1. It is the current and apparently well-founded tradition that Mark derived his information mainly from the discourses of Peter. In his mother’s house he would have abundant opportunities of obtaining information from the other apostles and their coadjutors, yet he was "the disciple and interpreter of Peter" specially.

2. As to the time when it was written, the Gospel furnishes us with no definite information. Mark makes no mention of the destruction of Jerusalem, hence it must have been written before that event, and probably about A.D. 63 The place where it was written was probably Rome. Some have supposed Antioch (comp.) #Mr 15:21 Ac 11:20

3. It was intended primarily for Romans. This appears probable when it is considered that it makes no reference to the Jewish law, and that the writer takes care to interpret words which a Gentile would be likely to misunderstand, such as,

a. "Boanerges" #Mr 3:17

b. "Talitha cumi" #Mr 5:41

c. "Corban" #Mr 7:11

d. "Bartimaeus" #Mr 10:46

e. "Abba" #Mr 14:36

f. "Eloi," etc. #Mr 15:34

Jewish usages are also explained #Mr 7:3 14:3 14:12 15:42 Mark also uses certain Latin words not found in any of the other Gospels, as

a. "speculator" #Mr 6:27 rendered, A.V., "executioner;" R.V., "soldier of his guard"),

b. "xestes" a corruption of sextarius, rendered "pots," #Mr 7:4,8

c. "quadrans" #Mr 12:42, rendered "a farthing,"

d. "centurion" #Mr 15:39,44,45

He only twice quotes from the Old Testament #Mr 1:2 15:28

4. The characteristics of this Gospel are:

a. the absence of the genealogy of our Lord,

b. whom he represents as clothed with power, the "lion of the tribe of Judah."

c. Mark also records with wonderful minuteness

1. The very words #Mr 3:17 5:41 7:11,34 14:36

2. The position #Mr 9:35

3. Gestures #Mr 3:5,34 5:32 9:36 10:16 of our Lord.

d. He is also careful to record

1. particulars of person #Mr 1:29,36 3:6,22 etc.,

2. number #Mr 5:13 6:7 etc.,

3. place #Mr 2:13 4:1 7:31 etc.,

4. Time #Mr 1:35 2:1 4:35 etc., which the other evangelists omit.

e. The phrase "and straightway" occurs nearly forty times in this Gospel; while in Luke’s Gospel, which is much longer, it is used only seven times, and in John only four times. "The Gospel of Mark," says Westcott, "is essentially a transcript from life. The course and issue of facts are imaged in it with the clearest outline." "In Mark we have no attempt to draw up a continuous narrative. His Gospel is a rapid succession of vivid pictures loosely strung together without much attempt to bind them into a whole or give the events in their natural sequence. This pictorial power is that which specially characterizes this evangelist, so that ‘if any one desires to know an evangelical fact, not only in its main features and grand results, but also in its most minute and so to speak more graphic delineation, he must betake himself to Mark.’"

5. The leading principle running through this Gospel may be expressed in the motto: "Jesus came...preaching the gospel of the kingdom" #Mr 1:14 "Out of a total of 662 verses, Mark has

406 in common with Matthew and Luke,

145 with Matthew,

60 with Luke, and at most

51 peculiar to itself."

The evangelist; "John whose surname was Mark" #Ac 12:12,25 Mark (Marcus, #Col 4:10 etc.) was his Roman name, which gradually came to supersede his Jewish name John. He is called John in #Ac 13:5,13 and Mark in #Ac 15:39 2Ti 4:11 etc.

He was the son of Mary, a woman apparently of some means and influence, and was probably born in Jerusalem, where his mother resided #Ac 12:12 Of his father we know nothing.

He was cousin of Barnabas #Col 4:10 It was in his mother’s house that Peter found "many gathered together praying" when he was released from prison; and it is probable that it was here that he was converted by Peter, who calls him his "son" #1Pe 5:13 It is probable that the "young man" spoken of in #Mr 14:51,52 was Mark himself.

He is first mentioned in #Ac 12:25 He went with Paul and Barnabas on their first journey (about A.D. 47) as their "minister," but from some cause turned back when they reached Perga in Pamphylia #Ac 12:25 #Ac 13:13 Three years afterwards a "sharp contention" arose between Paul and Barnabas #Ac 15:36-40 because Paul would not take Mark with him. He, however, was evidently at length reconciled to the apostle, for he was with him in his first imprisonment at Rome #Col 4:10 Phm 1:24 At a later period he was with Peter in Babylon #1Pe 5:13 then, and for some centuries afterwards, one of the chief seats of Jewish learning; and he was with Timothy in Ephesus when Paul wrote him during his second imprisonment #2Ti 4:11 He then disappears from view.

