The Gospel of Mark (1) - Who Was Mark?

Who is Mark?

The earliest and most important source of an answer comes from Papias, bishop of Hierapolis until 130 A.D., who said Mark had been a secretary and translator for Peter, one of the first twelve of Jesus's disciples, and "wrote accurately all that [Peter] remembered."*

This testimony is of particular significance, since there is evidence that Papias (who lived from 60 - 135 A.D.) knew John, another of Jesus's first and closest disciples, personally.

Bauckham's volume** demonstrates that, indeed, Mark mentions Peter proportionately more than any of the other Gospels. If you go through the book of Mark, you'll see that nothing happens in which Peter is not present. The entire Gospel of Mark, then, is almost certainly the eyewitness testimony of Peter.

Mark does not read like a dry history. It is written in the present tense, often using words like "immediately" to pack the account full of action.

You can't help but notice the abruptness and breathless speed of the narrative.

This Gospel conveys, then, something important about Jesus. He is not merely a historical figure, but a living reality, a person who addresses us today.

In his very first sentence Mark tells us that God has broken in to history.

His style communicates a sense of crisis, that the status quo has been ruptured.

We can't think of history as a closed system of natural causes any more.***

Jesus has come.

Anything can happen now.

Mark wants us to see that the coming of Jesus calls for decisive action.

Jesus is seen as a man of action, moving quickly and decisively from event to event.

There is relatively little of Jesus's teaching in the Gospel of Mark --  mainly we see Jesus doing.

Therefore we can't remain neutral; we need to respond actively.

   -- From King's Cross, by Timothy Keller,
                    in Before




*I am enjoying so much this book by Keller on the Gospel of Mark. And I love this verse in John 14:26 when Jesus promises His disciples that..."the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you."

So Peter had a lot of (supernatural) help when he reported his memories to Mark.


**Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, by Richard Bauckham




***See blog entry for January 3, 2014, World View - Open or Closed?