Mark's Gospel

Question 1

What is unique to Mark’s Gospel?

Answer 1

1. No birth narrative, or genealogy.
2. Proportionally larger Passion
3. 5 original pericopes.
4. Typically adds extra details.

Question 2

What is distinct about Mark’s Style?

Answer 2

1. Fast paced.
2. Sandwich Bracketing by telling a story in two parts with another in the middle to allow compare and contrast to communicate bigger points.
3. Thematic Groupings

Question 3

Is the term “Son of God” used in the Greco-Roman world?

Answer 3

Yes, often referring to rulers, heroes and miracle workers.

Question 4

What do some say about the use of the phrase in the Greco-Roman world and the Christian faith?

Answer 4

That the Christian world merely adopted that line of thinking and made Jesus a divine being like Alexander the Great

This view overestimates the influence of the Greco-Roman world on the Early Christians with a Jewish background.

Question 5

Who argued the Secrecy Motif from Mark’s Gospel?

Answer 5

William Wrede

Question 6

What three evidences did Wrede used to argue for the secrecy motif in Mark?

Answer 6

1. Jesus commands silence from demons in Mark 1:25.
2. Silence from People in 1:43.
3. Silence on his location in 7:24.

Question 7

How should we understand the secrecy in Mark?

Answer 7

Jesus needed to be prudent about how quickly things moved along, lest the crowds attempt to hijack his ministry