Many biblical scholars consider Mark to be the earliest production among the four gospels.
Unlike Luke and Matthew, Mark contains no infancy narrative of Jesus. And compared to the other three, there is little by way of a post-resurrection appearance. What is there (Mark 16:8-20) seems to be compiled from the accounts in the other gospels; moreover, these verses are not found in the earliest manuscripts. When one considers how, for centuries, Jesus’ nativity and resurrection have been the main foci of Christian theology, the virtual absence of both in Mark, the first written gospel, is striking. In Mark, we are left to deal with Jesus first and foremost as teacher. The concern isn’t so much who Jesus is as what he says. Still, who he is matters. and Mark addresses it in the opening verse of his gospel scripturally, having no need to resort to philosophy or theology: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it it written in the prophets.”

With this episode, A Light To The Nations begins an exclusive focus on the Gospel of Mark. Every two weeks we will hear the text and discuss its content, particularly the terminology in the original Greek. Join me today for The Beginning Of The Gospel (Episode 58), and our discussion of Mark 1:1-3.

Notes:
“Passing Clouds” performed by Roger Limb