The Gospel of Mark: The Most Significant Book in the New Testament - Research Paper Example

(Assignment) The Gospel of Mark: The Most Significant Book in the New Testament I. A Brief Summary The gospel of Mark gives a good account of the life history of Jesus and evidences for his authenticity as the Son of God. The traditional belief is that Mark did this work between 65 CE and 70 CE in Rome. Mark was the cousin of Barnabas (Colossus 4: 10), and accompanied Paul in his first evangelical mission (Act 13: 5). There are biblical references for his imprisonment with Paul (Col 4: 10) and missionary contribution with Peter (1 Peter 5: 13). Mark’s audience was gentile Christians, and in the opening sentence itself Mark reveals his objective of writing this book, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (MK 1:1). When compared to other three gospels, Mark is not an appealing piece of writing. Evidently, his intention was the simple and direct narration of the events so that his gentile audience who did not have knowledge about ‘a promised messiah’ can easily comprehend the message he conveys. Mark’s is the oldest gospel, and obviously the primary sources of information for other writers like Luke, John, and Mathew. Regardless of its lacking readability, the gospel of Mark is often considered as a reliable testimony as he was very close to Peter and Paul in their mission. It contains Jesus’ parables, the miracles he performed, events like crucifixion and resurrection, and finally the mission Jesus vests upon his apostles. According to many, the final element (Mk: 16: 9-20) is an addition to the gospel of Mark probably by some editors. Mark begins the gospel hastily with the oration of John the Baptist, and this informs readers that Jesus is the heavenly messiah and son of God, fulfillment of prophesy. II. Main Features Gospel of Mark is one of the most important pieces of work in the New Testament for several reasons. Despite its terse prose, gospel of Mark is concrete for historical factors and clear narration of Jesus’ ministry. As a writer, Mark has clear objectives, and he gives special emphasis to certain ideas and themes throughout the book. His gospel is not a loose description of too many things, but it addresses specific theological concerns and ethical issues. II. 1. Special Emphasis Gospel of Mark contains 16 chapters among which the first 8 chapters describe his travel to the north. He preaches the word of God and performs wonders as the sign of his authority and heavenly mission. The entire first part reflects the early Christian church’s belief in Jesus as the Christ, Man, and Son of God. Throughout this part several people ask the question who Jesus is, and the answer is that Jesus heals the sick, preaches the word of God, banishes demons, and proclaims that the Kingdom of God has arrived (MK 1: 15). However, neither Jews nor the disciples understand the real meaning of his teachings (3: 16). Mark emphasizes that salvation is offered to all but heavenly secrets are revealed to chosen ones only. And, the miracles he performs are the key indicators that throw light on the mystery of his mission. His actions at the same time are simple and plain, and he explains everything through tales and parables. Mark’s objective is to inform his audience that Jesus is God incarnate who is assigned to suffer and serve in order to rescue the entire human race from the bondage of the world. The second part begins from the 8th chapter when Jesus is on his way back to the south and finally to Jerusalem. He now asks the same question to his disciples “Who do people say that I am?” (Mk 8: 27). Their answer indicates that people still do not have a clear view about who Jesus is. Now he asks a very crucial question, “Who do you say that I am?” (Mk 8: 29). "You are the Messiah!” Peter’s answer shows that he is convinced that Jesus is the true Son of God. Mark says that “Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him”. This verse shows that Jesus admits what Peter said about him. II. 2. Issues/Concerns As mentioned in the beginning, the gospel of Mark deals with certain theological concerns and ethical issues. The first concern is about how to keep the Sabbath in its real sense. Jesus’ observance of Sabbath becomes a bone of contention among the Priests and Pharisees, for he declares that ‘Son of Man is the lord of Sabbath’ (Mk 2: 23-27). He asks, “What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” (3: 4). He asks them to mull over this ethical issue. Jesus is a true Jew, and performs everything the law insists to do. He is not against the observance of Sabbath. He instead condemns the strict legalistic interpretation of the law. Another issue related to their belief is that if Jesus has any right to forgive sins. From the Jewish point of view what Jesus does is blasphemy because only God can forgive sin. However, Jesus reiterates that he has the right to do it, and heals the sick as the sign of his forgiveness (Mk 2: 10). The significance of tradition and rituals is yet another issue discussed in the gospel of Mark. Some people ask Jesus why his disciples do not fast while the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees do it (Mk 2: 19). Also, in chapter 7, Pharisees and scholars who came from Jerusalem interrogate Jesus why his disciples eat with defiled hands. Such events arouse grueling debates among the people gathered, and Jesus answers them through his marvelous yet novel interpretation of the scripture. II. 3. Omissions or Additions Mark has omitted the birth history of Jesus. His gospel begins with the speech of John the Baptist followed by Jesus’ baptism in Jordan. Gospel of Mark is a synopsis of the life history of Jesus. Mark does not give a very detailed description of events when compared to the gospel of Mathew and Luke. Jesus in Mark’s gospel is very vibrant and he takes swift actions. He comes to Jordan one day from nowhere, travels from south to north and again back preaching the Good News, healing the sick, performing