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Section 049 · The Turning Point

The Epileptic Boy; the Second Passion Prediction

Down from the mount of glory, Jesus meets a father whose only son is torn by a deaf-and-dumb spirit the disciples could not cast out. “If you will believe,” he answers, “all things are possible to him that believes”; and the father cries, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.” Jesus rebukes the spirit and restores the boy — then tells the Twelve plainly, a second time, that the Son of Man will be betrayed and killed and rise the third day, a saying they cannot yet bear to understand.

Matt 17:14–23; Mark 9:14–32; Luke 9:37–453 of 5 accountsReading: CCE

Tap a Gospel to show or hide its column — narrow to any two to read them side by side.

Study — reading text with parallel accounts; changes available.
? How to read this edition

The reading is the Covenant Christian Edition — the Joseph Smith Translation reading — carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.

JST
Green — Joseph Smith Translation. Where the Covenant Christian Edition departs in substance from the King James text and the change is in the JST (confirmed against the parallel-column edition). Modernized English (“has” for “hath,” “you” for “thou”) is not marked.
CCE
Burgundy — Covenant Christian Edition. Where the CCE’s reading departs from the King James but the change is not in the Joseph Smith Translation — the CCE’s own editorial reading (e.g. “this day I have begotten you” at the baptism).
DS
Plum — Testimony of St. John. The TSJ (a separate scripture text) and Denver Snuffer’s later commentary share the plum mark.
MatthewKJVMatthew 17:14–23CCEMatthew 9:6–8NT 1NT 2

14And when they had come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him 15and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic and severely vexed, for ofttimes he falls into the fire and oft into the water. 16And I brought him to your disciples and they could not cure him. 17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him here to me. 18And Jesus rebuked the devil and he departed out of him. And the child was cured from that very hour.

19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could we not cast him out? 20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief. For truly I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove to that place — and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21Nevertheless, this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.

22And while they abided in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, 23and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceedingly sorry.

MarkKJVMark 9:14–32CCEMark 5:8–12NT 2

14And when he came to the disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 15And immediately all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, saluted him. 16And Jesus asked the scribes, What did you question with them? 17And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto you my son, who has a dumb spirit that is a devil. 18And when he seizes him, he throws him down; and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and wastes away. And I spoke to your disciples, that they might cast him out, and they could not. 19Jesus spoke unto him and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.

20And they brought him unto Jesus, and when the man saw him, immediately he was convulsed by the spirit, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming. 21And Jesus asked his father, How long a time is it since this came unto him? And his father said, When a child; 22and ofttimes it has cast him into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him. But if you can, I ask you to have compassion on us and help us. 23Jesus said unto him, If you will believe all things I shall say unto you, this is possible to him that believes. 24And immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.

25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, I charge you to come out of him and enter no more into him. 26Now the dumb and deaf spirit cried and convulsed him severely, and came out of him. And he was as one dead, insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28When Jesus had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast him out? 29And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.

30And they departed from there and passed through Galilee privately, for he desired not that any man should know it. 31And he taught his disciples and said unto them, The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And after he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

LukeKJVLuke 9:37–45CCELuke 7:6–7NT 2

37And it came to pass that on the next day, when they had come down from the hill, many people met him. 38And behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I implore you, look upon my son, for he is my only child! 39And behold, a spirit takes him, and he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him that he foams, and bruising him harshly, departs from him. 40And I implored your disciples to cast him out and they could not. 41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you? Bring your son here. 42And as he was coming, the devil threw him down and convulsed him again. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered, everyone, at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, 44Let these sayings sink down into your hearts, for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of man. 45But they understood not this saying, and it was hidden from them that they perceived it not; and they feared to ask him of that saying.

Cross-references · other works
1 Corinthians 12:9–10 — gifts of healing, miracles, discerning of spirits↗Mark 16:17 — in my name shall they cast out devils↗Acts 19:13–16 — the sons of Sceva overcome by the evil spirit↗Ether 12:6 — no witness until after the trial of your faith↗
Joseph Smith on the Power Over Evil Spirits

The Discerning of Spirits — a Gift of God

Power Over Evil Spirits Comes by the Gift of God

The disciples could not cast out the spirit; Jesus rebuked it and restored the boy. Editing the Church paper on the trying of spirits, Joseph Smith — at the very verses where Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit — taught that authority over evil spirits, to discern and to master them, is a gift of God borne by the priesthood in every age.

“Try the Spirits,” editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 April 1842, Nauvoo · Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 207 (DHC 4:571–581; on Mark 9:25; Luke 9:42) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗

A power similar to this existed through the medium of the Priesthood in different ages. Moses could detect the magician’s power, and show that he was God’s servant — he knew when he was upon the mountain (through revelation) that Israel was engaged in idolatry; he could develop the sin of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, detect witches and wizards in their proceedings, and point out the true prophets of the Lord.

Our Savior, the Apostles, and even the members of the Church were endowed with this gift, for, says Paul, “To one is given the gift of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discerning of spirits.” All these proceeded from the same Spirit of God, and were the gifts of God.

Margaret Barker · the temple lens

The Great High Priest Releasing from Evil Spirits

Barker sets Jesus’ exorcisms within the office he had claimed — Melchizedek, the great high priest — whose work was to release the captives from the power of evil spirits and bring back the outcast.

Our Great High PriestMargaret Barker · BYU Studies 42, nos. 3–4 (2003)
“The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). Jesus then performed exorcisms to release people from the power of evil spirits, spoke about “binding the strong man” (Mark 3:27), brought in the outcasts, and declared that he would give his life as the great sacrifice (Mark 10:45). Jesus having thus declared himself to be Melchizedek the great high priest, it is no wonder that the high priests and chief priests in Jerusalem had him arrested and saw to it that he was put to death.

OCR spacing in Barker’s scanned text has been silently normalized; wording is unchanged.

Points to Ponder
  • The Twelve had cast out devils before, sent out two by two; here they cannot. Jesus names the lack as unbelief, and “this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.” What is the difference between power once exercised and power that must be renewed?
  • The father’s words are a confession and a plea in one breath: “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.” How can belief and unbelief share one heart in the same moment — and which of the two does Jesus answer?
  • A second time Jesus foretells his death, and Luke says the saying “was hidden from them.” The Joseph Smith Translation has him ask that it “sink down into your hearts,” not merely your ears. Why would the plainest words still be hidden?