Mark 9:39
"Do not stop him," Jesus replied. "For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me.
Do not stop him
In this phrase, Jesus is addressing His disciples, who had attempted to stop someone casting out demons in His name. The Greek word for "stop" is "kōlyō," which means to hinder or prevent. This instruction from Jesus emphasizes the importance of allowing others to work in His name, even if they are not part of the immediate group of disciples. It reflects a broader understanding of the Kingdom of God, where the work of Christ is not limited to a select few but is open to all who genuinely act in His name.

Jesus replied
This phrase indicates that Jesus is responding to a concern or question from His disciples. The context here is crucial; the disciples were concerned about someone outside their group performing miracles. Jesus' reply is a teaching moment, highlighting His authority and wisdom. It underscores the importance of listening to Jesus' words and understanding His perspective on inclusivity in ministry.

For no one who performs a miracle in My name
The phrase "in My name" is significant. In the ancient world, a name was more than just a label; it represented authority and character. Performing a miracle in Jesus' name implies acting under His authority and with His power. The Greek word for "miracle" is "dynamis," which denotes power or mighty work. This highlights the divine power at work through those who genuinely invoke Jesus' name, regardless of their affiliation with the core group of disciples.

can turn around and speak evil of Me
This part of the verse suggests a transformation that occurs when one acts in Jesus' name. The Greek word for "turn around" is "tacheōs," meaning quickly or soon. The implication is that those who experience the power of Jesus through performing miracles are unlikely to quickly or easily speak against Him. It speaks to the transformative power of engaging in Christ's work, suggesting that genuine acts of faith and service in His name lead to a deeper alignment with His mission and character.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples about the nature of His kingdom and the inclusivity of His mission.

2. The Disciples
Followers of Jesus who are learning from Him and grappling with understanding His teachings and the scope of His ministry.

3. The Man Casting Out Demons
An unnamed individual who is performing miracles in Jesus' name, yet is not part of the immediate group of disciples.

4. The Setting
This event takes place during Jesus' ministry in Galilee, as He travels and teaches His disciples.
Teaching Points
Inclusivity in Ministry
Jesus teaches that His work is not limited to a select group. Anyone acting in His name and doing good should be encouraged, not hindered.

Recognizing God's Work Beyond Our Circles
We should be open to recognizing and affirming God's work through others, even if they are not part of our immediate community or denomination.

The Power of Jesus' Name
The authority of Jesus' name is powerful and effective. Believers should have confidence in the name of Jesus when engaging in spiritual work.

Avoiding Sectarianism
Jesus' response to His disciples warns against a narrow, exclusive mindset. We should avoid creating unnecessary divisions within the body of Christ.

Encouragement and Support
We are called to support and encourage those who are doing good in Jesus' name, fostering unity and cooperation in the broader Christian mission.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jesus' response in Mark 9:39 challenge our understanding of who can participate in His ministry?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of inclusivity in our own church or community settings?

3. How does the power of Jesus' name manifest in our lives today, and how can we use it responsibly?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to avoid sectarianism and promote unity among different Christian groups?

5. How can we better recognize and support the work of God in people who are outside our immediate faith community?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 12:30
This verse emphasizes the importance of being for Jesus or against Him, which complements the idea in Mark 9:39 about not hindering those who act in Jesus' name.

1 Corinthians 12:3
Paul speaks about the Spirit enabling people to declare Jesus as Lord, which relates to the authority and power in Jesus' name mentioned in Mark 9:39.

