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1The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2As it is written in the prophets,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you:

3the voice of one crying in the wilderness,

‘Make ready the way of the Lord!

Make his paths straight!’”

4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. 6John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. 8I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”

9In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

12Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.

14Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”

16Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”

18Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.

19Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

21They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. 22They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”

25Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”

26The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” 28The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.

29Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31He came and took her by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her immediately, and she served them.

32At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons. 33All the city was gathered together at the door. 34He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. 36Simon and those who were with him searched for him. 37They found him and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

38He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” 39He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

40A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”

41Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” 42When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was made clean. 43He strictly warned him and immediately sent him out, 44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

45But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.

Mark's Introduction to the Gospel (1:1)

Mark's Introduction to the Gospel (1:1)

Topical Study | Mark 1:1 | Hershel Wayne House

General Information

Name

As with the other Gospels, the author of the Gospel of Mark is not explicitly stated. However, very early and nearly universal church documents assign Mark as the author. Papias (ca. A. D. 140) claims Mark wrote the Gospel as Peter’s interpreter. Justin Martyr, writing around the same time, agreed. Irenaeus (ca. 180) also said Mark was the author, and that it was a compilation of Peter’s sermons.

Author and Date

Mark was the author’s Roman name, but he was also known by his Hebrew name, John. He lived in Jerusalem with his mother, Mary, whose home became the headquarters of the first Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 12: 12). Mark went with Barnabas and Saul (Paul) to Antioch, and went on Paul’s first missionary journey around A. D. 46. At Pamphylia, he left Paul unannounced, causing Paul to argue with Barnabas about taking him with them again (Acts 15: 36- 41). However, by 60- 62, Paul’s faith in Mark had been repaired to the point that Paul called him a “fellow worker” (Col 4: 10, 11; Phlm 24). He also helped Peter (1 Peter 5: 13), and came to Rome to help Paul during his imprisonment and final moments (2 Tim 4: 11).

Although some early church Fathers assigned a date as early as A. D. 40, it is all but impossible that Mark would have written the Gospel before he deserted Paul. Irenaeus dated Mark to after both Peter and Paul’s death, around A. D. 67. However, both Papias and Clement of Alexandria, much earlier than Irenaeus, claimed that Mark wrote down Peter’s sermons while Peter was still alive. Also, if Luke used Mark as a source, as many scholars now believe, Mark must have compiled his account earlier than Luke’s gospel, which was written before Luke wrote Acts, sometime around A. D. 62. For these reasons, the strongest argument is that Mark wrote his Gospel sometime in the mid 50’s.

Audience

Clement of Alexandria said that Mark was written for those in Rome. Mark is thought to have been living in Rome at the time of the gospel’s writing. Internal evidence seems to agree with a Roman audience, and also points to a majority Gentile addressees. Mark uniquely uses Latin terms, such as lepta, praetorium, and quadrans. His use of quadrans is especially helpful, since this coinage was not circulated in the eastern part of the Roman empire. Mark also translated Aramaic sayings into Greek, and explains customs unique to Palestine, pointing to a Gentile audience, or at least an audience that was unfamiliar with Judaism in Palestine.

Message and Occasion

Many scholars think Mark was written to strengthen Christian communities in the face of persecution, assuming a late date for the writing of Mark. Certainly suffering is one of the themes of Mark. Mark emphasizes not only Jesus’ death, but also His triumph over death and suffering. However, suffering is not the only theme, and may not even be the most important one. Another theme is that of Jesus as servant. This is shown by Mark’s emphasis on Jesus’ actions over His words. Another significant idea in Mark is Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law, negating its requirements. Because of the similarity of this theme in Mark with the Epistle to the Romans, combined with the theory that Mark was written in the mid- 50’s to Gentiles in Rome, some scholars have posited that Mark was written as a primer in preparation for Paul’s visit to Rome. New converts returning from Pentecost in Jerusalem had most likely formed the church in Rome. Thus they were not established by an Apostolic visit, and were probably lacking in information about the faith they had embraced. Some have even suggested Mark may have written his Gospel with the intent of redeeming himself with Paul. We know that by 60- 62, when Mark was in Rome, Paul had changed his mind toward Mark. If this was the case, it would explain the similarities between Mark and Romans, despite that Mark got his information from Peter.