INTRODUCTION
At the risk of being judgmental this book is very complicated. The points are many and varied. In his lead up to his commentary proper Myers makes many points as he expounds the many topics that would influence that commentary. The World of Jesus and the World of Mark, the filters and models of that social world, the cross-cultural history and the socio-economic tensions of both worlds are all considered. The Jewish War is also a point to consider in that it occurs around the time of writing and most of the historicity comes from the works of Josephus. The major point to consider however is Myers' self confessed socio-historical hermeneutic.
Because there are two parts to this essay discussion has been restricted to those points that have to do with traditioning and the consequences of translation from an oral tradition to a written tradition, the world of Jesus and the world of Mark and how one influences the other. The time and place of writing also will have a bearing on a reading of this story even in this present day. Finally, there is a discussion of the tensions of war and Jesus' roles as Bandit, Prophet, Priest and King.
The above will necessarily govern a contemporary reading of this gospel but it will also indicate in what way we can be pulled into the "war of myths" of which Myers speaks. The purpose of the gospel as a result of this and other readings is then discussed not so much to set this purpose in concrete but to indicate that each gospel is a living breathing thing that each reader puts their own life into and thereby draws on the life of Jesus.
TRADITIONING
One of the points to emerge from this book is the importance of the continuity or discontinuity of the message of the gospe...
... middle of paper ...
...s Story Of Jesus. Maryknoll: Orbis Books.
Nineham, D. E. 1986. The Gospel of Saint Mark. (13th reprint) Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Rhoads, David, Joanna Dewey and Donald Michie. 1999. Mark as Story: An Introduction To the Narrative of a Gospel. (2nd edition). Minneapolis: Fortress.
Van Iersel, Bas. 1989. Reading Mark (translated by W. H. Bisscheroux). Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark.
Additional References
Botha, Pieter J.J. 1993. "The Historical Setting of Mark's Gospel Problems and Possibilities" in JSNT 51, 27-55.
Mayer, Herbert T. 1969. The Books of the New Testament. St. Louis: Concordia.
Rhoads, David. 1992. "Social Criticism: Crossing Boundaries" in Mark and Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies. Ed. by Janice Capel Anderson and
Stephen Moore. Minneapolis: Fortress. Wilder, Amos. 1991. The Bible and the Literary Critic. Minneapolis: Fortre
Ever since its release and subsequent #1 status on the New York Times' bestseller list, Dan Brown's novel `The Da Vinci Code' has refocused the attentions of scholars and the ordinary man on the historical accuracy of the life of Jesus Christ. The crux of the debate relates to the closure of what are referred to as the Canonical Gospels, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The beginning and ending of the Gospel of Mark really support the four main themes present within the Gospel. The four main themes in the Gospel are: Jesus as being enigmatic, Jesus as a sufferer, Low Christology and Apocalypticism present within the Gospel. The beginning and ending of this Gospel support Jesus as being misunderstood because in the beginning, there is no birth story of Jesus or any background information presented, Jesus is just there. This makes one question where did he come from and who was he born to? In the end of the Gospel, the tomb is described as empty and the last sentences of the Gospel in Mark 16: 8 says: “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (1743). This ending of the Gospel is enigmatic because there is no mention of Jesus’ resurrection or whether anyone ever found out that Jesus had ascended to Heaven. The beginning and ending, not to mention the entire Gospel, leaves one wondering many things about Jesus, because his whole existence in Mark is very mys...
Morgan, G. Campbell. Studies in the Four Gospels. 3rd ed. Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1931.
After reading and studying Markan text, it is clear what he thought of Jesus as a person and a leader. The way that Mark writes and the descriptions that he chose to include truly give a Markan picture of Jesus. Consequently, his words also are used to relate the words of Jesus with Mark’s contemporaries. It is crucial to include every aspect of Mark and his audience when using Markan text to study Jesus.
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.
Stanton, Graham. Gospel Truth?: New Light on Jesus and the Gospels. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1995. Paperback.
... Print. The. 2003 Hartman, Louis F. & Lella, Alexander A. The Anchor Bible, The Book Of Daniel. New Haven & London: Yale University Press. Print, 1978 Cook, Stephen L. Apocalyptic Literature.
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.
Kodell, Jerome. "Luke." In The Collegeville Bible Commentary. Edited by Dianne Bergant and Robert J. Karris. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1988.
There are four Gospels in the new testament; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each one writing his perspective story about Jesus, his teachings, his works, his sacrifice, and his resurrection. At the same time, they each seem to elaborate on specific elements of Jesus. The gospel of Matthew writes about the bloodline, the ancestors of Jesus. The gospel of Mark, writes about Jesus as a servant to God. The gospel of Luke, writes about Jesus being the son of a human. The gospel of John, writes about Jesus being the son of God. Having an understanding on the focus of each gospel will help the reader know Jesus and his works better. However, this essay will concentrate on “The Gospel According to Mark,” written in Bruce Manning Metzger, translator of, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version with The Apocrypha (p. 1791). The gospel of Mark is documentation of
Brown, Raymond. A Crucified Christ in Holy Week: Essays on the Four Gospel Passion Narratives. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1986.
The Gospel according to Matthew, although being the first book of the New Testament canon, it was not considered the first gospel genre to be written. Matthew’s gospel gives an account of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In this essay, I intend to look at how the exegesis and interpretation of this gospel may be affected by our understanding of the authorship, its intended readership and where and when it was written. Although all these categories are important in their own right, I will focus more of the intended audience and readership of this gospel.
This essay will show contrasts in views on the Gospel of John regarding authorship,dates, and the relationship between John's Gospel and the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Some comparison of thought, concerning composition and life setting, will also be presented.
The Gospel of Mark is an extremely influential and important chapter for the Christian religion. Mark chapter 14 begins two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This is when the Chief Priests and scribes are making their plans to trap Jesus and kill him. They will do this before the festival because they do not want to provoke the large crowds and cause a riot. There was a dinner in the suburbs, and a woman anoints Jesus with a very expensive ointment which angers some people, because they believe it to be a waste. Jesus then defends the women for what she did, because he believed it to be kind. Meanwhile, Judas sneaks away and agrees to betray Jesus to the chief of priests, who promise him money in return for his