Notes on Mark 1:21-28
1. Structure of the passage
a. 21a, to
Capernaum
b. 21b. He began to teach
c. 22, people were amazed – He was teaching
with authority
d. 23, a man, controlled by evil spirit
e. 24, spirit speaks
e’. 25, Jesus responds
d’. 26, a man is freed of evil spirit’s
control
c’. 27, people: what teaching is this? The
authority
b’. 28a, news about Him
a’. 28b, region
of Galilee.
2. Augustine, comparing the confession of demons and St. Peter, points out the difference of intent not the words. "Peter spoke in love, but demons in fear" (Sermons on the New Testament. Lessons 40.8, from ACCS, II:Mark, p.22). It is possible - we need to take the psychological state of a "confessor" into an account. Yet, honestly, I don't think it played the most important role. St. Peter states that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, while demons avoid any reference to "life" because they are the representatives of the one who was "murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44).
