And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
And {G2532} no man {G3762} putteth {G906} new {G3501} wine {G3631} into {G1519} old {G3820} bottles {G779}: else {G1490} the new {G3501} wine {G3631} doth burst {G4486} the bottles {G779}, and {G2532} the wine {G3631} is spilled {G1632}, and {G2532} the bottles {G779} will be marred {G622}: but {G235} new {G3501} wine {G3631} must be put {G992} into {G1519} new {G2537} bottles {G779}.
And no one puts new wine in old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine is for freshly prepared wineskins."
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.”
And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the wine will burst the skins, and the wine perisheth, and the skins: but they put new wine into fresh wine-skins.
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Matthew 9:17
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. -
Psalms 119:83
¶ For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; [yet] do I not forget thy statutes. -
Psalms 119:80
¶ Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed. -
Joshua 9:13
And these bottles of wine, which we filled, [were] new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. -
Luke 5:37
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. -
Luke 5:38
But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. -
Joshua 9:4
They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
Mark 2:22 presents a vivid parable from Jesus, illustrating the incompatibility of His radical new teachings and the rigid, traditional religious systems of His day. It emphasizes that the transformative power of the Gospel cannot be confined within outdated structures or mindsets without causing damage to both the message and the recipient.
Context
This verse is part of a series of encounters where Jesus challenges the established religious norms, particularly those of the Pharisees. Immediately preceding this, Jesus’ disciples were criticized for not fasting, leading to Jesus’ explanation about the bridegroom (Mark 2:19-20). The parable of the new wine and old bottles follows the similar analogy of the new cloth on an old garment (Mark 2:21). All three parables collectively underscore that Jesus' ministry was not merely a modification or addition to Judaism, but a fundamentally new dispensation, a fresh move of God that required a new framework for understanding and practice.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The KJV term "bottles" here refers to wineskins, which were typically made from animal hides. When new wine was poured into these, it would undergo fermentation, producing gases that caused the wineskin to expand. New wineskins were flexible and could stretch with this process. However, old wineskins would have lost their elasticity, becoming brittle and rigid from previous use. Pouring new, fermenting wine into them would cause them to burst under the pressure, spilling the valuable wine and rendering the wineskins useless. This imagery powerfully conveys that Jesus' message of the Kingdom was dynamic and expansive, requiring a fresh, flexible approach rather than rigid adherence to worn-out traditions.
Practical Application
For believers today, Mark 2:22 serves as a vital reminder to remain open and adaptable to the Holy Spirit's leading and new understandings of God's truth. It challenges us to:
- Examine Our Own "Wineskins": Are we holding onto old habits, traditions, or rigid interpretations that prevent us from fully embracing what God is doing today?
- Embrace Spiritual Growth: True spiritual life is dynamic. We must be willing to shed old ways of thinking and acting to make room for the transformative power of the Gospel in our lives.
- Prioritize Substance Over Form: The essence of Christ's teaching (the "new wine") is more important than the external forms or traditions ("old bottles") that might hinder its reception or expression.
This parable calls for a continuous renewal of mind and spirit, ensuring that our faith remains vibrant and capable of containing the ever-expanding truth of God's grace.