The Gospel according to St Mark

The Author: St. Mark the apostle He carried 2 names: 1. John (Johanna = God’s gift)

2. Mark (Marcus = hammer) Latin Surname used among Gentiles

Both names mentioned in Acts

The Gospel according to St Mark

St Mark’s mother Events took place at their house: Passover Washing disciples feet Eucharist Pentecost

The Author:

Father: Aristobulus – related to St. Peter’s wife

St Mark was cousins with Barnabas Rich family, well educated, fluent in

Hebrew, Latin & Greek. Family moved from Libya to Philistine

when Christ started His public ministry

The Author:

Our Church calls him:

“The beholder of God, the evangelist, the apostle & martyr.”

The Author:

His evangelical Ministries: With St Peter in Jerusalem & Judea for 10

years

With St Paul & St Barnabas on their 1st missionary trip.

Preached in: Syria, Antioch, Cyprus & then to Perga in Pamphylia, then left them to go to Jerusalem.

The Author:

His Evangelical Ministries: Preached in Pentapolis (5 western cities in North Africa) and Egypt.

Served with St Paul once more. St Mark also served in Colossi

The Author:

His evangelical Ministries: Went from Rome to Asia Minor with Paul

again at Paul’s request With St Peter once more while St Peter

wrote his 2nd Epistle. Went back to Egypt and was martyred in

68AD

The Author:

Roman Gentiles: Translated the Aramaic words in his gospel• “Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder.”• “Tabitha, translated = little girl

He did not however translate the Latin names e.g. Peter.

The Addressees:

Explained Jewish traditions:-Purifications & washings.-Releasing a prisoner at the feast-Sadducees about resurrection-Passover

Quoted much less than St Matthew and St Luke from the OT.

Addressees:

The date has not been confirmed 60-64 AD in Rome Some guess was written in Egypt 55 - 61

AD and published in Rome afterwards in 60-64 AD

Was written in Greek

Date of Writing

Introduced Christ to the gentiles as being the Almighty Son of God and Man, who overcame the evil powers of the world,

“Jesus said, I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power, & coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Purpose of the Gospel

Focused on the miraculous deeds of Christ -This is clear in the parables

Referred to other teachings and revelation

of Christ


Christ’s acts to speak about the power of His Divinity:

• His Baptism• Transfiguration

His Divinity as revealed by St Peter.


St Mark narrates his gospel in 2 parts:

1.Christ’s ministry in Galilee

2.The Passion Week in Jerusalem

Characteristics of the Gospel

A) Substance: He offers his version of Christ’s life in a graphic, swift, consequent, chronological & wonderful way.

5 miracles recorded by St. Matthew not

mentioned: • Healing a centurion’s Servant• Healing two blind men • Curing2 demon-possessed men• Extracting the Temple Tax from the fish’s

mouth


Added 3 miracles not recorded by St Matthew: 1. casting out an unclean Spirit 2. healing a deaf mute 3. healing a blind man at Bethesda

Recorded 12 miracles written in the gospel of St Luke, but added 6 others (than the 12).

1. walking on the sea 2. healing the gentile woman’s daughter3. feeding the four thousand 4. withering the fig tree 5. healing a deaf mute 6. healing a blind man at Bethesda


Two Unique miracles:1. Healing the deaf & mute2. Healing a blind man in 2 steps Unique Parable of the Growing Seed Opening of the Gospel: Jesus is the Son of God Conclusion: “He who believes & is

baptised will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” 16:16

Concise, clear, & persuasive in world history.


Style: -Graphic - Vivid Uses repetitions


B) Style: Keen to elaborate on details regarding:• Names• Place• Numbers• Colours• Thoughts• Feelings & Emotions


Language Greek words

Used some words which are not mentioned anywhere in the other books of the NT, like “colloquial” = everyday


Explained in the introduction: Source External Evidences Internal Evidences

Canonicity of the Gospel

The Gospel according to St Mark

Documents