Reading Schedule Due Wednesday: Prologue 1:1- 13 As you read, write down five verses that stand out and are meaningful for you, preferably something Jesus said. This is to be done in your notebook. Due Thursday: Part 1: The Messiah Preaches the Good News 1:14-3:35 As you read, write down five verses that stand out and are meaningful for you, preferably something Jesus said. This is to be done in your notebook.

Overview of Mark’s Gospel Jesus is many times misperceived. People from His hometown? Relatives? Great teacher, miracle worker Messiah King

Overview of Mark’s Gospel cont. Opponents thought he got His power from the devil He was a threat. Apostles did not fully comprehend who He truly was.

Overview of Mark’s Gospel cont. Apostles fought over who was going to be in charge after Jesus left. Identifies the path of glory is the Cross. “Are you willing to have faith and let me show the way? Will you follow me?”

Authorship We are not absolutely certain about the authorship of Mark’s Gospel. John Mark (traveling companion of Paul and Peter. This is mentioned in Paul’s letters/First letter of Peter) Mark is Peter’s interpreter. (Early Bishop and writer, Papias) Scholars hold that the author of Mark’s Gospel was mostly likely a Christian who came out of a Jewish background.

Date Before the destruction of the Jerusalem in AD 70. (cf. Mark 13) The Gospel was likely written sometime between AD 65 and 70. Written in Rome sometime shortly after Nero’s persecution of the Christians there in AD

Audience Gentile-Christians who were suffering persecution for their belief in Jesus in Rome. Note the explanation of Jewish customs unfamilar to Gentile readers (Mark 7:3-4, 12:18;14:12) and the use of words borrowed from Latin (kodrantes “penny” Mark 12:42; centurion Mark 15:39, )

Purpose To encourage Christians suffering persecution under the Emperor Nero (A.D ) to remain faithful by recalling the sufferings of Christ.

Winged Lion St Mark, represented as a lion, is a typical Christian iconography derived from the prophetic visions contained in the verse of the Apocalypse of St John 4: 7. The lion is one of the four living creatures described in the book as a place around the throne of the Almighty and they are chosen as symbols of the four evangelists. These "beings" were previously described by the prophet Ezekiel.Apocalypse of St Johnfour evangelistsEzekiel "Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way." The voice of the one who cries in the wilderness: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." (Gospel according to Mark 1:1–3) The lion also symbolizes the power of the Evangelist's word, the wings symbolize the spiritual elevation, while the halo is the traditional Christian symbol of holiness. However, the lion symbols express also the significance of majesty and power (drawn especially from the upward feline tail), while the book expresses the concepts of wisdom and peace and the halo gives an image of religious piety.

Narrative/Literary Style (1/10) Storytelling style of PARATAXIS: sentences/phrases are linked together with conjunctions such as “and” ( και ) 410 of 678 verses in Mark begin with “and”) HYPOTAXIS, opposite of PARATAXIS. Hypotaxis uses subordinate clauses

Narrative/Literary Style (2/10) Sense of urgency: adverb “immediately” ( ευθύς ) used 41 times ( of 51 total NT occurrences) (Mk 1:10, 12, 18, 20, 21, 23…)

Narrative/Literary Style (3/10) Temporal Indications: more general (days & parts of days 1:9, 32, 35, 2:1, 23; 4:1, 35; 8:1) during Galilean Ministry (rapid pace); more specific during Passion (specific hours 15:25, 33-34; slower pace as Jesus’ life comes to a halt)

Narrative/Literary Style (4/10) Vivid and detailed narratives: direct speech; historical present (use of present tense for past events) Gerasene Demoniac: Mk 5: 1-20, Jairus’ daughter & the woman’s faith: Mk 5:21-43, The Epileptic Boy: Mk 9: 14-29

Narrative/Literary Style (5/10) Few Speeches of Jesus: Parables & Eschatological Discourse Mk 4: 1-34 (P) Mk 13: 1-37 (ED)

Narrative/Literary Style (6/10) Repetition of key words and phrases Gospel: 1:1, 14-15; 8:35; 10:29 Kingdom of God: 1:15; 4:11, 26, 30; 9:1 Authority: 1:22, 27; 2:10; 3:15 Sabbath: 1:21; 2:23-28; 3:2, 4; 6:2

Narrative/Literary Style (7/10) “Sandwich” technique (intercalation): a narrative is begun, interrupted, and then resumed. This technique may reflect the unfolding of events (and is also found in the Gospels), but it is also a narrative tool that creates suspense, juxtaposes one narrative with another (trial of Jesus, Peter 14:54-72), and interprets one narrative by means of another narrative (Jairus’ daughter and woman with a hemorrhage in 5:21- 43; the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the Temple in 11: 12-26)

Narrative/Literary Style (8/10) Framing of blocks: Mark frames large blocks of material by similar incidents: 8:22-26 {8:27-10:45} 10:46-52: Two healings of blind people frame and contrast the gift of sight with the progressive blindness of the disciples as they face the mystery of Jesus’ suffering

Narrative/Literary Style (9/10) Grouping: similar stories are arranged together for thematic continuity. Miracles 1:21-45 and again in 4:35- 5:43 Five Controversy Stories 2:1-3:6 Parables 4:1-34

Narrative/Literary Style (10/10) Aramaic Phrases (more common than in other Gospels) Boanerges “Sons of Thunder” Mk 3:17 Talitha koum “Little girl, arise!” Mk 5:41 Korban “Gift” Mk 7:11 Ephphatha “Be Opened” Mk 7:34 Abba “Father” Mk 14:36 Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani ? My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Mk 15:34