” at the creation of the world; and yet here is one of these same beings, about 4000 years after, having the appearance of a young man. Also, they sometimes appear in the person of men.
Q. Was this the same angel that rolled away the stone?
A. Probably not.
Q. What was the appearance of the angel that rolled away the stone?
A. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. Matt. xxviii, 3.
Q. What effect did the appearance of this angel have upon the guard?
A. It caused them to shake and become as dead men for fear of him. Matt. xxviii, 4.
VERSES 6, 7. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
Q. Why this injunction to tell his disciples and Peter?
A. That Peter might be assured that he was still a disciple. From the course he had pursued relative to denying his Lord before his death, he might doubt whether he had any part with them, and the Lord took this course to re-assure him. Peter’s heart sank within him after his Lord’s crucifixion, and he said to his fellow-disciples, “I go a fishing,” or return to my old occupation for a livelihood. But afterward, when he was sure that Jesus had risen, he stated that he had been “begotten again unto a lively hope.” 1 Pet. i, 3.
Q. When did he say he would go before them into Galilee?
A. Before his betrayal. Matt. xxvi, 32.
VERSE 8. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man: for they were afraid.
Q. How were the disciples told to go?
A. Quickly. Matt. xxviii, 7.
Q. Who met them on the way?
A. Jesus. Matt. xxviii, 9.
VERSE 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Q. Where may we find a particular account of this meeting with Mary?
Q. Was this before or after the previously-mentioned incidents occurred?
A. Probably after.
VERSES 10, 11. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
Q. How were the words of these women regarded according to Luke’s account?
A. As “idle tales.”
VERSE 12. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
Q. What shall we understand by his appearing in another form?
A. He probably appeared in the form or garb of a traveler, his countenance not being changed.
Q. Where may a detailed account of this interview be found?
Q. Who were those two disciples spoken of?
A. Cleophas or Alpheus, and probably Peter.
VERSE 13. And they went and told it unto the residue; neither believed they them.
Q. What is here meant by the residue?
A. The remainder of the eleven disciples, thus showing these two to be of the eleven.
VERSE 14. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Q. Is there any evidence that the disciples were here assembled to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection?
A. There is not.
Q. Is there any evidence to the contrary?
A. The apostles did not then believe he had risen. They were together because they undoubtedly all abode in one place, and at this time were partaking of an ordinary meal.
VERSE 15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Q. How broad is this commission?
A. Broad enough to cover all probationary time, and embrace all nations.
Q. Had this commission been previously limited?
A. It had been restricted to the Jews.
VERSE 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Q. Is believing necessary to salvation?
A. It is.
Here quite an interesting discussion took place upon the subject of baptism. It is evident that baptism is not as essential to salvation as believing, else the hundreds and thousands of honest-hearted disciples of Christ, who have died with a good conscience answered by sprinkling or pouring, will not be saved. The Lord requires the earliest possible compliance with all his requirements, yet there may be circumstances where it would be impossible for persons to be baptized, who are owned and accepted of God.
Q. Of what is baptism the figure?
A. It prefigures the death and resurrection of our Saviour.
VERSE 17. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Q. How long was this commission to last?
A. To the end of the world. Matt. xxviii, 20.
Q. May devils be cast out and people speak with new tongues in this age?
A. They may if they have faith.
Some interesting ideas were here thrown out relative to the church not being wholly responsible for the great sin of unbelief in these last days, but that the Man of Sin would have to bear very much of it, it being through his agency that the church had been led into the gross darkness in which she has been for so many long ages. But now that light and knowledge upon the word of God are spreading, and the church coming up out of the wilderness, we must individually bear this sin as the light comes to us.
Q. Why do these things not occur?
A. On account of the great lack of faith on the part of the church.
VERSE 18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Q. Is there any Bible instance of any one taking up a serpent without harm?
A. Yes. In Acts xxviii, 5.
Q. Is there any later promise of the above nature?
VERSE 19. So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Q. Was Christ taken up at this time, or later?
A. Later.
Q. How long after his passion was he taken up?
A. Forty days. Acts i, 3.
Q. What office does Christ now fill?
A. He is now our great High Priest. Heb. iv, 14.
VERSE 20. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Remark. These signs spoken of continued to follow the disciples of Christ as long as they exercised that faith which it was their privilege to do, but when they began to lose their confidence, permit doubts to come in, and unite with the world, they were no longer able to perform these things; the Lord on account of their unbelief, not abiding with them as formerly.

QUESTION.

How much of the book of Job shall we regard as inspiration? And if not all, what part?
The mind of the class seemed to be that it was all written by inspiration. The fact that there is therein recorded the sayings of different individuals, which conflict and contradict each other, is no proof that their sayings were not written by inspiration. In certain places in the Bible, Satan is represented as saying certain things which are not truth, yet we know that such sayings are written by inspiration. We would not, however, use such contradictory sayings to prove any doctrine. We believe that those portions of Job which we use to prove doctrine are generally the saying of Job, and not the sayings of those different individuals.
[Bro. Gage being again absent holding a meeting in Bedford, one less qualified has been called upon to report the proceedings of the Bible Class this week; therefore, any deficiencies that may appear, may be attributed to that fact. E. G. RUST.]