The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

18 And (A)Sadducees came to him, (B)who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that (C)if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man[a] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”

24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because (D)you know neither the Scriptures nor (E)the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither (F)marry nor (G)are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, (H)have you not read in (I)the book of Moses, in (J)the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, (K)‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

The Great Commandment

28 (L)And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, (M)‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, (N)the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 (O)The second is this: (P)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment (Q)greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that (R)he is one, and (S)there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all (T)the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, (U)is much more than all (V)whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (W)And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:19 Greek his brother

Marriage at the Resurrection(A)

18 Then the Sadducees,(B) who say there is no resurrection,(C) came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.(D) 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection[a] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures(E) or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.(F) 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[b]?(G) 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment(H)

28 One of the teachers of the law(I) came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[c] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[d](J) 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[e](K) There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.(L) 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(M)

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”(N) And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.(O)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:23 Some manuscripts resurrection, when people rise from the dead,
  2. Mark 12:26 Exodus 3:6
  3. Mark 12:29 Or The Lord our God is one Lord
  4. Mark 12:30 Deut. 6:4,5
  5. Mark 12:31 Lev. 19:18