Mark – Introduction

1. No genealogy, no record of Jesus’s birth
2. Focuses on Jesus’s actions more than His teaching, the book is a record of the services performed by The Servant of God
3. Euthus (Greek) – this word is used 41 times, it is translated as straightway, immediately, forthwith, etc. It gives sense of urgency, immediacy and power.
4. Characterized by directness, fast paced stories of Jesus in actions – characteristics of a faithful, hard working servant.
5. Closed with – the Lord worked with them (16:20)

Key Verse

Mark 10:45 – For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Interesting Facts

1. Shortest of the four gospel
2. Earliest of the four gospel, Matthew and Luke used this book as reference when they wrote the other two gospel.
3. The other Gospels quote all but 31 verses of Mark.

When and Where was it written?

1. When it was written?
   1. Acts is dated as 63AD (before Paul’s death AD 64-65, Nero’s presecution on Christians AD 66-70)
   2. Since Luke was written before Acts, and Mark was written before Luke, Mark was written before AD 63
   3. Mark might have written this Gospel after Paul’s wrote the letter to the Romans in AD57 at Corinth on his 3rd mission trip
2. Where it was written?
   1. Written in Rome, was intended primarily for Gentiles
      1. no references to Jewish law
      2. Only 2 quotes from OT (1:2)
      3. When using Aramaic terms, Mark translates them for his readers (3:17, 5:41, 7:11, 7:34, 10:46, 14:36, 15:22, 15:34)
      4. Constantly explains peculiarly Jewish terms and customs (7:3,14:12,15:42)

Author

1. Most bible scholars agree that it was written by Mark based on Peter’s preaching concerning Jesus
2. John is his Jewish name, Mark is his Latin surname (Acts 12:12, 25)
3. Mark’s mother’s name is Mary, she was wealthy lady living in Jerusalem, and Christians frequently had meetings in her house (Act 12:12)
4. Some says the Last Supper and the 10 days prayers meeting before Pentecost was at Mark’s mother’s house. (Acts 1:13)
5. A cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10)
6. He may be the young man with nothing but linen cloth in garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:51-52)
8. Went on Paul’s 1st missionary trip with Barnabas, and left halfway at Perga (Acts 13:13) returned back to Jerusalem
9. Barnabas wanted to take Mark on the 2nd missionary trip but Paul didn’t, so they went on their on way (Acts 15:37-39)
10. He may be the man carrying a jar in Jerusalem whom Peter and John on the day before Passover (Mark 14:13-16)
11. Mark was the spiritual son of Peter (1 Peter 5:13)
12. Was with Paul in Rome’s prison (Col 4:10)
13. Was with Peter in Babylon (Rome, 1 Peter 5:13)
14. Last mentioned by Paul’s 2nd letter to Timothy, Paul asked Tim to bring along Mark to Rome (2 Tim 4:11), because Mark was very useful for Paul’s ministry
15. Mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria, at the great solemnity of Serapis their idol, ending his life under their merciless hands. (Fox’s Book of Martyrs)