Gospel of Mark

"Mar." redirects here. For the month abbreviated Mar., see March.
The Gospel According to Mark (Greek: , to kata Markon euangelion),
the second book of the New Testament, is one of the four canonical gospels and the three synoptic
gospels. It was traditionally thought to be an epitome(summary) of Matthew, which accounts for its
place as the second gospel in the Bible, but most contemporary scholars now regard it as the
earliest of the gospels.[1][2] Most modern scholars reject the tradition which ascribes it to Mark the
Evangelist, the companion of Peter, and regard it as the work of an unknown author working with
various sources including collections of miracle stories, controversy stories, parables, and a passion
narrative.[3]
Mark tells of the ministry of Jesus from his baptism by John the Baptist to his death and burial and
the discovery of the empty tomb there is no genealogy or birth narrative, nor, in the original
ending at chapter 16, any post-resurrection appearances. It portrays Jesus as a heroic man of action,
an exorcist, healer and miracle worker. Jesus is also the son of God, but he keeps his identity secret,
concealing it in parables so that even the disciples fail to understand. All this is in keeping with
prophecy, which foretold the fate of the messiah as Suffering Servant. The gospel ends, in its original
version, with the discovery of the empty tomb, a promise to meet again in Galilee, and an unheeded
instruction to spread the good news of the resurrection.[4]

The two-source hypothesis: Most scholars agree that Mark was the first of the gospels to be
composed, and that the authors of Matthew and Luke used it plus a second document called
the Q source when composing their own gospels
The Gospel of Mark is anonymous.[5] A persistent tradition which begins in the early 2nd century with
bishop Papias (c.AD 125) ascribes it to Mark the Evangelist, a companion and interpreter of
the apostle Peter, but most modern scholars do not accept Papias' claim. [6] The book was probably
written c.AD 6670, during Nero's persecution of the Christians in Rome or the Jewish revolt, as
suggested by internal references to war in Judea and to persecution. [7] The author used a variety of
sources derived from accounts predating the gospel's composition, such as conflict stories (Mark
2:1-3:6), apocalyptic discourse (4:1-35), and collections of sayings (although not theGospel of
Thomas and probably not the Q source).[8]
Mark was written in Greek, for a gentile audience (that they were gentiles is shown by the author's
need to explain Jewish traditions and translate Aramaic terms) of Greek-speaking Christians,
probably in Rome (Mark uses a number of Latin terms), although Galilee, Antioch (third-largest city
in the Roman Empire, located in northern Syria), and southern Syria have all been offered as
alternatives.[9] The author may have been influenced by Greco-Roman biographies and rhetorical
forms, popular novels and romances, and the Homeric epics; nevertheless, he mentions almost no
public figures, makes no allusions to Greek or Roman literature, and takes all his references from the
Jewish scriptures, mostly in their Greek versions. [10] His book is not history in the modern sense, or
even in the sense of classical Greek and Roman historians, but "history in
an eschatological or apocalyptic sense," depicting Jesus caught up in events at the end of time. [11]

The synoptic problem and the historicity of Mark[edit]

The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke bear a striking resemblance to each other, so much so that
their contents can easily be set side by side in parallel columns. Their close relationship is termed
the synoptic problem, and has led to a number of hypotheses explaining their interdependence.
The oldest hypothesis, based on Church tradition, is that Matthew was written first, then Luke, and
that Mark was a summary based on both Matthew and Luke. The most widely accepted hypothesis
today, however, is that Mark was the first gospel and was used as a source by both Matthew and
Luke, together with considerable additional material. The strongest argument for this is the fact that
Matthew and Luke only agree with each other in their sequence of stories and events when they also
agree with Mark. It was once thought that this area of agreement represented the historical course
of events, but early in the 20th century William Wrede argued that Mark's sequence is in fact an
artificial and theological construct bearing little relationship to the actual ministry of Jesus. [12]

