Theophylact: Further, He gives the names of the Apostles, that the true Apostles might be known, so that men might avoid the false. And therefore it continues: "And Simon He surnamed Cephas."
Augustine, de Con. Evan. ii, 17: But let no one suppose that Simon now received his name and was called Peter, for thus he would make Mark contrary to John, who relates that it had been long before said unto him, "Thou shalt be called Cephas." [[John 1:42]]
But Mark gives this account by way of recapitulation; for as he wished to give the names of the twelve Apostles, and was obliged to call him, Peter, his object was to intimate briefly, that he was not called this originally, but that the Lord gave him that name.
Bede: And the reason that the Lord willed that he should at first be called otherwise, was that from the change itself of the name, a mystery might be conveyed to us. Peter then in Latin or in Greek means the same thing as Cephas in Hebrew, and in each language the name is drawn from, a stone.
Nor can it be doubted that is the rock of which Paul spoke, "And this rock was Christ." [[Cor 10:4]] For as Christ was the true light, and allowed also that the Apostles should be called the light of the world, [[Matt 5:14]] so also to Simon, who believed on the rock Christ, He gave the name of Rock.
Pseudo-Jerome: Thus from obedience, which Simon signifies, the ascent is made to knowledge, which is meant by Peter.
It goes on: "And James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother."
Bede: We must connect this with what went before, "He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth."
Pseudo-Jerome, Gen. 27:36 see Catena Aurea, Matt. 10:2: Namely, James who has supplanted all the desires of the flesh, and John, who received by grace what others held by labour. There follows: "And He surnamed them, Boanerges."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: He calls the sons of Zebedee by this name, because they were to spread over the world the mighty and illustrious decrees of the Godhead.
Pseudo-Jerome: Or by this the lofty merit of the three mentioned above is shewn, who merited to hear in the mountain the thunders of the Father, when he proclaimed in thunder through a could concerning the Son, "This is My beloved Son;" that they also through the cloud of the flesh and fire of the word, might as it were scatter the thunderbolts in rain on the earth, since the Lord turned the thunderbolts into rain, so that mercy extinguishes what judgment sets on fire.
It goes on: "And Andrew," who manfully does violence to perdition, so that he had ever ready within him his own death, to give as an answer, [[1Pet 3:15]] and his soul was ever in his hands. [[Ps 119:109]]
Bede: For Andrew is a Greek name, which means ’manly,’ from (greek word), that is, man, for he manfully adhered to the Lord. There follows, "And Philip."
Pseudo-Jerome: Or, ’the mouth of a lamp,’ that is, one who can throw light by his mouth upon what he has conceived in his heart, to whom the Lord gave the opening of a mouth, which diffused light. We know that this mode of speaking belongs to holy Scripture; for Hebrew names are put down in order to intimate a mystery.
There follows: "And Bartholomew," which means, the son of him who suspends the waters; of him, that is, who said, "I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it." [[Isa 5:6]]
But the name of son of God is obtained by peace and loving one’s enemy; for, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the sons of God. [[Matt 5:9]] And, Love your enemies, that ye may be the sons of God. [see [Matt 5:44]-45]
There follows: "And Matthew," that is, ’given,’ to whom it is given by the Lord, not only to obtain remission of sins, but to be enrolled in the number of the Apostles.
"And Thomas," which means, ’abyss,’ for men who have knowledge by the power of God, put forward many deep things.
It goes on: "And James the son of Alphaeus," that is, of ’the learned,’ or ’the thousandth,’ beside whom a thousand will fall. [[Ps 91:7]] This other James is he, whose wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. [[Eph 6:12]]
There follows, "And Thaddaeus," that is, ’corculum,’ which means, ’he who guards the heart’ [Source note: ed. note: ’cordis cultor’] , one who keeps his heart in all watchfulness.
Bede: But Thaddaeus is the same person, as Luke calls in the Gospel and in the Acts, Jude of James, for he was the brother of James, the brother of the Lord, as he himself has written in his Epistle. There follows, "And Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him."
He has added this by way of distinction from Simon Peter, and Jude the brother of James. Simon is called the Canaanite from Cana, a village in Galilee, and Judas, Scariotes, from the village from which he had his origin, or he is so called from the tribe of Issachar.
Theophylact: Whom he reckons amongst the Apostles, that we may learn that God does not repel any man for wickedness, which is future, but counts him worthy on account of his present virtue.
Pseudo-Jerome: But Simon in interpreted, ’laying aside sorrow;’ for "blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." [[Matt 5:4]]
And he is called Canaanite, that is, Zealot, because the zeal of the Lord ate him up. But Judas Iscariot is one who does not do away his sins by repentance. For Judas means, ’boaster,’ or vain-glorious. And Iscariot, ’the memory of death.’ But many are the proud and vain-glorious confessors in the Church, as Simon Magus, and Arius, and other heretics, whose deathlike memory is celebrated in the Church, that it may be avoided.
Ver. 19. ------- And they went into an house.20. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.21. And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him: for they said, "He is beside himself."22. And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, "He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils."
