Mark 10:45
Bible Verses. Also called Mark 10:45, A ransom for many, Not to be ministered unto, but to minister, For even the Son of man came.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Scripture quotation from the King James Version (KJV). Read this chapter
Mark 10:45 is a saying of Jesus: "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." The verse unites the theme of servant leadership with the meaning of substitutionary redemption and is a central text for the doctrine of the atonement.
About this articleAI draft from a Korean source. Notes on Korean Protestant practice. No sources listed. Not yet reviewed by a person.
- Origin
Drafted by AI from the Korean church.wiki article, then translated and adapted for English readers on 5 November 2026.
- Perspective
Includes notes on Korean Protestant practice; other traditions are noted where they differ.
- Sources
None listed yet. The article draws on the biblical text and general reference works. Add a source
- Review
Not yet reviewed by a person. Last edited by a person: never. Translation updated 5 November 2026. Edit history
Context
Immediately after Jesus foretells his death and resurrection for the third time (Mark 10:32-34), James and John, the sons of Zebedee, ask to sit on his right hand and on his left in his glory. When the other ten disciples hear of it, they are indignant. Jesus teaches that the rulers of the Gentiles exercise lordship over their people, "but so shall it not be among you"; whoever would be great must become a servant. He grounds this teaching in verse 45. The phrase "for many" and the image of a servant who gives his life in the place of others are often read in connection with the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.
Interpretation
- As a model of service: The first half of the verse grounds the teaching that leadership within the community of disciples must be marked by service rather than domination.
- As a declaration of substitutionary redemption: "Ransom" (Greek lytron) denotes the price paid to free a captive or a slave. Read this way, the verse presents Jesus' death as a price paid on behalf of many, and it is a central text for the doctrine of the atonement.
Debates and Issues
- To whom was the price paid? Some early Church Fathers explained it as a ransom paid to Satan (the ransom theory), but medieval and Reformation theology later developed toward understanding it as a substitution that satisfies the justice of God. The Reformed tradition emphasizes penal substitution, while the Swedish theologian Gustaf Aulén renewed attention to the atonement as victory over the powers of sin and death ("Christus Victor"). Many hold that the various understandings of the atonement complement one another.
- The scope of "many": The Canons of Dort, a confession of Calvinism, teach "limited atonement," the doctrine that Christ's redemption is actually effective for the elect, and this phrase is cited as one of its grounds. Arminianism and the Wesleyan tradition hold that in Hebraic idiom "many" can carry the sense of "all," and they maintain that the atonement is for all people (compare 1 Timothy 2:6: "Who gave himself a ransom for all").
Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.
In Korean Protestant churches, the verse is frequently used at ordination services for church officers and at installation services for pastors to explain the meaning of offices of service.
Related Passages
See also 6
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