miracles, banishing demons, and debating with scholars and Pharisees. Finally, he bravely heads to the cross and death. After resurrection (said to be an addition) he sends his apostles to the world to preach the Good News. Mark’s omission of Jesus’ birth story seems deliberate. The prime focus of his gospel is the ministry of Jesus and the salvation he attained for the mankind through his death and resurrection. In other words, Mark depicts Jesus as a man of action and leaves out description about his background. According to him, Jesus’ origin is not a matter of discussion, for he is the Son of God (Mk 1: 1). Hence, tracing his origin means tracing the origin of God! Any detailed description of the birth and childhood of Jesus would affect the style of his prose and thereby its goal. Another event omitted in the gospel of Mark is the Sermon on the Mount for which Mathew has devoted three chapters in his gospel. In the same way, Mark has omitted certain parables also in his writing. For instance, the parable of householder hiring laborers, Marriage of the Kings Son, and parable of the Talents are not found in his gospel. Unlike Mathew, Mark has omitted Jesus’ usages like ‘Pharisees, hypocrites’ in his description. All these omissions (with many more) point to Mark’s intention of presenting Jesus as the true ‘servant’ of God and humanity. In addition to the above factors, several usages and events also make the gospel of Mark unique. For instance, unlike other gospels, a sense of urgency is vivid throughout the actions of Jesus. Mark uses the word ‘immediately’ several times in the first chapter itself when describing events (MK: 1: 12, 1: 20, 1: 21, 1: 42). Mark’s Jesus is a man of ceaseless activity; he is a teacher and servant to his disciples (MK 4: 38, 5: 35, 9: 5). III. Literature Review Edwards describes why Mark remained unpopular among other gospel writers until the 19th century. Obviously, its ‘inferior abridgement’ and concise prose were the major reasons. Unlike other gospels it lacked proper beginning and ending that could have resolved future theological concerns. Till 19th century, the gospel of Mathew and John were considered as the primary ones. By 19th century Mark’s gospel was taken for wide research for being the first one, and majority opined that major part of the gospel of Mathew and Luke has clear influence of Mark (2). As Edwards describes, the gospel of Mark gained scholars attention once the ‘Markan priority’ was widely approved, and today many believe that Mark was a brilliant writer who deployed multiple literary devices to depict Jesus as the Son of God and the Servant of humanity (2-3). Obviously, gospel of Mark deserves the prominent position in the New Testament as this is the first written account of the life history of Jesus. Bible researchers today heavily depend on Mark as the finest source of reliable information. Hence, studying the gospel of Mark has become the primary step of studying the entire New Testament. Bible scholars in general divide the gospel of Mark into two major parts in which the first contains Jesus’ wonderful deeds and the second his suffering and resurrection. Bloomberg points out some limitations of the study of scholars like Robert Gundry that says Mark intends to surpass the idea of perceiving Jesus as a wonder worker. According to Gundy, the second part of the gospel clearly depicts Jesus’ triumph and glory, and thus it outweighs the first part. His prophesy of his suffering and death shows that he has full control over the events, and the suffering is his own choice for the sake of humanity. However Blomberg argues that Mark has maintained a clear balance between two essential truths; ‘Jesus’ glory and the centrality of the cross’ (131). Evidently, Mark has given equal emphasis to Jesus’ divinity and humanity. He clearly states that Jesus is a carpenter (Mk 6:3). There are several instances when Jesus is deeply moved by compassion (MK 6: 34, 7: 34, 8: 12, 6: 6, 10: 16). Elwell and Robert also point out the significance Mark has given to Jesus firstly as a preacher and secondly as a miracle worker who is deeply moved by the sufferings of the people around him. He serves them by healing their diseases and casting demons. And his ability to perform the actions is transferred to his disciples as well, albeit their inability to comprehend this gift well (32-33). The core of Marks gospel according to Elwell and Robert is that “it portraits how Jesus the Son of God accomplished the Kingdom of God” through his ‘supreme act of death and resurrection’, and it is the hardness of the human heart that still hides this truth (35). Mark insists that one who believes in Jesus will enjoy the fruit of salvation. Jesus in Mark cures the sick, performs miracles, supports his disciples and shows that the spirit of Sabbath is not broken by charity. Hence, he reminds the world that law should always have a humanitarian dimension. Many researchers like Horsely believe that the modern versions of the gospel of Mark have undergone some modifications. The major element they point out is the addition of the 16: 9-20. As the authors point out, the 4th century manuscript of the gospel actually ends with 16, 8, with the women fleeing from the tomb of Jesus on the day of his resurrection. The abrupt ending of the gospel is reasonable as it is on par with the abrupt beginning of the plot. However, the researchers argue that the addition which clearly differs from the style of Mark probably was added by some editors who mistook Mark for an incomplete piece of writing (91). The longer ending (Mark 16: 9-20) found in majority versions has a close similarity with the ending of other gospels, and Horsely believes this as the illogic contribution of someone to the work of Mark (279). Regardless of these debatable issues, Mark’s gospel depicts Jesus as a unique figure. Being a Jew Jesus often visits the Synagogue and the Temple but causes debate over various things. Such events are not accidental. He intentionally provokes