Acts 19:13-16
The account of the sons of Sceva highlights the importance of truly knowing Jesus when invoking His name, contrasting with the man in Mark 9:39 who successfully casts out demons.
Christian TolerationW. Dorling.Mark 9:38-40
Intolerance RebukedMark 9:38-40
Party SpiritB. Beddome, M. A.Mark 9:38-40
The Degrees of ChristianityC. L. E. Luthardt.Mark 9:38-40
The Fellowship of the ApostlesJ. H. Newman, B. D.Mark 9:38-40
The Line of Conduct We Should Adopt Towards Those Who Follow not with UsT. Webster, M. A.Mark 9:38-40
The Spirit of Intolerance and SectarianismJ. Morison, D. D.Mark 9:38-40
Working with Christ Outside the ApostolateBishop Christopher Wordsworth.Mark 9:38-40
Rebuke of Sectarian NarrownessJ.J. Given Mark 9:38-41
The Comprehensiveness of Christ's ServiceA.F. Muir Mark 9:38-42
Marked SinsE. Johnson Mark 9:38-50
Stumbling-BlocksR. Green Mark 9:38-50
People
Elias, Elijah, James, Jesus, John, Peter
Places
Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum, Galilee, High Mountain
Topics
Able, Afterward, Anything, Bad, Evil, Forbid, Hinder, Ill, Lightly, Mighty, Minute, Miracle, Moment, Perform, Quickly, Readily, Replied, Speak, Tried
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 9:39

     5285   cures

Mark 9:38-39

     1416   miracles, nature of
     4135   demons, Christ's authority over

Mark 9:38-40

     8353   tolerance

Mark 9:39-40

     5882   impartiality

Library
February 2 Evening
One star differeth from another star in glory.--I COR. 15:41. By the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all.--Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Christ's Lament Over Our Faithlessness
'He answereth him and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?'--Mark ix. 19. There is a very evident, and, I think, intentional contrast between the two scenes, of the Transfiguration, and of this healing of the maniac boy. And in nothing is the contrast more marked than in the demeanour of these enfeebled and unbelieving Apostles, as contrasted with the rapture of devotion of the other three, and with the lowly submission and faith of Moses and Elias.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Omnipotence of Faith
Jesus said unto him, If them canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.'--Mark ix. 23. The necessity and power of faith is the prominent lesson of this narrative of the healing of a demoniac boy, especially as it is told by the Evangelist Mark, The lesson is enforced by the actions of all the persons in the group, except the central figure, Christ. The disciples could not cast out the demon, and incur Christ's plaintive rebuke, which is quite as much sorrow as blame: 'O faithless
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Unbelieving Belief
'And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.'--Mark ix. 24. We owe to Mark's Gospel the fullest account of the pathetic incident of the healing of the demoniac boy. He alone gives us this part of the conversation between our Lord and the afflicted child's father. The poor man had brought his child to the disciples, and found them unable to do anything with him. A torrent of appeal breaks from his lips as soon as the Lord gives
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

An Unanswered Question
'What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?'--Mark ix. 33. Was it not a strange time to squabble when they had just been told of His death? Note-- I. The variations of feeling common to the disciples and to us all: one moment 'exceeding sorrowful,' the next fighting for precedence. II. Christ's divine insight into His servants' faults. This question was put because He knew what the wrangle had been about. The disputants did not answer, but He knew without an answer, as His immediately
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Salted with Fire
Every one shall be salted with fire.'--Mark ix. 49. Our Lord has just been uttering some of the most solemn words that ever came from His gracious lips. He has been enjoining the severest self-suppression, extending even to mutilation and excision of the eye, the hand, or the foot, that might cause us to stumble. He has been giving that sharp lesson on the ground of plain common sense and enlightened self-regard. It is better, obviously, to live maimed than to die whole. The man who elects to
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Salt in Yourselves'
'Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.'--Mark ix. 50. In the context 'salt' is employed to express the preserving, purifying, divine energy which is otherwise spoken of as 'fire.' The two emblems produce the same result. They both salt--that is, they cleanse and keep. And if in the one we recognise the quick energy of the Divine Spirit as the central idea, no less are we to see the same typified under a slightly different aspect in the other. The fire transforms into its own substance
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'This is My Beloved Son: Hear Him'
'And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him.'--Mark ix. 7. With regard to the first part of these words spoken at the Transfiguration, they open far too large and wonderful a subject for me to do more than just touch with the tip of my finger, as it were, in passing, because the utterance of the divine words, 'This is My beloved Son,' in all the depth of their meaning and loftiness, is laid as the foundation of the two
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Jesus Only!
'They saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.'--Mark ix. 8. The Transfiguration was the solemn inauguration of Jesus for His sufferings and death. Moses, the founder, and Elijah, the restorer, of the Jewish polity, the great Lawgiver and the great Prophet, were present. The former had died and been mysteriously buried, the latter had been translated without 'seeing death.' So both are visitors from the unseen world, appearing to own that Jesus is the Lord of that dim land, and that
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Transfiguration
'And after six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and He was transfigured before them. 3. And His raimemt became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. 4. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. 5. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Receiving and Forbidding
'And He came to Capernaum: and being in the house He asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 34. But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. 35. And He sat down, and called the Twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. 36. And He took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when He had taken him in His arms, He said unto them, 37.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

