1 Jesus 3:1–6 Mt 12:9–14; Lk 6:6–11 entered the synagogue 3:1 Mk 1:21,39; Jms 2:2 again, and a man was there who had a shriveled 3:1 Mk 4:6; 5:29; 9:18; 11:20–21 hand. 2 In order to accuse 3:2 Rv 12:10 him, they were watching him closely 3:2 Lk 6:7; 14:1; 20:20 to see whether he would heal 3:2 Ac 8:7 him on the Sabbath. 3:2 Mk 2:23; Lk 13:10; 14:33 He told the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand before us."4 Then he said to them, "Is it lawful 3:4 Jn 18:31to do good 3:4 Ps 34:14; Lk 18:18on the Sabbath or to do evil, 3:4 Ps 34:12–16; 1Pt 3:17to save life 3:4 Php 2:12; Jms 5:20or to kill? " 3:4 Lk 20:15 But they were silent. 3:4 Lk 1:20; 19:405 After looking around at them with anger, 3:5 Jms 1:19 he was grieved at the hardness 3:5 Ex 7:13; Rm 11:25 of their hearts and told the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 3:5 Mk 8:256 Immediately the Pharisees 3:6 Mk 7:3 went out and started plotting 3:6 Mt 12:14; Mk 15:1 with the Herodians 3:6 Mt 22:16; Mk 12:13 against him, how they might kill 3:6 Mk 11:18; Jn 5:18; 6:27 him.
Ministering to the Multitude
7 Jesus 3:7–12 Mt 4:24–25; 12:15–16; Lk 6:17–19 departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, 3:7 Mt 17:22 and a large crowd followed from Judea, 3:7 Lk 1:58 Jerusalem, 3:8 Mt 23:37 Idumea, beyond the Jordan, 3:8 Lk 3:3 and around Tyre 3:8 Ac 21:7 and Sidon. 3:8 Gn 49:13 The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. 9 Then he told his disciples to have a small boat 3:9 Jn 21:8 ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. 10 Since he had healed 3:10 Ac 8:7 many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch 3:10 Jn 20:17 him. 11 Whenever the unclean 3:11 2Co 6:17 spirits 3:11 Lk 11:24 saw him, they fell down 3:11 Lk 8:47 before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God! " 3:11 Lk 4:34,4112 And he would strongly warn 3:12 2Tm 4:2 them not to make him known. 3:12 Mk 1:34
The Twelve Apostles
13 Jesus 3:13–19 Mt 10:2–4; Lk 6:12–16 went up the mountain 3:13 Mt 4:8 and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, 3:14 Other mss omit he also named them apostles, 3:14 Ac 1:2; Jd 17 to be with him, to send them out to preach, 3:14 Mk 1:415 and to have authority to 3:15 Other mss add heal diseases, and to drive out demons. 16 He appointed the Twelve: 3:16 Other mss omit He appointed the Twelve, 3:16 Mk 11:11; Jn 1:35–51 To Simon, 3:16 Mt 16:17 he gave the name Peter; 3:16 Ac 10:3217 and to James 3:17 Ac 12:2 the son of Zebedee, 3:17 Jn 21:2 and to his brother John, 3:17 Jn 21:7 he gave the name "Boanerges" (that is, "Sons of Thunder" 3:17 Rv 6:1); 18 Andrew; 3:18 Jn 6:8 Philip 3:18 Jn 1:43–48; 6:5,7; 12:21–22; 14:8–9 and Bartholomew; Matthew 3:18 Ac 1:13 and Thomas; 3:18 Jn 11:16; 14:5; 20:24,26–28; 21:2 James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, 3:19 Mk 14:10,43; Ac 1:16,25 who also betrayed him.
A House Divided
20 Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. 3:20 Or eat a meal; lit eat bread21 When his family 3:21 Jn 7:3 heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, "He’s out of his mind." 3:21 Lk 2:48; Jn 2:3–4; 7:3–5
22 The scribes 3:22 Mt 2:4 who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," 3:22 Mt 10:25; 12:24,27; Lk 11:15–19 and, "He drives out 3:22 3Jn 10 demons 3:22 Rv 9:20; 18:2 by the ruler 3:22 Lk 12:58 of the demons." 3:22 Mt 9:34; 12:24; Lk 11:15
23 So he summoned 3:23 Lk 18:16 them and spoke to them in parables: 3:23 Mk 12:1"How can Satan 3:23 Mk 1:13; 4:15; 8:33drive out Satan? 3:23–27 Mt 12:25–29; Lk 11:17–2224 If a kingdom 3:24 Lk 4:5is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished.27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up 3:27 Mk 15:1the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
28 "Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies 3:28–30 Mt 12:31–32; Lk 12:10they utter.29 But whoever blasphemes 3:29 Ac 7:51against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, 3:29 Heb 6:4–6; 10:26–29; 1Jn 5:16but is guilty 3:29 Mk 14:64of an eternal sin" 3:29 Other mss read is subject to eternal judgment, 3:29 1Jn 5:16 — 30 because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." 3:30 Lk 11:24
True Relationships
31 His 3:31–35 Mt 12:46–50; Lk 8:19–21 mother 3:31 Mt 1:16 and his brothers 3:31 Jn 2:12 came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, "Look, your mother, your brothers, 3:32 Mk 6:3 and your sisters 3:32 Other mss omit and your sisters are outside asking for you."
33 He replied to them, "Who are my mother and my brothers? "34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 3:34 Ac 9:3035 Whoever does the will of God 3:35 Rm 8:27; Gl 1:4; Eph 1:9; 1Jn 2:17is my brother and sister and mother."