The Gospel of Mark

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The Gospel of Mark
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The Gospel of Mark

• Earliest Gospel written (c. 65 CE)
• Written in common Greek
• Writing style is terse and not well polished
• Many early Church fathers recognized that it had
  a first draft-like quality to it
• Other Gospels seem to be attempts to polish its
  rough edges

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Ancient Biography Vs. Modern History

• Ancient form of Greek biography was not like
  modern biography
• Not interested in getting the facts accurate
• Interested in communicating the essence of
  someones character and their message
• Ancient writers and readers more interested in
  the moral and philosophical messagesnot facts
• Gospels follow the form of ancient Greek
  Biographies

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Synoptic Gospels

• Synoptic Latin for viewed together
• Similarities between Matthew, Mark Luke noted
  since ancient times
• Most modern scholars now agree that Mark was used
  by Matthew and Luke as a source
• They also added materials of their own
• They also share another source called Q

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The Synoptic Problem

• How does one explain the fact that these Gospels
  agree so extensively in the stories they tell and
  details they present, and yet also disagree a
  lot?

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The Four Source Hypothesis
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Son of God and Son of Man

• In the Aramaic language spoken by Jesus son of
  man had two meanings
• A divine figure spoken of in Daniel 713-14
• A way of saying human being (circumlocution)
• Son of god also simply meant human being
  (eg. 2 Sam 714)
• People today usually interpret them in the
  opposite way today

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The Jewish Messiah

• Jews generally believed in Jesus day (and still
  today) that the messiah would take the form of
  the return of a king descended from King David
  who would return the holy land to their control
  and be their King and perfect ruler of an eternal
  Kingdom established by God (See 2 Sam 714-16)

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The Christian Messiah

• In Jesus day Jewish interpretations of the
  Messiah began to vary, with some expecting
• A great warrior king
• A perfect high priest (Essenes)
• A supernatural cosmic judge
• Only Christians saw an element of suffering as
  being necessary (See Psalms 22, 69 Isaiah 53)
• No mention of Messiah in these passages

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Other Jewish Sons of God and Messiahs

• Simon bar Kosiba was declared messiah a century
  after Jesus
• In the century before and after Jesus many
  figures like Honi the Circle drawer and Hanina be
  Dosa performed miracles and were called sons of
  God

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The Messianic Secret in Mark

• Throughout Mark Jesus commands people to be
  silent about his great works (132 312 143
  543) and about calling him messiah, such as when
  Peter confesses that he is the messiah at 828-30
• Why does he do this?
• William Wredeb/c he never really made such a
  claim (Church added it)
• Did not wish to be identified with traditional
  messiah stereotype

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The True Messiah

• http//ca.youtube.com/watch?vkrb2OdQksMcNR1