The Meaning of Mark 8:29 Explained

Mark 8:29

KJV: And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

YLT: And he saith to them, 'And ye -- who do ye say me to be?' and Peter answering saith to him, 'Thou art the Christ.'

Darby: And he asked them, But ye, who do ye say that I am? And Peter answering says to him, Thou art the Christ.

ASV: And he asked them, But who say ye that I am? Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he  saith  unto them,  But  whom  say  ye  that I  am?  And  Peter  answereth  and saith  unto him,  Thou  art  the Christ. 

What does Mark 8:29 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus stressed "you" when He asked this question. He wanted to know whom the disciples, in contrast to the multitudes, believed He was. Peter spoke for the disciples. The other disciples evidently agreed with his statement and made no objection. This is the first time in Mark that Peter acted as spokesman for the Twelve. Yet from this time on, Peter was the prominent representative of the other disciples. Peter"s name appears twice in Mark before and16 times after this incident. It occurs five times before this incident in Matthew , 18 times after, four times in Luke before and16 times after, and four times in John before and29 times after. [1]
". . . Peter"s name, "Rock," is ironic, for he thinks he is like a rock. He happens to be the opposite of what his nickname suggests, for he falls asleep and later falls apart under the incriminating remarks of a maid of the High Priest." [2]
"Christ" is the English transliteration of the Greek christos that translates the Hebrew masiah meaning "anointed one." Originally this Hebrew term had a broad meaning and included anyone anointed by God, including priests, kings, and prophets. Later in the Old Testament it came to have the technical meaning of the divine Davidic king who would appear to deliver Israel and establish a worldwide kingdom ( Psalm 110:1; Daniel 9:25-26). In Mark , Jesus rarely used this term Himself (cf. Mark 9:41; Mark 12:35; Mark 13:21), and He never used it of Himself. Probably He avoided it because of its political connotations and the popular misunderstanding of it, but Jesus accepted the title when others applied it to Him (cf. Mark 14:6-62; John 4:25-26).
". . . the title . . . was particularly fitted to express his true relation both to the OT and to the people of God.... the title, applied to Jesus, designates him as the true meaning and fulfillment of the long succession of Israel"s anointed kings and priests, the King and Priest ...; the Prophet anointed with the Spirit of God, who fulfills the long line of Israel"s prophets, and the One in whom the life of the whole nation of Israel finds its fulfillment and meaning, in whom and for whose sake the people of Israel were, and the new Israel now Isaiah , the anointed people of God." [3]
The timing of this question in Jesus" ministry was very important. The disciples had believed that Jesus was the Messiah from the beginning of their contact with Him ( John 1:41; John 1:51). However their understanding of the Messiah then was the traditional one of their day, namely, that of a political leader. The multitudes likewise failed to understand that Jesus was much more than that. The religious leaders were becoming increasingly antagonistic. The disciples were about to receive new revelation regarding Jesus that would have costly implications for them. Therefore it was necessary for them to confess Jesus" identity clearly and unmistakably now.
Why did Mark only record that Peter said, "You are the Messiah," rather than his complete statement, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" ( Matthew 16:16)? Mark"s emphasis throughout his Gospel was on Jesus" humanity, as we have seen. By omitting the last part of Peter"s statement, Mark did not mean that Peter failed to acknowledge Jesus" deity. This is precisely what Peter was confessing. However in Mark the term Messiah includes the concept of deity, as it does in the Old Testament. When the disciples said they had found the Messiah before Jesus called them to be His disciples, they used the title in the popular way ( John 1:41; John 1:51). Mark did not record those statements. He presented the disciples using the term "Messiah" in its true biblical meaning for his Gentile readers.
"For the Christians of Rome who read Mark , the confession "You are the Messiah" was precisely their profession of faith ..." [4]
Peter"s confession constitutes a high-water mark in the disciples" understanding of and commitment to Jesus. They still had much to learn about the significance of Jesus being the Messiah that the Old Testament promised and its implications. Nevertheless now Jesus could build on their faith and commitment.
". . . Jesus" identity is progressively unveiled in three stages, though only from the standpoint of the reader....
"The first stage in the progressive disclosure of Jesus" identity is the confession of Peter on behalf of the disciples ( Mark 8:27-30)." [5]

