The Gospel According to Mark

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Author

The text never identifies or names the author, nor does he claim to be a participant in the events or even an eyewitness to them. The author is most likely either a Gentile or possibly a Jew who grew up outside of Palestine. The author seems somewhat removed from Jewish customs, and, when he does try to explain some of the customs, he is often inaccurate. For example, Mark 7:3–4 is an inaccurate statement, as is Mark 10:12. There are also geographical inaccuracies such as Mark 5:1 and 7:31). Because of the roughness of the Greek, that was probably not the author’s native tongue.

There are some New Testament references to a Mark and a John Mark, but there is no concrete evidence that either of these were the same as the author of the gospel.

There is some historical evidence that Peter is the main source for the gospel according to Mark. In the 2nd century, Justin Martyr made a reference to “Peter’s memoirs,” and he quotes a passage only found in the gospel of Mark. The 3rd century church historian Eusebius mentions a follower of Peter, named Mark, who recorded Peter’s memories.

Date

Early church history assumed the primacy of Matthew’s gospel and made Mark’s gospel of little importance. St. Augustine said that Mark was primarily a follower, lackey, and digester of Matthew. This view was held until the rise of historical criticism in the 17th century.

Most scholars today accept Mark’s gospel as the first written story of Christ and many date the gospel between 65 and 70 AD. An intense persecution of Christians by Nero was happening during this time frame, and Mark’s gospel makes numerous references to persecution as well as the value of suffering. It is widely accepted that Mark was the first gospel to be written down.

Place

Most scholars favor Rome as the location of the author and his community. A runner-up possibility is somewhere in Syria. It’s also possible that the gospel was written in one place (Rome) and then substantially revised laster on somewhere else like Syria.

Genre

Mark is a “gospel,” which is its own unique kind of genre. It is the story of Jesus in narrative form, drawn primarily from a diverse set of oral traditions. It also draws theological conclusions about the person of Jesus and the significance of his story.

Purpose

A third of this short gospel focuses on the last week of Jesus’ life. Mark seems to suggest that if we want to understand Jesus, we have to see Jesus through the lens of the cross. In that culture, crucifixion was the most shameful way possible to die, not to mention the most horrific. Anyone trying to present Jesus to an audience would have to explain why Jesus died such a shameful death. Mark does so by saying that Jesus’ suffering was integral to who he was and what he was about.

A secondary purpose was likely to bring comfort to the persecuted audience. Mark first recounts John the Baptist, who preaches and is then martyred. He then recounts the story of Jesus, who also preaches and is then martyred, but who is glorified in the resurrection. If Mark’s community was preaching the gospel in the Rome of the 50s and 60s, they were very likely already experiencing persecution. They could take comfort in knowing that they were true followers of Jesus, and also in knowing the promise of vindication.

Mark as Literature

In 1959, distinguished Oxford literary critic Helen Gardner spoke of the “poetry of St. Mark”:

Reading the Gospel is like reading a poem. It is an imaginative experience. It presents us with a sequence of events and sayings which combine to create in our minds a single complex and powerful symbol, a pattern of meaning. Reading St. Mark is quite unlike reading a series of entries made by a compiler of annals, or a collection of separate anecdotes.

from “The Poetry of St. Mark,” in The Business of Criticism [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959] 103.

Theology

The theological themes in Mark include

  • The Paschal mystery – paradox of the Messiah who enters into his glorious reign only through the suffering of the cross
  • The cross as the secret of discipleship
  • A profoundly human Jesus.
  • A Jesus that can only be understood in light of the cross.

Discipleship

Discipleship is a key theme in Mark. It is the story, not only of Jesus, but what it means to be involved with Jesus.

The primary term for a disciple in the gospel is mathetes, which means “a learner” or “an apprentice.” Every major section in the gospel begins with a section on discipleship.

The most important aspect of being a disciple emphasized in this gospel is the cross. In first-century Judea, Roman crucifixion was a symbol of weakness and extreme humiliation. As commentator Morna Hooker puts it, “Mark’s gospel is a bold apology for the scandal of the cross.”1 Mark’s gospel puts forward that the cross was a necessity, not as a substitute, but an example to be followed.

One interesting literary characteristic of this gospel is that Mark calls Jesus “teacher” more than any other gospel. And he also records the fewest of Jesus’ words. Mark seems to place the emphasis on teaching by observing what the teacher does.

Discipleship for Mark is not construed as assent to a series of faith propositions or the full acquisition and understanding of divine mysteries. It is predicated on becoming connected with Jesus by following him after his call and acting like him because he is the manifestation of the kingdom on earth. One learns the mystery of the kingdom through the action of following after the one who manifests it.

Stephen P. Ahearne-Kroll2

I suspect an important thing to keep in mind about martyrdom is that it encompasses much more than physical death. It is a dying to self, like a grain of wheat, a sacrificing of personal wants to the something greater. This kind of martyrdom is accessible to each of us, every moment of our lives.

Items of Note

Ending It is generally accepted that the current ending was added later, and that the original author ended it with an empty tomb on purpose.

Urgency A common word in this gospel is “immediately.” It is very fast-paced, and there is an urgency conveyed. The author invites us into the action and portrays Jesus as a man in the center of the action. Mark’s gospel also compels the reader to make a choice and to make it now. The opening words declare who Jesus is and challenge us to either accept or reject that. And, for Mark, accepting it means entering into the suffering Jesus himself experienced. This is not a surface-level intellectual acceptance.