Setting[edit]
Christianity began within Judaism, with a Christian "church" (from a Greek word meaning
"assembly") that arose either within Jesus' own lifetime or shortly after his death, when some of his
followers claimed to have witnessed him risen from the dead. [13] From the outset, Christians
depended heavily on Jewish literature, supporting their convictions through the Jewish scriptures.
[14]
Those convictions involved a nucleus of key concepts: the messiah, the son of God and the son of
man, the Day of the Lord, the kingdom of God. Uniting these ideas was the common thread of
apocalyptic expectation: Both Jews and Christians believed that the end of history was at hand, that
God would very soon come to punish their enemies and establish his own rule, and that they were at
the centre of his plans. Christians read the Jewish scripture as a figure or type of Jesus Christ, so that
the goal of Christian literature became an experience of the living Christ. [15] The new movement
spread around the eastern Mediterranean and to Rome and further west, and assumed a distinct
identity, although the groups within it remained extremely diverse. [13]
They were written for an audience already Christian their purpose was to strengthen the faith of
those who already believed, not to convert unbelievers. [16] Christian "churches" were small
communities of believers, often based on households (an autocratic patriarch plus extended family,
slaves, freedmen, and other clients), and the evangelists often wrote on two levels, one the
"historical" presentation of the story of Jesus, the other dealing with the concerns of the author's
own day.[17] Thus the proclamation of Jesus in Mark 1:14 and the following verses, for example, mixes
the terms Jesus would have used as a 1st-century Jew ("kingdom of God") and those of the early
church ("believe", "gospel").[17] More fundamentally, some scholars believe Mark's reason for writing
was to counter believers who saw Jesus in a Greek way, as wonder-worker (the Greek term is "divine
man"); Mark saw the suffering of the messiah as essential, so that the Son of God title (the
Hellenistic "divine man") had to be corrected and amplified with the "Son of Man" title, which
conveyed Christ's suffering.[18] Other scholars think Mark might have been writing as a Galilean
Christian against those Jewish Christians in Jerusalem who saw the Jewish revolt against Rome (66
73 CE) as the beginning of the "end times": for Mark, the Second Coming would be in Galilee, not
Jerusalem, and not until the generation following the revolt. [18]

Place in the Christian Church[edit]

Mark was traditionally placed second, and sometimes fourth, in the Christian canon, as a somewhat
inferior abridgement of what was regarded as the most important gospel,Matthew. The Church has
consequently derived its view of Jesus primarily from Matthew, secondarily from John, and only
distantly from Mark. It was only in the 19th century that Mark came to be seen as the earliest of the

four gospels, and as a source used by both Matthew and Luke. The hypothesis of Markan priority
(that Mark was written first) continues to be held by the majority of scholars today, and there is a
new recognition of the author as an artist and theologian using a range of literary devices to convey
his conception of Jesus as the authoritative yet suffering Son of God.[19]

Structure and content[edit]

Structure[edit]
There is no agreement on the structure of Mark.[20] There is, however, a widely recognised break at Mark 8:2631:
before 8:26 there are numerous miracle stories, the action is in Galilee, and Jesus preaches to the crowds, while
after 8:31 there are hardly any miracles, the action shifts from Galilee to gentile areas or hostile Judea, and Jesus
teaches the disciples.[21] Peter's confession at Mark 8:2730 that Jesus is the messiah thus forms the watershed to
the whole gospel.[22] A further generally recognised turning point comes at the end of chapter 10, when Jesus and
his followers arrive in Jerusalem and the foreseen confrontation with the Temple authorities begins, leading R.T.
France to characterise Mark as a three-act drama. [23] James Edwards in his 2002 commentary points out that the
gospel can be seen as a series of questions asking first who Jesus is (the answer being that he is the messiah),
then what form his mission takes (a mission of suffering culminating in the crucifixion and resurrection, events only
to be understood when the questions are answered), while another scholar, C. Myers, has made what Edwards
calls a "compelling case" for recognising the incidents of Jesus' baptism, transfiguration and crucifixion, at the
beginning, middle and end of the gospel, as three key moments, each with common elements, and each portrayed
in an apocalyptic light.[24]

Content[edit]

Jesus is first announced as the messiah and then later as the Son of God; he is baptised by John and a
heavenly voice announces him as the Son of God; he is tested in the wilderness by Satan; John is arrested, and
Jesus begins to preach the good news of the kingdom of God.

Jesus gathers his disciples; he begins teaching, driving out demons, healing the sick, cleansing lepers,
raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and giving sight to the blind; he delivers a long discourse in parables to the
crowd, intended for the disciples, but they fail to understand; he performs mighty works, calming the storm and
walking on water, but while God and demons recognise him, neither the crowds nor the disciples grasp his identity.

