The Gospel of Action

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MARK
The Gospel of Action
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control against such things
there is no law.
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Galatians
4
By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention
of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave
orders concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when
he was born, was hidden for three months by his
parents, because they saw he was a beautiful
child and they were not afraid of the king's
edict.
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Hebrews
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Love is patient, love is kind and is not
jealous love does not brag and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly it does not seek its
own, is not provoked, does not take into account
a wrong suffered,
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1 Corinthians
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To the angel of the church in Sardis write He
who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven
stars, says this I know your deeds, that you
have a name that you are alive, but you are
dead.
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Revelation
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The Parable of the Sower
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Matthew
Mark
Luke
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The Wise Men from the East come to visit Jesus as
a child.
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Matthew
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Feeding of the 5,000
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Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
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Why Four Gospels?
In our minds, the Gospels have lost
their familiarity. individuality. purpose.
freshness.
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
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Why Four Gospels?
Matthew Author Date Audience Theme Mark
Author Date Audience Theme
Luke Author Date Audience Theme John
Author Date Audience Theme

• Matthew
• lt AD 65
• Jews
• Gospel of the Kingdom
• Mark
• lt AD 65
• Romans
• Gospel of Action

• Luke
• lt AD 65
• Theophilus
• Gospel of History
• John
• AD 85
• Greeks
• Gospel of Evidence

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Why Four Gospels?

• Similarities
• All the gospels follow a similar story and
  structure.
• Especially the Synoptics often favor one
  another.
• General Order
• Specific Order
• Specific Wording

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Why Four Gospels?

• Differences
• Matthew - Gospel of the Kingdom
• Tends to be more succinct and more polished.
• Tends to be thematic.
• Focuses on the kingdom and the Messiah.

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Why Four Gospels?

• Differences
• Mark - Gospel of Action
• Pays attention to details in persons, places,
  numbers, times, emotions, gestures, actions.
• Generally more diffuse (verbose), but more vivid
  and descriptive.
• Tends to be thematic
• Focuses on the narrative rather than the sermons,
  on the miracles rather than the parables. It is
  the gospel of Action

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Why Four Gospels?

• Differences
• Luke - Gospel of History
• Luke is the most versatile in his vocabulary.
• He focuses on chronology.
• Makes emphasis on
• 1. Chronology (less thematic)
• 2. The universal nature of the gospel.
• 3. Prayer
• 4. Women
• 5. The Holy Spirit

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Why Four Gospels?

• Differences
• John
• John differs greatly in style.
• Rather than parables, John looks to Jesus'
  discourses.
• John spends most of his time in Jerusalem.
• John is the simplest in language, but said to be
  deepest in content.

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Why Four Gospels?
Apply to Text What differences do we see in
these accounts that characterize each of the
gospels?
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Why Four Gospels?

• Conclusion - Why Four Gospels?
• The gospels were written for different purposes,
  peoples, times, cultures, languages, etc.
• The story of Jesus is the paramount of the Bible.
• There was not as much question in the early
  disciples minds about what happened in the early
  church as what happened in Jesus life.

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More About John Mark
27-33 - Crucifixion
33 - Pentecost - Establishment of the church
(Acts 2)
34 - Conversion of Saul / Paul (Acts 9)
AD 40
47-48 - Pauls first Journey (Ac.13-14)
49 - Discussion about Circumcision in Jerusalem
50-52 - Pauls Second Journey (Acts 15-18)
52-56 - Pauls Third Journey (Acts 18-21)
AD 60
60-62 - Paul to Rome (Ac. 27-28)
70 - Fall of Jerusalem
History Of John Mark
AD 80
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More About John Mark
(Acts 1212-17) And when he realized this, he
went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who
was also called Mark, where many were gathered
together and were praying. When he knocked at the
door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came
to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice,
because of her joy she did not open the gate, but
ran in and announced that Peter was standing in
front of the gate. They said to her, "You are out
of your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was
so. They kept saying, "It is his angel." But
Peter continued knocking and when they had
opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
But motioning to them with his hand to be silent,
he described to them how the Lord had led him out
of the prison. And he said, "Report these things
to James and the brethren." Then he left and went
to another place. (NAS95)
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More About John Mark
(Mark 1451) A young man was following Him,
wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked
body and they seized him. (NAS95)
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More About John Mark
(Acts 1225) And Barnabas and Saul returned from
Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission,
taking along with them John, who was also called
Mark. (NAS95)
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More About John Mark
(Acts 1536-41) After some days Paul said to
Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brethren
in every city in which we proclaimed the word of
the Lord, and see how they are." Barnabas wanted
to take John, called Mark, along with them also.
But Paul kept insisting that they should not take
him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and
had not gone with them to the work. And there
occurred such a sharp disagreement that they
separated from one another, and Barnabas took
Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul
chose Silas and left, being committed by the
brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he was
traveling through Syria and Cilicia,
strengthening the churches. (NAS95)
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More About John Mark
(Colossians 410) Aristarchus, my fellow
prisoner, sends you his greetings and also
Barnabas' cousin Mark (about whom you received
instructions if he comes to you, welcome him)
(NAS95)
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More About John Mark
(Philemon 124) as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas,
Luke, my fellow workers. (NAS95)
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More About John Mark
(2 Timothy 411) Only Luke is with me. Pick up
Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to
me for service. (NAS95)
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More About John Mark
(1 Peter 513) She who is in Babylon, chosen
together with you, sends you greetings, and so
does my son, Mark. (NAS95)
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More About John Mark
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More About John Mark
It is interesting that early Christian writers
are unanimous in testifying Mark wrote under
Peters superintendence and by his authority.
Justin Martyr calls Mark Peters memoirs.
Tertullian says Mark may be affirmed to be
Peters, whose interpreter Mark was.
Origen says Mark composed it as Peter guided
him.
Eusebius writes that all the contest of Marks
Godspel are regarded as the memoirs of Peters
discourses.
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More About John Mark
Papias And this the Presbyter said Mark having
become the interpreter of Peter, wrote accurately
whatever he recorded. He did not present,
however, in regular order the things that were
either spoken or done by Christ, for he had not
been a personal auditor or follower of the Lord.
But afterwards, as I said, he attached himself to
Peter, who gave instructions according to the
necessities of his hearers, but not in the way of
making an orderly arrangement of the Lords
words. So that Mark committed no error in
writing such details of things as he recorded
for he made conscience of one thing, not to omit
on the one hand, and not to misrepresent on the
other, any of the details which he heard.