Mark 2:22

22 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.” ^[a]

Mark 2:22 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 2:22

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles
By "old bottles" are meant, the Scribes and Pharisees, the whole, which needed not a physician, and the righteous, Christ came not to call; and by new wine, either the love of God, which is not shed abroad in the hearts of such persons; or the blessings of the new covenant, which are not bestowed upon them; or the Gospel, which brings an account of both, which is not received by carnal men:

else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled,
and the bottles will be marred:
the Gospel will only fill them with rage and fury, and they will despise it, and let it go; which will be an aggravation of their sin and misery, and so will prove the savour of death unto death unto them:

but new wine must be put into new bottles;
into the hearts of sinners, who are called to repentance, and are renewed in the Spirit of their minds; are newborn babes, that desire the sincere milk of the word, and wine of the Gospel; in these the love of God is exceeding abundant, and it comes in with full flows into their souls; all grace is made to abound towards them, and the word of Christ richly dwells in them; in whom these things remain and abide, and they themselves are saved with an everlasting salvation; (See Gill on Matthew 9:17).

Mark 2:22 In-Context

20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse tear will result.

22 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.”

23 One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain as they walked along.

24 So the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Footnotes

• [a]. Tischendorf does not include Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.