• John Mark of Scripture: According to the Church Fathers, Mark is likely the “John” or “John Mark” referred to in the Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5-13; 15:37-39; Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11. He also may have been the young man who fled naked from the temple guards in the Garden of Gethsemane.  They tried to seize this young man, but he left the linen cloth he had been wearing in their hands (Mk 14:51-52).  Mark’s Gospel is the only account with this detail.  There is also speculation that this young man was an angel similar to the ones at the tomb.
• Wealthy and from Jerusalem : In Acts 12, Peter went to the home of Mark’s mother in Jerusalem after being freed from prison by an angel: “he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who is called Mark … When he knocked on the gateway door, a maid named Rhoda came to answer it.”  This tells us that Mark’s mother was a disciple named Mary (not the Mother of Jesus).  There were many Christians gathered in her home, which indicated she was a prominent member of the Christian community.  This scripture also tells us that Mark’s family was wealthy enough to have a servant.
• Coworker of the Apostles: Accompanied Paul and Barnabas (who might have been his cousin) on a trip from Jerusalem to Antioch.  The type of assistance he provided is unclear, yet Scriptures say he eventually turned back to Jerusalem when Paul and Barnabas continued on to Perga and Asia Minor (Acts  13:13).  This departure was thought ill of by Paul who later refused to take him along on another apostolic trip, and his disallowance of Mark caused Barnabas to split from Paul who went his own way with the disciple, Silas.  Later, Paul and Mark would work together in Rome with St. Peter.
• Interpreter of Peter: Mark is believed to have been a coworker and interpreter of Peter.  Papias of Hierapolis, in the 2nd century, described Mark as “Peter’s interpreter, [who] wrote down accurately whatever he remembered of what was said or done by the Lord, however not in order.”

• Simple, descriptive Greek compared to the more elaborate language of Matthew and Luke.
• Frequent conjunctions, particularly “kái,” Greek for “and.”
• Abundant use of diminutives, such as little town (Mk 1:38), little home (used 11 times), and puppies (Mk 7:27).
• Jesus is described as very human.  He gets angry, tired, hungry, has compassion on the less fortunate.
• Preferred scene is the boat on the sea: "Once again he went out along the sea" (Mk 2:13).
• Very short and to the point.

The symbols of the evangelists are based on text in Ezekiel and Revelation.  These symbols are fitting for the style of the four gospel accounts.  Mark, for example, describes Jesus like a lion. In Mark’s account:

• Jesus always has disciples with him, as a lion has his pride.
• Jesus is in the midst of the beasts: “At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.” (Mk 1:12-13)
• Jesus is constantly moving from place to place.  He never relents.
• Mark emphasizes the Messianic Secret – Demons and even Peter attempt to reveal Jesus’ identity in Mark’s Gospel, yet this truth is jealously guarded by him.  He roars and rebukes the demons (Mk 1:22-25; 5:3-5), as well as Peter (Mk 8:30, 9:9) ordering them not to proclaim his messiahship.  “In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are – the Holy One of God!’  Jesus rebuked him and said, ‘Quiet!  Come out of him!’  The unclean spirit convulsed him and came out of him (Mk 1:23-26).”  But Jesus is the King, the Messiah: “Again the high priest asked him and said to him, Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One? Then Jesus answered, I am'” (Mk 14:61-62).  Upon Jesus finally revealing his identity, he is condemned to die and is crucified.

• Written in Rome around the time of Peter’s death during Nero’s persecution, ca. 64-67 A.D.  It may have been written as early as 60 A.D.
• The intended audience of Mark’s gospel account was primarily the Gentile and Jewish Christians in Rome.  Another audience was those who had not yet heard the Gospel.
• Mark’s gospel account was entirely written by Mark, except for 16:9-20, which was added later, some time before the second century.  Yet the entire gospel is canonical, meaning that it is divinely inspired.

To continue the lesson, go to the next page to read about Matthew.