Church Fathers Commentary Mark 1:23-28

"And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And the unclean spirit, tearing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? a new teaching! with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. And the report of him went out straightway everywhere into all the region of Galilee round about." — Mark 1:23-28 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: Since death first entered the world through the envy of the devil, it was right that the medicine of healing should first work against the author of death; and therefore it is said, And there was in their synagogue a man... ¹

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The word “Spirit” is applied to an angel, the air, the soul, and even the Holy Spirit. Therefore, lest we fall into error because of the same name, he adds the word unclean. And he is called unclean on account of his impiety and separation from God, and because he engages in all unclean and wicked works. ²

St. Augustine of Hippo: Moreover, the devils themselves know very well the great power that God's lowliness, appearing in the form of a servant, has over their pride. They express this to the same Lord while He is clothed in the weakness of the flesh. For the text continues: What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth... ³

For it is evident from these words that they had knowledge, but not charity; the reason was that they feared their punishment from Him and did not love the righteousness in Him.

The Venerable Bede: For the devils, seeing the Lord on the earth, thought that they were to be judged immediately.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Alternatively, the devil speaks as if to say, “By taking away uncleanness and giving divine knowledge to the souls of men, You allow us no place in them.” ⁴

Theophylact of Ohrid: For the devil considers coming out of a man to be his own perdition, because devils are ruthless, thinking that they suffer some evil as long as they are not troubling men.

The text continues: I know that Thou art the Holy One of God.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: It is as if the devil said, “I think that You have come,” for he did not have a firm and certain knowledge of God's coming. But he calls Him holy not as one of many, for every prophet was also holy; rather, he proclaims that He was the One who is holy. By using the article in Greek, he shows Him to be the One, and by his fear, he shows Him to be Lord of all. ⁵

St. Augustine of Hippo: For He was known to them to the degree that He wished to be known, and He wished as much as was appropriate. He was not known to them in the same way He is known to the holy angels, who enjoy Him by partaking of His eternity as He is the Word of God. Instead, He was to be made known in terror to those beings from whose tyrannical power He was about to free the predestinate.

He was known, therefore, to the devils not as He who is eternal Life (see 1 John 5:20; John 17:3), but by certain temporal effects of His power, which were clearer to the angelic senses of even evil spirits than to the weakness of humans.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Furthermore, the Truth did not wish to have the testimony of unclean spirits. ⁶

Therefore, the text continues: And Jesus threatened him, saying...

From this, a wholesome instruction is given to us: let us not believe devils, however much they may proclaim the truth.

The text continues: And the unclean spirit tearing him...

Because the man spoke as if he were in his right mind and uttered his words with discretion, Jesus permitted him to be torn by the devil. This was to prevent anyone from thinking that the man composed these words from his own heart rather than from the devil, and to show that it was indeed the devil who spoke.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This was so that when they saw it, they would know from what a great evil the man was freed, and on account of the miracle, they might believe.

The Venerable Bede: It may appear to be a discrepancy that the spirit went out of the man, “tearing” him—or, as some copies have it, “vexing” him—when, according to Luke, the spirit did not hurt him. But Luke himself says, When He had cast him into the midst, he came out of him, without hurting him (Luke 4:35).

Therefore, it is inferred that what Mark meant by “vexing” or “tearing” him is what Luke expresses with the words, When He had cast him into the midst. Consequently, Luke’s subsequent phrase, and did not hurt him, can be understood to mean that the violent tossing of his limbs did not weaken him, as devils are often accustomed to do when they depart, sometimes even tearing away limbs.

But seeing the power of the miracle, the people wonder at the newness of our Lord's doctrine and are roused to investigate what they had heard because of what they had seen.

Therefore, the text continues: And they all wondered...

For miracles were performed so that the people would more firmly believe the Gospel of the kingdom of God which was being preached. After all, those who were promising heavenly joys to people on earth were also displaying heavenly realities and divine works on earth. For previously, as the Evangelist says, He was teaching them as one who had power; and now, as the crowd witnesses, with power He commands the evil spirits, and they obey Him.

The text continues: And immediately His fame spread abroad...

Glossa Ordinaria: For people soon divulge the things they wonder at, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Matthew 12:34).

Pseudo-Jerome: Moreover, Capernaum is mystically interpreted as the “town of consolation,” and the Sabbath as “rest.” The man with an evil spirit is healed by rest and consolation, so that the place and time align with his healing.

This man with an unclean spirit represents the human race, in which uncleanness reigned from Adam to Moses (Romans 5:14), for they sinned without law and perished without law (Romans 2:12). And this man, though knowing the Holy One of God, is ordered to hold his peace, because although knowing God, they did not glorify him as God (Romans 1:21) but rather served the creature than the Creator (Romans 1:25).

The spirit came out of the man, tearing him. When salvation is near, temptation is also at hand. Pharaoh, when about to letⁱ Israel go, pursues Israel; the devil, when despised, rises up to create scandals.

1. in Marc., 1, 7
2. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
3. City of God, 21
4. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
5. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
6. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.