Mar 9:49-50 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mark 9:49-50: 9:49-50 tested with fire: Literally salted with fire. The fire of testing has a purifying effect, like salt (see also 1 Pet 1:7 ; 4:12 ; Rev 3:18 ). Salt also refers to Christian character. Genuine Christian character will have a genuinely purifying influence. • But if it loses its flavor: The salt mined from the Dead Sea often contained gypsum, so although it looked like perfectly good salt, it was useless. It did not taste salty, and it created a disposal problem.

a9:49-50►

b1 Pet 1:7►

dRev 3:18►

‏ Mark 9:49-50

Summary for Mark 9:49-50: 9:49-50 ^a tested with fire: Literally salted with fire. The fire of testing has a purifying effect, like salt (see also 1 Pet 1:7 ^b; 4:12 ^c; Rev 3:18 ^d). Salt also refers to Christian character. Genuine Christian character will have a genuinely purifying influence.

• But if it loses its flavor: The salt mined from the Dead Sea often contained gypsum, so although it looked like perfectly good salt, it was useless. It did not taste salty, and it created a disposal problem.