The Gospel of Mark is the second Gospel in the New Testament collection. However, most biblical scholars now understand that it was probably the first of the Gospels to be written. It is usually dated to 68-70 CE. It was written anonymously, but later tradition gives the name Mark to its author. There are various theories as to where it was composed. Rome or southern Syria are among the places most supported by scholarship today. The Gospel tells the story of Jesus from his baptism to the resurrection and concentrates on the last week of his life. It presents Jesus as a teacher, healer and miracle worker. It uses titles such as Son of Man, Son of God and Christ (or Messiah). Mark so emphasizes the suffering of Jesus the Messiah, that the Gospel has been described as a passion narrative with a short introduction.

My name is Ciarán O'Callaghan CSsR. Since 1990 I have been teaching the Gospel of Mark to university students as well as to priests, religious and laity. I am happy to make my class notes available for download and printing. Unfortunately, for copyright reasons, I cannot make the text and images available for copying. Please report any errors or problems in using these resources to me at: delegate@proclaim.ie.

Notes

Introduction This set of notes locates the Gospel of Mark within the overall context of the New Testament. It explores the political and religious worlds of Jesus, while offering a rapid reading of the Gospel. A detailed commentary on Mark 1:1-15 is also presented.

The Galilean Ministry This set of notes examines the ministry of Jesus in his homeland of Galilee. It focuses on his healing and preaching ministries and on his controversies with religious leaders.

 The Journey to Jerusalem This set of notes examines Jesus' efforts to cure the spiritual blindness of his disciples and to bring them to realize that he is the Suffering Messiah.

The Jerusalem Ministry This set of notes examines Jesus' first days in the city of Jerusalem and his ministry to the people there.

The Passion Narrative This set of notes examines the text of Mark's Passion Narrative in detail and compares the account with those found in the other two Synoptic Gospels.

The Resurrection Narrative This set of notes examines Mark 16:1-8 in detail and compares the account briefly with that found in the Gospel of Matthew.

Websites

A Brief Commentary on the Gospel of Mark Dr. Carl Conrad's website examines the text of the Gospel of Mark in detail.

All-in-One Biblical Biblical Resources Search is a really excellent website offered by Dr. Mark Goodacre of the University of Birmingham.

New Testament Gateway is the award winning web directory of internet resources on the New Testament.

Resource Pages for Biblical Studies is a website which focuses on the early Christian writings and their social world.