to Peter's credit, e.g. his designation as the rock on which the Church was to be built, and the insertion of other things fitted to humble him, such as the rebuke he received when he would have dissuaded Jesus from submitting to his appointed sufferings, and the warning he received by the first crowing of the cock, as well as the introduction of details which would be likely to dwell in Peter's memory all these things lend a high degree of probability to the traditional account of Peter's connection with this Gospel. As regards that part of the tradition which represents the Gospel as having been written at Rome for the Christians there, we find confirmation of it in the connection of Mark with Rome already referred to, and in his Roman name "Marcus," which gradually superseded the Hebrew "John"; in the absence of the Hebrew this fashion." vi. 33: "And the people saw them going, and many knew them, and they ran there together on foot from all the cities, and outwent them." vi. 54-56: "And when they were come out of the boat (into Gennesaret), straightway the people knew him, and ran round about that whole region, and began to carry about on their beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. And wheresoever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the market-places, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole." 1 viii. 29, 30, cf. Matt. xvi. 16-19. 2 viii. 33: "But he turning about, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and saith, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men." 3 xiv. 68-72: "But he denied, saying, I neither know, nor understand what thou sayest: and he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And the maid saw him, and began again to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. But he again denied it. And after a little while again they that stood by said to Peter, Of a truth thou art one of them; for thou art a Galilæan. But he began to curse, and to swear, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And straight way the second time the cock crew. 41.36, 37: "And Simon and they that were with him followed after him; and they found him, and say unto him, All are seeking thee"; cf. Luke iv. 42: "And when it was day, he came out. and went into a desert place: and the multitudes sought after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him, that he should not go from them." xi. 21: And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away"; cf. Matt. xxi. 20: "And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How did the fig tree immediately wither away?" xvi. 7: But go, tell his disciples and Peter, the house of Simon. genealogy of our Lord; in the explanation of Jewish words e.g. Boanerges ("which is Sons of Thunder "), Talitha cumi ("which is being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise"), Corban (" that is to say, Given "), Ephphatha (“ that is, Be opened "), Abba (“Father"),1 and of Jewish customs, e.g. the washing of hands and Passover observances;2 in the frequent use of Latin words and idioms, and very specially in the mention of Alexander and Rufus, if the latter be, as seems very probable, the same person as is referred to by St Paul in his Epistle to the Romans.5 2. Date of Composition. With regard to the date of the Gospel we may conclude in the light of what has been already mentioned that it was written between 64 A.D. and 68 A.D.—the latter being the year of Nero's death, in whose reign Peter and Paul are believed to have suffered martyrdom. It contains, like the first Gospel, a prophecy of the Destruction of Jerusalem, in a form which implies that the great event had not yet taken place. See especially the parenthetic expression in xiii. 14 ("let him that readeth understand"). If we accept the suggestion above-mentioned, that it is the same Rufus that is named in xv. 21 and in Rom. xvi. 13, this also is so far a confirmation of its apostolic date. The "rudeness" of its Greek and its comparative inattention to doctrinal interests are acknowledged signs of its primitive character. 1 iii. 17; v. 41; vii. 11; vii. 34; xiv. 36. The use of the Aramaic expressions themselves is a token of fidelity to the original tradition. over. XV. 42: 2 vii. 3, 4: "For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not.. xiv. 12: "And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the passThe Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath." 3 σπекоυλάтwр (speculator, "soldier of the guard"), KEVTUρiwv (centurio), ξέστης (sextarius, “ pot”), τὸ ἱκανὸν Toñoa (satisfacere, "to content"). These are peculiar to Mark. κράββατος (grabatus, "bed") he uses five times, although it does not occur in Matthew or Luke (but in one passage in Johnv. 8-12). Cf. the Roman expression in xii. 42: "two mites which make a farthing" (kodpávτns= quadrans); and in xv. 16: "the court, which is the Prætorium” (πραιτώριον). 4 xv. 21: "And they compel one passing by, Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his (Jesus') cross. 5 Rom. xvi. 13: "Salute Rufus the chosen in the Lord." 3. Character and Contents. If the first Gospel may be described as Messianic, the second may be fitly styled realistic, bearing traces throughout of the graphic report of an eye-witness. It is minute and circumstantial, giving many details of person, number, place, and time that are not to be found in the other Gospels. 1 It gives a vivid description of the emotions, looks, gestures, and actions of our Lord and others.2 It brings out the picturesque character of 1 xiii. 3, 4: "And as he sat on the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are all about to be accomplished?" cf. Matt. xxiv. 3: "And as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him"; Luke xxi. 7: "And they asked him, saying.' vi. 7: "And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two cf. Matt. x. 5: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying"; Luke ix. 2: "And he sent them forth to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." xii. 41: "And He sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury"; cf. Luke xxi. 1: And he looked up, and saw the rich men.' i. 35 "And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose up and went out, and departed into a desert place, and there prayed"; cf. Luke iv. 42: And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place." vi. 21-28: “. Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of Galilee.. And she went out, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask?. And straightway the king sent forth a soldier of his guard.. cf. Matt. xiv. 6-12. 1. 13: "And he was in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him" (cf. Matt. iv., Luke iv.). 66 2 iii. 5: "And when he had looked round about on them with anger," &c. Cf. Matt. xii. 13: "Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand"; Luke vi. 10: "And he looked round about on them all." 66 iii. 34: And looking round on them which sat round about him"; cf. Matt. xii. 49: "And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples." vii. 33: "And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha." viii. 33: "But he turning about, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter." ix. 36: "And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them : and taking him in his arms, he said unto them"; cf. Matt. xviii. 2: "And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, and said"; Luke ix. 47: 66 But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, he took a little child, and set him by his side, and said unto them." x. 21: "And Jesus looking upon him loved him." x. 32: "And they were in the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going before them: and they were amazed; and they that followed were afraid"; cf. Matt. xx. 17: "And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples apart, and in the way he said unto them"; Luke xviii. 31: "And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them." x. 17: "And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" cf. Matt. xix. 16: "And behold, one came to him and said"; Luke xviii. 18: "And a certain ruler asked him, saying." X. 22: "But his countenance fell at the saying”; cf. Matt. xix. 22: He went away sorrow many of the scenes enacted in our Lord's ministry, e.g. in the narrative of the Feeding of the five thousand this Gospel "alone tells us of the fresh green grass. on which they sat down by hundreds and by fifties; and the word used for 'companies' means literally 'flower beds,' as though to St. Peter those multitudes, in their festal passover attire, with its many - coloured Oriental brightness of red and blue, looked like the patches of crocus and poppy and tulip and amaryllis which he had seen upon the mountain slopes." 1 In keeping with this is the photographic character of its account of the Transfiguration and the cure of the demoniac boy,2 and of the storm on the Sea of Gennesaret. It also frequently reproduces the very words of Jesus and of others,5 using the term "Rabbi," or teacher ("Master") as the earlier mode of addressing Jesus, where the other evangelists prefer "Lord" and narrates events in the present tense as if they were just taking place." 4 3 ful"; Luke xviii. 23: "He became ex- 66 2 ix., cf. Matt. xvii., Luke ix. 28-42. Raffaelle is mainly indebted to this Gospel for the details of his great picture. 3 iv. 35-41: They take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. And there ariseth a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling. And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion"; cf. Matt. viii. 23, 24: "And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep." "Peace, be still" (cf. Matt. viii. 26). vi. 31: Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while." ix. 25: "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him"; cf. Matt. xvii. 18. 4 iv. 39: 5 vi. 22-25 (words of Herod, of Herodias, and of her daughter)—the last only being found, in a direct form, in Matthew (xiv. 6-12). x. 49: "And Jesus stood still, and said, Call ye him. 6 iv. 38: "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" cf. Matt. viii. 25, "Save, Lord; we perish.' ix. 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here cf. Matt. xvii. 4: "Lord, it is good for us to be here." x. 51: "Rabboni, that may receive my sight"; cf. Matt. XX. 33, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." (This feature of Mark's Gospel is in harmony with Peter's words on the day of Pentecost, "God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified" (Acts ii. 36). But in this light the occurrence of the expression "the Lord" (xvi. 19, 20), after the Resurrection, should scarcely be reckoned, as it is by Dr Farrar, among the signs of spuriousness of this passage.) We find a similar instance of literal accuracy in the habitual use of the name "Simon" in the beginning of the Gospel, before the apostolic name of Peter had been conferred, i. 16, 29, 30, 36. 7 e.g., i. 40: "And there cometh to him a leper"; cf. Matt. viii. 2: "And behold, there came to him a leper." Altogether, it is a simple, direct, forcible narrative, and gives the general outline of our Lord's ministry in a clearer form than either the Gospel of Matthew or Luke. It sets Him before us as He worked and taught in the living present, making no mention of the law, and scarcely ever quoting prophecy, but aiming simply to depict Him in that aspect of energetic and victorious strength which was fitted to impress the Roman mind, and which is foreshadowed by the opening words, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God." 1 The following are the passages peculiar to Mark's Gospel : The alarm of Jesus' family (iii. 21). The seed growing secretly (iv. 26-29). The healing of one deaf and dumb (vii. 32-37). The flight of the young man (xiv. 51, 52). (xvi. 6-11). Resurrection In this connection it may be well to recall the fact that while Mark's Gospel has a larger proportion of common matter than any of the others--amounting to no less than 93 per cent. of its whole contents-this is probably due, not to its having borrowed from the others, but to its more strict adherence to the original cycle of oral teaching (Chap. II. § 3).2 2 Verses 9-20 in the last chapter are absent from some ancient MSS. (see marginal note, R.V.). Their absence from and B, however, is largely discounted by the fact that in both MSS. there are traces of a hiatus, as if the passage had been purposely omitted in copying from a still older MS. At the same time, the verses referred to differ greatly in style and language from the rest of the book, and the probability is that they were added by a later hand (possibly with the aid of an independent record), not long after the publication of the Gospel, in order to give a suitable close to the narrative. |