What does Mark 3:15 mean?
What is the meaning of Mark 3:15?

And

The small word ties this commission to the larger purpose Jesus had just laid out. He had “appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14).

• It is a seamless continuation—preaching the good news and confronting evil go hand in hand (Matthew 10:7-8).

• The conjunction reminds us that gospel ministry is never only words or only deeds; it is both, bound together by Christ’s intent (Luke 9:1-2).


To Have

Jesus does not ask the Twelve to find power; He gives it to them.

• “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18); therefore He can confer authority.

• The gift is immediate and complete, not earned over time (John 1:12).

• This possession underscores dependence on Christ, not personal charisma (2 Corinthians 4:7).


Authority

The term points to legal right and spiritual backing.

• Jesus’ authority amazed crowds when He commanded unclean spirits (Mark 1:27). Now He entrusts the same right to His followers.

• It is delegated, yet genuine—much like a soldier carries the king’s seal (Luke 10:19).

• Such authority is exercised under obedience; misuse is corrected (Luke 9:54-55).


To Drive Out

The verb pictures forceful eviction, not negotiation.

• Jesus “drove out the spirits with a word” (Matthew 8:16); the disciples are to act likewise.

• Deliverance is decisive, freeing captives (Acts 16:18).

• It is an active ministry, not passive observance (Mark 6:13).


Demons

Real personal evil spirits oppose God’s kingdom.

• Scripture treats them as literal beings (James 2:19).

• Their goals: deceive, enslave, destroy (John 10:10; Ephesians 6:12).

• Christ’s work “destroyed the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), and His followers share in enforcing that victory (James 4:7).


summary

Mark 3:15 shows Jesus giving His chosen messengers the right and power to evict evil spirits, linking proclamation and liberation. The authority originates in Christ, is received by faith, and is exercised to extend His kingdom, demonstrating that the gospel confronts darkness not only with words of truth but with acts of deliverance.

Why did Jesus choose these specific twelve disciples in Mark 3:14?
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