Hello, welcome to the podcast, Bible Wisdom Today. My name is Stan Watkins.

The Bible has always been an important foundation for my personal faith, leading me to complete a Bible degree and enter Christian ministry, ultimately going with my wife and family to Europe for 6 years. There I served in the areas of Bible teaching and music. Since returning to the states, I have supported my local church as I have had opportunity, but now I would like a more regular outlet for teaching God’s word.

Understanding the Bible is not simply a matter of belief that it is God’s word. The Bible was written long ago, in a foreign language, within an alien culture, using unfamiliar literary styles. Today’s Bible student must overcome each of these obstacles. This podcast is for those willing to do the hard work to discover God's wisdom for life today.

My intention is to release a new episode once every two weeks covering a specific passage of the Bible, usually about a chapter in length. Generally, we will go through a book of the Bible from beginning to end, selecting portions from both the Old and New Testaments and all literary styles--narrative, prophecy, poetry, and correspondence, among others. We begin our first study, today, with the Gospel of Mark.

Introduction to the Book of Mark

The book of Mark is second in the New Testament, nestled behind the longer book of Matthew and before the much longer book of Luke. The early church arranged the four gospels in the order they thought they were written. Augustine considered Mark to be an abbreviator of Matthew, and gospel readings for church liturgies have historically been taken from Matthew, primarily. This downgrade in the status of Mark has partially continued to this day. Just a few years ago, a member of my local church asked me what I was teaching in my Bible class. When I said, “Mark,” he replied, “Oh, that is my least favorite gospel.” How sad! Part of my task, today, is to get you excited about studying this little book.

In academic circles, the value of Mark was upgraded radically in the early 1800s when scholars came up with a new hypothesis that Mark was not a follower of Matthew, but rather the earliest gospel. As such he was a primary source for both Matthew and Luke. Most biblical scholars hold this belief today. There are a few reasons for suggesting this historical order. First, Mark uses more emotive, frank, and even difficult language than the other gospels. It is easier to think that Matthew toned this language down than that Mark dialed the emotion up. Secondly, it also makes more sense that Matthew and Luke started with Mark and added stories and sayings to it, rather than the other way around. Do we really think that Mark would have removed the birth story from Luke or the sermon on the mount from Matthew if he were constructing a later gospel? When we read the book of Mark, then, we are reading one of the source documents about the life of Jesus, whose teachings and example are now followed by one-third of the world’s population. Now that is exciting!

In this introductory episode, we will meet Mark, the author. We will also learn about the historical context of Mark’s gospel, Mark’s writing style and the narrative structure of his book. The way a writer arranges his materials is particularly interesting, and Mark arranges the events in the story of Jesus in a meticulous way in order to show the theological plotline, which we will also discuss.

The Author

The Gospel of Mark, like Matthew, Luke and John, does not name its author. It seems that Mark, like the other gospel writers, felt that the gospel belonged to the church, not him, and that the Holy Spirit was the true author.

Mark in the Early church fathers

Even though Mark is not named as the author, his authorship is universally recognized by the earliest church fathers. One of our primary sources of information on this point is the church historian Eusebius, writing in the early 300s A.D. He quotes another church father, Papias, who had written about 200 years earlier[1]. In that earlier quote, Papias claimed to have learned from John the Elder that Mark received his information from Peter. Here is that quote, as related by Eusebius,

Mark became Peter's interpreter and wrote accurately all that he remembered, not… in order, of the things said or done by the Lord. For Mark had not heard the Lord, nor… followed him, but later on… followed Peter, who used to give teaching as necessity demanded but not making… an arrangement of the Lord's oracles. (Hist. Eccl., 3.39.15)[2]

There are two important points to notice in this quote. First, Mark received his information about Jesus from Peter, and second, that he wrote these things down in a thoughtful arrangement, but not necessarily in chronological order. Certainly, there are some things in chronological order, Jesus dies before he is buried, for example, but when we read the gospel of Mark, we should not expect a strictly historical narrative.

Describing this process in another passage in his church history, Eusebius again said,

When Peter had publicly preached the word at Rome, and by the Spirit had proclaimed the Gospel, …those present…exhorted Mark… to make a record of what was said….  He did this and distributed the Gospel among those that asked him (Hist. Eccl., 6.14.6-7).[3]

This quote implies, but does not state explicitly, that Mark wrote after Peter’s death. Since the best information we have is that Peter was martyred in AD 64, the writing of Mark is likely shortly after that date at the request of the Roman church. Another church father, Irenaeus, also corroborates this testimony, saying that the Gospel of Mark was, in many respects “Peter’s memoirs” composed by Mark in Rome.

