THE GOSPEL OF MARK Around the time of the Jewish Wars of 66-70 CE, the author known as 'Mark' wrote the first Gospel, possibly in the city of Rome. As such, this work is possibly the first comprehensive effort to describe the life of Jesus in the context of a theological framework. It is possible, though not certain, that 'Mark' was prompted to do so by either Peter or Paul, who may have recognized that their early Christian communities -- who were largely Gentile -- needed a Christian 'scripture' of their own.

St. Mark, after an anonymous Greek Orthodox fresco

Mark's Greek prose is straightforward and compared to the later Gospels, somewhat unpolished. Quite possibly, he had access to certain oral or written sources about Jesus that circulated among the Christian communities of Rome. Mark is at pains to depict the Romans (including Pilate) in a favorable light, so as not to alienate his Roman audience. At the same time, he often feels compelled to explain certain Jewish rituals and customs, which would suggest that his audience was Gentile, rather than Jewish.

Marks' Gospel covers 16 chapters, from the first appearance of Jesus in the company of John the Baptist to the discovery of the empty tomb of Jesus by three women including Mary Magdalene. It is noteworthy that Mark does not provide a Nativity cycle similar to the one that appears in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Furthermore, later redactors added verse 9 through 20 to the last Chapter, which describe the actual appearance of the Risen Christ to Mary Magdalene and the apostles.

The focus of Mark's Gospel is the ministry of Jesus as a faith healer and rabbi, and his suffering on the cross. In this, Mark is unlike later Gospels which emphasize the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah of the new Kingdom of God (Luke and Matthew) or as the 'Light of the World,' the transcendent Son of God (John). In Mark, Jesus shows himself as the 'Son of Man' who reluctantly accepts the role of the Messiah that his apostles wish to bestow upon him.

Mark's Gospel would form the basis of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Luke adapts no less than 350 verses from a total of 660 verses in Mark's Gospel. Matthew goes even further and uses more than 600 from Mark's total of 660. Clearly, as one scholar suggested, Luke and Matthew were writing their account with Mark's book "on their lap."

The resulting similarity between these three works has prompted scholars to call them the 'synoptic Gospels' -- meaning, written from a 'common point of view.' However, Matthew and Luke both added many new oral and literary traditions about Jesus that do not appear in Mark and probably originated in Asia Minor or the Aegean proper.