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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_13:9-13
9"But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved."
Mar_13:9-13 This material is not paralleled in Matthew 24, but appears in Mat_10:17-22. This shows that Jesus must have repeated these same truths on several occasions or that Matthew and Mark structured this material topically.
Mar_13:9 "'be on your guard'" This is a present active imperative (the same form as Mar_13:5; Mar_13:23). There is an element of personal responsibility involved in preparation for the persecution of the end-time events.
▣ "'courts. . .synagogues. . .before governors and kings'" "Courts and synagogues," a phrase not found in Mat_24:9, shows both governmental and religious persecution of Christians by both Jews and Gentiles (cf. 1Pe_4:12-16).
▣ "'the courts'" This is the plural form of Sanhedrin. It refers to local synagogue courts (cf. 2Co_11:24).
▣ "'flogged'" This is literally "beaten" or "skinned" (cf. 2Co_11:24). Jews whipped offenders thirty-nine times—thirteen times on the front and twenty-six times on the back in accordance with Deu_25:1-3.
Mar_13:9; Mar_13:12 "'for My sake'" Will believers be persecuted, not for their own wickedness or civil crimes, but simply because they are Christians (cf. Mat_5:10-16; 1Pe_4:12-16)?
Mar_13:10 "'The gospel must first be preached to all the nations'" The term "must" is the Greek dei, which implies necessity. Jesus (or Peter or Mark, all of whom are inspired) was trying to show the disciples (1) their Gentile mission (cf. Gen_12:3; 1Ki_8:60; Isa_42:6; Isa_49:6; Isa_51:4; Isa_52:10; Isa_60:1-3; Mat_24:14; Mat_28:19-20; Act_1:8; Rom_11:25-27) and (2) that there would be an extended period of time between the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Coming (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2; 2 Peter 2). We must hold in tension the any-moment return of our Lord and the truth that some things must happen first. There is a real tension in the New Testament concerning the time of the Second Coming: imminent, delayed, or unknown.
Mar_13:11 The Spirit will always be with believers! The Spirit will empower believers amidst persecution (cf. Acts 4)! The Spirit is often identified with Jesus as the parallel in Luk_21:15 shows. This promise does not replace personal preparation for regular preaching and teaching opportunities; therefore, it is not a substitute for proper study. This is a special grace which allows believers to witness to faith in Christ in times of persecution (cf. Mat_10:19-20; Luk_12:11-12; Luk_21:14-15).
▣ "in that hour" See Special Topic: Hour at Mar_14:35.
Mar_13:12 "'brother. . .brother'" Family was the heart of Jewish life, but families will be split over Christ (cf. Mat_10:21; Mat_10:35-37). This is also a recurrent theme in apocalyptic writings (cf. Jubilees 23:19 and II Baruch 70:3).
Mar_13:13 "'but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved'" This is the doctrine of perseverance (cf. Mat_10:22). It must be held in a dialectical tension with the doctrine of security (cf. Rev_2:7; Rev_2:11; Rev_2:17; Rev_2:26; Rev_3:5; Rev_3:12; Rev_3:21; Rev_21:7). See Special Topic: The Need to Persevere at Mar_4:17.