Mark in the New Testament

In addition to the church fathers, we can also learn a great deal of information about Mark, the author, from the New Testament itself. He was also called John Mark, and his mother, Mary, had a house in Jerusalem which was a meeting place for early believers (Acts 12:12). In Acts 12 we read that after his release from prison, Peter “went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying (Acts 12:25). This was likely also the site of the Last Supper (Acts 1:13-14; Mark14:14) and the “upper room” where the disciples secreted themselves away after Jesus’s ascension.

In the New Testament, John Mark does not appear on his own, but only in connection with more prominent people and events. Paul and Barnabas took Mark with them from Jerusalem to Antioch (Acts 12:25). Later, when they were sent out on their first missionary journey from Antioch, they again took Mark, who was Barnabas’s cousin (Col. 4:10), with them (Acts 13:5). Along their journey, Mark left them at Perga in Pamphylia to return to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). We do not know the circumstances behind Mark’s leaving, but Paul definitely considered it desertion. When Paul and Barnabas later prepared for a second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark along again, but Paul refused. This broke up the working relationship between Paul and Barnabas, as we read in Acts 15…

They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left (Acts 15:39-40).

It appears that Paul and Mark eventually restored their working relationship. In his letter to the church at Colossae, which he wrote from Rome, Paul sends greetings from Mark (Col. 4:10). He also includes greetings from Mark to Philemon, written about the same time (Philemon 24). This indicates that Mark now lived in Rome, and by the end of Paul’s life, he had fully regained Paul’s favor. Paul also writes in 2 Timothy, one of his last letters, 

Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (2 Tim. 4:11)

The New Testament also confirms Mark’s association with Peter. In the first letter of Peter, the apostle sends greetings from the church in Rome and “my son Mark” (1 Peter 5:13).

So far, we have focused on the person of Mark, but what do we know about this book that bears his name? Why did he write it? Who were his intended readers and what did Mark wish to communicate to them?

Historical context of Mark’s Gospel

As we learned earlier, Mark was asked to produce this story of Jesus by the church in Rome, probably shortly after Peter’s death in AD 64. This was a time of intense persecution for the church in Rome. 

In AD 64, the ancient city of Rome suffered a terrible fire. It began in the crowded shops filled with flammables south of the legendary Palatine Hill and quickly spread through the crowded tenements of the city. The fire raged out of control for six days, wiping out 70% of the city[4], killing hundreds, and leaving thousands of people homeless. In the aftermath of this great conflagration, both Nero and his enemies in the senate used the devastating circumstances to accomplish their own agenda. Nero instituted a major building program, including a huge palace for himself. His senate enemies sowed discord among the people by claiming that Nero had actually set the fire and simply watched the calamity from his Palace.

In order to fight these rumors against him and prevent an outbreak of violence among the people, Nero looked for scapegoats to blame. He found them in the rising sect of Christians. They were an easy target. They were already considered troublemakers due to their disrespect of emperor worship and Roman gods. According to the Roman historian, Tacitus, Roman authorities began punishing Christians in the cruelest ways. They nailed them to crosses. They wrapped them in the skins of beasts and fed them to wild dogs for sport. Their most innovative torture was to tie Christians to poles, coat them with tar, and set them alight, turning them into human torches to illuminate the night.

This historical background of persecution makes it easier to understand Mark’s emphasis on the suffering of Jesus and the necessity of his disciples to follow in his steps. Here are a few quotations, this from Mark 10…

The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise” (Mark 10:33-34).

And regarding the expected suffering of his disciples, Jesus also said, 

No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life (Mark 10:29-30).

And finally, we read this instruction, which must have been a huge comfort to the original readers undergoing persecution,

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved (Mark 13:11-12).

These references to suffering are not the only way we see a Roman background in Mark. Mark seems to be written for Gentile readers. He explains Jewish customs that must have been unknown to them (7:3-4; 12:18; 14:12; 15:42). He quotes infrequently from the Old Testament and translates Aramaic words for his Greek- and Latin-speaking readers (5:41; 7:11,24; 10:46; 15:22,34). Mark also uses various Latin terms, including “imperial tax” (12:14), and “praetorium” (15:16), which he writes out in Greek characters[5]. Though he writes in Greek, Mark’s first readers may have spoken Latin. Additionally, if Mark were written in Rome, that would explain its immediate acceptance and quick dissemination. All those roads that led to Rome also led away to the provinces.

Style

In addition to the historical background, we should say something about Mark’s writing style. It is short and compact. This is actually one of the reasons I chose to begin this podcast with Mark. It allows us to get a good introduction to the life and work of Jesus in a short timeframe.

