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1He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there whose hand was withered. 2They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. 3He said to the man whose hand was withered, “Stand up.” 4He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do harm? To save a life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other. 6The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea, 8from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came to him. 9He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him. 10For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him. 11The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried, “You are the Son of God!” 12He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

13He went up into the mountain and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him. 14He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17James the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder); 18Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot; 19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Then he came into a house. 20The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him; for they said, “He is insane.” 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons.”

23He summoned them and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he can’t stand, but has an end. 27But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then he will plunder his house.

28“Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme; 29but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.” 30—because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

31His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him. 32A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.”

33He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 35For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and mother.”

Thomas the Apostle

Thomas the Apostle

Biography | Mark 3:18 | Jeffrey Kershner

Thomas called Didymus (meaning “twin”) is famous for being a doubter, but his tremendously important confession of Jesus’ divinity should not be overlooked. As an apostle, he was with Jesus during His entire ministry years. His interaction with Jesus, however, is not recorded until he encourages the other apostles to follow Jesus to the grave of Lazarus even if it meant death (John 11:16). During the Last Supper he confessed that he didn’t know where Jesus was going after His impending departure (John 14:5). Thomas was absent from the disciples when Jesus appeared to them after the resurrection. When he was told that Jesus had risen from the dead, he said would not believe unless he could “see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side” (John 20:25). Jesus allowed Thomas to do this and Thomas, now doubtless, cried out “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). After his confession of Christ, Thomas is seen with the apostles on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (John 21:2) and with the gathered apostles after the ascension (Acts 1:13). Church legend says Thomas went to Edessa in Syria after the resurrection, but he is better known as having sailed to India and established a Christian community there, and was martyred there with a lance by Brahmins, fearful that Christianity would destroy their power within the caste system (Unger, Dictionary, 1091).