Parallel MARK Intro

The Gospel of Mark

Purpose

To relay the Good News about Jesus, who is the Messiah and Son of God

Author

John Mark, who according to early tradition put in writing the recollections of the apostle Peter

Date

Likely written sometime during the late 60s AD

Setting

Written at a time in which Christians in the Roman world were facing persecution—necessitating that the gospel traditions begin to be written down—and Jerusalem’s destruction was imminent

In his opening verse, Mark provides readers with the main key to understanding his Gospel: Although we can learn much about the disciples and other characters from reading Mark, it is most important to understand what he is teaching about Jesus: Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).

Setting

It is generally agreed that Mark was the first of the four canonical Gospels to be written. Before the writing of Mark, there were no Gospels as such. The gospel traditions were circulated or “delivered” orally under the supervision of the eyewitnesses and ministers of the word of God (Luke 1:2). As these eyewitnesses began to die, it became important to record the gospel traditions in writing. According to church tradition, after the martyrdom of Peter in the mid-60s AD, the church in Rome asked John Mark to put into writing the accounts of Jesus’ life and teachings that Peter had delivered to them orally. As a result, Mark became the first to compose what we call a “Gospel,” a written account of Jesus’ life and teachings, from the oral materials about Jesus.

Summary

The overall structure of Mark is geographical. The first nine chapters narrate events of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and its environs. In 10:1-52, Jesus and the disciples travel from Galilee to Jerusalem, and the last chapters of the book (11:1–16:20) take place in and around Jerusalem. (Matthew and Luke, in their use of Mark, followed this geographical outline, but John organized his Gospel in a different way.)

Within the geographical outline, Mark has arranged much of his material topically. Thus we have collections of miracle stories (1:21-45; 4:35–5:43), controversy stories (2:1–3:6; 12:13-37), parables (4:1-34), and teachings about the end (13:5-37). Some of the materials include indicators of chronological sequence: Jesus’ ministry began with his baptism (1:2-11; see Acts 1:22; 10:37) and temptation (Mark 1:12-13); his suffering, death, and resurrection occurred at the end (11:1–16:8). A few individual accounts are tied together chronologically, such as Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi (8:27-33) and Jesus’ transfiguration (9:1-13; see also 1:29, 35).

The major turning point in Jesus’ ministry is highlighted in 8:27-33, very near the center of the book. At Caesarea Philippi, the disciples confess for the first time their belief that Jesus is the Messiah (8:29). Upon this acknowledgment, Jesus “began to tell them” of his forthcoming death and resurrection (8:31; cp. Matt 16:21). Jesus’ death and resurrection are the dominant theme of 8:31–16:8.

Author

The earliest known reference to the authorship of Mark comes from Papias at the beginning of the second century. The early church historian Eusebius quotes Papias as having said, “Mark became Peter’s interpreter and wrote accurately all that he remembered, not, indeed, in order, of the things said or done by the Lord. For he had not heard the Lord, nor had he followed him, but later on . . . followed Peter” (Eusebius, Church History 3.39.16).

The early church was unanimous in attributing this Gospel to John Mark. It is unlikely that Papias and others would have attributed this Gospel to a non-apostle with a tarnished reputation (see Acts 13:13; 15:36-41) unless Mark were in fact the author.

The author of this Gospel was bilingual, as the Aramaic phrases in its Greek text suggest (e.g., Mark 5:41; 7:34; 15:34). He was also Jewish, in that he knew and explained various Jewish customs to his Gentile readers (e.g., 7:3-4; 14:12). John Mark was indeed a Jew who was raised in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). He thus knew Aramaic (the native language of the people of Judea) and was familiar with Jewish customs.

Some have objected that this Gospel does not clearly indicate a connection between Mark and Peter and that it looks more polished as a literary composition than one might expect from a direct record of Peter’s eyewitness testimony. But if this Gospel was written near or after Peter’s death (see “Date” below), Peter had been telling these stories for over thirty years. Through continual retelling, his gospel account would have been become well polished. There are also references to Peter in this Gospel that might be due to Mark’s personal connection with him (e.g., Mark 1:16-20; 8:32-33; 9:5-6; 14:28-31, 66-72). It fits the evidence well to consider this Gospel as having indeed been written by John Mark, Barnabas’s cousin, based on Peter’s gospel accounts.

Date

John Mark probably wrote down Peter’s teaching about Jesus around the time of Peter’s death. Peter died in Rome around AD 64 in the persecution that Nero waged against Christians. Mark probably wrote this Gospel in the late 60s, and a couple of considerations support this hypothesis. (1) The emphasis on faithfulness in time of persecution (4:17; 8:34-38; 10:30; 13:9-13) suggests a time during or shortly after Nero’s persecution in the mid-60s. And (2) The discourse of Jesus recorded in chapter 13 suggests that the destruction of Jerusalem was rapidly drawing near—the Jewish revolt (AD 66–73) had probably already begun.

Audience

The Gospel of Mark was written for the church in Rome, according to tradition. It is clear that the original readers were Greek-speaking and that they were Gentiles, because the author explains Jewish customs (e.g., 7:3-4; 14:12) and distinguishes his readers from “the Jews” (7:3).