July the Ninth Scholars in Christ's School
"He taught His disciples." --MARK ix. 30-37. And my Lord will teach me. He will lead me into "the deep things" of God. There is only one school for this sort of learning, and an old saint called it the Academy of Love, and it meets in Gethsemane and Calvary, and the Lord Himself is the teacher, and there is room in the school for thee and me. But the disciples were not in the mood for learning. They were not ambitious for heavenly knowledge, but for carnal prizes, not for wisdom, but for place.
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

The Lenten Fast.
"This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer."--ST. MARK ix. 29. You remember the narrative from which I have taken this verse. Jesus, as we read, had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration, and when He was come to the multitude, a certain man besought him saying, "Have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic and sore vexed, and I brought him to Thy disciples, but they could not cure him." Then Jesus rebuked the devil, and the child was cured from that hour. Thereupon His disciples
John Percival—Sermons at Rugby

The Child in the Midst.
"And He took a child and set Him in the midst of them: and when He had taken him in His arms, He said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name, receiveth Me: and whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not Me, but Him that sent Me."--ST. MARK ix. 36, 37. It is one of the characteristics of our time, one of its most hopeful and most encouraging signs, that men are awaking to higher and purer conceptions of the Christian life and what it is that constitutes such a life. We
John Percival—Sermons at Rugby

Of Hell
"Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:48. 1. Every truth which is revealed in the oracles of God is undoubtedly of great importance. Yet it may be allowed that some of those which are revealed therein are of greater importance than others, as being more immediately conducive to the grand end of all, the eternal salvation of men. And we may judge of their importance even from this circumstance, -- that they are not mentioned once only in the sacred writings, but are repeated
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

A Caution against Bigotry
"And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name: and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not." Mark 9:38, 39. 1. In the preceding verses we read, that after the Twelve had been disputing "which of them should be the greatest," Jesus took a little child, and set him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, said unto them, "Whosoever shall receive one of these little children in My name, receiveth
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Faith's Dawn and Its Clouds
In the text there are three things very clearly. Here is true faith; here is grievous unbelief; here is a battle between the two. I. Very clearly in the text there is TRUE FAITH. "Lord, I believe," says the anxious father. When our Lord tells him that, if he can believe, all things are possible to him, he makes no demur, asks for no pause, wishes to hear no more evidence, but cries at once, "Lord, I believe." Now, observe we have called this faith true faith, and we will prove it to have been so.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 18: 1872

The Child in the Midst.
And he came to Capernaum: and, being in the house, he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall
George MacDonald—Unspoken Sermons

Absolute Surrender
"And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine and all that
Andrew Murray—Absolute Surrender

Thoughts Upon Striving to Enter at the Strait Gate.
AS certainly as we are here now, it is not long but we shall all be in another World, either in a World of Happiness, or else in a World of Misery, or if you will, either in Heaven or in Hell. For these are the two only places which all Mankind from the beginning of the World to the end of it, must live in for evermore, some in the one, some in the other, according to their carriage and behaviour here; and therefore it is worth the while to take a view and prospect now and then of both these places,
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life

The Three Tabernacles
And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. MARK ix. 5. Caught up in glory and in rapture, the Apostle seems to have forgotten the world from which he had ascended, and to which he still belonged, and to have craved permanent shelter and extatic communion within the mystic splendors that brightened the Mount of Transfiguration. But it was true, not only as to the confusion of his
E. H. Chapin—The Crown of Thorns

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