bible study questions - Worthy Christian Forums

What does this mean? Specifically the bolded.

Mark 9:9-50
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, 10 into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' "Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another."

Mark 10:17-18
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone."

Why does Jesus speak of God as greater than He? Is not Jesus God?

ok, let me adress the second question, because i am more familiar with this issue.
Jesus is God, but no one on earth knew this until his ressurection, he dropped hints and laid claim to it before the council but at the time he was talking to the rich young ruler he was still thought of as a human prophet.
Jesus tells the ruler talking not to call him good because he does not want anyone to think a human is better than God, he is showing us (as God often does lead through example) that to God should be all the glory.


I'll try to first question too, but i might not be as accurate about it as i am hoping to be....
when you are 'salted' you are pure, if you let the world choke in on you you loose some of your purity and 'saltiness' therefore it is important that we stay pure and salted by bringing God's righteousness (or saltiness) into us.

the use of the word worm has been used before refering to mankind,


Isa 41:14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Here is the answer to your first question. The worm is the man who is not saved by God.

Psalm 22: 1-6

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.

4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.

5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.


and it continues..

Regarding your second question. If you believe in the Tri-Unity of God then you understand that God the Father is the Head of the Godship. Jesus is the Word that proceeds from His Mouth and thus, the God the Son. You can read about this characteristics here..


John 1:1-2

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.


The HE in "He was with God" is Jesus..

Mark 9:43-50 is what you are talking about. When Christ gives an illustration of this magnitude, it is of extreme importance; when He doubles it, as he does here, it becomes extremely important, but when he triples it as He definitely does, then its significance is of such magnitude as to defy description; most of the opposition against true Believers, and especially against those called of God for specific work, comes from the religious sector; to oppose that apostatized religious sector may generate harm to one's person; but it is better to endure that harm than to lose one's soul.
Vs 49: "For every one shall be salted with fire" -- whether tested to offend or tested by the offender -- "and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt." -- salt is a type of the Word of Christ, if it is to be true, it must be centered upon the Cross --.
Vs 50: "Salt is good:" -- the Word of God which acts as a preservative -- "but if the salt have lost his saltness," -- the Word of God has been diluted -- "wherewith will you season it?" -- the preservative is now gone. -- "Have salt in yourselves" -- abide according to the Word of God -- "and have peace one with another." -- abiding by the Word will guarantee peace.

Many times in the Bible we learn that God said things in a form of a question, like "Where is Abel your brother?" (Gen. 4:9) He wanted him to admit his sin.
In Matt 19:17; Jesus does not disown His deity, as might at first appear, but rather clarifies and emphasizes the full significance of the young man’s statement, let me explain. There is no record in rabbinical literature that rabbis were ever addressed as "good." Because supreme goodness is a characteristic of God alone (Ex. 34:6; Ps. 23:6; 27:13; 31:19; 52:1; Rom. 2:4; etc.). The young man did not call Jesus “good Master” out of ignorance or carelessness. It was obvious that he had a reason for doing so, and Jesus sought to draw out of him a public statement of that reason. Jesus’ explanation, “there is none good but one” was to help the young man to realize clearly the import of his salutation. Jesus recognized the sincerity and discernment of the young man, and thought to strengthen his faith by drawing out of him an even clearer statement of it. But you notice that Jesus did not say "don't call me good" On the contrary He accept it.