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Introduction to Mark's Gospel as a literary Genre (Form of a literature)

References:
Lamar Williamson, Mark (Interpretation, Ga.: J. Knox Press, 1983), 1–8.
Willem S. Vorster, "Gospel Genre", in David Noel Freedman, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary
(New York: Doubleday, 1992), 2:1077–1079.
Morna Hooker, The Gospel according to St. Mark (BNTC, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1993).

I. Why a gospel story?

Granting that the Gospel according to Mark was written first, its author could be the first to use
"gospel" as a literary genre.

The author's purposes are:

- to bear witness to Jesus Christ as proclaimer and embodiment of the Kingdom of God; and
- to challenge readers to follow him in anticipation of his final coming as Son of Man.

- the author's presumption: the best way to bear witness to the coming Kingdom of God and to
challenge readers to faithful discipleship is to tell the story of Jesus.

two models of explaining a gospel genre

1. evolutionary model
- the early Christians were storytellers, and they used the stories of and about Jesus for cultic
purposes (for use in worship). Mark collected some of these traditions and wrote a gospel. In this
case, Mark is more of a collector than an author
- His gospel was regarded as a "passion narrative with a long introduction"
- the traditions about Jesus (especially his death and resurrection) grew and developed (evolved!)
into the gospel form.
- This unique (sui generis) form of literature developed from the cult legend about the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ

why is there no birth narrative, education, background of Jesus, etc.? The evolutionary model
explains:
- the gospel originated from the cult legend and not from the life story (biography) of Jesus.

2. analogical model
- comparing the gospels with the Hellenistic vitae (ancient biographies and memoir literature
[like Xenophon's Memorabilia]
- the gospel genre comes closest to the type of biography in which the purpose is to praise a
person by accentuating his life, works, and teachings (enconium)
- From a Semitic perspective, the gospel genre has been compared with the “biography of a
righteous person” found in the Prophets. The purpose of such a biography is to portray
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paradigmatically the suffering of a righteous person. Jesus is portrayed in such a manner in the
gospel of Mark, which served as a model for the other evangelists when they wrote their gospels.

Much of the power of Mark’s witness lies in the cumulative effect of the story in its entirety. Like
in any other stories, the structure and flow of a gospel narrative and the relationships among its
parts are important.

II. Structure of the Gospel's narrative

Two major parts:

1. Ministry in Galilee (1,1–8,21)

Prologue: 1:1–13
Middle part: on the way to Jerusalem (8:22–10:52)
8:22–26 healing of a blind man (Bethsaida)
8:27–10:45 on the way to Jerusalem
10:46–52 healing of a blind man (around Jericho)
2. Ministry in Jerusalem (11,1–16,8)

1:1 - presents the overall title of the evangelist's work and is part of a prologue set in the
wilderness of Judea (1:1–13). Two scenes:
- John the Baptist appears Elijah-like to prepare the way.
- Jesus is introduced at verse 9 to be baptized and tempted.

These two brief scenes (baptism; temptation) establish his identity and his authority; they also
hint at the trials which lie ahead.

1:14–15 serves as transition from the prologue to the body of the narrative.
- announces the theme of his Galilean ministry and the entire Gospel

1:16–8:21 first half of the Gospel

- Galilean ministry
- question of Jesus' identity (e.g., 4:41 "who then is this?"). This question remains until the end
of chapter 8.
- people respond in various ways (mostly misunderstanding and rejection)
- Jesus never declares his own identity (secrecy)
- demons recognize Jesus but are silenced
- offers himself and his teachings, appealing for individual decision and commitment: “Whoever
has ears to hear, let him hear!”

First three parts:

- Jesus calls (1:16–20), names (3:7–19), and sends out (6:7–13, 30–32) disciples to be with him.
These decisive actions mark the beginning of each of three major parts in the Galilean ministry
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which can be identified by transitional passages and summary formulas.

Each of these parts ends with an inadequate response to Jesus: hostility (e.g., 3:6), unbelief (3:21,
31–32; 6:1–6), and misunderstanding (8:14–21).

8:22–10:52 middle part (part four)

- healing of the blindness of Jesus' disciples
- outlined by two healing narratives (8:22–26 healing of the blind man in Bethsaida; 10:46–52
healing of the blind man Bartimaeus)
- central theme: discipleship, depicted as the way of Jesus.
- 8:31 and onward Jesus looks and moves toward his suffering, death, and resurrection in
Jerusalem.
- 8:27–9:1 major turning point: Peter answers the "Who is Jesus?" question
- focus: instruction of the disciples on the true nature of Jesus’ messiahship, i.e., what the Christ
must do (8:31) and what it means to follow him (8:34–35).
- from this point on the story of Jesus falls under the shadow of his impending death. Martin
Kähler (1892) calls Mark and other Gospels "passion narratives with extended introductions"
- structure of this middle part is determined by the three passion predictions with corresponding
misunderstanding on the part of the disciples and teaching about discipleship:

passion predictions: 8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34 (the last prediction provides an outline of events in
chaps. 11–16)
misunderstanding: 8:31–33; 9:32; 10:35–41
teaching on discipleship: 8:34–9:1; 9:33–37; 10:42–45

- in these predictions kingship is reinterpreted in terms of the Son of Man being rejected,
suffering and dying, and vindicated by resurrection. They also show in some ways the way of the
disciples
- the transfiguration (9:2–8) confirms the hidden glory of Jesus' kingship
- the driving out of a dumb spirit (9:14–29) adds impotence and failure (v. 19!) to the disciples'
misunderstanding
- teachings about divorce and remarriage, children, and possessions give specificity to the
demands of discipleship
- the healing of Bartimaeus immediately follows the third passion prediction