Jesus asks the disciples who people say he is, and then, "but you, who do you say I am?" Peter
answers that he is the Christ, and Jesus commands him to silence; Jesus explains that the Son of Man must go to
Jerusalem and be killed, but will rise again;Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus and God tells the disciples, "This is
my son," but they remain uncomprehending.

Jesus goes to Jerusalem, where he is hailed as one who "comes in the name of the Lord" and will
inaugurate the "kingdom of David"; he drives those who buy and sell animals from the Temple and debates with the
Jewish authorities; on the Mount of Olives he announces the coming destruction of the Temple, the persecution of
his followers, and the coming of the Son of Manin power and glory.

A woman perfumes Jesus' head with oil, and Jesus explains that this is a sign of his coming death;
Jesus celebrates Passoverwith the disciples, declares the bread and wine to be his body and blood, and goes with
them to Gethsemane to pray; thereJudas betrays him to the Jews; interrogated by the High Priest, he says that he
is the Christ, the Son of God, and will return as Son of Man at God's right hand; the Jewish leaders turn him over
to Pilate, who has him crucified as one who claims to be "king of the Jews"; Jesus, abandoned by the disciples, is
buried in a rock tomb by a friendly member of the Jewish council.

The women who have followed Jesus come to the tomb on Sunday morning; they find it empty, and are
told by a young man in a white robe to go and tell the others that Jesus has risen and has gone before them to
Galilee; "but they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid . . . ."[4]

The ending of the gospel of Mark[edit]

For more details on this topic, see Mark_16.
The earliest complete manuscripts of Mark Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and, with gaps, Alexandrinus date from the
4th century.[25]These end at Mark 16:8, with the women fleeing in fear from the empty tomb: the majority of recent
scholars believe this to be the original ending, [26] and this is supported by statements from the early Church Fathers
Eusebius and Jerome.[25] Two attempts were made to provide a more satisfactory conclusion. [27] A minority of later
manuscripts have what is called the "shorter ending", an addition to Mark 16:8 telling how the women told "those
around Peter" all that the angel had commanded and how the message of eternal life (or "proclamation of eternal
salvation") was then sent out by Jesus himself. [27] This addition differs from the rest of Mark both in style and in its
understanding of Jesus.[27] The overwhelming majority of manuscripts have the "longer ending", Mark 16:920, with
accounts of the resurrected Jesus, the commissioning of the disciples to proclaim the gospel, and Christ's
ascension.[25]This ending was possibly written in the early 2nd century and added later in the same century.[27]
Modern scholars have proposed many explanations for the abrupt original ending, though none with universal
acceptance. The abrupt original ending could indicate a connection to the theme of the " Messianic Secret". This
abrupt ending also supports the identification of this book as a closet drama, which characteristically ended without
resolution and often with a tragic or shocking event that prevents closure. [28] Whatever the case, it is clear that
Mark's Jesus looks forward to a post-death meeting in Galilee, and it is likely that at that meeting, like the final
meeting in Galilee that Matthew depicts, Mark's Jesus would command the disciples to take his message to the
nations.[26]

Theology[edit]
Mark's gospel theology[edit]
The author introduces his work as "gospel", meaning "good news", a literal translation of the Greek
"evangelion"[29] he uses the word more often than any other writer in the New Testament besides Paul. [30] Paul
uses it to mean "the good news (of the saving significance of the death and resurrection) of Christ"; Mark extends it
to the career of Christ as well as his death and resurrection. [29] Like the other gospels, Mark was written to confirm
the identity of Jesus as eschatological deliverer the purpose of terms such as "messiah" and "son of God".[31] As
in all the gospels, the messianic identity of Jesus is supported by a number of themes, including: (1) the depiction
of his disciples as obtuse, fearful and uncomprehending; (2) the refutation of the charge made by Jesus' enemies
that he was a magician; (3) secrecy surrounding his true identity (this last is missing from John). [31]

