Transcript The Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark
Photo by Nicholas Laughlin
Telling the Story of the Good
News About Jesus the Messiah
Session 1
Opening Prayer
Father,
Begin now with us here in the wilderness,
Don’t abandon us to the wild animal spirits of the market
place, but
Prepare us to hear the message of your kingdom.
Heal our blind spots so we can see where we need to
change our minds.
Teach us to rely on the good news that your kingdom is
near.
We ask these things in the name of your faithful servant,
Jesus.
Amen.
Series based on
The Gospel of Mark
By Donald H. Juel
1999
Abingdon Press
Earliest Info on Mark
• Eusebius (4th century historian) quotes Papias
(2nd century bishop)
Mark was the interpreter of Peter. He wrote down
accurately, but without form what he remembered of
the things said and done by the Lord. For neither did
he hear the Lord, nor did he follow him, but later on,
as I said, Peter – who fashioned the teachings
according to the needs of the moment, but not as
though he were drawing up a connected account of
the Lord’s sayings. Thus Mark made no mistake in so
recording some things as he remembered them. For
he had one thing in mind, namely to omit nothing of
the things he had heard and to falsify nothing among
them. (Juel’s translation, p.18)
Other Opinions on Mark
• Augustine (4th to 5th century)
– Thought 4 gospels too many
– Mark abridged Matthew
• Karl Lachmann (1835)
– Argued that Mark was first gospel written
– Based on the order of events in the 3 synoptic
gospels
• William Wrede (1901)
– First to think of Mark as creator of a new literary form
– a gospel
– Central theme of Mark – the Messianic Secret
Scholarship on Mark’s Gospel
• Source criticism (19th to early 20th century)
– Seeks to identify all the sources
– Mark a mosaic of bits of tradition, stories, parables
• Form criticism
Mark
M
ar
k
Mark Only
– Grew out of oral literature studies
– Identified “easy to memorize”Mark
units
found in
Mt
Matthew Only
M
at
th
ew
• Controversy stories
• Miracle stories
• Wisdom sayings
Mark found in
Luke
Luke Only
Lu
ke
• Redaction criticism
0
50
100
150
Q
New Scholarship on Mark
• Looks at the gospel as a complete unit
• Uses literary analysis
• Gospel of Mark
– Bracketing or sandwich structure
– Use of irony
• Juel favors rhetorical analysis
– …the task of biblical scholars is to help a
contemporary audience understand the Bible, and
…the task of a contemporary audience is to
experience the force of the narrative’s argument in the
present. (pp. 31-32)
Rhetorical Approach to Mark
• Focuses attention on
– The implied author / actual narrative voice in
Mark
• Tells the story from the perspective of a believer
• Tells the story in “street Greek”, not translation
Greek
• The story reflects a knowledge of Hebrew Bible in
its Greek translation, the Septuagint
• The story reflects a knowledge of Jewish customs
and beliefs
Rhetorical Approach to Mark
•Mark
Focuses
attention
1:1 The beginning
of the goodon
news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
– The implied audience (reader) / actual reader
(audience)
Mark 1:23-25
Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean
spirit, 24 and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
• Mark’s audience knew a lot of middle eastern
Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." 25
geography,
historical
people,
Jewish
scripture &
But Jesus rebuked
him, saying,
"Be silent,
and come
out of him!"
ritual
• Mixed evidence for a predominantly Jewish
audience with some Greek converts
• A Greek speaking audience
– Actual reader is placed in position of
privileged knowledge
Rhetorical Approach to Mark
• Focuses attention on
– The text itself
• Mark is not a psychological character study, rather
Jesus is important as one who changes the
face of the world (Juel, p. 40)
• Until recently, Mark notable primarily for its flaws
• Duplicate material viewed differently once Gospel
of Mark performances became popular
• Contemporary readers are more appreciative of
narratives with loose ends
A Very Brief History of the Text of
Mark
• Readers who consult both the KJV and a
contemporary text will notice differences
• Text we read is a translation from Greek
• Greek text used has been “constructed”
from multiple ancient manuscripts
– Rules that guide this construction process
• The most difficult text is preferred
• Shortest text is preferred
Mark 1:1-15
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is
written in the prophet Isaiah, Matthew 3:14-15
"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and
who will prepare your way;
do you come
to
me?"
15 crying
But Jesus
him, "Let it be so now; for it is
3 the voice of one
out inanswered
the wilderness:
proper for'Prepare
us in this
to the
fulfill
all righteousness."
Then he consented.
the way
way of
Lord,
make his paths straight,'"
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all
the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river
Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a
leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed,
"The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop
down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the
heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice
came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." 12
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the
wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the
angels waited on him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.“
Mark 15:33-41
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in
the afternoon. 34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?" 35 When some of the bystanders
heard it, they said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah." 36 And someone
ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to
him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to
take him down." 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his
last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top
to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him,
saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this
man was God's Son!" 40 There were also women looking on from
a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These
used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and
there were many other women who had come up with him to
Jerusalem.
Mark 1:1-15
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is
written in the prophet Isaiah,
"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'"
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all
the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river
Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a
leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed,
"The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop
down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the
heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice
came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." 12
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the
wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the
angels waited on him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.“
Bibliography
• Juel, Donald H., The Gospel of Mark,
Nashville : Abingdon Press, 1999.
• Laughlin, Nicholas, “Pax Lion”, July 5,
2008, photo used by permission under
Creative Commons license.