Context Summary

Mark 8:22-38 - The Cost Of Following Jesus
Our attention has been drawn to the Master's sighs; here, however, was another characteristic act. He spat on the eyes of the blind man, perhaps to excite his expectation and faith. Repulsive as ophthalmia is in the East, it did not repel Him nor staunch the flow of His pity.
We do not at once see everything clearly, but step by step we come unto perfect vision. Here we see through a glass darkly, there face to face. There was a great price to be paid; it was only through suffering and death that Jesus could do His greatest work, in redeeming and cleansing the children of men. He might have been the miracle-worker apart from Calvary; but to be the Savior, He must not spare Himself but be willing to pour out His soul even unto death. It was hard for the Apostles to learn this lesson; they wanted the Master to spare Himself. Peter, especially, sought to dissuade Him; but the Lord knew better the desperate need of men and how it must be met. There are three conditions to be fulfilled by those who have resolved to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. 1. We must deny self; 2. Each must take up his cross; 3. We must think more of others than of ourselves. If these are realized, the soul is following Christ and making progress, even though it deems itself stagnant or drifting back. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 8

1  Jesus feeds the people miraculously;
10  refuses to give a sign to the Pharisees;
14  admonishes his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod;
22  gives a blind man his sight;
27  acknowledges that he is the Jesus who should suffer and rise again;
34  and exhorts to patience in persecution for the profession of the gospel

Greek Commentary for Mark 8:29

Thou art the Christ [Συ ει ο Χριστος]
Mark does not give “the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16) or “of God” (Luke 9:20). The full confession is the form in Matthew. Luke‘s language means practically the same, while Mark‘s is the briefest. But the form in Mark really means the full idea. Mark omits all praise of Peter, probably because Peter had done so in his story of the incident. For criticism of the view that Matthew‘s narrative is due to ecclesiastical development and effort to justify ecclesiastical prerogatives, see discussion on Matthew 16:16, Matthew 16:18. The disciples had confessed him as Messiah before. Thus John 1:41; John 4:29; John 6:69; Matthew 14:33. But Jesus had ceased to use the word Messiah to avoid political complications and a revolutionary movement (John 6:14.). But did the disciples still believe in Jesus as Messiah after all the defections and oppositions seen by them? It was a serious test to which Jesus now put them. [source]
He saith [ἐπηρώτα]
More correctly, he questioned or asked. So Rev. Mark omits the commendation of Peter. See Introduction. On Mark 8:31-33, compare notes on Matthew 16:21-28. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 8:29

Mark 8:32 Spake the saying openly [παρρησιαι τον λογον ελαλει]
He held back nothing, told it all (παν — pān all, ρησια — rēsia from ειπον — eipon say), without reserve, to all of them. Imperfect tense ελαλει — elalei shows that Jesus did it repeatedly. Mark alone gives this item. Mark does not give the great eulogy of Peter in Matthew 16:17, Matthew 16:19 after his confession (Mark 8:29; Matthew 16:16; Luke 9:20), but he does tell the stinging rebuke given Peter by Jesus on this occasion. See discussion on Matthew 16:21, Matthew 16:26. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 8:29 mean?

And He was questioning them You however whom Me do pronounce to be Answering - Peter says to Him You are the Christ
Καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπηρώτα αὐτούς Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι Ἀποκριθεὶς Πέτρος λέγει αὐτῷ Σὺ εἶ Χριστός

ἐπηρώτα  was  questioning 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐπερωτάω  
Sense: to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
τίνα  whom 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
με  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
λέγετε  do  pronounce 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
εἶναι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
Ἀποκριθεὶς  Answering 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πέτρος  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
λέγει  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Χριστός  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.