1. The failure of the disciples

In Mark the disciples, and especially the Twelve, move from lack of perception of Jesus to rejection of the "way of
suffering" to flight and denial even the women who received the first proclamation of his resurrection can be seen
as failures for not reporting the good news. There is much discussion of this theme among scholars. Some argue
that the author of Mark was using the disciples to correct "erroneous" views in his own community concerning the
reality of the suffering messiah, others that it is an attack on the Jerusalem branch of the church for resisting the
extension of the gospel to the gentiles, or a mirror of the convert's usual experience of the initial enthusiasm

followed by growing awareness of the necessity for suffering. It certainly reflects the strong theme in Mark of Jesus
as the "suffering just one" portrayed in so many of the books of the Jewish scriptures, from Jeremiah to Job and
the Psalms, but especially in the "Suffering Servant" passages Isaiah. It also reflects the Jewish scripture theme of
God's love being met by infidelity and failure, only to be renewed by God. And in the real-world context in which the
gospel was written, the persecutions of the Christians of Rome under Nero, the failure of the disciples and Jesus'
denial by Peter himself would have been powerful symbols of faith, hope and reconciliation. [32]
2. The charge of magic
Mark contains twenty accounts of miracles and healings, accounting for almost a third of the gospel and half the
first ten chapters, more, proportionally, than in any other gospel. [33] In the gospels as a whole Jesus' miracles,
prophecies, etc., are presented as evidence of God's rule, but Mark's descriptions of Jesus' healings are a partial
exception to this, as his methods, using spittle to heal blindness (Mark 8:2226) and magic formulae ("Talitha
cumi," 5:41, "Ephphatha," 7:34), were those of a magician. [34][35] This is the charge the Jewish religious leaders bring
against Jesus: they say he is performing exorcisms with the aid of an evil spirit (Mark 3:22) and calling up the spirit
of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14). [34] "There was ... no period in the history of the [Roman] empire in which the
magician was not considered an enemy of society," subject to penalties ranging from exile to death, says Classical
scholar Ramsay MacMullen.[36] All the gospels defend Jesus against the charge, which, if true, it would contradict
their ultimate claims for him. [37] The point of the Beelzebub incident in Mark (Mark 3:2030) is to set forth Jesus'
claims to be an instrument of God, not Satan.[37]
3. The messianic secret
Main article: Messianic secret
In 1901, William Wrede identified the "Messianic secret" Jesus' secrecy about his identity as the messiah as
one of Mark's central themes. Wrede argued that the elements of the secret Jesus' silencing of the demons, the
obtuseness of the disciples regarding his identity, and the concealment of the truth inside parables, were fictions,
and arose from the tension between the Church's post-resurrection messianic belief and the historical reality of
Jesus. There remains continuing debate over how far the "secret" originated with Mark and how far he got it from
tradition, and how far, if at all, it represents the self-understanding and practices of the historical Jesus. [38]

Christology: Mark's understanding of Jesus[edit]

Christology means a doctrine or understanding concerning the person or nature of Christ. [39] In the New Testament
writings it is frequently conveyed through the titles applied to Jesus. Most scholars agree that "Son of God" is the
most important of these titles in Mark.[40] It appears on the lips of God himself at the baptism and the transfiguration,
and is Jesus' own self-designation (Mark 13:32). [40] These and other instances provide reliable evidence of how the
evangelist perceived Jesus, but it is not clear just what the title meant to Mark and his 1st century audience.
[40]
Where it appears in the Hebrew scriptures it meant Israel as God's people, or the king at his coronation, or
angels, as well as the suffering righteous man. [41] In Hellenistic culture the same phrase meant a "divine man", a
supernatural being.[40] There is little evidence that "son of God" was a title for the messiah in 1st century Judaism,
and the attributes which Mark describes in Jesus are much more those of the Hellenistic miracle-working "divine
man" than of the Jewish Davidic messiah.[40]
Mark does not explicitly state what he means by "Son of God", nor when the sonship was conferred. [42] The New
Testament as a whole presents four different understandings:

1.

Jesus became God's son at his resurrection, God "begetting" Jesus to a new life by raising him from the
dead this was the earliest understanding, preserved in Paul'sEpistle to the Romans, 1:34, and in Acts 13:33;

2.

Jesus became God's son at his baptism, the coming of the Holy Spirit marking him as messiah, while
"Son of God" refers to the relationship then established for him God this is the understanding implied in Mark
1:911;

3.

Matthew and Luke present Jesus as "Son of God" from the moment of conception and birth, with God
taking the place of a human father;

4.

