A Study of Mark's Gospel
The word disciple means a follower or learner, and this is exactly
what Jesus` disciples were, they used to follow him whilst learning
the word of God, often through parables. The word disciple was used
around 250 times in the New Testament. Apostle was also used
interchangeably with disciple, throughout Mark's gospel to name the
twelve. Apostle comes from the word 'Apostello', which comes from the
Hebrew word, 'Shalah,' meaning to be sent out on a particular task.
This meaning shows the authority Jesus had over the disciples.
Jesus could be seen as a teacher, and in the same way as a teacher
today has authority over the class, Jesus had authority over his
disciples. But the authority that Jesus had can't be compared to
anyone's, this is shown in Mark 1: 17-18 when the first four disciples
were called, 'Jesus said to them "Come with me, and I will teach you
how to catch people' At once they left their nets and went to him."'
The four went from being fishermen to spreading the word of God; the
Greek word for this is 'Aphetes' meaning a radical break from the past
It was in Mark 3: 13-15 when the disciples were first called together.
He said to them " I have chosen you to be with me…I will also send you
out to preach, and you will have the authority to drive out demons."
This shows that Jesus trusted that the 12 were able and ready to
preach the word of God. Twelve disciples were chosen, this could have
been to represent the 12 Jewish leaders, which went on to become
founders of Jewish tribes.
There are many costs and rewards of discipleship; the main cost is
made clear in
Mark 8: 34, "forget self, carry his cross and come with me." This
showed what qualities Jesus actually wanted out of the disciples;
these included commitment, co-operation, courage, and not to
discriminate against anyone. Commitment and courage is shown
throughout the disciple's life, a good example of this commitment is
The Gospel of John, the last of the four gospels in the Bible, is a radical departure from the simple style of the synoptic gospels. It is the only one that does not use parables as a way of showing how Jesus taught, and is the only account of several events, including the raising of Lazarus and Jesus turning water into wine. While essentially the gospel is written anonymously, many scholars believe that it was written by the apostle John sometime between the years 85 and 95 CE in Ephesus. The basic story is that of a testimonial of one of the Apostles and his version of Jesus' ministry. It begins by telling of the divine origins of the birth of Jesus, then goes on to prove that He is the Son of God because of the miracles he performs and finally describes Jesus' death and resurrection.
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (Lewis
Paul and Jesus both have similar topics they teach. Not only that, but Paul and Jesus have very similar teaching styles, with the key difference being how they react to mistakes made by their pupils. Paul and Jesus both lose their temper at points and get very angry, but Jesus transforms his anger into forgiveness, where Paul does not. These similarities and differences presented allow us to better understand what Jesus taught by referencing Galatians as a guide. Overall, we see that Mark and Paul’s letter to the Galatians show the similar beliefs Paul and Jesus had, but also show how they react when those beliefs are
Schultz also stressed the importance of a biblical worldview in the teacher. As the leader in each classroom the students will adapt their teacher’s beliefs, values and finally actions. If they are taught by a teacher who holds a dualistic view of dividing the sacred and the secular, or a postmodern or modern worldview, it will adversely affect the ability of that child to develop Christ centered wisdom based upon the Word of God. Schultz, in referring to the education of children, stated “anything that hinders their moral and spiritual development is the epitome of child abuse.” (2006, p. 163). As such, our curriculum, teaching methods, and moral example, must all reflect a biblical worldview that will evangelize and discipline each student to know and love Jesus Christ.
Mark's Gospel, Christians, and Persecution In Mark's Gospel it shows that Jesus was persecuted in many forms; rejection, threats, mockery and being arrested, this ended up as death. Persecution still happens in the less developed world of today in countries like Egypt, China, Pakistan and parts of Indonesia. The main persecutions Jesus suffered in Mark's Gospel were; threats Jesus reacted by feeling angry but as soon as he looked around he changed his anger to sorrow. When he was being treated he carried on normally and ignored them.
In the short story of “The Gospel According to Mark”, Jorge Luis Borges introduces the readers to controversies to the works of missionaries faced by many civilizations around the world. Borges accomplishes this by accompanying the story with ironic symbols and substantial religious references which allow the readers to connect the story to relevant past events. In this short story, Borges ironically criticizes the effects which various missionaries had on different groups of indigenous people. Amongst these effects, a portion of the effects were positive, while a great majority of the effects was negatively impacting the indigenous groups which the missionaries came in contact with.
The Gospel of Matthew is an eyewitness story written for an audience of believers, under great stress, and persecution. Matthew develops a theological plot incorporating genealogy, speeches, parables, inter and intra textual references, common vocabulary, and fulfillment quotations, with a tension that builds as we are invited into the story. The crucifixion and resurrection bring us to a Christological climax that symbolically points beyond its conclusion to God’s Kingdom, bringing atonement, salvation and the ushering in the Eschaton. The extraordinary events surrounding the crucifixion act as commentary, adding important details concerning the death of Jesus.1
One of the main characteristics of the gospel of Mark is it’s length. Mark is much shorter than Matthew and Luke, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. The author of Mark does not slow down the gospel story and makes sure that only important and relevant details are included. When Mark is compared with Matthew and Luke, it becomes obvious to see what Mark has eliminated. The author’s omission of Jesus’ birth, lineage, resurrection, and ascension denote careful planning and purpose in the gospel of Mark.
follows his word, there are a lot of people who are willing to give up
God’s written law is something that is and should be continuously turned, to not only when Christians find themselves in need, but also throughout in one’s daily life. The four gospels tell to story of Jesus’ life and his teachings he gave while on the earth making it possible for there to be a true example of Christ-like faith. The proposition that there are differences in the story of Jesus and in his teachings seems to question the basis upon which the Christian faith is found upon. Rather than proclaiming the gospels as falsehoods because on the differences they possess, by analyzing the differences in the context of the particular gospel it can be understood that the differences are not made by mistake, rather as a literary device. While the four gospels have differences and similarities, they cannot be regarded as an argument against the faith because their differences are what point to the many aspects of Christ.
When he became the teacher or preacher in this book he was able to relay his wisdom to whoever would listen. This could have helped him do so because he was
...lled me to submit to that supervisor. Jesus empowered his disciples to perform tasks and go out and fulfill their calling.
When Jesus asked his disciples about what people thought about him, they answered that some considered Jesus to be e prophet, some - John the Baptist. But Jesus wanted his disciples to understand his mission, the reason why God brought him to Earth. That is why it was important for him to make sure that people realize who he is and that his sayings are vital for the whole mankind. Jesus was the Messiah, the anointed one, above all other prophets. He was sent to suffer for the all human beings and the reasons why his suffering was necessary are described in Mark's Gospel 8:27-9:1.
(Larry and Sue Richaards, 2011)” With this verse I think that everyone is created unique by God and had different learning capabilities and styles. For if we were created equal there would not be diverse spiritual gifts or even different eye colors. I also think that to truly incorporate a Christian worldview a teacher must be strive to be like Jesus in possess the Fruits of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23. (Larry and Sue Richaards, 2011) For children learn from their environment around them and in order to understand and gain knowledge fully they mimic the
Many important themes arose while I was reading the Gospel of Mark. In my week 2 group discussion posts, the themes I listed were faith, power of prayer, forgiveness, repentance, optimism, gratitude and mercy. However there are more that I found in the chapter and I read through it again such as the healing power of God and standing for righteousness.