others’ opinions on religious matters and gives further clarifications on disputable matters. He perceives temple and Synagogue as the most potential venues where he could easily get a large audience. The term Son of God has to be understood from a Jewish perspective as it involves a range of meanings other than the literal one. As Strecker points out, according to Jewish concept, king at his enthronement was adopted by God as his son, and his acts would be considered as divine and legitimate whereas in Greek culture, the term referred to a divine man or a hero who could perform miracles and wonderful deeds for the humanity (81). Strecker continues that when the gospel calls Jesus ‘the Son of God, it has the latter view according to which Jesus is a divine man who can predict and perform his mission, death and resurrection rather than establishing an ‘apocalyptic Jewish kingdom’ and then known to be the Son of God (81-82). Hurtado points out some elements that make the gospel of Mark unique when compared to the other three. Genealogy is the major element lacking in the gospel of Mark. Then, Mark has not said anything about the virgin birth and annunciation of Jesus. The original ending of the gospel omits post-resurrection appearances, but leaves a hope for appearance in Galilee (587). Hurtado however, does not count this diversity as limitation, but takes this as a complementary factor and asserts that the ‘fourfold gospel manifests a preference for a fullness of witness to Jesus’ (587). In that sense, the four gospels vary in terms of their objectives, and this does not make one inferior to the other. When reading the gospel one must understand that providing historical evidence was not the objective of any of the gospel writers; they instead approach historical events from a theological perspective, and therefore differences are likely. IV. Principles and Applicability The above discussion points to the relevance and uniqueness of the gospel of Mark. The gospel of Mark contains a clear message and theological purpose of its own. Mark wants to let the world know that Jesus is the Son of God. He is the true savior and God incarnate for whom the world has been waiting. He attained his mission through his death and resurrection. His kingdom is not an apocalyptic one, but believing in him will bring forth salvation. As Williams notes, Mark gives a clear view of the Christian discipleship, and ‘his gospel is a call to discipleship’. In Mark, disciples have a distinct role to play in the ministry of Jesus. They are not like the common (minor) figures appearing throughout the events (335-336). Disciples are the unique group of individuals chosen for a special mission. They are separated from the crowd and summoned for special sermons. They are trained in every aspect and given chances to perform miracles in the name Jesus. Salvation is open to all whereas discipleship is optional and requires abstention. The sick and destitute come to Jesus, receive blessings, and soon disappear in the crowd whereas the disciples are chosen from the crowd. They leave their possessions, accompany Jesus day and night, and risk their lives. Mark cherishes discipleship, and invites the world to follow Jesus to achieve salvation in its real sense. He also reminds the world that following Jesus involves various tribulations. A true disciple will have to confront doubts, failures, persecutions, misunderstanding, poverty, and all kind of atrocities from the officials and the clergy. Mark insists that one should be faithful to this discipleship, for the result one gains outweighs the sufferings. The gospel of Mark is the clear indication of how to rely on God through his only son Jesus. Believing in Jesus justifies one as Jesus is the God incarnate. As Marshall indicates, Mark’s descriptions often imply the concept of faith though not mentioned as it is. The story of Syrophoenician women is an example of Mark’s stance on the faith among gentiles (31). Jesus is the true man and true God at the same time. Like any other man he eats and drinks, confronts temptations, and undergoes all tribulations so as to glorify human life and to assimilate all human weakness and weariness into his godliness. Now it is easy for human to see Jesus in his own sufferings. Jesus made the concept of God ‘palatable’ to human minds. In total, the gospel of Mark is a guide in our spiritual journey rather than a brief account of Jesus’ life history. Mark invites readers to learn how God teaches the way of salvation through the words, deeds, sufferings, death, and resurrection of his son Jesus. According to Mark, the response to the call of Jesus is the response to the Father. Mark also reminds us that spiritual journey involves ups and downs. Faith is not attained overnight; it requires one to pursue the path of Jesus patiently. The direct disciples of Jesus also failed several times in their faith, but God’s grace lifted them up and enabled them to be stable. The same experience is inevitable with every believer. In total, according to Mark, faith is nothing other than discipleship, and discipleship altogether is a rewarding challenge. Works Cited Blomberg, Craig L. Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2009. Print. 978-0805444827. Edwards, James. The Gospel According to Mark. Eerdmans, 2002. Print. ISBN 978-0-85111-778-2. Elwell, Walter A. and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998. Print. ISBN 0-0810-2806-X Horsely, Richard A. "Mark". In Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. Hurtado, Larry W. Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity. Eerdmans, 2005. Print. Marshall, Christopher D. Faith as a Theme in Marks Narrative. Cambridge University Press, 1994. Print. 0521477662. Strecker, Georg. Theology of the New Testament. Walter de Gruyter, 2000. Print. ISBN 978-0-664-22336-6. Williams, Joel F. “Discipleship and Minor Characters in Marks Gospel”. Bibliotheca Sacra (July September, 1996). Web 21 Feb. 2014. The New Testament. King James Version. Read More