John, the last of the gospels, presents the idea that the Christ was pre-existent and became flesh as
Jesus an idea also found in Paul.[43]
Mark also calls Jesus "christos" (Christ), translating the Hebrew "messiah," (anointed person). [44] In the Old
Testament the term messiah ("anointed one") described prophets, priests and kings; by the time of Jesus, with the
kingdom long vanished, it had come to mean an eschatological king (a king who would come at the end of time),
one who would be entirely human though far greater than all God's previous messengers to Israel, endowed with
miraculous powers, free from sin, ruling in justice and glory (as described in, for example, the Psalms of Solomon,
a Jewish work from this period). [45] The most important occurrences are in the context of Jesus' death and suffering,
suggesting that, for Mark, Jesus can only be fully understood in that context. [44]
A third important title, "Son of Man", has its roots in Ezekiel, the Book of Enoch, (a popular Jewish apocalyptic work
of the period), and especially in Daniel 7:1314, where the Son of Man is assigned royal roles of dominion,
kingship and glory.[46][47] Mark 14:62 combines more scriptural allusions: before he comes on clouds (Daniel 7:13)
the Son of Man will be seated on the right hand of God (psalm 110:1), pointing to the equivalence of the three
titles, Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, the common element being the reference to kingly power.[48]

Eschatology and salvation: The meaning of Christ's death, resurrection and return [edit]
Eschatology means the study of the end-times, and the Jews expected the messiah to be as
an eschatological figure, a deliverer who would appear at the end of the age to usher in a kingdom favourable to
them.[49] The earliest Jewish Christian community saw Jesus as a messiah in this Jewish sense, a human figure
appointed by God; but they also believed in Jesus' resurrection and exultation to heaven, and for this reason they
also viewed him as God's agent (the "son of God") who would return in glory ushering in theKingdom of God.[50]
The term "Son of God" likewise had a specific Jewish meaning, or range of meanings. [51] One of the most
significant of these was the king at his enthronement, adopted by God as his son, the act legitimising his rule over
Israel.[52] In Hellenistic culture the phrase had a different meaning: it meant a "divine man", legendary heroes
like Hercules, rulers like the Egyptian pharaohs, or famous philosophers like Plato.[53] When the gospels call Jesus
Son of God the intention is not to identify him as a ruler but to place him in the class of Hellenistic and Greek divine
men, the 'sons of God" who were endowed with supernatural power to perform healings, exorcisms and other
wonderful deeds.[52] Mark's gospel argues against a "Son of David" messiah and in favour of a Hellenistic
understanding of "Son of God, his Jesus predicting that his mission involves suffering, death and resurrection, and,
by implication, not military glory and conquest. [54] This reflects a move away from the Jewish-Christian apocalyptic
tradition and towards the Hellenistic message preached by Paul, for whom Christ's death and resurrection, rather
than the establishment of the apocalyptic Jewish kingdom, is the meaning of salvation, the "gospel". [50]

Comparison with other writings[edit]

Mark and the New Testament[edit]
All four gospels tell a story in which Jesus' death and resurrection are the crucial redemptive events. [55] There are,
however, important differences between the four:

Unlike Matthew and Luke, but like John, Mark expressly identifies Jesus's origins as being out of
Galilee. Mark makes no mention of Jesus's birth, his father, ancestors, or any connection to Bethlehem. Mark
does mention Jesus's mother by name (Mary) and notes his brothers and sisters.

Unlike John, Mark never calls Jesus "God", nor does he claim that Jesus existed as a divine being prior
to his earthly life[56]
Christians of Mark's time expected Jesus to return as Messiah in their own lifetime Mark, like the other gospels,
attributes the promise to Jesus himself (Mark 9:1 and 13:30), and it is reflected in the letters of Paul, in the epistle
of James, in Hebrews, and in Revelation. When return failed, the early Christians revised their understanding.
Some acknowledged that the Second Coming had been delayed, but still expected it; others redefined the focus of
the promise, the Gospel of John, for example, speaking of "eternal life" as something available in the present;
while still others concluded that Jesus would not return at all (2 Peter argues against those who held this view).[57]

Sayings unique to Mark[edit]

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).[n 1] Not present in either Matthew
12:18 or Luke 6:15. This is also a so-called "Western non-interpolation". The passage is not found in the
Western text of Mark.
People were saying, "[Jesus] has gone out of his mind", see also Rejection of Jesus (Mark 3:21).
Mark is the only gospel with the combination Mark 4:2425, the other gospels split them up: Mark 4:24
being found in Luke 6:38and Matthew 7:2; Mark 4:25 being found in Matthew 13:12 and 25:29, Luke
8:18 and 19:26.

Parable of the Growing Seed (4:2629).

Only Mark counts the possessed swine; there are about two thousand (Mark 5:13).

