Mark 8:34

Following Jesus

8:34 Then50 Jesus51 called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower,52 he must deny53 himself, take up his cross,54 and follow me.

50	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
51	tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
52	tn Grk “to follow after me.”
53	tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.
54	sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.