Faith, Prayer, and the Power of Believing in Mark 11:23
Mark 11:23 states, "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and if they do not doubt in their heart, but believe that what they say will happen, it will be done for them" [1]. This verse is part of Jesus' teaching on faith and prayer, following the cursing of the fig tree.
Literary Context
The verse is situated within a larger narrative where Jesus is teaching his disciples about the power of faith. The cursing of the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-24) serves as a backdrop for this teaching. Jesus' statement about moving mountains is not isolated but connected to the disciples' observation of the withered fig tree. The passage emphasizes the importance of faith in prayer, highlighting that belief is crucial for the fulfillment of one's requests.
Historical Setting
Mark's Gospel is generally dated to around 68-70 AD, with its audience being primarily Gentile Christians [1]. The historical Jesus' teachings, as recorded in Mark, reflect a Jewish context, with Jesus often referencing the Hebrew Scriptures. The concept of faith and prayer in Mark 11:23 is rooted in Jewish tradition, where faith is understood as trust in God's power and promises.
Key Terms
The term "faith" (πίστις, pistis) is central to understanding Mark 11:23. It refers to the confidence or trust in God's ability to accomplish what is asked. The phrase "do not doubt in their heart" (μὴ διακριθῇ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, mē diakrithē en tē kardia) emphasizes the importance of unwavering belief. Calvin interprets this as requiring a deep-seated trust that is not shaken by doubts [2].
Major Exegetical Decisions
One major exegetical decision revolves around the interpretation of "believe that what they say will happen." Calvin understands this as requiring a firm assurance that one's prayers will be answered, based on trust in God's power and promises [2]. The Baptist/Reformed commentary by John Gill emphasizes that the object of faith is God's power, and the faith required is not just any faith but "the faith of miracles" or faith in God's ability to perform extraordinary acts [4].
Range of Interpretations
Interpretations of Mark 11:23 vary among commentators. Tyndale House notes that the verse ties the concept of faith to the act of prayer, suggesting that praying with faith, as described in Mark 11:23, is a condition for receiving what is asked for [3]. Charles Hodge, representing the Reformed (Old Princeton) tradition, emphasizes the role of faith in the life of a believer, highlighting that faith is not just about miracles but about trusting in God's attributes, providence, and promises [5].
Function in Tradition
Mark 11:23 has been influential in Christian theology and practice, particularly in discussions about the power of prayer and faith. Augustine, in his homilies on the Gospels, uses the verse to encourage believers to pray and believe, emphasizing the importance of not putting trust in oneself but in the Lord [6]. The verse has also been used in various theological debates about the nature of faith and its relationship to God's power.
The concept of faith presented in Mark 11:23 continues to be a cornerstone of Christian teaching on prayer, emphasizing the need for believers to trust in God's power and promises. As Calvin notes, faith is not just a passive belief but an active trust that influences one's prayers and expectations [2]. The verse remains a significant text for understanding the dynamics of faith and prayer in Christian tradition.
Sources
- Mark “Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. -- Mark 11:24”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: upon them, that while they groan, burdened by the weight of present calamities, and tormented with the fear of greater, they yet trust to this goodness, and in this way both lighten the difficulty of endurance, and take comfort in the hope of final deliverance. It is necessary therefore, that the prayer of the believer should be the result of both feelings, and exhibit the influence of both; namely, that while he groans under present and anxiously dreads new evils, he should, at the same times have recourse to God, not at all doubt”
- Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 11:24: 11:24-25 Two additional sayings on prayer are tied to 11:23 by the word believe. In the first (11:24), we are told that we will receive what we ask for (see Matt 7:7) if we pray with the faith described in Mark 11:23. • Forgiveness is the second condition for answered prayer. Only when we forgive others can our most important prayer, that God forgive us, be answered (Matt 5:23-24; 6:12, 14-15; Luke 6:37; 11:4; cp. Luke 7:41-43, 47; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 21:21: Jesus answered and said unto them,.... His disciples wondering at his power, in causing the fig tree to wither so suddenly: verily I say unto you, if ye have faith; that is, in God, in his power, which reaches to all things: the object of faith is expressed in Mark, and by way of exhortation, "have faith in God", that he will enable you to perform whatsoever ye shall desire; which must be understood, not of spiritual faith in the promises of God, and person of Christ, but of, the faith of miracles, or faith in the power of God to perform things that are above the ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 16: and suppose the constant exercise of faith. We live by exercising faith in God, in his attributes, in his providence, in his promises, and in all the truths which He has revealed. Especially is this life sustained by those exercises of faith of which Christ is the object; his divine 109 and mysteriously constituted person, as God manifest in the flesh his finished work for our redemption; his constant intercession; his intimate relation to us not only as our prophet, priest, and king, but as our living head in whom our life is hid in God,”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 6: Augustine — Homilies on the Gospels — ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, LUKE XVIII. I, (part 1): "THEY OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, AND NOT TO FAINT," ETC. AND ON THE TWO WHO WENT UP INTO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY: AND OF THE LITTLE CHILDREN WHO WERE PRESENTED UNTO CHRIST. 1. THE lesson of the Holy Gospel builds us up unto the duty of praying and believing, and of not putting our trust in ourselves, but in the Lord. What greater encouragement to prayer than the parable which is proposed to us of the unjust judge ? For an unjust judge, who feared not God, nor regarded man, yet gave ear to a widow who ”