Two consecutive healing stories of women; both make use of the number twelve (Mark 5:25 and Mark 5:42).

Only Mark gives healing commands of Jesus in the (presumably original) Aramaic: Talitha koum (Mark
5:41), Ephphatha (Mark 7:34). See Aramaic of Jesus.

Only place in the New Testament Jesus is referred to as "the son of Mary" (Mark 6:3).

Mark is the only gospel where Jesus himself is called a carpenter (Mark 6:3); in Matthew he is called a
carpenter's son (Matthew 13:55).

Only place that both names his brothers and mentions his sisters (Mark 6:3); Matthew has a slightly
different name for one brother (Matthew 13:55).

The taking of a staff and sandals is permitted in Mark 6:89 but prohibited in Matthew 10:9-10 and Luke 9:3.

The longest version of the story of Herodias' daughter's dance and the beheading of John the Baptist (Mark
6:1429).

Mark's literary cycles:

6:3044 Feeding of the five thousand;

6:4556 Crossing of the lake;

7:113 Dispute with the Pharisees;

7:1423 Discourse on Defilement[58]

Then:

8:19 Feeding of the four thousand;

8:10 Crossing of the lake;

8:1113 Dispute with the Pharisees;

8:1421 Incident of no bread and discourse about the leaven of the Pharisees.

Customs that at that time were unique to Jews are explained (hand, produce, and utensil washing): 7:3
4.

"Thus he declared all foods clean."[n 2] 7:19 NRSV, not found in the Matthean parallel Matthew 15:1520.

There is no mention of Samaritans

Jesus heals using his fingers and spit at the same time: 7:33; cf. Mark 8:23, Luke 11:20, John
9:6, Matthew 8:16; see also Exorcism.

Jesus lays his hands on a blind man twice in curing him: 8:2325; cf. 5:23, 16:18, Acts
6:6, 9:17, 28:8, laying on of hands.

Jesus cites the Shema Yisrael: "Hear O Israel ..." (12:2930); in the parallels of Matt 22:3738 and Luke
10:27 the first part of the Shema (Deut 6:4) is absent.

Mark points out that the Mount of Olives is across from the temple (13:3).
When Jesus is arrested, a young naked man flees: 14:5152. A young man in a robe also appears
in 16:57, see also Secret Gospel of Mark.

Mark does not name the High Priest, cf. Matt 26:57, Luke 3:2, Acts 4:6, John 18:13.

Witness testimony against Jesus does not agree (14:56, 14:59).

The cock crows "twice" as predicted (Mark 14:72). See also Fayyum Fragment. The other Gospels
simply record, "the cock crew". Early codices 01, W, and most Western texts have the simpler version. [n 3]

Pilate's position (Governor) is not specified, 15:1, cf. Matt 27:2, Luke 3:1, John 18:2829.

Simon of Cyrene's sons are named (Mark 15:21).

A summoned centurion is questioned (Mark 15:4445).

The women ask each other who will roll away the stone (Mark 16:3), cf. Matt 28:27.

A young man sits on the "right side" (Mark 16:5), cf. Luke 24:4, John 20:12.

Mark is the only canonical gospel with significant various alternative endings (see Mark 16, Possible
Scenarios); however, most of the contents of the traditional "Longer Ending" (Mark 16:920) are found in other
New Testament texts and are not unique to Mark, see Mark 16#The Longer Ending. The one significant exception
is 16:18b "and if they drink any deadly thing", it will not harm those who believe, which is unique to Mark