Bede: the Lord leads the Apostles, when they were elected, into a house, as if admonishing them, that after having received the Apostleship, they should retire to look on their own consciences. Wherefore it is said, "And they came into a house, and the multitude came together again, so that they could not eat bread."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Ungrateful indeed were the multitudes of princes, whom their pride hinders from knowledge, but the grateful multitude of the people came to Jesus.
Bede: And blessed indeed the concourse of the crowd, flocking together, whose anxiety to obtain salvation was so great, that they left not the Author of salvation even an hour free to take food. But Him, whom a crowd of strangers loves to follow, His relations hold in little esteem.
For it goes on, "And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold upon Him." For since they could not take in the depth of wisdom, which they heard, they thought that He was speaking in a senseless way. Wherefore it continues, "for they said, He is beside Himself."
Theophylact: That is, He has a devil and is mad, and therefore they wished to lay hold upon Him, that they might shut Him up as one who had a devil. And even His friends wished to do this, that is, His relations, perchance His countrymen, or His brethren. But it was a silly insanity in them, to conceive that the Worker of such great miracles of Divine Wisdom had become mad.
Bede: Now there is a great difference between those who do not understand the word of God from slowness of intellect, such as those who are here spoken of, and those who purposely blaspheme, of whom it is added, "And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem, etc." For what they could not deny they endeavour to pervert by a malicious interpretation, as if they were not the works of God, but of a most unclean spirit, that is, of Beelzebub, who was the God of Ekrom.
For ’Beel’ means Baal himself, and ’zebub’ a fly; the meaning of Beelzebub therefore is, the man of flies, on account of the filth of the blood which was offered, from which most unclean rite, they call him prince of the devils, adding, "and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils."
Pseudo-Jerome: But mystically, the house to which they came, is the early Church. The crowds which prevent their eating bread are sins and vices; for he who eateth unworthily, "eateth and drinketh damnation to himself." [[Cor 11:29]]
Bede: The Scribes also coming down from Jerusalem blaspheme. But the multitude from Jerusalem, and from other regions of Judaea, or of the Gentiles, followed the Lord, because so it was to be at the time of His Passion, that a crowd of the people of the Jews should lead Him to Jerusalem with palms and praises, and the Gentiles should desire to see Him; but the Scribes and Pharisees should plot together for His death.
Ver. 23. And He called them unto Him, and said unto them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?24. And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.26. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.27. No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.28. Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:"30. Because they said, "He hath an unclean spirit."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: The blasphemy of the Scribes having been detailed, our Lord shews that what they said was impossible, confirming His proof by an example.
Wherefore it says, "And having called them together unto Him, He said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?" As if He had said, A kingdom divided against itself by civil war must be desolated, which is exemplified both in a house and in a city. Wherefore also if Satan’s kingdom by divided against itself, so that Satan expels Satan from men, the desolation of the kingdom of the devils is at hand.
But their kingdom consists in keeping men under their dominion. If therefore they are driven away from men, it amounts to nothing less than the dissolution of their kingdom. But if they still hold their power over men, it is manifest that the kingdom of evil is still standing, and Satan is not divided against himself.
Gloss: And because He has already shewn by an example that a devil cannot cast out a devil, He shews how he can be expelled, saying, "No man can enter into a strong man’s house, etc."
Theophylact: The meaning of the example is this: The devil is the strong man; his goods are the men into whom he is received; unless therefore a man first conquers the devil, how can he deprive him of his goods, that is, of the men whom he has possessed?
So also I who spoil his goods, that is, free men from suffering by his possession, first spoil the devils and vanquish them, and am their enemy. How then can ye say that I have Beelzebub and that being the friend of the devils, I cast them out?
Bede, in Marc., 1, 17: The Lord has also bound the strong man, that is, the devil: which means, He has restrained him from seducing the elect, and entering into his house, the world; He has spoiled his house, and his goods, that is men, because He has snatched them from the snares of the devil, and has united them to His Church.
Or, He has spoiled his house, because the four parts of the world, over which the old enemy had sway, He has distributed to the Apostles and their successors, that they may convert the people to the way of life.
But the Lord shews that they committed a great sin in crying out that which they knew to be of God, was of the devil, when He subjoins, "Verily, I say unto you, All sins are forgiven, etc." All sins and blasphemies are not indeed remitted to all men, but to those who have gone through a repentance in this life sufficient for their sins; thus neither is Novatus right [Source note: ed. note: Novatus was a Carthaginian presbyter, who, after having abetted Felicissimus in his schism against St. Cyprian, came to Rome and joined Novatian against Pope Cornelius, A.D. 251. His error, which is here opposed to Origen’s, consisted in denying that Christ had left with His Church the power of absolving from certain sins, especially from apostasy.] , who denied that any pardon should be granted to penitents, who had lapsed in time of martyrdom; nor Origen, who asserts that after the general judgment, after the revolution of ages, all sinners will receive pardon for their sins, which error the following words of the Lord condemn, when He adds, "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, etc."