The Skeptics Annotated Bible (785 page)

17 And
one of the multitude
answered and
said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

(9.17)
“One of the multitude … said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit.”

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and
he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth
, and pineth away:
and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

(9.18)
“He foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth … and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.”

19
He answereth
him, and saith,
O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

(9.19)
“He answereth … O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.”

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe,
all things are possible to him that believeth.

(9.23)
“All things are possible to him that believeth.”

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

(9.25-26) Jesus heals the boy with “a dumb spirit” by saying, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him and enter no more into him.” (Sounds like a script from Monty Python, doesn’t it?) But how could a deaf spirit hear the words spoken to it? And how could a dumb spirit cry out?
94 Who makes people deaf and blind?

25 When
Jesus
saw that the people came running together, he
rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him
, and enter no more into him.

(9.25)
“Jesus … rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him.”

26
And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him
: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

(9.26)
“And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

(9.31-32) Jesus keeps telling his disciples that he is going to be killed and then rise from the dead a few days later. But somehow the disciples just don’t get it.

31 For
he
taught his disciples, and
said
unto them,
The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

(9.31)
“He … said … The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.”

32
But they understood not that saying
, and were afraid to ask him.

(9.32)
“But they understood not that saying.”

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them,
If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

(9.35)
“If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

38 And John answered him, saying,
Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name
, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

(9.38)
“Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name.”
The disciples saw some others that they didn’t know “casting out devils” in Jesus’ name. (It was a popular sport back in those days.)
344 Who can cast out devils in the name of Jesus?
421 Is casting out devils a sign of a true Christian?

39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

40 For
he that is not against us is on our part.

(9.40)
“He that is not against us is on our part.”
357 Who is for or against Jesus?