Survey of Mark
  1. Author and Date
    1. Mark's Background
      1. John was his Hebrew name; Mark was his Latin name
      2. His mother was Mary, the sister of Barnabas (Acts 12:12; Col. 4:10)
      3. Early Christians often met at his house (Acts 12:12)
        1. Suggests they were wealthy enough to have a large house
        2. Barnabas owned quite a bit of land (Acts 4:37)
      4. Possibly a convert of Peter's (1 Peter 5:13)
      5. Companion of both Peter & Paul
    2. Mark's Ministry
      1. Accompanied Paul & Barnabas on first missionary journey (Acts 12:25; 13:3-13)
      2. He "departed from them" (Acts 13:13)
        1. Possible Reasons
          1. Holy Spirit only separated Paul and Barnabas so possibly he didn't feel called
          2. He disliked the fact that Paul was the leader instead of Uncle Barnabas
          3. Gentile emphasis bothered him
          4. Lack of maturity, youth, homesickness, etc.
        2. Paul's Reaction
          1. Did not want to take him on second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41)
          2. Barnabas took Mark; Paul took Silas (Acts 15:39-40)
            1. God can use disagreements to further His work.
            2. Good Christians do disagree with each other even when one has the gifts of an apostle!
      3. Silence about Mark for about ten years
      4. During this time he and Paul "patch things up"
        1. Paul mentions him during his 1st Roman imprisonment (Col. 4:10; Philemon 24)
        2. Worked with Peter in Babylon (1 Peter 5:13)
        3. Profitable to Paul when Paul was awaiting his death (2 Tim. 4:11)
        4. Tradition states he went to Egypt and established churches in Alexandria
        5. Tradition states he died a martyr under Nero
  2. Characteristics
    1. Present the gospel and Jesus as Son of God (1:1)
    2. Written for a Roman audience
      1. Explains several topographical features of Palestine
      2. Latin terms are used
    3. Least Unique of the gospels
    4. Action: euquV which means "immediately, straightway" used 42 times
    5. Questions about the ending
      1. Long ending
      2. Short ending
      3. No ending
  3. Distinctive Features
    4.

    Event

    Text

    Parable of the Growing Seed

    4:26-29

    Healing the Blind Man in Bethsaida

    8:22-26

    Flight of the Young Man

    14:43-52
  4. Outline
    1. The Introduction of the Servant (1:1-13)
    2. The Ministry of the Servant (1:14-5:43)
    3. The Opposition to the Servant (6:1-8:26)
    4. The Instruction of the Servant (8:27-10:52)
    5. The Presentation and Rejection of the Servant (11:1-12:44)
    6. The Prophecy of the Servant (13:1-37)
    7. The Passion of the Servant (14:1-15:47)
    8. The Resurrection of the Servant (16:1-20)

Note: We will not be surveying Mark due to the fact that most of the material that he covers is found in the other gospels.