BACKGROUND NOTES ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK
Author
The author is not named in the original document, but since earliest times the Church asserted that Mark wrote this Gospel, in conjunction with the memories of the apostle Peter. Mark featured in Acts as a secondary figure. He joined Paul and Barnabas on the First Missionary Journey, and then deserted them in Pamphylia (Acts 15:38). Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them again on the Second Missionary Journey, but because of his earlier desertion Paul refused. "They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted ways"(Acts 15:39), but later Mark found his way back to Paul (2 Timothy 4:11). By the time Peter writes his first letter, he calls Mark "my son"(1 Peter 5:13).
According to Church tradition Mark ended up in Rome with Peter, where he acted as translator for Peter, and his Gospel is a written version of his recollection of Peter's preaching.
A peculiar incident recorded in Mark 14:51-52 might refer to Mark: After the Last Supper, when Jesus went to Gethsemane, a young man dressed in a bed sheet followed them, and when the soldiers tried to seize him he fled naked, leaving the garment behind. It is speculated that the Last Supper took place in the home of his mother Mary.
Why was it written?
Some members of the church in Rome, afraid that Peter's bold preaching might get him arrested, asked for a written version of Peter's preaching of Jesus, which Mark compiled. Apparently Peter didn't encourage Mark in this, but fortunately he didn't stop him either!
How and when was it written?
Mark's Gospel was probably the first to be written, in Rome. Mark based it on Peter's memories, which is why it correlates strongly with Peter's preaching in Acts 3 and 10. Peter died a martyr in AD 64, and since he was apparently aware of (if not actively involved) in the writing of Mark's Gospel, scholars place the date of writing somewhere between AD 40-65, with latest evidence favouring the early part of this period.
First audience and destination:
According to the Church Fathers Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria it was written in Rome. It is a fast-moving narrative, presenting Jesus as a man of action, something that appealed to Roman culture. It was probably intended for Gentile Christians living in and around Rome. His aim is that people everywhere should accept Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Literary style:
Like Matthew, Mark wrote in ordinary Greek (Koine). We can summarise his Gospel as being compact, vivid, and orderly.
· Compact: It is much shorter than the others, starts rather abruptly at the baptism of Jesus (where Peter met Jesus for the first time), and ends even more abruptly - literally in the middle of a sentence! (See below)
· Vivid: Mark focuses on the actions of Jesus, and contains a lot less teaching sections than the other Gospels. He frequently writes in the present tense to describe the action, and uses lively, vigorous vocabulary. He is often "wordier" than Matthew and Luke, adding extra details creating vivid pictures of Jesus in action. The character of Peter shines through: he just couldn't sit still, and Mark's narrative reflects that excitement, often by using the word "immediately".
· Orderly: Mark doesn't write in precise chronological order, but he is the most orderly of the Gospels. Matthew and Luke follows his chronology in a general sense, but arrange their material more topically within that general chronology.
Themes:
· Mark focuses on the actions of Jesus, but he is also aims to give a clear picture of who Jesus really was. He shows how Jesus revealed Himself gradually to His disciples, focusing on both the human and divine sides of Jesus.
· He also focus strongly on the work of Jesus, as Saviour — one third of his Gospel is concerned with the cross and death of Jesus.
· He frequently records the reactions of people to the teachings and miracles of Jesus — either fear or faith.
Special features
· "Messianic secret": Mark makes it clear that Jesus revealed Himself gradually to His disciples, and highlights that Jesus himself wanted to keep his real identity "secret". Early recognition would have led to populism and a demand that He become a political Messiah. Jesus knew His mission on earth, and He was absolutely focused on accomplishing that mission, and nothing else.
· Peter's weaknesses: Mark places far more emphasis on Peter's weaknesses than his strengths, as if Peter wanted people to know about his mistakes.
· The ending: In the earliest manuscript copies of Mark's Gospel it actually ends in the middle of a sentence (16:8): "...for they were afraid of". There are three possible reasons for that: (1) Mark might have intended to end on an uncertain note, leaving the end open, (2) Mark could have been prevented from finishing, something interrupted the writing and he never had the chance to finish, or (3) the ending was lost in some or other way, which seems the most probable explanation. The original document could have been damaged during persecution of the church; some have even suggested that Peter tore off the end, because he didn't want a written record of Jesus' very personal resurrection appearance to Peter! But these are only theories, the truth is that we don't know.
Since Matthew and Luke draw strongly from on Mark's work, it is highly probable that at least parts of his original ending are included in their Gospels.
General structure:
Mark follows a chronological outline, focusing on Jesus' ministry in Galilee, omitting the visits to Jerusalem during the early ministry.
Phase 1 - Chapters 1-9: Covers the first two-and-a-half years of Jesus' ministry. He is very popular, thousands flock to Him. This phase ends with the central watershed moment of Mark's Gospel: Peter's confession of Jesus, and the transfiguration.
Phase 2 - Chapter 10: The next six months. Opposition to Jesus starts and grows very intense.
Phase 3 - Chapters 11-16: Covers Jesus' last week, when opposition culminates in His death. During this week Jesus concentrates on His 12 disciples.
