Mark's Story: The Gospel According to Peter Read online

  Depravity of False Teachers

  12But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

  17These are wells without water, cloudsa carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.b

  Deceptions of False Teachers

  18For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escapeda from those who live in error. 19While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,”a and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

  God’s Promise Is Not Slack

  3 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us,a the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

  8But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,a not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

  The Day of the Lord

  10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.a 11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

  Be Steadfast

  14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

  17You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

  To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

  1:2 a NU-Text reads Isaiah the prophet.

  b Malachi 3:1

  1:3 a Isaiah 40:3

  1:10 a NU-Text reads out of.

  1:14 a NU-Text omits of the kingdom.

  1:27 a NU-Text reads What is this? A new doctrine with authority.

  2:2 a NU-Text omits Immediately.

  2:16 a NU-Text reads of the.

  2:17 a NU-Text omits to repentance.

  3:5 a NU-Text omits as whole as the other.

  3:14 a NU-Text adds whom He also named apostles.

  3:15 a NU-Text omits to heal sicknesses and.

  3:16 a NU-Text reads and He appointed the twelve: Simon….

  3:32 a NU-Text and M-Text add and Your sisters.

  4:4 a NU-Text and M-Text omit of the air.

  4:9 a NU-Text and M-Text omit to them.

  4:12 a Isaiah 6:9, 10

  4:40 a NU-Text reads Have you still no faith?

  5:1 a NU-Text reads Gerasenes.

  5:3 a NU-Text adds anymore.

  5:13 a NU-Text reads And He gave.

  6:11 a NU-Text reads whatever place.

  b NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

  6:15 a NU-Text and M-Text omit or.

  6:33 a NU-Text and M-Text read they.

  6:36 a NU-Text reads something to eat and omits the rest of this verse.

  6:44 a NU-Text and M-Text omit about.

  7:2 a NU-Text omits when and they found fault.

  7:7 a Isaiah 29:13

  7:8 a NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

  7:10 a Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16

  b Exodus 21:17

  7:16 a NU-Text omits this verse.

  7:19 a NU-Text ends quotation with eliminated, setting off the final clause as Mark’s comment that Jesus has declared all foods clean.

  7:24 a NU-Text omits and Sidon.

  8:14 a NU-Text and M-Text read they.

  8:17 a NU-Text omits still.

  8:26 a NU-Text reads “Do not even go into the town.”

  9:23 a NU-Text reads “‘If You can!’ All things….”

  9:29 a NU-Text omits and fasting.

  9:40 a M-Text reads against you is on your side.

  9:44 a NU-Text omits this verse.

  9:46 aNU-Text omits the last clause of verse 45 and all of verse 46.

  9:48 aIsaiah 66:24

  9:49 aNU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

  10:6 a Genesis 1:27; 5:2

  10:8 a Genesis 2:24

  10:19 a Exodus 20:12–16; Deuteronomy 5:16–20

  10:24 aNU-Text omits for those who trust in riches.

  10:29 aNU-Text omits or wife.

  11:1 a M-Text reads Bethsphage.

  11:4 aNU-Text and M-Text read a.

  11:9 a Psalm 118:26

  11:10 aNU-Text omits in the name of the Lord.

  11:17 aIsaiah 56:7

  b Jeremiah 7:11

  11:26 a NU-Text omits this verse.

  12:4 aNU-Text omits and at him they threw stones.

  12:11 a Psalm 118:22, 23

  12:26 a Exodus 3:6, 15

  12:28 aNU-Text reads seeing.

  12:30 a Deuteronomy 6:4, 5

  bNU-Text omits this sentence.

  12:31 a Leviticus 19:18

  12:33 aNU-Text omits with all the soul.

  12:36 a Psalm 110:1

  12:42 a Greek lepta, very small copper coins worth a fraction of a penny

  13:8 aNU-Text omits and troubles.

  13:9 aNU-Text and M-Text read will stand.

  13:11 aNU-Text omits or premeditate.

  13:14 a Daniel 11:31; 12:11

  bNU-Text omits spoken of by Daniel the prophet.

  13:29 a Or He

  14:19 aNU-Text omits this sentence.

/>   14:22 aNU-Text omits eat.

  14:24 aNU-Text omits new.

  14:27 aNU-Text omits because of Me this night.

  b Zechariah 13:7

  14:65 aNU-Text reads received Him with slaps.

  14:70 aNU-Text omits and your speech shows it.

  15:4 aNU-Text reads of which they accuse You.

  15:8 aNU-Text reads going up.

  15:28 aIsaiah 53:12

  bNU-Text omits this verse.

  15:32 a M-Text reads believe Him.

  15:34 a Psalm 22:1

  15:39 aNU-Text reads that He thus breathed His last.

  16:8 aNU-Text and M-Text omit quickly.

  16:18 aNU-Text reads and in their hands they will.

  16:20 a Verses 9–20 are bracketed in NU-Text as not original. They are lacking in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, although nearly all other manuscripts of Mark contain them.

  1:8 a M-Text reads known.

  1:12 aNU-Text and M-Text read you.

  1:16 a Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7

  1:22 aNU-Text omits through the Spirit.

  1:23 aNU-Text omits forever.

  1:24 aNU-Text reads all its glory.

  1:25 aIsaiah 40:6–8

  2:2 aNU-Text adds up to salvation.

  2:6 aIsaiah 28:16

  2:7 aNU-Text reads to those who disbelieve.

  bPsalm 118:22

  2:8 aIsaiah 8:14

  2:21 aNU-Text reads you.

  bNU-Text and M-Text read you.

  2:22 aIsaiah 53:9

  2:25 a Greek Episkopos

  3:8 aNU-Text reads humble.

  3:12 a Psalm 34:12–16

  3:14 aIsaiah 8:12

  3:15 aNU-Text reads Christ as Lord.

  3:18 aNU-Text and M-Text read you.

  3:20 aNU-Text and M-Text read when the longsuffering of God waited patiently.

  4:1 aNU-Text omits for us.

  4:3 aNU-Text reads time.

  4:8 a Proverbs 10:12

  4:14 aNU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

  4:16 aNU-Text reads name.

  4:18 a Proverbs 11:31

  5:2 aNU-Text adds according to God.

  5:5 a Proverbs 3:34

  5:8 aNU-Text and M-Text omit because.

  5:10 aNU-Text reads But the God of all grace…will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

  bNU-Text and M-Text read you.

  1:19 a Or We also have the more sure prophetic word.

  1:20 a Or origin

  1:21 aNU-Text reads but men spoke from God.

  2:3 a M-Text reads will not.

  2:17 aNU-Text reads and mists.

  bNU-Text omits forever.

  2:18 aNU-Text reads are barely escaping.

  2:22 a Proverbs 26:11

  3:2 aNU-Text and M-Text read commandment of the apostles of your Lord and Savior or commandment of your apostles of the Lord and Savior.

  3:9 aNU-Text reads you.

  3:10 aNU-Text reads laid bare (literally found).