In the action Mark is fast-paced and breatless, but at the same time, he often gives us details that allow us to be very much “in the action” that is taking place.

A very human Jesus Mark’s Jesus is very human, reflecting his “low Christology.” That does not mean that Mark does not see Jesus as divine; rather, Mark sees him first and foremost as human.

The “Messianic secret” Throughout the gospel, there are various acknowledgments of who Jesus is, but Jesus will forbid anyone to proclaim it. Scholars refer to this as the “Messianic secret.” Why does Jesus seek to keep his identity under wraps? Because the people had expectations of what a Messiah should be, and Jesus knows that he is not that kind of Messiah. No one will fully understand who Jesus is—and be ready to proclaim that—until the Cross.

Misunderstood Messiah Jesus’s friends and even his family constantly misunderstand who he is and what he is about. The ones who call him Messiah don’t understand what it means to be a Messiah. And what it means is being so closely identified with Jesus that one walks the same path of suffering that he walked.

Negative view of the inner ring of disciples Mark consistently portrays the disciples in a negative light, and this is often softened by Matthew and Luke. They are often privy to private teaching from the master, but they do not seem to comprehend any better than anyone else.

The Temple In Mark’s gospel, the Temple is a symbol not of holiness but of opposition to Jesus. When Jesus teaches there in Mark’s gospel, he is doing so in “enemy territory.”

Literary Features

Repetition and bracketing Mark is fond of repeating key words such as gospel and exousia (authority or power). He also “brackets” sections with similar stories; for example, the stories of blind men in 8:22-26 and 10:46-52. Similarly, he often creates what scholars call “Marken sandwiches,” where he begins a story, interrupts it with another, and then finishes the original story (e.g. Mark 5).

Threefold Patterns Things often come in threes. For example, choosing the disciples (Mark 1), appointing the twelve (Mark 3), sending out the twelve (Mark 6). There are also three Passion predictions, three denials, and Jesus comes to the disciples in Gethsemane three times.

Use of Geography A number of times, Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee, which, for Mark, represents the barrier between the Jewish and Gentile territories. And he often works the same miracles on both sides of the barrier. The best example of this is Mark’s two versions of feeding a multitude.

Use of Architecture Many times, Mark will contrast the actions of Jesus in a “house” with actions in a “synagogue.” For example, Mark 1:21-28 is a synagogue healing, whereas Mark 1:29-31 is a healing in a house. As the gospel progresses, the synagogue actions are often the ones which trigger the ire of the religious leaders (such as Mark 3:1-6).

The order of events Eusebius quotes Bishop Papias (from around 140AD), saying that Mark was Peter’s “interpreter,” and he wrote what Peter remembered of Jesus, but not in order. This suggests that the way Mark ordered his material is perhaps a primary clue to understanding things.

Outline

A very simple outline:3

  1. Who is Jesus? chapters 1-10
  2. Why did Jesus come? chapters 11-16

A geographical outline:4

  • Galilee 1:14—6:13
  • beyond Galilee 6:14—8:26
  • Caesarea Philippi to Jerusalem 8:27-10:52
  • Jerusalem 11:1—16:8

A more detailed outline:5

  1. JESUS’ ACTIVITIES PRODUCE AWE, BUT NO ONE PERCEIVES THEIR REAL SIGNIFICANCE
    • The Beginnings of Jesus’ Ministry [1: 1-15]
    • Transitional Summary [1:14-15]: after John’s arrest Jesus begins preaching the Gospel
    • Jesus Speaks and Acts with Authority [ 1:16-3:12]
    • Transitional Summary [3:6-12]: enemies conspire to destroy Jesus; great crowds surround him; demons are continually silenced
    • Jesus Encounters Widespread Disapproval [3:13-6:6]
    • Transitional Episode [6:1-6]: Jesus is rejected at Nazareth; he travels around other villages teaching
    • The Disciples Also Misunderstand Him [6:7-8:26]
    • Transitional Episode [8:22-26]: healing in stages of the blind man
  2. JESUS’ DEATH SHOWS THE TRUE MEANING OF HIS MESSIAHSHIP AND MODELS AUTHENTIC DISCIPLESHIP
    • Jesus Discusses His Death and Being His Follower [8:27-10:52]
    • Transitional Episode [10:46-52]: healing of blind Bartimaeus
    • Conflict in Jerusalem [11:1-12:44]
    • Transitional Episode [12:41-44]: the widow who gives all that she has
    • The End Times [13:1-14:11]
    • Transitional Episode [14:1-11]: the authorities seek Jesus’ life; a woman anoints Jesus; the authorities conspire with Judas
    • The Passion Narrative [14:12-16:8]
    • Concluding Episode [16:1-8]: the women discover the empty tomb, but out of fear tell no one.
  1. Morna D. Hooker, Not Ashamed of the Gospel: New Testament Interpretation of the Death of Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1995), 12. ↩︎
  2. Stephen P. Ahearne-Kroll, “Audience Inclusion and Exclusion as Rhetorical Technique in the Gospel of Mark,” Journal of Biblical Literature 129, no. 4 (2010):734-35 ↩︎
  3. Thurston, Bonnie, Maverick Mark: The Untamed First Gospel (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2013), 6. ↩︎
  4. Thurston, Bonnie, Maverick Mark: The Untamed First Gospel (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2013), 7. ↩︎
  5. From the article The Suffering Son Of Man: Mark’s Portrait Of Jesus by Philip A. Cunningham. ↩︎