11:1 onwards - the action occurs in or near Jerusalem (part five)

- entry to Jerusalem (11:1–11) hints at Jesus' kingship but does not declare it
- second entry introduces conflict between Jesus and Temple authorities (chs. 11–13)
- Mark inserts Jesus' "cleansing" of the Temple into the account of the withering of a fruitless fig
tree
- the questioning of Jesus' authority by religious authorities precedes the parable of the wicked
tenants directed against them (12:1–12)
- more questioning (revolving around the interpretation of scripture):
brief setting, then pronouncement of Jesus (12:13, 18, 28)
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- in all cases Jesus won, who in turn asks a question (12:35 ), and strikes with a proclamation
(12:40)
- the scene is followed by a vignette about a poor widow… (12:41–44)
- ch. 13 discourse about the destruction of the Temple and the end-time
- insertion or clue to the intent of the Gospel?

14:1–11 marks the beginning of the passion narrative proper (chaps. 14 and 15).
- the beginning of the end of Mark’s drama
- the priests and scribes seek to kill him (14:1–2)
- a woman anoints his body for burial (14:3–9)
- Judas seeks to betray him (14:10–11).

- This last part of the story gathers up the major themes of the Gospel into a drama of growing
intensity, punctuated by frequent time notices: the days preceding Passover, the watches of the
night in which Jesus was betrayed, the hours of the day he died.
- Along the way Jesus is betrayed by Judas, let down by the inner three in the garden, forsaken
by all the disciples after the arrest, and on the cross seemingly abandoned by God.
- Three times Jesus is mocked: at the Jewish trial (14:65), at the Roman trial (15:16–20), and on
the cross (15:29–32).
- Only the women stand by him throughout, though at a distance. They witness his death “from
afar,” see the place where he is buried, and go to anoint him when the sabbath is past (15:40, 47;
16:1).

- Many themes converge in the passion narrative; notably Jesus’ rejection by his enemies, the
failure of his friends, and the unfolding revelation of his true identity and mission.
- Jesus’ prophecies are fulfilled: He is rejected, mocked and killed by the authorities, betrayed by
Judas, and denied by Peter.
- As Son of Man he gives his life as a ransom for many (10:45).
- The action toward which the drama has been moving has reached a climax and seems to be
complete, with a stone rolled against the door of a tomb to mark the end (15:46). The burial,
however, is not the end; it is a void from which bursts a new beginning.
- The darkness and silence are broken in the first eight verses of chapter 16.
- The resurrection of Jesus reverses the tragedy, vindicates the suffering Son of man as Christ and
Son of God, and makes of the story “the gospel of God.”

Authorship

based on tradition written by Mark, who was a an interpreter of Peter

- Papias (Bishop of Hierapolis) recalled the tradition which had been told to him by 'the
Elder' (i.e. John) about Mark, who, 'having been the interpreter (ἑρµηνευτής) of Peter, wrote
down accurately (ἀκριβῶς), but not in order (οὐ µέντοι τάξει), all that he remembererd of the
Lord's sayings and doings'.
- The tradition that Mark knew Peter is supported by 1 Peter 5:13
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- Mark often identified with John Mark in Acts 12:12,25; 15:37–9; cf. Col 4:10; Phlm 24 and 2
Tim 4:11.
- Justin Martyr (c. 150) refers to the 'memoirs of Peter'
- Anti-Marcionite Prologue (c. 160–80) tells that Mark was the interpreter of Peter, and that he
wrote his gospel after Peter's death in Italy (c. 64 CE)
- Irenaeus (c. 180) describes Mark as the disciple and interpreter of Peter and says that he wrote
after the deaths of Peter and Paul
- Clement of Alexandria refers to Mark's writing down the words of Peter during the latter's
lifetime
- Origen (c. 200) speaks of Mark's doing as Peter instructed him
- the "naked young man" (14.51-52)?
- safer would be to say that the gospel is anonymous; content of the gospel itself does not say
anything about its author
- it is also possible that the gospel was written by a woman

Place
- Rome or in a Latin-speaking area? (Anti-Marcionite Prologue; Irenaeus; perhaps based on the
link between Peter and Mark; due to many latinisms [centurion 15.39; legion 5.9,15; denarius
6.37; 12.15; 14.5]? due to the theme of suffering in Rome?)
- Egypt? (Chrysostom c. end of 4th century)
- Antioch?
- Galilee, based on the belief that it was intended to summon Christians to flee to Galilee in
expectation of the parousia (W. Marxsen; the location in Galilee is at odds with Mark's lack of
geographical knowledge [see Mk 5:1; Gerasa is ca. 30 mi SE of Galilee; 7:31 Grk] and his
explanation of Aramaic terms; talitha cumi 5.41; ephphatha 7.34; eloi, eloi lama sabachthani
15.34)
- safer would be to assume that the gospel was composed somewhere in the Roman Empire

Date
- earlier than 65 CE (J.A.T. Robinson)
- Mark 13 appears to reflect events associated with the Jewish revolt which began in 64 CE, and
which led to the destruction of the temple in 70 CE.
- safe would be to date Mark between 65 and 75 CE (the debate surrounds the dating of Mark
whether before or after 70 CE)