The Meaning of Mark 1:14 Explained

Mark 1:14

KJV: Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

YLT: And after the delivering up of John, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the reign of God,

Darby: But after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom of God,

ASV: Now after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now  after  that John  was put in prison,  Jesus  came  into  Galilee,  preaching  the gospel  of the kingdom  of God, 

What does Mark 1:14 Mean?

Study Notes

kingdom
kingdom of God
The kingdom of God is to be distinguished from the kingdom of heaven (See Scofield " Matthew 3:2 ") , in five respects:
(1) The kingdom of God is universal, including all moral intelligences willingly subject to the will of God, whether angels, the Church, or saints of past or future dispensations Luke 13:28 ; Luke 13:29 ; Hebrews 12:22 ; Hebrews 12:23 while the kingdom of heaven is Messianic, mediatorial, and Davidic, and has for its object the establishment of the kingdom of God in the earth (See Scofield " Matthew 3:2 ") 1 Corinthians 15:24 ; 1 Corinthians 15:25 .
(2) The kingdom of God is entered only by the new birth John 3:3 ; John 3:5-7 the kingdom of heaven, during this age, is the sphere of a profession which may be real or false. (See Scofield " Matthew 13:47-50 ") Matthew 25:1 ; Matthew 25:11 ; Matthew 25:12
(3) Since the kingdom of heaven is the earthly sphere of the universal kingdom of God, the two have almost all things in common. For this reason many parables and other teachings are spoken of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew, and of the kingdom of God in Mark and Luke. It is the omissions which are significant. The parables of the wheat and tares, and of the net Matthew 13:24-30 ; Matthew 13:36-43 ; Matthew 13:3 are not spoken of the kingdom of God. In that kingdom there are neither tares nor bad fish. But the parable of the leaven Matthew 13:33 is spoken of the kingdom of God also, for, alas, even the true doctrines of the kingdom are leavened with the errors of which the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Herodians were the representatives. (See Scofield " Matthew 13:33 ") .
(4) The kingdom of God "comes not with outward show" Luke 17:20 but is chiefly that which is inward and spiritual Romans 14:17 while the kingdom of heaven is organic, and is to be manifested in glory on the earth. (See "Kingdom (O.T.)," Zechariah 12:8 , note; (N.T.),; Luke 1:31-33 ; 1 Corinthians 15:24 , note; Matthew 17:2 , note.) (See Scofield " Zechariah 12:8 ") , Luke 1:31-33 See Scofield " 1 Corinthians 15:24 " See Scofield " Matthew 17:2 "
(5) The kingdom of heaven merges into the kingdom of God when Christ, having put all enemies under his feet, "shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father" 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (See Scofield " Matthew 3:2 ")

Verse Meaning

Jesus began His Galilean ministry, the first major phase of His public ministry, after His forerunner had ended his ministry. Jesus" forerunner suffered a fate that prefigured what Jesus would experience (cf. Mark 9:31; Mark 14:18). Mark used the same root word in Greek to describe both men. The passive voice of the verb paradidomi ("taken into custody" or "put in prison," lit. delivered up) suggests God"s sovereign control over both men"s situations.
Probably Jesus chose Galilee as His site of ministry because the influence of hostile Pharisees and chief priests was less there than it was in Judea. Fewer Jews lived in Samaria, which lay between Judea and Galilee.
". . . Jesus changes setting more than forty times in his travels throughout Galilee and into gentile territory." [1]
Jesus heralded the good news of God. The Greek construction permits two different translations: "the good news about God" and "the good news from God." Mark probably intended the second meaning because the next verse explains what the good news that God revealed through Jesus was. Preaching this good news was Jesus" characteristic activity, and it was foundational for all the other forms of His ministry.
Mark omitted Jesus" year of early Judean ministry ( John 1:15 to John 4:42), as did the other Synoptic evangelists. He began his account of Jesus" ministry of service in Galilee, northern Israel ( Mark 1:14 to Mark 6:6 a). Because of increasing opposition and rejection, Jesus made several withdrawals from Galilee followed by returns to this region. Mark recorded four of these ( Mark 6:6 to Mark 8:30). Then Jesus left Galilee for Jerusalem. Mark recorded lessons on four important subjects pertinent to discipleship that Jesus taught His disciples during this transition for his readers" benefit (ch10). Next Jesus ministered in Jerusalem, and Mark selected three significant events there for inclusion in his story (chs11-13).
"Four major characters stand out, as do two groups of minor characters: Jesus, the religious authorities, the disciples, the crowd, and those groups of minor characters who either exhibit faith or somehow exemplify what it means to serve." [1]
Examples of minor characters who model great faith in Jesus are the leper who requested cleansing ( Mark 1:40-45), the friends of the paralytic ( Mark 2:3-5), Jairus ( Mark 5:21-24; Mark 5:35-43), the woman with the hemorrhage ( Mark 5:25-34), the Syrophoenician woman ( Mark 7:25-30), the father of the demon possessed boy ( Mark 9:14-29), and blind Bartimaeus ( Mark 10:46-52). Those who model service are the woman who anointed Jesus for burial (i.e, Mary; Mark 14:3-9), Simon of Cyrene ( Mark 15:21), Joseph of Arimathea ( Mark 15:42-46), and the women who visited Jesus" tomb to anoint His body ( Mark 16:1).
Mark stressed Jesus" ministry as a servant in his Gospel. The rest of the book details how He served God and man. During the first part of Jesus" ministry, He laid down His life in service ( Mark 1:14 to Mark 13:37). His passion is the record of His laying down His life in self-sacrifice (chs14-16). Mark began his account of Jesus" service with an overview of selected events in Jesus" early Galilean ministry that were typical of His whole ministry ( Mark 1:14 to Mark 3:6).

