The Gospel of Mark

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The Gospel of Mark is actually Peter’s Gospel, and we understand this from second century authorities, Papias, Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria. When Peter was in Rome and preached to the churches there, they asked Mark for a transcript of what Peter preached. Mark was careful to write all of what Peter said to the church at Rome. What Peter seemed to have been doing was looking at copies both the Gospels Matthew and Luke, which the church had in its possession and elaborating on certain events. Mark is the shortest Gospel, but often when we find Mark agreeing with either Matthew or Luke (or both) his is the longer testimony of those events. This would be natural, only if one were speaking from a document one had in one’s hand. It is also quite natural to use less polished wording, than if one sat down and decided what one wanted to say, and this is exactly how the Gospel of Mark appears.

It may very well be that Peter was given copies of Matthew and Luke, which he was to read, identify any copy errors, and, thus, approve their authenticity. Similarly, concerning the Gospel of John, as it pertains to his debated dual ending, John certifies in the singular that what he witnessed is true (John 19:35) and seems to end his Gospel at John 20:30-31. However, the Muratorian Canon, a 7^th century Latin manuscript copied from an earlier Greek document (cir. 170 AD to as late as the 4^th century) has this comment: “When (John was) exhorted by his fellow disciples and bishops (to write)…it was revealed to Andrew, one of the apostles, that John was to write all things in his own name, and they were all to certify.” This would explain the plural certification in John 21:24-25. I see, therefore, no reason why Peter couldn’t have been doing something similar for the Roman Church with their copies of Matthew and Luke. It makes perfect sense, then, that they would want Mark to reproduce a transcript of what Peter testified in his own words, while he was reading from the two manuscripts, and this is what we call the Gospel of Mark.

 

Introduction to the Gospel of Mark:

1. Concerning the Primacy of Mark
2. Did Everyone Copy Mark?
3. Mark and the Other Synoptics
4. Who Wrote Mark’s Gospel?
5. Whose Is Mark’s Gospel?
6. To Whom Did Mark Write his Gospel?
7. Mark and the “Q” Document

The Gospel of Mark:

