THE GOSPEL SERIES: NewsTalkers 2018
THE GOSPEL SERIES
New Testament Book: Gospel of Mark
Although the Gospel is anonymous, there is adequate reason to ascribe the book with certainty to John Mark, the attendant of Peter. The Marcan [ascribe to Mark] authorship finds its earliest attestation in the writings of Papias from the early part of the 2nd century, and is further confirmed by Irenaeous, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Jerome, and the Anti-Marcionite Prologue.
Internal evidence reveals the author's familiarity with Palestine (11:1); with Aramaic, the language of Palestine (5:41; 7:34); and with Jewish institutions and customs (1:21; 7:2-4). These items suggest authorship by a Palestinian Jew, such as Mark was (Acts 12:12). Furthermore, the striking similarity between the general outlines of the second Gospel and of Peter's sermon in Caesarea (Acts 10:34-43) harmonizes with NT indication that Mark and Peter sustained a close relationship (I Peter 5:13).
— Wycliffe Bible Dictionary, Charles F. Pfeiffer, Howard F. Vos, John Rea, Editors. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. pp. 1078. First printing, 1998
Amanumensis - A literary agent who is empowered to dictate, copy, sign, and/or publish what another person has instructed.
In this situation, the preaching and actions of Apostle Peter were recorded and put into book form (a Gospel) by John Mark. The audience for Mark's Gospel being Roman citizens, a people more suited to action rather than thought. For those who doubt it, there are many indicators of this book's authorship by Mark.
The Authorship and Publication of the Gospel of Mark
By Ron Jones, D.D. © The Titus Institute, 2010
The historical literary evidence demonstrates that Mark, the close associate of Peter the apostle, wrote the Gospel of Mark from the preaching of Peter and published it first in a private edition for the church at Rome and then in public edition for the church at large.
The Authorship of the Gospel of Mark
The universal testimony of the early church fathers is that Mark, the close associate of Peter wrote the Gospel of Mark.
Carson and Moo explain the significance of this testimony,
“Moreover, no dissenting voice from the early church regarding the authorship of the second gospel is found…While we must not uncritically accept everything that early Christian writers say about the origins of the New Testament, we should not reject what they say without good reason.”
Over a hundred years earlier, Thomas Horne recognized this writing,
“That Mark was the author of the Gospel which bears his name, is proved by the unanimous testimony of ancient Christians…Saint Peter having publicly preached the Christian religion at Rome, many who were present entreated Mark, as he had for a long time been that apostle's companion, and had a clear understanding of what Peter had delivered, that he would commit the particulars to writing. Accordingly, when Mark had finished his Gospel, he delivered it to the persons who made this request. Such is the unanimous testimony of ancient writers, which is further confirmed by internal evidence, derived from the Gospel itself.”
Joseph Kelly concurs,
"The patristic tradition is unanimous that Mark wrote Mark's Gospel."
The following church fathers clearly state this.
The universal testimony of the early church fathers is that Mark, the close associate of Peter wrote the Gospel of Mark.
Mark wrote down the gospel that Peter preached.
Eusebius in his Church History (3.39.14-15) writes of Papias (c.120 A.D.), an early church father, quoting what he stated about the origin of the Gospel of Mark.
“But now we must add to the words of his, which we have already quoted, the tradition which he gives in regard to Mark, the author of the Gospel. ‘This also the presbyter said: Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but afterward, as I said, he followed Peter, who adapted his teaching to the needs of his hearers, but with no intention of giving a connected account of the Lord’s discourses, so that Mark committed no error while he thus wrote some things as he remembered them. For he was careful of one thing, not to omit any of the things which he had heard, and not to state any of them falsely.’ These things are related by Papias concerning Mark.”
Papias calls Mark Peter’s interpreter and then explains what he means. Mark “wrote down accurately what he remembered that Jesus said and did,” but it was not from his own knowledge of Jesus, but of Peter’s. David Black comments on what “interpreter” meant,
“The almost invariable use by the fathers of the word hermeneutes (Latin interpret) to describe Mark’s function proclaims that he was not the author in the normal sense, but rather the “go-between” or “interpreter” of Peter…The term hermeneutes signifies someone who passes on the message received from another without alteration or modification, that is, a “go-between” or “recorder.” In its original sense it cannot mean an editor or one who “interprets” in the sense of explaining someone’s message to someone else. Applied to Mark, it means that he was no more than the instrument of communication between Peter and his audience.
. . . .
Summary
David Black comments on the Mark’s authorship of his gospel,
“Thus Clement, and other ancient witnesses, understood Mark's function to have been simply that of reporting Peter's words with total accuracy. That is, Mark was not the author of the Gospel but simply the agent of its publication, because all of this material came from Peter's own memories of what Jesus had said and done and because what Mark did was to retrieve faithfully, as Peter's amanuensis , what the latter had spoken-on certain special occasions. These are the basic historical facts around which all of the internal evidence will be found to fit exactly.”
REFERENCES:
http://jesusevidences.com/originntgospels/authorshippublicationgospelmark.php
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The site rules, including but not limited to the code of conduct, Red Box Rules, and the Four B’s will be enforced.
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Hey Brother!
I read somewhere that Mark was the "young man" who ran away in the garden at Gethsemane.
Mark 14:51
Also, my Bible suggests that the book of Mark was written between 57 and 63 AD.
TAP! John Mark is conjectured to be the youth who fled naked from Jesus' arrest. And with pure speculation at this point anyway, I wonder if this the same 'youth' with Paul and Barnabas:
I think you are correct.....they are one in the same.
I think Mark was a cousin of Barnabus. Some think that the Last Supper "Upper Room" was in his mothers house.
I read this as being so also! This would help to explain the attachment Barnabas had to his family member - Mark:
Mary was a prominent lady in the Jerusalem church:
Now, I would like to draw your attention to this:
Note, this is in Mark's accounting of the last supper. Could it be his mother's house the man led the disciples to?
I think it is Mark's Mothers house....I think that Mark is writing the book as telling the story from Peter's Perspective.
Very interesting. Hmmm. (Smile.)