An Introduction to the Gospel Of Mark

By: David Malick

 
I. AUTHOR: JOHN MARK
 A. Strictly speaking, the Gospel is anonymous
 B. EXTERNAL EVIDENCE strongly supports John Mark as the
 author of the Gospel of Mark in association with the
 Apostle Peter1
 1. Pseudo-Barnabas ([5:9; Mark 2:17] c. A.D. 70-130)
 2. Polycarp (c. 110-150)
 3. Hermas (c. 115-140)
 4. Papias (the bishop of Hierapolis A.D. 140) wrote
 in his last work (Exegesis of the Lord's Oracles)
 the strongest evidence for Marcan authorship tied
 to Peter:2The Elder said this also: Mark, who
 became Peter's interpreter, wrote accurately,
 though not in order, all that he remembered of the
 things said or done by the Lord. For he had
 neither heard the Lord nor been one of his
 followers, but afterwards, as I said, he had
 followed Peter, who used to compose his discourses
 with a view to the needs of his hearers, but not
 as though he were drawing up a connected account
 of the Lord's sayings. So Mark made no mistake in
 thus recording some things just as he remembered
 them. For he was careful of this one thing, to
 omit none of the things he had heard and to make
 no untrue statements therein.3
 5. Irenaeus (c. 130-202) also agrees with the Mark-
 Peter correlation:"And after their [Peter's and
 Paul's] death, Mark, the disciple and interpreter
 of Peter, himself also handed down to us in
 writing the things preached by Peter"4
 6. Justin Martyr ([Dialogue, 106.3] c. 150-155)
 7. Clement of Alexandria ([preserved in Eusebius'
 Historia Ecclesia, vi.14.6ff] c. 150-215)
 8. Tertullian ([Adv. Marcion, iv.5] c. 150-220)
 9. Origen (c. 185-254)
 10. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-386)
 11. Eusebius (c. 325-340)
 12. Jerome (c. 340-420)
 13. Augustine (c. 400)
 14. The Anti-Marcionite Prologue to Mark (A.D. 160-
 180) mentions Mark as the Gospel writer and
 connects him with Peter:"...Mark declared, who is
 called 'stumb-fingered' because he had short
 fingers in comparison with the size of the rest of
 his body. He was Peter's interpreter. After the
 death of Peter himself he wrote down this same
 gospel in the regions of Italy."5
 15. Murtatorian Canon (c. 170)
 C. INTERNAL EVIDENCE is the realm where some questions are
 raised, but they are not determinative to overthrow
 Marcan authorship
 1. John-Mark is mentioned elsewhere in the biblical
 material:
 a. He was a Jewish Christian whose mother, Mary,
 owned a home in Jerusalem where the early
 church met (Acts 12:12)
 b. He was a cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10)
 c. He was added to Paul and Barnabas' party when
 they visited Jerusalem for the famine relief
 (Acts 12:25)
 d. He went with Barnabas and Saul (Paul) on the
 first missionary journey, but turned back to
 Jerusalem when they went inland to Asia at
 Perga in Pamphylia (Acts 13:5,13)
 e. On the second missionary journey Barnabas
 wanted to take John-Mark along, but Paul
 refused because of his earlier defection, so
 Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus where he
 probably encouraged him (Acts 15:36-41)
 f. Paul was later reconciled with Mark:
 1) Mark was with Paul during his
 imprisonment in Rome and served as his
 delegate in Asia Minor (Philemon 24;
 Col. 4:10)
 2) Paul instructed Timothy to send Mark to
 Rome to be with him during his final
 imprisonment because he was useful to
 him for service (2 Tim. 4:11)
 g. When 1 Peter was written, Mark was with Peter
 in Rome and regarded as Peter's spiritual son
 (1 Peter 5:13)
 2. It is unlikely that the early church would have
 assigned the authorship of a Gospel to a person of
 secondary, and even "questionable" history as John
 Mark since he was neither an apostle, nor a person
 of prominence in the early church
 3. Luke may possibly have developed John Mark in the
 book of Acts not only for literary reasons within
 the book, but because he was a source which Luke
 used
 4. There is evidence in Mark that it was written for
 Gentiles (perhaps from Rome):
 a. Mark does not include a genealogy
 b. Mark interprets Hebrew (Aramaic) words (5:41;
 7:11,34; 14:36)
 c. Mark uses Roman time rather than Hebrew time
 (6:48; 13:35)
 d. Mark uses Latin (5:9; 6:27; 12:15,42;
 15:16,39)
 e. Mark explains locations and places
