Theme H: St Mark’s Gospel as a source of religious, moral and spiritual truths — AQA GCSE Religious Studies
Test yourself on Theme H: St Mark’s Gospel as a source of religious, moral and spiritual truths with AQA GCSE practice questions.
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Theme H: St Mark’s Gospel as a source of religious, moral and spiritual truths explained
This narrative in Mark 9:14–29 details Jesus healing a boy afflicted by a spirit that causes seizures, foaming at the mouth, and rigidity—symptoms resembling epilepsy but attributed to demon possession in the first century.
Read the full explanation
The disciples had previously failed to heal the boy, leading to an argument with religious teachers. Jesus expresses frustration at the faithless generation. The boy's father famously cries out, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Jesus commands the impure spirit to leave and never return. When the disciples later ask why they failed, Jesus explains that this kind of spirit can only be driven out by prayer. This highlights the necessity of absolute faith and dependence on God rather than relying on one's own perceived authority.
Your focus
- Recount the narrative of the healing of the epileptic boy in Mark 9.
- Analyse the reasons given by Jesus for the disciples' failure to heal the boy.
- Evaluate the significance of the father's declaration of faith for Christians today.
Theme H: St Mark’s Gospel as a source of religious, moral and spiritual truths exam tips
Marking Points
- Identify the symptoms described in the text (seizures, foaming, rigidity) and how they were understood as demon possession.
- Explain the significance of the disciples' failure to heal the boy, demonstrating their lack of prayer and reliance on God.
- Analyse the father's statement ("I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!") as a model of honest, developing faith.
- Evaluate the theological meaning of Jesus' teaching that "this kind can come out only by prayer", emphasising dependence on God's power.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Memorise the father's quote about belief and unbelief to use as evidence in questions about faith.
- 💡Link the disciples' failure to their lack of prayer when discussing the importance of relying on God's power rather than human ability.
- 💡Be prepared to discuss how a modern reader might interpret the 'demon possession' as a medical condition like epilepsy, and how this affects the meaning of the miracle.
Common Mistakes
- Error: Stating the disciples succeeded in healing the boy. Correction: The disciples failed, which is why the father brought the boy to Jesus.
- Error: Claiming Jesus healed the boy using a physical object or ritual. Correction: Jesus healed the boy solely through a verbal command to the impure spirit.
- Error: Confusing this miracle with the healing of Legion. Correction: This miracle involves a single boy and a spirit causing seizures, not a man possessed by many demons sent into pigs.