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

This shortest of all New Testament gospels is likely the first to have been written, yet it often
tells of Jesus ministry in more detail than either Matthew or Luke (for example, the miracle
stories at Mk 5:120 or Mk 9:1429). It recounts what Jesus did in a vivid style, where one
incident follows directly upon another. In this almost breathless narrative, Mark stresses Jesus
message about the kingdom of God now breaking into human life as good news (Mk 1:1415)
and Jesus himself as the gospel of God (Mk 1:1; 8:35; 10:29). Jesus is the Son whom God has
sent to rescue humanity by serving and by sacrificing his life (Mk 10:45).
The opening verse about good news in Mark (Mk 1:1) serves as a title for the entire book. The
action begins with the appearance of John the Baptist, a messenger of God attested by
scripture. But John points to a mightier one, Jesus, at whose baptism God speaks from heaven,
declaring Jesus his Son. The Spirit descends upon Jesus, who eventually, it is promised, will
baptize with the holy Spirit. This presentation of who Jesus really is (Mk 1:113) is rounded out
with a brief reference to the temptation of Jesus and how Satans attack fails. Jesus as Son of
God will be victorious, a point to be remembered as one reads of Jesus death and the enigmatic
ending to Marks Gospel.
The key verses at Mk 1:1415, which are programmatic, summarize what Jesus proclaims as
gospel: fulfillment, the nearness of the kingdom, and therefore the need for repentance and for
faith. After the call of the first four disciples, all fishermen (Mk 1:1620), we see Jesus engaged
in teaching (Mk 1:21, 22, 27), preaching (Mk 1:38, 39), and healing (Mk 1:2931, 34, 4045),
and exorcising demons (1:2227, 3439). The content of Jesus teaching is only rarely stated,
and then chiefly in parables (Mk 4) about the kingdom. His cures, especially on the sabbath (Mk
3:15); his claim, like God, to forgive sins (Mk 2:312); his table fellowship with tax collectors
and sinners (Mk 2:1417); and the statement that his followers need not now fast but should
rejoice while Jesus is present (Mk 2:1822), all stir up opposition that will lead to Jesus death
(Mk 3:6).
In Mark, Jesus is portrayed as immensely popular with the people in Galilee during his ministry
(Mk 2:2; 3:7; 4:1). He appoints twelve disciples to help preach and drive out demons, just as he
does (Mk 3:1319). He continues to work many miracles; the blocks Mk 4:356:44 and Mk 6:45
7:10 are cycles of stories about healings, miracles at the Sea of Galilee, and marvelous feedings

of the crowds. Jesus teaching in Mk 7 exalts the word of God over the tradition of the elders
and sees defilement as a matter of the heart, not of unclean foods. Yet opposition mounts.
Scribes charge that Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul (Mk 3:22). His relatives think him out of his
mind (Mk 3:21). Jesus kinship is with those who do the will of God, in a new eschatological
family, not even with mother, brothers, or sisters by blood ties (Mk 3:3135; cf. Mk 6:16). But
all too often his own disciples do not understand Jesus (Mk 4:13, 40; 6:52; 8:1721). The fate of
John the Baptist (Mk 6:1729) hints ominously at Jesus own passion (Mk 9:13; cf. Mk 8:31).
A breakthrough seemingly comes with Peters confession that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah; Mk
8:2730). But Jesus himself emphasizes his passion (Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:3334), not glory in the
kingdom (Mk 10:3545). Momentarily he is glimpsed in his true identity when he is transfigured
before three of the disciples (Mk 9:28), but by and large Jesus is depicted in Mark as moving
obediently along the way to his cross in Jerusalem. Occasionally there are miracles (Mk 9:1727;
10:4652; 11:1214, 2021, the only such account in Jerusalem), sometimes teachings (Mk
10:211, 2331), but the greatest concern is with discipleship (Mk 8:349:1; 9:3350). For the
disciples do not grasp the mystery being revealed (Mk 9:32; 10:32, 38). One of them will betray
him, Judas (Mk 14:1011, 4345); one will deny him, Peter (Mk 14:27, 31, 54, 6672); all eleven
men will desert Jesus (Mk 14:27, 50).
The passion account, with its condemnation of Jesus by the Sanhedrin (Mk 14:53, 5565; 15:1a)
and sentencing by Pilate (Mk 15:1b15), is prefaced with the entry into Jerusalem (Mk 11:111),
ministry and controversies there (Mk 11:1512:44), Jesus Last Supper with the disciples (Mk
14:126), and his arrest at Gethsemane (Mk 14:3252). A chapter of apocalyptic tone about the
destruction of the temple (Mk 13:12, 1423) and the coming of the Son of Man (Mk 13:2427),
a discourse filled with promises (Mk 13:11, 31) and admonitions to be watchful (Mk 13:2, 23,
37), is significant for Marks Gospel, for it helps one see that God, in Jesus, will be victorious
after the cross and at the end of history.
The Gospel of Mark ends in the most ancient manuscripts with an abrupt scene at Jesus tomb,
which the women find empty (Mk 16:18). His own prophecy of Mk 14:28 is reiterated, that
Jesus goes before the disciples into Galilee; there you will see him. These words may imply
resurrection appearances there, or Jesus parousia there, or the start of Christian mission, or a
return to the roots depicted in Mk 1:9, 1415 in Galilee. Other hands have attached additional
endings after Mk 16:8; see note on Mk 16:920.
The framework of Marks Gospel is partly geographical: Galilee (Mk 1:149:49), through the area
across the Jordan (Mk 10:1) and through Jericho (Mk 10:4652), to Jerusalem (Mk 11:116:8).
Only rarely does Jesus go into Gentile territory (Mk 5:120; 7:2437), but those who
acknowledge him there and the centurion who confesses Jesus at the cross (Mk 15:39) presage
the gospels expansion into the world beyond Palestine.
Marks Gospel is even more oriented to christology. Jesus is the Son of God (Mk 1:11; 9:7; 15:39;
cf. Mk 1:1; 14:61). He is the Messiah, the anointed king of Davidic descent (Mk 12:35; 15:32),
the Greek for which, Christos, has, by the time Mark wrote, become in effect a proper name (Mk
1:1; 9:41). Jesus is also seen as Son of Man, a term used in Mark not simply as a substitute for
I or for humanity in general (cf. Mk 2:10, 2728; 14:21) or with reference to a mighty figure
who is to come (Mk 13:26; 14:62), but also in connection with Jesus predestined, necessary
path of suffering and vindication (Mk 8:31; 10:45).

