Mark 10:27 kjv
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Mark 10:27 nkjv
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
Mark 10:27 niv
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
Mark 10:27 esv
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."
Mark 10:27 nlt
Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."
Mark 10 27 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Gen 18:14 | "Is anything too hard for the Lord?..." | God's omnipotence confirmed in a challenging situation. |
Job 42:2 | "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." | Affirmation of God's unlimited power and sovereignty. |
Jer 32:17 | "Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who made the heavens and the earth... nothing is too hard for you." | God the Creator's power over all things. |
Zech 4:6 | "...Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." | God's work is accomplished by His Spirit, not human strength. |
Lk 1:37 | "For nothing will be impossible with God." | Parallel verse affirming God's power, specifically for miraculous birth. |
Mt 19:26 | "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." | Direct Synoptic parallel confirming the teaching. |
Rom 3:20 | "For by works of the law no human being will be justified..." | Justification is not attainable through human law-keeping. |
Rom 8:3 | "For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do..." | The law's inadequacy due to human flesh contrasted with God's power. |
Rom 9:16 | "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." | Salvation originates from divine mercy, not human decision or effort. |
Eph 2:8-9 | "For by grace you have been saved through faith... not a result of works..." | Salvation is a free gift of God's grace, excluding human merit. |
Tit 3:5 | "He saved us, not because of works done by us... but according to his own mercy..." | Salvation by God's mercy, completely separate from human deeds. |
Php 2:13 | "...for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." | God supernaturally empowers believers to obey and fulfill His will. |
1 Cor 1:26-29 | God chooses the weak/foolish to shame the strong and wise. | God demonstrates His power through those considered weak by human standards. |
2 Cor 3:5 | "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us..." | Human self-sufficiency is denied; adequacy comes from God. |
Jn 3:3-7 | "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." | Spiritual rebirth is a divine necessity and a work of God. |
Jn 6:44 | "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him..." | Coming to Christ is enabled and initiated by divine drawing. |
Jn 15:5 | "Apart from me you can do nothing." | Human spiritual impotence without a living connection to Christ. |
Heb 11:6 | "Without faith it is impossible to please him..." | Human effort cannot please God; faith, empowered by God, is essential. |
Jas 1:17 | "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..." | God is the ultimate source of all goodness, including salvation. |
2 Pet 1:3 | "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness." | Divine power supplies all that is needed for a godly life. |
Col 1:29 | "...striving with all His energy that He powerfully works within me." | Paul's strenuous ministry empowered by Christ's dynamic working. |
Judg 7:2-7 | God reduced Gideon's army to show salvation came from Him, not human strength. | Divine victory independent of overwhelming human numbers. |
Mark 10 verses
Mark 10 27 Meaning
Mark 10:27 declares a foundational truth about salvation and entrance into God's Kingdom: what is utterly beyond human capability or effort is entirely possible for God. It underscores that human weakness, particularly regarding spiritual transformation and giving up earthly attachments, presents an insurmountable barrier for individuals, but God's limitless power can accomplish what is otherwise deemed unachievable.
Mark 10 27 Context
Mark 10:27 immediately follows Jesus's declaration about the extreme difficulty for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God, leading to the disciples' profound astonishment and despairing question: "Then who can be saved?" This context is crucial. The verse directly addresses the perceived human impossibility of salvation, especially for those burdened by earthly attachments, but extends to the human condition generally. It assures the disciples, and all hearers, that salvation is not a human accomplishment but a divine act. This particular teaching arises from the encounter with a rich young man who chose his wealth over following Jesus, illustrating the very obstacle that appears "impossible" for men to overcome without divine intervention.
Mark 10 27 Word analysis
- "With men" (παρὰ ἀνθρώποις - para anthrōpois): This phrase specifies the human realm or perspective. It highlights humanity's inherent limitations, spiritual incapability, and inability to achieve salvation or spiritual transformation through its own power, wisdom, or works, due to sin and finite nature.
- "it is impossible" (ἀδύνατον - adynaton): An absolute statement of impossibility. This is not merely difficult or unlikely, but inherently unachievable from a human standpoint. It refers to a state of being utterly without power or means to accomplish spiritual renewal or secure entrance into God's Kingdom.
