Pomegranate,
Verse nine says "at that time" which is refering to the time that all in Judea and Jerusalem were coming to John the baptizer at the Jordan to be baptized. Jesus came PUBLICALLY at the same time all the other people were coming to John to be baptized as other gospel accounts clearly show. At the time John was PUBLICALLY baptizing all of Judea, Jesus came AT THAT TIME. It was PUBLIC as plainly read in the context.
I stated that the announcement was not public. Obviously Jesus came publicly at that time, and John baptized him publicly, but the announcement was address to Jesus directly, as if he is speaking to Jesus alone. Compare how Jesus responded to a similar incident, when God made an announcement that was not directed to Jesus alone, but to Jesus and his disciples.
7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.
Mark 9:7-10 (NIV)
This announcement is obviously to others besides Jesus. Jesus' statement to "not tell anyone what they had seen", also contrasts with the baptism announcement that is obviously addressed to Jesus alone. The writer of Mark could not have been so careless as to portray both of theses announcements so differently, and have his readers not notice the difference.
People? Plural? You are inaccurately portraying what the Bible says. You are wrong. He told ONE leper not to spread the news of what happened to him. Jesus never said anything to this man regarding being the Messiah. How's it feel to mess up the Bible?
Are you sure your reading the book of Mark? Let me paste a few verses here. I am sure you will see that Jesus told this to "People", "Plural", not just one leper, and notice especially Mark 8:27-30. I'm sure you will wish you had never made that ridiculous statement.
34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
Mark 1:34 (NIV)43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."
Mark 1:43-44 (NIV)
11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
Mark 3:11-12 (NIV)
42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:42-43 (NIV)
36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.
Mark 7:36 (NIV)
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
Mark 8:25-26 (NIV)
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."
29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Mark 8:27-30 (NIV)
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.
Mark 9:9-10 (NIV)
Where does it say they did not believe on him like it does in the hometown verses? It doesn't. You are fabricating.
Again, who else are the ones not believing on him in the hometown verses? Make sure you notice the words "relatives" and "his own house".
4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
Mark 6:4 (NIV)
Also (and here is where you sink like a rock), the MAJORITY of other Bibles render it out that the ones that were saying he was out of his mind were NOT family AT ALL, but people who knew him:
I wouldn't call that the Majority of the other Bibles. Lets see how the bibles I have access to, translate this.
21 And when his friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
Mark 3:21 (ASV)21 When his family heard about it, they went to restrain him. For they kept saying, "He's out of his mind!"
Mark 3:21 (ISV)
21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
Mark 3:21 (KJV)
21 And when His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses."
Mark 3:21 (NASB)
21 When his family heard this, they went to get him because they thought he was out of his mind.
Mark 3:21 (NCV)
21 When his family heard this they went out to take control of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
Mark 3:21 (NET)
21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
Mark 3:21 (NIV)
21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."
Mark 3:21 (NKJV)
21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him home with them. "He's out of his mind," they said.
Mark 3:21 (NLT)
21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind."
Mark 3:21 (NRSV)
21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, "He is beside himself."
Mark 3:21 (RSV)
21 When his friends heard what was happening, they came to try to take him home with them. "He's out of his mind," they said.
Mark 3:21 (Living)
21 and his friends having heard, went forth to lay hold on him, for they said that he was beside himself,
Mark 3:21 (Young's Literal Translation)
21 And his relatives having heard of it went out to lay hold on him, for they said, He is out of his mind.
Mark 3:21 (Darby's)
family/relatives = 8 translation
friends = 4 translation
own people = 2 translation
In the translations I have, it looks like the score is 8 in favor of "family" and 4 in favor of "friends".
As a matter of fact, now that I have even reviewed the Greek, the word FAMILY as normally used in Greek, is not even in the original Greek writings AT ALL. So now I have come to the realization because of all the other Bibles renderings, and examining the Greek, that the Bibles that have FAMILY rendered here in this verse are incorrect.
Those ones that were probably calling Jesus "out of his mind" were probably the ones from his HOMETOWN. Assuredly so.
You need to re-adjust friend. You are wrong.
A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
Entry under the Greek word "para".
"oi para tinos" --The Koine also uses this expr. to denote others who are intimately connected w. someone, e.g. family, relatives.
About 15 examples are given in various ancient works, including Mark 3:21. Therefore "oi par autou" is translated correctly as "his family", or "his relatives".
The RSV and the NRSV both obscure the meaning of Mark 3:21 when translating the Greek word "elegon". They translate it "for people were saying" instead of "they were saying". The same Greek word appears in the next verse (Mark 3:22). The RSV and NRSV translate it here as "said". The incorrect insertion of "people" into Mark 3:21, by the translators of the RSV and NRSV, attest to the fact that they do not like Jesus' family declaring him "out of his mind".
pseudoxristos
edited for formating