The unfolding of Marks story about Jesus is sometimes viewed by interpreters as centered
around the term mystery. The word is employed just once, at Mk 4:11, in the singular, and its
content there is the kingdom, the open secret that Gods reign is now breaking into human life
with its reversal of human values. There is a related sense in which Jesus real identity remained
a secret during his lifetime, according to Mark, although demons and demoniacs knew it (Mk
1:24; 3:11; 5:7); Jesus warned against telling of his mighty deeds and revealing his identity (Mk
1:44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, 30), an injunction sometimes broken (Mk 1:45; cf. Mk 5:1920).
Further, Jesus teaches by parables, according to Mark, in such a way that those outside the
kingdom do not understand, but only those to whom the mystery has been granted by God.
Mark thus shares with Paul, as well as with other parts of the New Testament, an emphasis on
election (Mk 13:20, 22) and upon the gospel as Christ and his cross (cf. 1 Cor 1:23). Yet in Mark
the person of Jesus is also depicted with an unaffected naturalness. He reacts to events with
authentic human emotion: pity (Mk 1:44), anger (Mk 3:5), triumph (Mk 4:40), sympathy (Mk
5:36; 6:34), surprise (Mk 6:9), admiration (Mk 7:29; 10:21), sadness (Mk 14:3334), and
indignation (Mk 14:4849).
Although the book is anonymous, apart from the ancient heading According to Mark in
manuscripts, it has traditionally been assigned to John Mark, in whose mothers house (at
Jerusalem) Christians assembled (Acts 12:12). This Mark was a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10)
and accompanied Barnabas and Paul on a missionary journey (Acts 12:25; 13:3; 15:3639). He
appears in Pauline letters (2 Tm 4:11; Phlm 24) and with Peter (1 Pt 5:13). Papias (ca. A.D. 135)
described Mark as Peters interpreter, a view found in other patristic writers. Petrine influence
should not, however, be exaggerated. The evangelist has put together various oral and possibly
written sourcesmiracle stories, parables, sayings, stories of controversies, and the passion
so as to speak of the crucified Messiah for Marks own day.
Traditionally, the gospel is said to have been written shortly before A.D. 70 in Rome, at a time of
impending persecution and when destruction loomed over Jerusalem. Its audience seems to
have been Gentile, unfamiliar with Jewish customs (hence Mk 7:34, 11). The book aimed to
equip such Christians to stand faithful in the face of persecution (Mk 13:913), while going on
with the proclamation of the gospel begun in Galilee (Mk 13:10; 14:9). Modern research often
proposes as the author an unknown Hellenistic Jewish Christian, possibly in Syria, and perhaps
shortly after the year 70.

The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The

principal divisions of the Gospel according to Mark are the following:

Preparation for the Public Ministry of Jesus (1:113)
Mystery of Jesus (1:148:26)
Mystery Begins to Be Revealed (8:279:32)
Full Revelation of the Mystery (9:3316:8)
Longer Ending (16:920)
Shorter Ending
Freer Logion (in the note on 16:920)