Mark 9:38 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Master, we saw one, &c.— Some commentators have supposed, that this was one of the Baptist's disciples, who, though he did not follow Christ with the rest, had been taught by his Master to acknowledge him as the Messiah, and entertained so great a veneration for him, that he attempted to cast out devils in his name. Or if the character given of this person, he followeth not with us, (see Luke 9:49.) and the apostles' prohibition, we forbad him, are thought inconsistent with the above mentioned opinion, we may suppose that he was an exorcist, like the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:14.); who, having seen the miracles which the apostles had performed in their Master's name, while out on their first mission, thought there might be some great occult virtue in it, and so made use of it in his exorcisms, as Sceva's sons did in theirs, but with better success; for God might see reason now to grant that efficacy to such adjurations, which he afterwards denied, when the evidences of the Gospel were proposed so much more distinctly and fully after the descent of the Holy Spirit. See on Mark 9:40.