Believe or be condemned (Mk 16:16-16:16)

“The one who believes

And is baptized

Will be saved.

But the one

Who does not believe

Will be condemned!”

 

ὁ πιστεύσας καὶ βαπτισθεὶς σωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ἀπιστήσας κατακριθήσεται.

 

This longer addition of Mark, is like the addition in Matthew, chapter 28:19-20.  Once again, there was an emphasis on baptism that was not mentioned prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus.  This Mark addition said that the one who believed (ὁ πιστεύσας) and was baptized (καὶ βαπτισθεὶς) would be saved (σωθήσεται).  However, anyone who did not believe (ὁ δὲ ἀπιστήσας) would be condemned (κατακριθήσεται).  Thus, this recommendation also brought a condemnation.  Belief and baptism were important.

The resurrection (Mt 22:23-22:23)

“That same day,

Some Sadducees

Came to Jesus.

They said that

There is no resurrection.

They asked him a question.”

 

Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ Σαδδουκαῖοι, λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν, καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν

 

Mark, chapter 12:18, and Luke, chapter 20:27, are almost word for word like this question in Matthew.  Only Matthew had this happen on the same day (Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ) as the discussion about the Roman coin.  Some Sadducees came to him (προσῆλθον αὐτῷ Σαδδουκαῖοι).  These Sadducees were another Jewish aristocratic group that was tied to the Temple.  However, they did not believe in the bodily resurrection like the Pharisees did, since they said that there was no resurrection (λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν).  They too came to Jesus to question him (καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν).

They did not believe John the Baptist (Mt 21:32-21:32)

“John came to you

In the way of righteousness.

You did not believe him.

But the tax collectors

And the prostitutes

Believed him.

Even after you saw it,

You did not change your mind.

You did not believe him.”

 

ἦλθεν γὰρ Ἰωάνης πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ· οἱ δὲ τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι ἐπίστευσαν αὐτῷ· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰδόντες οὐδὲ μετεμελήθητε ὕστερον τοῦ πιστεῦσαι αὐτῷ.

 

This saying about John the Baptist is unique to Matthew, based on his continual emphasis on the role of John the Baptist.  However, there is something similar to this in Luke, chapter 7:29-30, but within another context.  Jesus used the example of John the Baptist who had come to them in his righteousness way (ἦλθεν γὰρ Ἰωάνης πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης).  They had not believed him (καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ), but the Roman tax collectors and the prostitutes had believed him (οἱ δὲ τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι ἐπίστευσαν αὐτῷ).  Even after they saw John (ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰδόντες), they did not change their minds, or repent (οὐδὲ μετεμελήθητε ὕστερον), or believe in him (πιστεῦσαι αὐτῷ).  Jesus chided them for their rejection of John the Baptist.

The fight of Tobit with his wife over the goat (Tob 2:11-2:14)

“At that time, also, my wife Anna earned money at women’s work. She used to send what she made to the owners. They would pay wages to her. One day, on the seventh of Dystrus, when she cut off a piece she had woven and sent it to its owners, they paid her full wages. They also gave her a young goal for a meal. When she returned to me, the goat began to bleat. So I called her and said. ‘Where did you get this goat? It is surely not stolen, is it? Return it to its owners. We have no right to eat anything stolen.’ She said to me. ‘It was given to me as a gift in addition to my wages.’ But I did not believe her. I told her to return it to its owners. I became flushed with anger against her over this. Then she replied to me.

‘Where are your acts of charity?

Where are your righteous deeds?

These things are known about you!’”

His wife did women’s work, clearly the classic way of thinking about the work that only women would do. She was some kind of seamstress working with cloth, perhaps making or mending things, for which she got paid for this work. The 7th of Dystrus is the Greek name for the Semitic month of Adar in our February/March time frame. So one day, Anna showed up with her wages plus a goat. Tobit did not like the bleating or noise of the goat. He insinuated that she had stolen the goat. He would not believe that anyone would give her goat. He got angry about it. She then mocked him about his acts of charity and righteousness. Tobit was too self-righteous and would not believe his own wife.