Overview

Now that we have had an introduction to the context of Jesus’ life and an overview of the Biblical gospels, we are now ready to take a look at the earliest gospel written about Jesus – the Gospel of Mark.  In this section, you will learn some of the identifying features of the Gospel of Mark, and you will also get a feel for “Mark’s” particular style of writing (even though we do not know the name of this gospel writer, we will use “Mark” to identify the gospel and the gospel writer).

Objectives for this section

• As you go through the resources for this section, you will gain a better understanding of the following aspects of the Gospel of Mark:
  • Origins of the Gospel:  where and when written, original language, etc. 
  • Who was Mark writing for; what was his purpose. 
  • Mark’s writing style so that you will begin to recognize a few differences/similarities between Mark and the other gospels.
  • How Mark portrays Jesus of Nazareth.

Steps for achieving the objectives

Complete the following steps in the order listed.   

Hint:  If you complete all of the reading by the end of Week 5, you will be well prepared for completing the assignments due in Week 6.  Remember:  Procrastination = STRESS!!!   :-/

1. Read Frontline:  The Gospel of Mark – A story of secrecy and misunderstanding.
2. Read “Gospel of Mark” in Complete Gospels [pgs. 19 – 60, including “The empire of God” on 22]

1. By September 24th at 11:59 p.m., post your writing in the Discussion Forum;
2. By September 26th at 11:59 p.m. respond to two of your classmates.