Context Summary

Mark 1:1-20 - The Beginning Of Jesus' Ministry
The ministry of John the Baptist, Mark 1:1-8. Always the message of John precedes that of Jesus Christ; first the changed attitude of the will, then faith. The greatness of the Baptist revealed itself in his humility. He saw what we must see, that a negative religion, symbolized by water, is not enough: we need to be set on fire.
The opening pages of Christ's public life, Mark 1:9-20. Jesus was recognized by the Baptist, who beheld the opened heavens and the descending Spirit. If the Lord was thus anointed ere He commenced His life-work, how much more must we be! Hast thou become united with Him in His death, made one with Him in His resurrection, and anointed by that same Spirit? Then be sure that thou, too, must be tempted. Sons of men must go the way of the Son of man, now under the opened heavens, then tempted of the devil; on one side the wild beasts, on the other the angels; now driven to loneliness, and then to the crowded street of the cities, there to gather disciples by the energy and beauty of a victorious life. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 1

1  The office of John the Baptist
9  Jesus is baptized;
12  tempted;
14  he preaches;
16  calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John;
23  heals one that had a demon;
29  Peter's mother in law;
32  many diseased persons;
40  and cleanses the leper

Greek Commentary for Mark 1:14

Jesus came into Galilee [ηλτεν ο Ιησους εις την Γαλιλαιαν]
Here Mark begins the narrative of the active ministry of Jesus and he is followed by Matthew and Luke. Mark undoubtedly follows the preaching of Peter. But for the Fourth Gospel we should not know of the year of work in various parts of the land (Perea, Galilee, Judea, Samaria) preceding the Galilean ministry. John supplements the Synoptic Gospels at this point as often. The arrest of John had much to do with the departure of Jesus from Judea to Galilee (John 4:1-4). [source]
Preaching the gospel of God [κηρυσσων το ευαγγελιον του τεου]
It is the subjective genitive, the gospel that comes from God. Swete observes that repentance It is a significant fact that John looks backward to the promise of the coming of the Messiah and signalizes the fulfilment as near at hand (perfect passive indicative). It is like Paul‘s fulness of time Both repent and believe in the gospel. Usually faith in Jesus (or God) is expected as in John 14:1. But this crisis called for faith in the message of Jesus that the Messiah had come. He did not use here the term Messiah, for it had come to have political connotations that made its use at present unwise. But the kingdom of God had arrived with the presence of the King. It does make a difference what one believes. Belief or disbelief in the message of Jesus made a sharp cleavage in those who heard him. “Faith in the message was the first step; a creed of some kind lies at the basis of confidence in the Person of Christ, and the occurrence of the phrase πιστυετε εν τωι ευαγγελιωι — pistuete en tōi euaggeliōi in the oldest record of the teaching of our Lord is a valuable witness to this fact” (Swete). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 1:14

1 Thessalonians 2:2 Gospel of God [εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ]
For the phrase see Mark 1:14; Romans 1:1; Romans 15:16; 2 Corinthians 11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:8, 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Peter 4:17. It points to the monotheistic character of the gospel. [source]
1 Peter 4:17 And if it begin first at us [ει δε πρωτον απημων]
Condition of first class again, with the verb αρχεται — archetai understood. “From us” Final fate.Of them that obey not the gospel of God “Of those disobeying the gospel of God.” See the same idea in Romans 2:8. See Mark 1:14 for believing in the gospel. [source]
1 Peter 4:17 Of them that obey not the gospel of God [των απειτουντων τωι του τεου ευαγγελιωι]
“Of those disobeying the gospel of God.” See the same idea in Romans 2:8. See Mark 1:14 for believing in the gospel. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 1:14 mean?

And after the delivering up - of John came - Jesus into - Galilee proclaiming gospel - of God
Καὶ μετὰ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τὸν Ἰωάννην ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν κηρύσσων εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ

μετὰ  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: μετά  
Sense: with, after, behind.
παραδοθῆναι  delivering  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: παραδίδωμι  
Sense: to give into the hands (of another).
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰωάννην  of  John 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰωάννης 
Sense: John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, the forerunner of Christ.
ἦλθεν  came 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
τὴν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Γαλιλαίαν  Galilee 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Γαλιλαία  
Sense: the name of a region of northern Palestine, bounded on the north by Syria, on the west by Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais and their territories and the promontory of Carmel, on the south by Samaria and on the east by the Jordan.
κηρύσσων  proclaiming 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κηρύσσω  
Sense: to be a herald, to officiate as a herald.
εὐαγγέλιον  gospel 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: εὐαγγέλιον  
Sense: a reward for good tidings.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.