“What thing is this? What new doctrine is this?”
The full verse · Mark 1:27 · KJV
they , insomuch they , , What ? is ? he the , they do .
Asked by
Synagogue: the people gathered on the sabbath in the synagogue at Capernaum, who saw Jesus cast out an unclean spirit (Mark 1:21-27)
Asked to
Synagogue: the same worshipers, questioning among themselves (Mark 1:27)
The Scene
In the Capernaum synagogue, Jesus has just commanded an unclean spirit to come out of a man, and it has obeyed (Mark 1:25-26).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe people had never seen anything like it. They were already "astonished at his doctrine," because He taught "as one that had authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22). Now His word had power over spirits. The first question asks what had just happened; the second asks what kind of teaching could do this. Barnes explains: "The power of casting out devils was new to them. It was done by a word. Jesus did it in his own name and by his own authority." Gill says they called it new not to brand it as a novelty but out of admiration, "being what was rare and unusual," something they had never heard from their rabbis and scribes.
The Response
What Scripture recordsHistorical Context
The world behind the words"Questioned among themselves" translates syzeteo, to question or discuss together. The word for "new" is kainos. Thayer distinguishes it from neos: neos is new in time, while kainos refers to the thing itself, new in kind or quality. "Doctrine" is didache, simply "teaching," and "authority" is exousia. The contrast with the scribes matters (Mark 1:22). Matthew Henry says Christ "taught as one that had authority, as one that knew the mind of God, and was commissioned to declare it."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyIn the first miracle Mark records, Jesus' word and His power go together. The same voice that taught with authority (Mark 1:22) commanded an unclean spirit, and it obeyed (Mark 1:25-26). Matthew Henry puts the people's reasoning this way: "What is this new doctrine? For it must certainly be of God, which is thus confirmed."
The people did not yet know the full answer to their question. Ironically, the unclean spirit had already named Him: "the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24). Mark told his readers the answer in his first line, "Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1), and his Gospel keeps raising the question for the people in the story, as when the disciples later ask who He is that even the wind and the sea obey Him (Mark 4:41).
Look Closer
What had already astonished the people before the spirit was cast out?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, what about You do I still need to be amazed by, and where are You inviting me to trust the authority of Your word?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The people knew Jesus' word had power but did not yet know who He was. What is the difference between being impressed by Jesus and following Him?
- What surprised you most about Jesus when you first read the Gospels for yourself?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Do not lose your wonder. The people in Capernaum knew the teaching of the scribes (Mark 1:22), yet Jesus made them stop and ask, "What thing is this?" Reading His words with fresh eyes can do the same for you.
Notice what amazed them: His word had authority. The same word that commanded an unclean spirit speaks in the Gospels today. Let it carry weight in your choices, not just in your admiration.
Wonder is a good beginning, but it is meant to lead somewhere. The crowd's amazement spread His fame (Mark 1:28); following Jesus means going on from "What is this?" to "Who is this?" and then to trusting Him.
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