Mark writes using the modest vocabulary of ordinary speech. He frequently links clauses with “and” rather than showing the relationships between them with words like “while” or “because.” He also places stories next to one another without any explanation. Mark does not make his meaning explicit but expects his readers to infer meaning from the drama as it unfolds. He often calls Jesus “teacher,” but seldom reports the content of his teaching. At the same time, Mark gives a vivid portrayal of Jesus’ humanity, his sorrow, disappointment, anger, amazement, fatigue, and even ignorance. The effect is to place unwavering focus on Jesus Christ, his divine Sonship and his mission as the suffering Servant of God.

Mark’s Narrative Structure[6]

Mark may well be written in simple vocabulary, but it is not simple literature. In fact, an examination of its narrative structure shows that Mark was a fine literary craftsman. By narrative structure, we mean the way the story is organized and presented, including the order of events, the plot, the characters, the conflict, and the crisis.

Mark crafts his story as a journey. Even before the main action begins, Mark recounts the message of John the Baptist, “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Mark 1:2-3). This motif of journey is carried throughout the book. 

Geographic Movement

If we can visualize a map of Israel, we can construct mental image of the plot line of Mark. On our mental map we see the Lake of Galilee in the north, the River Jordan which flows south from it, and the Dead Sea, its final destination. We also see the capital city of Jerusalem, to the west of the Dead Sea. 

This helps us remember that Mark presents the story of Jesus as a north to south journey. The first half of the book takes place near Galilee. The second short section of about two chapters tells the story of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, and the plot finally climaxes in Jerusalem. This Jerusalem section takes up about a third of the book but only covers the last week of Jesus life. Here, the action comes to a climax with His suffering on the cross. We can summarize the geographic movement, then, with three simple headings, first, Galilee; second, The Journey; third, Jerusalem.

On the outer edges of his book, Mark begins with a prologue, which presents Jesus as the protagonist, and concludes with an epilogue, which tells of Jesus’ burial, resurrection, and promise to reappear to his disciples in Galilee.

If we examine the three central sections a bit deeper, we find that Mark has also provided thoughtful organization for each section. The beginning Galilee section is interrupted in chapter 4 with a lengthy teaching session centered on parables. This divides the action into two subsections, which we might call Galilee 1 and Galilee 2. Similarly, the Jerusalem section is also divided into two subsections with a discourse on the end times in chapter 13, which gives us Jerusalem 1 and Jerusalem 2. Along with the central Journey section, these 5 sections carry forward the action of the plot.

But Mark has also further organized each of these 5 action sections by telling three stories in each one with a similar theme. In Galilee 1, Mark gives us three stories about Jesus calling and commissioning his disciples. In the Galilee 2 subsection, he gives us three stories about boats. In the central Journey section Jesus makes three predictions of his coming suffering and three times the disciples fail to understand. In the Jerusalem 1 section Mark tells of three entrances into the temple and in Jerusalem 2 he relates three consultations between the priests and elders.

The Journey at the center of the book, is the main turning point of the gospel, both literally and figuratively. As he transitions to this journey story, Mark tells a story of a blind man being healed. He is not completely healed at first but reports that he sees men like trees walking. This provides a foreshadowing of the disciples’ confusion as Jesus repeatedly predicts his coming suffering. They kind of understand, but not really. As they arrive near the end of their journey, Mark again tells of the healing of a blind man. This time, blind Bartimaeus is healed immediately and follows Jesus along the way toward Jerusalem.

These organizational details show the skill of the author and remind us of what we already learned. Mark did not write a strictly chronological narrative, but he carefully organized the stories and teachings of Jesus to communicate a distinct theological message. What is that message?

Theological movement

Mark uses this three-part geographical journey to point to a three-part theological movement. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus slowly and methodically reveals who He is. Like the literal journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, this self-revelation of Jesus also unfolds in three corresponding phases. First is the phase of Secrecy, followed by the phase of Schooling and the final phase of Suffering. Jesus early ministry in Galilee is a ministry of secrecy. Jesus frequently tells people that he has healed, the crowd, the disciples, even demons to keep quiet. Don’t tell anyone what they have seen. For example, after he had healed a man with Leprosy, Jesus said,

“See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” (Mark 1:44)

We also read in Mark 3,

Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him (Mark 3:11-12).