1. How Should We Interpret Mark?
2. The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus
3. The Coming of Elijah
4. Preaching a New Covenant
5. If It Walks Like a Duck…
6. Jesus’ Baptism
7. Jesus’ Temptation in ‘the Wilderness’
8. When Did the Ministry of Jesus Begin?
9. The Nature of the Kingdom of God
10. The Midas Touch!
11. Pruning the Unclean Spirit
12. Casting Out the Unclean
13. Jesus and the Heckler
14. Who Is the Man with the Unclean Spirit?
15. Mark’s Literary Rules
16. Jesus and Demonic Possession
17. Jesus’ Upside-down Ministry
18. Jesus and the Preachy Leper …………………………………………………… (end of chapter 1)
19. Healing Superstition!
20. Blasphemy and Forgiving Sins
21. Calling Levi and Jesus Reputation!
22. Jesus Is Greater than Gedaliah
23. The Lord of the Sabbath …………………………………………………………. (end of chapter 2)
24. Is It Lawful to Speak on the Sabbath?
25. The Clueless Multitude
26. The Evil Witness of the Demoniacs
27. The End of the Beginning of the Gospel!
28. Jesus and His Enemies—the Showdown!
29. Jesus Was Accused of Being Mad!
30. The Strong Man’s House
31. Was Jesus’ Family Among the Believers? …………………………………….. (end of chapter 3)
32. A Context for the Parable of the Sower
33. Where’s the Evidence of Jesus’ Success?
34. Why Did Jesus Teach in Parables?
35. The Parable of the Sower
36. Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?
37. Did the Lord Blind the Jews?
38. Understanding the Terms of the Parable
39. The Parable of the Lamp
40. The Parable of Taking Heed!
41. The Parable of the Automatic Yield
42. The Smallest of Seeds
43. The Parable of the Mustard Seed
44. The Storm and the Great Calm …………………………………………………. (end of chapter 4)
45. The Messiah and the Sins of His People
46. Jesus and the Demoniac Called Legion
47. What Repentance of a Demoniac Looks Like!
48. Jarius, the Image of the Repentant Sinner
49. Faith and the Marginalized Woman
50. The Beelzebub Controversy!
51. Trouble Arising from Repentant Faith ………………………………………….. (end of chapter 5)
52. The Rejected Messiah
53. The Rejected Messiah Teaching in the Synagogues
54. Ancient False Ideas About Resurrection
55. What Were the Context of John’s Death?
56. What Is the Context of the Feeding of the 5000?
57. Why Would Jesus Walk on Water?
58. The Success and Failure of the Gospel ……………………………………….. (end of chapter 6)
59. The Jewish Culture that Rejected Jesus
60. Not Holding to the Tradition of the Elders
61. The Origin and Effect of Jewish Tradition
62. It Is a Matter of the Heart!
63. Mercy That Arises Out of Judgment
64. The Ability to Hear and Speak Spiritually ……………………………………… (end of chapter 7)
65. Feeding the 4000
66. Leaven and Tempting Jesus
67. Healing Spiritual Blindness
68. The Voice of God and Doctrines of Men
69. Pulling Up Stakes ………………………………………………………………… (end of chapter 8)
70. Where Was the Mount of Transfiguration
71. The Transfiguration
72. The Context of the Apostles’ Question
73. The Transfiguration of a Young Boy
74. Failure in Casting Out the Demon
75. Failure and Who is the Greatest?
76. Laboring in the Name of Jesus
77. Living in Peace with One Another ……………………………………………… (end of chapter 9)
78. A Question of Authority
79. Jesus and Little Children
80. Living Under the Judgment of God!
81. What Value Is There in Coming to Christ?
82. The Crucifixion and False Doctrine
83. The Confusion of False Doctrine
84. Having Authority Over a False Worldview
85. Out of the Darkness and Into the Light ………………………………………… (end of chapter 10)
86. Where is Bethphage?
87. Jesus’ First Entry Into Jerusalem
88. Judgment Foretold in the Face of Triumph!
89. The Triumphant Entry
90. Commanding God!
91. A Matter of Authority ……………………………………………………………… (end of chapter 11)
92. Tales of the Vineyard Tenants
93. Whose Image Is This?
94. Vanishing Myths in the Heat of Reality
95. An Honest Opponent Coming to Jesus
96. Who Is the Son of David?
97. Beware of the Scribes!
98. Hypocrisy, the Widow, and Judgment ………………………………………….. (end of chapter 12)
99. Not One Stone Upon Another!
100. The Disciples Questions and the Need for a Sign
101. Jesus’ Warning: Beware of Deception!
102. There Will Be Wars and Threats of War
103. Persecution and Trouble Are Inevitable!
104. What Is the Abomination that Brings Desolation?
105. Unless the Lord Had Shortened the Days
106. Beware of False Christs!
107. Christ’s Coming Ushers in the Unending Gospel Age
108. What Did Jesus Say Would Pass Away?
109. I Say unto All, Watch! …………………………………………………………….. (end of chapter 13)
110. The Plot to Kill Jesus
111. The Anointing in Bethany
112. Judas Iscariot, Traitor!
113. The Last Supper, the Day of the Passover!
114. The Memorial of the New Covenant
115. Denying One’s Lord and Savior
116. When God Is Silent!
117. What Does It Take to Betray Jesus?
118. Contradictions? and Jesus’ Illegal Trial!
119. Following Jesus and Preserving One’s Anonymity
120. Jesus on Trial!
121. Human Plans to Serve Christ Will Always Fail! ……………………………….. (end chapter 14)
122. Jesus’ Religious Trial—Guilty!
123. Jesus’ Civil Trial – Not Guilty!
124. Who Was Pontius Pilate?
125. Releasing Barabbas at the Passover
126. Pilate’s Perfect Plan Backfires!
127. What Has Changed from Jesus’ Day to This?
128. Where Should We Look for Golgotha?
129. Crucifying and Mocking One’s Savior!
130. Out of Darkness Comes Light
131. The Day of Jesus’ Burial ………………………………………………………… (end of chapter 15)
132. The Resurrection of Jesus
133. False Worldviews and the Resurrection!
134. The Great Commission Is Fulfilled! …………………………………………….. (end of chapter 16)