- "but not" (οὐ - ou): A direct and strong negation that serves as a powerful contrasting conjunction. It abruptly shifts the focus from human impossibility to divine possibility, signaling an entirely different sphere of capability.
- "with God" (παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ - para tō Theō): This phrase indicates God's sphere of operation, His nature, and His boundless power. It implies that the ability to accomplish what is impossible for humans rests entirely with God Himself, by His very being and omnipotence.
- "for" (γὰρ - gar): A conjunctive particle that introduces the explanation or reason for the preceding statement. It clarifies why the "not impossible with God" statement is true, pointing to God's inherent nature.
- "with God" (παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ - para tō Theō): A repetition for emphatic reiteration. It reinforces that the basis for "all things being possible" firmly lies in the divine nature and capacity of God alone, not in human effort or any external factor.
- "all things" (πάντα - panta): A comprehensive and universal quantifier. In this theological context, it refers to everything pertaining to God's will and purpose for humanity's salvation, redemption, and spiritual transformation. It embraces any challenge that humanity faces in attaining spiritual life and relationship with God, but does not extend to illogical or contradictory actions.
- "are possible" (δυνατά - dynata): The exact antonym of "impossible." This word affirms capability, power, and the potential for realization. It signifies God's limitless capacity to bring about what He purposes, including the most profound spiritual changes and overcoming any human obstacle to salvation.
Words-group analysis:
- "With men it is impossible, but not with God": This opening phrase presents a stark dichotomy, establishing the inherent limitations and spiritual bankruptcy of humanity versus the limitless power and divine initiative of God. It directly addresses the despair over human inability to enter the Kingdom, countering it with the hope found only in God. This contrast sets the theological foundation for understanding salvation as a work of grace, not human effort.
- "for with God all things are possible": This concluding clause provides the logical and theological basis for the preceding contrast. It explains why something impossible for humans becomes possible through God. This affirmation of God's omnipotence is central to Christian doctrine, particularly concerning salvation, the new birth, and transformation. It assures that God is capable of performing all that He wills, especially enabling individuals to respond to Him and enter His Kingdom, irrespective of their perceived unworthiness or inability.
Mark 10 27 Bonus section
This verse encapsulates a crucial truth taught consistently throughout both Old and New Testaments: humanity's inherent weakness and sinfulness render salvation an "impossible" task for itself. From the very beginning, in Gen 6:5 and Pss 14:1-3, Scripture paints a picture of human moral incapacity. Jesus's statement, affirmed identically in Mt 19:26 and Lk 18:27, is therefore not limited to the issue of wealth but applies universally to humanity's fallen condition. It underscores that God’s initiative and empowering grace (Philippians 2:13) are indispensable for salvation and the living of a truly transformed life. This verse confronts any notion of salvation by merit or self-redemption, positioning God as the exclusive agent capable of accomplishing spiritual rebirth and eternal life for all who believe. It's a declaration of divine competence in the face of human incompetence.
Mark 10 27 Commentary
Mark 10:27 is Jesus's powerful response to the disciples' despair about who can be saved, arising from the rich young ruler's inability to forsake his wealth for the Kingdom. It is a profound declaration that salvation, spiritual transformation, and entrance into God's Kingdom are not products of human effort, wealth, moral rectitude, or any worldly attainment. What is utterly unachievable by any human endeavor or will becomes entirely possible through God's limitless power. This verse pivots salvation from human work to divine grace, emphasizing God's omnipotence as the sole means for the lost to be found, the spiritually dead to be made alive, and for those entangled by worldly bonds to find freedom and entry into God's new order. It is a message of profound hope: God is able to accomplish what no human can.
Examples:
- The dramatic conversion of Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10), a wealthy tax collector deemed unlikely to change, showcases God's power to transform a heart instantly, leading to radical repentance and generosity.
- The call of Peter and other fishermen (Mk 1:16-20), ordinary men from humble backgrounds, to become apostles and fishers of men illustrates God's ability to equip and use the unlikeliest of individuals for His kingdom purposes.
- The profound and enduring transformation observed in a person giving up deeply ingrained sinful habits or destructive addictions when they genuinely commit to Christ, testifying to God's enabling power for holiness.