This secrecy often confuses readers. If Jesus wants to spread the good news that God has come into the world, why does he take the role of God Incognito? One possible reason might be that the people of Jesus’ day expected a messiah who would bring military victory for the Jewish people. While Jesus embraced some aspects of Jewish messianic expectations, he did not want to present himself in a military role. Surely the Roman overlords would squelch that movement before it had barely begun. Jesus wanted time to develop a faithful following, to create spiritual questions that could only be answered with his suffering on the cross. 

Another possible reason for secrecy is that Jesus cannot be fully known before the cross. A leper who is cleansed may know Jesus as a wonder worker, crowds of followers may know Jesus as a great moral teacher, even the apostle Peter may confess “You are the anointed one,” without fully understanding the meaning of what he says. Only at the cross can we see the rejection, suffering, and ultimate triumph of God. It is only there that Jesus reveals himself as a suffering servant, calling for costly discipleship.

During this time of secrecy, we frequently read that the crowds were amazed. In chapter 1, for example, we read,

The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law (1:22).

And again,

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? …He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him” (1:27).

Later, Mark tells us in chapter 7,

People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak” (7:37).

The second phase of Mark’s theological movement, “Schooling,” is associated with the journey of Jesus and his disciples to Jerusalem. Three times Jesus prophesies about the suffering he is soon to experience in Jerusalem and three times the disciples fail to understand. First Peter rebukes Jesus; secondly the disciples argue about which one was the greatest; and the third time the brothers, James and John, ask Jesus to sit at his right and his left when He enters Jerusalem in glory. After each failing, Jesus follows up with additional teaching[7], finally stating his intent clearly in Mark 10:43:

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Following the Secrecy phase, when the crowds are amazed, and the Schooling phase, when the disciples remain confused, Mark presents us with the final phase of Jesus’ self revelation. The phase of suffering in Jerusalem. While the suffering of Jesus becomes more and more real, the conspiracy of the priests and elders becomes increasingly intense. Both of these movements collide in the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross.

To support these three phases of Jesus’ self-revelation, Mark includes three dramatic declarations throughout his gospel, where one of the characters proclaims an important truth which propels Mark’s theological movement forward. The first such declaration is by Jesus himself. In chapter 1 verse 15 he declares, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” This begins Phase 1 of Secrecy, where Jesus demonstrates that he is the Messiah, but warns the people not to talk about it. We find the second declaration in Mark 8, verse 29, after Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” To that, the Apostle Peter proclaims, “You are the Messiah.” This initiates the Schooling phase of Jesus unveiling. The final great declaration comes from a minor character who only appears at the foot of the cross, as Jesus revealed the full extent of his suffering, dying by Roman crucifixion. Seeing the humility with which Jesus endured the insults of the people, experiencing the darkness that came over the whole land for three hours, seeing how he died, a Roman centurion cries out, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” With that dramatic statement Mark brings his main plot to an end. Yes, Jesus was the Son of God. He came to establish his kingdom on earth, not through military might, but through humble suffering, and he called his disciples to follow him on the same road.

Closing comments

I have enjoyed spending time with you introducing this all too often disregarded gospel. Next time we will begin our proper study of the Book of Mark with chapter 1 verse 1. In the meantime, I want to invite you to visit the webpage of this podcast, which is biblewisdomtoday.com. There you will find a complete script of this podcast, including scripture references that were not noted in this audio format, citations of source material, and information about me, if that interests you. 

If you have found this podcast helpful, I would appreciate your sharing it with your friends by word of mouth. social media or whatever means you have available. Thank you for your help in growing this Bible Wisdom today family.

[1]  Edwards, J. R. (2002). Authorship and Place of Composition. In The Gospel according to Mark (Ser. The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Introduction, Eerdmans.
[2] Edwards, J. R. (2002).
[3] Edwards, J. R. (2002).
[4] Bileta, V. (2023, February 6). The Great Fire of Rome: Was emperor Nero really behind it?. TheCollector. https://www.thecollector.com/great-fire-of-rome/
[5] Edwards, J. R. (2002). Authorship and Place of Composition. In The Gospel according to Mark (Ser. The Pillar New Testament Commentary). introduction, Eerdmans.
[6] Oefele , C. (2019). "To Have or Not to Have” and its Polyphonic Meaning in Mark 8,1-22a. In Reading the Gospel of Mark in the Twenty-First Century (pp. 691–704). essay, Universität Bern. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
352251520_TO_HAVE_OR_NOT_TO_HAVE_AND_ITS_POLYPHONIC_MEANING_IN_MARK_81-22A
[7] Barker, K. L. (Ed.). (2020). NIV study bible. Zondervan citing Four portraits, one Jesus: An introduction to Jesus and the gospels by M.L. Strauss (Zondervan, 2007, p. 185)