 5. There is evidence that the writer was from
 Palestine:
 a. He is familiar with the geography of
 Palestine, especially Jerusalem (5:1; 6:53;
 8:10; 11:1; 13:3)
 b. He knew Aramaic, the common language of
 Palestine (5:41; 7:11,34; 14:36)
 c. He understood Jewish institutions and customs
 (1:21; 2:14,16,18; 7:2-4)
 6. There is evidence that the author was connected
 with Peter:
 a. The vividness and detail suggest
 reminiscences of a close eyewitness such as
 Peter (1:16-20,29-31,35-38; 5:21-24,35-43;
 6:39,53-54; 9:14-15; 10:32,46; 14:32-42)
 b. The use of Peter's words and deeds (8:29,32-
 33; 9:5-6; 10:28-30; 14:29-31,66-72)
 c. The inclusion of the unique words "and Peter"
 in 16:7
 d. The similarity between the broad outline of
 this Gospel and Peter's sermon in Caesarea
 [Galilee, Jerusalem, Passion, Resurrection,
 Commission] (Acts 10:34-43)
II. DATE: Although the problem is complex, it is plausible that
 Mark was written sometime between A.D. 64-69
 A. The usual discussion of date revolves around the
 synoptic problem and especially Marcan priority. In
 view of the historical identification of Matthew, a
 possible plurality of sources used by all of the
 synoptic writers, and the Jewish need for Matthew, it
 is possible that Matthew preceded the Gospel of Mark.
 Therefore, Mark need not be the first Gospel account
 1. Mark was considered to be an abstract of Matthew
 from Augustine until the early part of the
 nineteenth century (Guthrie, p. 133)
 2. Even though the parallels of "Mark" in Matthew and
 Luke are striking, it is entirely possible that
 they are using a similar source which Mark used
 (Ur-Mark/pre-Marcan)
 3. Matthew was an Apostle, so one wonders why in his
 composition of a gospel account he would depend so
 heavily upon another's eyewitness account (e.g.,
 the banquet held in his own house (Matthew 9:9-13;
 Mark 2:13-17) see Toussaint, Behold the King p.
 330)
 4. Since the first church was Jewish and Matthew's
 gospel is characteristically Jewish, it is
 reasonable to consider Matthew as the first gospel
 designed to address the early concerns of the Jews
 B. The description of Jesus' prediction of the destruction
 of Jerusalem suggests that Mark's Gospel was written
 before A.D. 70 (Mk. 13:2,14-23)
 C. Early testimony of the church is divided about when
 Mark was written (e.g., before or after the martyrdom
 of Peter, A.D. 64-68):
 1. Irenaeus and the Anti-Marcionite Prologue affirmed
 that Mark wrote after the death of Peter and Paul
 (see above) thus, placing the date of the epistle
 between A.D. 67-69 (Paul was probably martyred
 A.D. 67/68)
 2. Clement of Alexandria and Origen affirmed that
 Mark wrote during Peter's lifetime with Peter's
 ratification,6 thus placing the date of the
 epistle between A.D. 64-68 (Peter was probably
 martyred A.D. 64)
 3. It is possible that the statements are not
 contradictory:
 a. Perhaps Mark began his gospel before Peter's
 death, and completed it after Peter's death
 b. It is also possible that Irenaeus is not
 referring to the death of Peter so much as to
 his departure (f*) from the place where
 Mark was
 c. If the statements are not contradictory than
 a date would be in the early to mid-sixties
 4. Because Marcan priority is not a necessary
 prerequisite to the synoptic problem, either
 option is possible allowing for all of the
 synoptics to have been written before A.D. 70:
 a. Matthew could have been written c. A.D. 50
 b. Luke could have been written c. A.D. 60
 c. Acts could have been written c. A.D. 64/65
III. PLACE OF ORIGIN AND DESTINATION: Rome to Gentile, Roman
 Christians
 A. The church fathers (see above under "Author") affirm
 that Mark's Gospel was written in Rome for Gentile,
 Roman Christians
 B. Evidence from the Gospel supports the affirmations of
 the church fathers:
 1. Aramaic expressions are translated (3:17; 5:41;
 7:11,34; 9:43; 10:46; 14:36; 15:22,34)
 2. Jewish customs are explained (7:3-4; 14:12; 15:42)
 3. Latin terms are used rather than Greek equivalents
 (5:9; 6:27; 12:15,42; 15:16,39)
 4. Roman reckoning of time is used (6:48; 13:35)
 5. He alone identifies Simon of Cyrene as the father
 of Alexander and Rufus (15:21; cf. Rom. 16:13)
 6. Few OT quotations or references to fulfilled
 prophecy are used
 7. Mark is concerned for all of the nations and has a
