Author
John Mark, a fellow missionary with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:25), is generally considered to be the writer based on a very strong early Christian tradition. He is seen throughout the book of Acts, using this combined name (Acts 12:12, 25 and Acts 15:37) or either of the individual names (Acts 13:5, 13 and Acts 15:39).
We do not know much about his life before ministry, except that he was likely from Jerusalem and that his mother was well known within the Christian community, and also a close friend of Peter and the Apostles (Acts 12:12). In 1 Peter 5:13, the Apostle Peter claims that Mark was his spiritual son. Although Mark traveled with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary voyage, it was this relationship with the Apostle Peter that seems to have had the greatest impact on his gospel.
Though it was already widely known that Mark penned the book, some early church fathers, such as Justin, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Jerome desired to demonstrate a clear Apostolic authority in the book, and therefore presented it as being the gospel of Peter, with Mark simply acting as a scribe. Eusebius, also, points to the writings of Papius, “a hearer of John and companion of Polycarp,” as saying that Mark was “the interpreter of Peter.”
Other scholars point to Mark’s use of Aramaic in his writings as likely a direct influence from his time with Peter, since Paul would have used proper Hebrew and Greek as a highly educated Jew and a Roman citizen.
Little is known regarding Mark’s life and ministry after his departure from Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:13 and 15:38). However, it is clear that he remained a faithful minister to the gospel as Paul requests his help during his imprisonment in Rome (2 Timothy 4:11 and Colossians 4:10). Eusebius later writes that “Mark was the first that was sent to Egypt, and that he proclaimed the Gospel which he had written, and first established churches in Alexandria.”
Date
Mark likely wrote sometime between 55-65AD, and evidence suggests that Mark was the earliest of the gospel writers. The gospel would have been written sometime after Mark’s missionary travels with Paul. Some church historians, such as Eusebius, put the writing after Peter’s death, around 64AD, others simply suggest Mark was inspired to write after Peter’s arrest by the Romans.
The book was certainly written before the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD, as Mark 13:2 records Jesus’ prediction of the soon-coming destruction of the Temple, without the author noting that the fulfillment of the prophecy had taken place.
Audience and Purpose
Mark’s primary audience was Roman believers. He translates Hebrew/Aramaic words into Greek and takes time to explain Jewish customs which would only be necessary for those unfamiliar with the Old Testament.
It seems that Mark’s primary purpose was to affirm Jesus’ role as the promised Messiah and then to encourage the Roman believers to be transformed according to Jesus’ image, rather than conforming to Jewish customs and traditions.
Papius’ writings (again quoted by Eusebius), tell us that Mark’s primary goal, having not walked with nor heard Jesus speaking for himself, became the interpreter for Peter and “wrote down accurately everything that he remembered, without, however recording in order what was either said or done by Christ” The point being that although Mark attempted to recall all the stories and teachings of Jesus he had learned from Peter, the chronological order was not always clear, and it leaves gaps that would be filled by other gospel writers (see Luke 1:1-4).
Major Themes
- Gospel.
- Jesus as Messiah. (See Mark 1:1)
- Prophecy Fulfilled.
Key Scriptures
- Mark 8:29 — “And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’”
- Mark 15:39 — “And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”
Outline
- Mark 1:1-15 — Introduction
- Mark 1:16-8:26 — The Presentation of Jesus as the Messiah
- Mark 1:14-3:25 — Jesus’ Announcement of God’s Kingdom
- Mark 4:1-34 — Jesus’ Teachings (Parables) of God’s Kingdom
- Mark 5:1-8:26 — Jesus’ Demonstrations of God’s Kingdom (Miracles)
- Mark 8:27-16:20 — The Testing of Jesus as the Messiah
- Mark 8:27-10:52 — Jesus’ Journey to Jerusalem
- Mark 11:1-15:20 — Jesus’ “Passion Week”
- Mark 15:21-47 — Jesus’ Death and Burial
- Mark 16:1-20 — Jesus’ Resurrection and Commission of the Church
Gospel Summary
As with our look at Matthew, it is difficult to write a “gospel summary” of a book, which itself is a summarization of the gospel. As Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer writes, “Like all the canonical Gospels, [Mark’s] also has the destined purpose of historically proving the Messiahship of Jesus: it seeks to accomplish this especially by setting forth the deeds of Jesus, but in doing so does not bear any special dogmatic colour.”1 The implication is that Mark’s goal was to show that Jesus was the Messiah through the sharing of the testimonies and teachings he had learned from the Apostle Peter. He does not go out of his way to make his own opinions known.
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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
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Endnotes
1Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Gospels of Mark and Luke, ed. William P. Dickson, trans. Robert Ernest Wallis, vol. 1, Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1883), 8.
