New Testament · Gospel

Mark 3:22

Choosing the Twelve

And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.” Mark 3:22 · Berean Standard Bible

What It Means

Mark 3:22, in plain English

Religious teachers from Jerusalem claimed, 'He is possessed by Beelzebul! He drives out demons by the power of the prince of demons.'

Why it's here

When they couldn't deny the miracles, they attacked the source. 'He's not working for God,' they said, 'He's working for Satan.' It was the most dangerous accusation they could make.

Who's speaking

Mark reports the scribes' shocking accusation that Jesus' power came from Satan himself.

Where it sits in the story

They couldn't deny that Jesus was doing extraordinary things. So instead of accepting the obvious truth, they twisted it into the worst possible lie: that His power was demonic.

A Closer Look

The scholar's commentary

Scribes from Jerusalem accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul (Beelzeboul) and of casting out demons by the power of 'the prince of demons' (tō archonti tōn daimoniōn).

Language and setting

Beelzebul (possibly 'lord of the dwelling' or a corruption of 'Baal-Zebub,' 'lord of the flies') was a title for Satan. The Jerusalem scribes represented the highest religious authority, making this a formal theological accusation.

Voice

Mark reports the scribes' accusation from Jerusalem, representing the official religious establishment's verdict on Jesus.

Significance

The scribes offered the most hostile possible interpretation of Jesus' ministry: He was not empowered by God but by Satan. This accusation set up Jesus' teaching about the unforgivable sin.

In context

Mark 3:20–24

20Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.

21When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”

22And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”

23So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?

24If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.

Read all of Mark 3 — A man with a withered hand, a crowd pressing in from every side, and twelve unlikely men called to change the world.

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