 gentile, Roman centurion proclaim Jesus' deity at
 the end of the Gospel (5:18029; 7:24--8:10; 11:17;
 13:10; 14:9; 15:39)
 8. The tone and message of the Gospel are encouraging
 to Roman believers who were encountering
 persecution and expecting more (8:34-38; 9:49;
 13:9-13)
 9. Mark assumes that his readers are familiar with
 the main characters, so he writes with more of a
 theological interest rather than a biological
 interest
 10. Mark addresses his readers more directly by
 explaining the meaning for them of particular
 actions and statements (2:10,28; 7:19)
 11. Mark does not include a genealogy as Matthew and
 Luke do
IV. OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS OF MARK
 A. In view of Christian martyrdom, Christ is presented as
 the One who continues to speak and act meaningfully in
 the context of crisis
 B. Mark is simple and straightforward:
 1. The language is less elaborate and more popular
 than Luke or Matthew
 2. Mark uses "and" a lot
 3. Mark uses "immediately" intimating vividness and
 excitement to the action
 4. Mark uses the historical present over 150 times
 making Jesus a contemporary of those reading
 (narrative tells what happens, not simply what
 happened)
 5. Mark uses detail in his narrative to heighten the
 sense of being there (names, pillow in the boat,
 wild beasts in the wilderness, nicknaming of James
 and John, etc.)
 6. Mark puts his readers in the scene where they may
 visualize and feel what the evangelist has
 described: especially by making parenthetical
 statements (13:37; 4:41, etc.)
 C. Mark is seeking for his readers to make a decision (cf.
 3:7-9 [public] with 3:20-35 [private])
 D. Mark is the shortest of the Gospels
 E. Mark emphasizes Jesus' action more than his teaching
 (18 miracles, and 4 parables). Jesus has sovereign
 power over all: disease, disability, demons, nature.
 This is evidence that Jesus' kingdom has come near to
 those people
 F. Mark's subjects are related with unusual candor and
 vividness (Jesus' hearers who are amazed, disciples who
 do not understand, Jesus who has emotions and
 compassion)
 G. There is a dominate movement of Jesus toward the cross.
 From Mark 8:31 onward Jesus and his disciples were "on
 the way" (9:33; 10:32) from Caesarea Philippi in the
 north through Galilee to Jerusalem in the south. The
 rest of the narrative (36%) is devoted to events of the
 Passion Week (11:1--16:8). Mark has been called a
 Passion story with an introduction
 H. Mark presents Jesus as the Son of God (1:1,11; 3:11;
 5:7; 9:7; 13:32; 14:36, 61-62)
 I. Barclay calls Mark the closest thing we have to a
 biography of Jesus' life (p. xviii)
V. PURPOSES OF MARK
 A. To encourage Roman Christians:
 1. To demonstrate in an active way how to suffer
 during persecution--as Jesus did! Jesus is
 constantly presented as one who speaks and acts
 meaningfully in the context of crisis. This
 "present" aspect of the gospel (tenses,
 "immediately", and miracles et cetera) was for
 this purpose7
 2. To demonstrate how to be a disciple to Christians
 in Rome:
 a. Mark explains Jewish customs (Pharisees 7:2;
 the preparation day 15:42)
 b. This is portrayed through many of the
 portraits of Jesus and the Twelve
 c. Jesus as Messiah is being portrayed as caring
 for his children--the disciples
 d. Jesus teaches about discipleship in light of
 his death and resurrection
 B. To fight the emergence of heretical, theological
 teachings8 If Mark is a later gospel (see above), than
 it follows that he in narrative form would be
 addressing similar difficulties addressed more directly
 by the letters of Paul and Peter
 C. To emphasize Jesus as a servant:
 1. Jesus proclaims himself as a servant 10:45
 2. Matthew identifies Jesus as King, Messiah, but
 Mark focuses upon Jesus as servant:
 a. He is the Servant of YHWH
 b. Mark emphasizes what Jesus does rather than
 what Jesus says as in Matthew
___________________________
 1 Norman Geisler, A General Introduction to the Bible, pp.
186, 193.
 2 This is preserved in Eusebius' Historia Ecclesia (HE),
iii.39.15.
 3 Cited from Wessel, "Mark" in EBC, p. 605.
 4 Contra Haereses 3.1.3.
 5 Cited from Wessel, "Mark" in EBC, p. 606.
 6 Historia Ecclesia, vi.14.6ff.
 7 Lane, p. 25.
 8 cf. Wessel, p. 610.