The original readers were Christians. They were familiar with the gospel traditions, for the author does not explain various Old Testament references (2:25-26) or such things as who John the Baptist was (1:2-8), who Isaiah the prophet was (1:2), or who the Pharisees and teachers of religious law were (7:1).

It is also apparent that the readers were Romans, as indicated by the “Latinisms” in Mark. In 6:27, he uses a Latin word meaning “soldier”; in 12:42, he uses a Roman coin (the quadran) to explain the meaning of “two lepta” (Greek coins); and in 15:39, 44-45, he uses the Latin word “centurion” rather than the Greek word with the same meaning that Matthew and Luke use.

Literary Features

Mark’s own editorial work can be seen most clearly in his introductory statements (e.g., 1:21-22; 2:1; 4:1; 7:1), in his explanatory comments (e.g., 1:16; 2:15; 5:8, 28, 42; 6:14, 17, 20, 52; 7:3-4), and in his summaries (e.g., 1:14-15, 34, 39; 3:7-12; 6:53-56).

Mark repeats various terms and expressions to show progress, such as “suddenly,” “at once,” and “immediately” (e.g., 1:23; 3:6; 6:45). He uses the Greek present tense in the narrative, rather than a simple past tense, to give a sense of immediacy (e.g., 1:12, 21, 38, 40, 44; 2:3; 3:13). Mark also often sandwiches one story within another (e.g., 3:22-30 into 3:20-21, 31-35; 5:25-34 into 5:21-24, 35-43; 11:15-19 into 11:12-14, 20-26); in the last example, this sandwiching indicates that the middle part (11:15-19, the cleansing of the Temple) is to be understood in light of the story surrounding it (11:12-14, 20-26, the cursing of the fig tree)—the cleansing of the Temple was a symbolic act of judgment (cp. 13:3-37). Thus, Mark’s editorial work relates different events and shows meaningful connections.

Meaning and Message

The Person of Christ.  Mark’s major theological emphasis is the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. This emphasis is stated in the opening verse of the Gospel: Mark wanted his readers to know that Jesus of Nazareth is “the Messiah, the Son of God.” The title “Son of God” occurs frequently in Mark, and there are diverse witnesses to Jesus’ status as God’s son: the demons (1:34; 3:11; 5:7; cp. 1:24); God himself (1:11; 9:7); Mark, the author (1:1); a Roman centurion (15:39); and Jesus himself (12:6; 13:32; 14:61-62). Other titles for Jesus occur in Mark’s Gospel, including Jesus’ own favorite, “Son of Man” (e.g., 2:10). But in Mark’s Gospel all of these titles, as well as his actions (e.g., 1:22; 4:41), point to his identity as the Christ (or Messiah), the Son of God.

During his life, the Son of God needed to protect himself and his followers from the prevailing misconceptions in the minds of the people about what the term “Christ” (or “Messiah”) meant (see “The Secret of the Messiah” below). Jesus’ ultimate mission as the Son of God is explained through his death, in which he gave his life as a ransom for many. The call to Christian discipleship is a call to follow the Messiah, the Son of God, especially in his servanthood and sacrifice. Jesus’ ministry as Son of God during his life on earth also points forward to his return as the Son of God, ruling God’s Kingdom.

The Death of Jesus.  The Gospel of Mark puts a lot of emphasis on the account of Jesus’ passion—his suffering, death, and resurrection. Throughout the Gospel we find numerous references to the death of Jesus (2:19-20; 3:6; 8:31; 9:9, 12, 31; 10:33-34, 45; 12:1-11; 14:1-11, 21, 24-25, 36, 14:64–15:47). Mark emphasizes that Jesus’ death was part of God’s plan. His death was a divine necessity (8:31), for God had willed it (10:45; 14:36). The Old Testament also teaches of the Messiah’s death (see 9:12; 14:21, 27, 49). Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many (10:45) and to pour out his blood sacrificially in order to establish a new covenant (14:24).

Christian Discipleship.  Mark emphasizes the importance of following Jesus by denying oneself and taking up one’s cross (see 8:34). Christian discipleship does not permit a half-hearted response but requires leaving everything to follow Jesus (1:18, 20; 10:21, 29). Christian discipleship might even bring persecution and martyrdom (13:9-13a), but Christians are promised that endurance in faith means salvation (13:13) and eternal life (10:30).

The “Secret of the Messiah.”  Throughout Mark’s Gospel, Jesus tells others not to broadcast his true identity. This is likely because of the tendency for people to misunderstand who he is and what he has come to do. Yet the secret is not and cannot be kept (7:36). Jesus creates such wonder and amazement that he simply cannot remain hidden. But while the characters in the story struggle to grasp Jesus’ identity correctly, Mark’s readers have the privilege of understanding the full picture of Jesus’ identity in light of his death and resurrection.

The Coming of God’s Kingdom.  The arrival of God’s Kingdom is central to Jesus’ message. People need to repent and believe the gospel because the Kingdom of God has arrived (1:14-15). Old Testament promises are being fulfilled. Life in the Kingdom is different from what it was during the time awaiting the Kingdom.