The Gospel of Mark, Essay Example

For this assignment, you will need your Bible and Powell’s chapter on the Gospel of Mark in his introduction to the Gospels.

In this assignment, you will be reading about what most scholars believe was the first Gospel to be written, the Gospel of Mark. First, read Powell’s chapter on Mark, then complete the following:

The surprises Powell describes refer to what is not found in Mark’s Gospel. Many of the familiar stories about Jesus are not mentioned, such as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaching his disciples the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule or the Lord’s Prayer. Also missing are any mentions of the story of the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son. Most significantly, there are no Easter stories. The only reference to the Resurrection is when the women visiting the tomb find Jesus missing and are told that he has risen.

1. Unusual urgency: the events of the story unfold very quickly, in weeks instead of years
2. An emphasis on Jesus’ deeds over words, leaving a stronger impression of Jesus as a miracle worker
3. A relatively long Passion narrative, where the fast pace slows down to emphasize the details of the passion in an hour by hour account
4. A less-refined linguistic style, with a common style of writing that draws readers in
5. Despite seeming simple on the surface, Mark’s Gospel has an effective rhetorical style
6. Focus on the geographical region of Galilee, and the implication that Jesus will return there after his crucifixion in Jerusalem
7. Mark’s Gospel appears to be written to a Gentile audience, and it explains some Jewish traditions
8. Mark emphasizes Jesus’ humanity, and focuses on Jesus’ human emotions and actions
9. There is a theme of secrecy in Mark’s Gospel, as if Jesus’ role as the Messiah must be kept hidden during his life
10. Mark emphasizes the failures of Jesus’ disciples, describing the ways that they disappointed and betrayed him

Powell notes that the earliest reference to this idea comes in the 4^th century,when Eusebius quotes Papias. Powell questions Papias’ credibility. Mark’s Gospel also has fewer mentions of Peter, and does not offer a favorable view of Peter, making it unlikely that it was written by a follower of Peter. Also, the orientation toward a Gentile audience is not in keeping with Peter’s focus on missionary work among Jews.

Powell believes that Mark was a first-century Christian who was not a follower of Jesus. It is possible that the author learned some of the facts of Jesus’ life from the John Mark mentioned in Acts. Mark may also have had access to first-hand accounts of the Passion. Powell claims that Mark’s Gospel may have been written in Galilee during the time of the Jewish War with Rome between 66-70 C.E.

Mark may have wanted to commit the story of Jesus to writing since his followers and those who knew him were beginning to die off and he did not want the tradition to die off, but Powell believes it is more likely that Mark was trying to write a definitive account for readers alive at the time. Mark appears to want to establish the authoritative principles of Christianity, and to resolve theological conflicts between Christianity and Judaism. He also wants to make sure that Jesus is seen as the true Messiah, and is concerned about false prophets and messiahs.