Bible Study on Mark - Part 1, Introduction & Mark 1:1-3

After prayer, we began to look at Gospel and the Gospels. The word “Gospel” simply means “Good News." We can find Law and Gospel in all the Scriptures, in the Old and New Testaments. “The Gospels” usually refer, though, to the four New testament books that tell of the life and ministry of Jesus, His Word and deeds as our Lord and Savior.

I just touched on this, but God in His wisdom chose to inspire four Gospels, not one. He never tells us exactly why, but He gives us four perspectives on Jesus, by four different authors, each writing in his own way and style, yet giving us exactly what God intended for us, in each Gospel.

Part of the reason likely is that the authors seemed to write to different audiences, in order to reach each of them the best possible way. How do we know that? There is evidence within the Gospels themselves and there is testimony from early church fathers, supporting this idea.

For example, Matthew’s Gospel may have been the first to be written, around 50 AD; and Matthew seems to write to fellow Jews. He uses lots of quotations from the Old Testament, which Jews would know and which would be important for them - prophecies of the coming Savior. Christians of the late first and second centuries, who followed the apostles, are unanimous that Matthew was the author.

Mark, in contrast, seems to have been written a little later - 60-65 AD or so - and is directed to Gentiles (non-Jews), and Gentiles in a particular area. Mark uses very few direct quotes from the Old Testament in his whole Gospel, though he certainly knows the Old Testament and alludes to it. Non-Jews would be less interested in the Old Testament or may not even have known much about it; and Matthew had also already documented many of these Old Testament prophecies.

The testimonies of Christians of the late first and second centuries, again, are unanimous in saying that John Mark was the author of the Gospel of Mark. The author Papias wrote, about 130 AD, based on what he had heard from Elder John (most likely the Apostle John) that Mark became the Apostle Peter’s interpreter, and told especially what he knew from Peter himself. Others said that Mark wrote this Gospel in Rome, at the request of people of Rome and the surrounding area of Italy, mostly non-Jews, who had heard Peter preach and wanted to know more about this Jesus and Christianity.

Early tradition also says that the Apostle Peter was in Rome for only about a year, preaching and teaching, and then was put to death by the Roman Emperor Nero, about 65 AD. Mark then probably wrote his Gospel around 65 AD or a little after to help these new believers or inquiring people in Rome and Italy. He writes then, also, especially from the perspective of Peter. This also fits with what we know about Mark from the Scriptures themselves and from what we will see, as we study Mark’s Gospel together in weeks ahead.

Turn now to Acts 12:1-11. King Herod, a later relative of the Herod who killed all the babies in Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus, had the Apostle James executed. When he saw how much it pleased the Jewish leaders, he also had the Apostle Peter arrested and imprisoned. Peter is able to escape, by a miracle of God. Notice where he goes in Acts 12:12. It is “to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark.”
This is the first clear mention of Mark (also called John or John Mark) in the Scriptures, though Peter obviously knew him and his mother already.

The next time we hear of Mark is in Acts 13:13, around 46 AD or so, when Paul and others, including Mark, begin their first missionary journey. Mark, however, soon leaves them and returns to Jerusalem.

In Acts 15:36-40, plans are being made for a second missionary journey, around 49-51 AD. Barnabas wants to take his cousin, John Mark, along, but Paul refuses because Mark had been, in his mind, a “deserter” and left them on the first mission trip. There was “a sharp disagreement” and Barnabas and Mark go their own way to Cyprus, while Paul and Silas begin their second mission trip. (This is a strong reminder that even the early church had problems. It was made up of sinful, imperfect people, just as the church still is today. The church is a hospital for sinners - forgiven sinners.)

We don’t of hear of John Mark again until Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, almost 10 years later, somewhere around 59-61 AD. See what Paul writes from Rome in Colossians 4:10-11, where Mark is with Paul, and Paul is very complimentary of him. Paul also wrote a letter to Philemon, a member of the church at Colossi, at the same time, and he mentions Mark (and Luke and others) as fellow workers. Obviously, the past problems have been worked out, and all are working together again in a good way.

Peter who was also in Rome later, as we have heard, spoke of Mark in 1 Peter 5:13, another letter written from Rome. Peter speaks of “Mark, my son." Mark was not his literal son, but this may mean that Peter helped bring Mark to faith and certainly helped him grow in faith and service to his Lord . They were very close friends and co-workers with one another. This is similar to what Paul says of Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:2 and 2 Timothy 1:2. Paul likely helped bring Timothy to faith in Jesus and taught him much.

The last mention of Mark is in 2 Timothy 4:11, around 68 AD, when Paul is in prison in Rome again and likely soon to be executed for his faith. Only Luke is with Paul, and Paul wants Timothy to “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.”

There is one more early church tradition about Mark. The early church historian, Eusebius, wrote that John Mark was the founder of the Christian church in Alexandria, in Egypt, and its first bishop, and that he died there too, as a martyr for the faith.

This is the Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark. Watch for more about all this and for evidences of his connections with Peter and what he learned from him (though he clearly also knew Paul and Luke and so many others, as well).

Turn now to Mark 1:1-3 for a quick start on the actual Gospel. The first words are a summary of the whole Gospel. The primary message is Gospel - Good News! - but not just any old good news - rather, the Good News centered in Jesus and described by the very important names and titles given to Him here. We will see more of this as we work through Mark, but for now:

• Jesus is the Christ (the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah,”  the “Anointed One” of the Old Testament). See Isaiah 61:1 and Jesus fulfilling these words in Luke 4:16-21. See also Mark 8:27-29 and Mark 14:60-62.
• Jesus is given the special name “Jesus” - the name Joseph and Mary are to give Him, which means “Savior” or “the Lord (Yahweh) is salvation." See Matthew 1:20-21, 25, and Luke 1:30. Jesus will be the Savior from sin.
• Jesus is “the Son of God." He is God become man for us. See John 1:1,14,18 and Colossians 2:9 and 1 Timothy 2:5-6. Jesus brings people to confess that He is the Son of God and can do all the saving things he claims, because he is much more than an ordinary human being. See Matthew 16:15-16 and Mark 15:39.

Then Mark gives the first of very few direct quotations from the Old Testament, in Mark 1:2-3. (This is how I should have worded this in my podcast.) He emphasizes the quotation from Isaiah 40:3 in verse 3, but includes words also from Malachi 3:1. Both point clearly to the coming of John the Baptist, who prepare the way for the coming Savior, Jesus (as those who were in our Malachi study know very well. You can go back in our podcasts to the last few lessons on Malachi, which emphasize this.) Then very quickly, Mark says in Mark 1:4, “John appeared”; and that is where we will begin next week.

I have relied on conservative Lutheran commentators in this introductory study, especially Martin Franzmann, for much of this background information. The commentators don’t always agree on exact dates when events happen, but I have tried to describe all this as best I could. We cannot be sure that everything that early church fathers said was totally accurate, either, though the ones referred to seem to be reliable. What is always reliable and true is what the Scriptures themselves say, as the inspired Word of God in the Old and New Testaments, including the Gospel of Mark and all the other direct Scriptures we looked at in this lesson.