Making the Mark: Introduction

reagancocke
May 6
2 min read

The Author:

· All four gospels are anonymous. No one claims authorship, but the Church recognizes specific authors.

· The authorship of Mark was established by these early church fathers:

o Papias (A.D. 140) calls Mark "Peter’s interpreter"

o Justin Martyr (A.D. 150)

o Irenaeus (A.D. 185)

o Clement of Alexandreia (A.D. 195)

· John Mark is a secondary figure who may appear in his own gospel (Mark 14:51), but appears with the apostles in Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11, and Philemon 24. This John Mark is held to be the author of Mark and close colleague of Peter.

The Date and Occasion of Writing:

· Material from Mark appears in Matthew and Luke, leading scholars to believe it was written first, meaning it must be before A.D. 70. However, it is most likely that Luke/Acts was finished before A.D. 62 when the narrative of Acts ends, meaning Mark probably dates from the 50s. Many of Paul’s letters contain material that seems to come from Matthew, meaning Matthew, or some version of it, must have existed by A.D. 50, meaning Mark probably dates from the late 40s.

· The church fathers held that Mark was addressed to the church in Rome, especially to Christians who were suffering persecution at the hand of the Roman government. It is thought he was in Rome with Peter, who is the primary source of the material.

Characteristics and Themes of Mark:

· Mark’s primary purpose is to present the witness of the apostles to the facts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus with Peter being the chief witness.

· Mark depicts Jesus as the true Israelite who fully submits to God’s Word. Jesus is presented and presents himself as the model for his disciples.

· From the start, Mark depicts Jesus as the divine Son of God. Mark draws attention to the fact that Jesus wants his identity hidden from those who would misinterpret it. This is known as the Messianic Secret that will only be fully revealed upon his death and resurrection.

· Mark emphasizes the importance of preaching and that the gospel is the power of God over evil and sickness.

· Mark records Jesus’ interest in the Gentiles and the validity of the church’s mission to the Gentiles. This compact telling of the life of Jesus is an evangelist tool for all of us.