John Calvin Commentary Mark 1:22

"And they were astonished at his teaching: For he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes." — Mark 1:22 (ASV)

This demoniac was probably one of that multitude mentioned a little earlier in Matthew 4:24. Yet the narrative of Mark and Luke is not superfluous, for they relate some circumstances that not only present the miracle in a more striking light but also contain useful instruction.

The devil dexterously acknowledges that Christ is the Holy One of God in order to insinuate into people's minds a suspicion that there was some secret understanding between him and Christ. By such a trick he has since attempted to make the Gospel suspected, and, today, he continually makes similar attempts. This is the reason Christ rebukes him.

It is, no doubt, possible that this confession was violently extorted from him. However, there is no inconsistency between the two suppositions: that he is forced to yield to the power of Christ, and therefore cries out that he is the Holy One of God—and yet that he cunningly attempts to shroud in his own darkness the glory of Christ.

At the same time, we must observe that while he flatters Christ in this manner, he indirectly withdraws himself from Christ's power and in this way contradicts himself. For why was Christ sanctified by the Father, except that he might deliver people from the tyranny of the devil and overturn his kingdom? But since Satan cannot endure that power, which he feels to be destructive to himself, he would desire that Christ should satisfy himself with an empty title, without exercising it on this occasion.³⁴⁴

Luke 4:32. And they were astonished at his doctrine. The Evangelists mean that the power of the Spirit shone in the preaching³⁴⁵ of Christ with such brightness as to extort admiration even from irreligious and cold hearers. Luke says that his discourse was accompanied with power, that is, full of majesty.

Mark expresses it more fully by adding a contrast: that it was unlike the manner of teaching of the Scribes. Since they were false expounders of Scripture, their doctrine was literal and dead, breathed nothing of the power of the Spirit, and was utterly destitute of majesty.

The same kind of coldness can now be observed in the speculative theology of Popery. Those masters do indeed thunder out whatever they think proper in a sufficiently magisterial style; but as their manner of discoursing about divine things is so profane that their controversies exhibit no traces of religion, what they bring forward is all affectation and mere drivelling.

For the declaration of the Apostle Paul holds true: the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20). In short, the Evangelists mean that while the manner of teaching that then prevailed was so greatly degenerated and so extremely corrupted that it did not impress people with any reverence for God, the preaching of Christ was eminently distinguished by the divine power of the Spirit, which procured for him the respect of his hearers.

This is the power, or rather the majesty and authority, at which the people were astonished.

³⁴⁴ “Mais pource que Satan ne pent endurer ceste vertue et puissance, aquelle il sait estre le destruire et ruiner, il voudroit bien que Christ se contenant d'un beau titre en l'air, se reposast, et se deportast de luy rien faire.” — “But because Satan cannot endure that power and might, which he knows to be to destroy and ruin him, he would rather wish that Christ, satisfying himself with a fine title in the air, should take repose, and refrain from doing any thing to him..” — “But because Satan cannot endure that power and might, which he knows to be to destroy and ruin him, he would rather wish that Christ, satisfying himself with a fine title in the air, should take repose, and refrain from doing any thing to him.

³⁴⁵ “En la facon d’enseigner de Jesus Christ;” — “in Jesus Christ's manner of teaching.”;” — “in Jesus Christ's manner of teaching.”