Mark - Outline:

I. God Has Acted for His People by Sending His Son as His Agent (1:1-13)
   A. God fulfilled the words of His prophets (1:1-3)
   B. God announced His action through the herald in the wilderness (1:4-8)
   C. God's endorsement of Jesus as His beloved Son showed He is the promised Lord (1:9-11)
   D. God sustained His Son in the experience of testing in the wilderness (1:12-13)

II. The Appearance of God's Son as His Agent Signaled the Presence of the New Age (1:14-45)
   A. God's Agent announced the presence of the new age (1:14-15)
   B. The call to become fishers of men was a consequence of the presence of the new age (1:16-20)
   C. The unique authority of God's Agent demonstrated the presence of the new age (1:21-28)
   D. Healing through God's Agent revealed the saving character of the new age (1:29-34)
   E. The urgency of preaching was consistent with the presence of the new age (1:35-39)
   F. The healing of a leper was evidence of the powers of the new age (1:40-45)

III. The Old Order Failed to Recognize God's Agent or the Presence of the new age (2:1-3:6)
   A. The old order failed to recognize that Jesus had authority to forgive sins (2:1-12)
   B. The old order resented God's Agent for forgiving outcasts and sinners (2:13-17)
   C. The old order failed to understand fasting was inappropriate when God's Agent was present (2:18-22)
   D. The old order failed to recognize that God's Agent was the Lord of the sabbath (2:23-3:5)
   E. The old order displayed hardness of heart when it schemed to destroy God's Agent (3:6)

IV. The Presence of God's Agent Provoked a Reaction from Others (3:7-6:6)
   A. Crowds followed God's Agent to receive the blessings of the new age (3:7-10)
   B. Unclean spirits recognized the threat posed by the presence of God's Agent (3:11-12)
   C. God's Agent appointed the twelve to express His unique authority (3:13-19)
   D. God's Agent was regarded by His family as deranged (3:20-21)
   E. God's Agent was regarded by the old order as demonic (3:22-30)
   F. God's Agent identified His true family as those who do God's will in the new age (3:31-35)
   G. God's Agent used parables to clarify the character of the new age (4:1-34)
   H. When God's Agent subdued the hostile power of the sea, the reaction was awe (4:35-41)
   I. When God's Agent extended the salvation of the new age to the Gentiles, the reaction was both terror and gratitude (5:1-20)
   J. When God's Agent subdued the powers of disease and death, the reaction was fear and amazement (5:21-43)
   K. When God's Agent addressed those who knew Him well, the reaction was contempt and unbelief (6:1-6)

V. God's Agent Extended the Blessings of the new Age in Spite of Opposition (6:7-8:30)
   A. God's Agent extended the blessings of the new age through the twelve, warning them to expect opposition (6:7-13)
   B. The murder of the herald of the new age anticipated the death of God's Agent (6:14-29)
   C. God's Agent provided rest in the wilderness as a blessing of the new age (6:30-44)
   D. God's Agent provided relief to those who obey Him as a blessing of the new age (6:45-52)
   E. God's Agent provided healing for those who seek Him as a blessing of the new age (6:53-56)
   F. God's Agent challenged the old order traditions with enduring commandments (7:1-23)
   G. God's Agent extended new age blessings to believing Gentiles (7:24-8:10)
   H. God's Agent experienced the old order's opposition in their demand for a sign (8:11-13)
   I. The twelve failed to understand the significance of the blessings of the new age (8:14-21)
   J. God's Agent opened blind eyes as a sign of the new age (8:22-26)
   K. Jesus was recognized as God's Agent, the mediator of the blessings of the new age (8:27-30)

VI. God's Agent Exhibited the New Age Paradox: Suffering Precedes Vindication (8:31-10:52)
   A. God's Agent must experience suffering prior to vindication by resurrection (8:31-33)
   B. New age people participate in the paradox: the way to life is through death (8:34-38)
   C. The transfiguration provides assurance: vindication will follow suffering (9:1-8)
   D. Both the herald and the Agent of the new age exhibited the pattern of suffering and rejection followed by vindication (9:9-13)
   E. The powers of the new age are released through faith and prayer (9:14-29)
   F. The paradox of the new age that suffering precedes vindication is reaffirmed (9:30-32)
   G. The paradox of the new age is that greatness is expressed through humble service (9:33-41)
   H. The fact of the new age accounts for the stringent requirements of discipleship (9:42-50)
   I. The creation intention of God for marriage is reaffirmed in the new age (10:1-12)
   J. Entrance into the new age is through childlike faith (10:13-16)
   K. Entrance into the new age requires sacrificial commitment (10:17-31)
   L. The paradox of the new age is reaffirmed (10:32-45)
   M. True discipleship responds immediately to the blessings of the new age (10:46-52)

VII. The Presence of God's Agent in Jerusalem Intensified the Conflict between the Old Order and the New Age (11:1-12:44)
   A. The significance of the entrance of God's Agent into Jerusalem was unrecognized (11:1-11)
   B. The presence of God's Agent in Jerusalem introduced judgment on the old order (11:12-26)
   C. The authority of God's Agent was challenged by representatives of the old order (11:27-33)
   D. God's Agent taught of His transcendent dignity (12:1-12)
   E. The wisdom of God's Agent was challenged by representatives of the old order (12:13-27)
   F. God's Agent was vindicated by His teaching on the greatest commandment (12:28-34)
   G. God's Agent exposed the inability of the old order to understand Scripture (12:35-37)
   H. God's Agent exposed the hypocrisy of the old order (12:38-40)
   I. God's Agent presented a proper response to the presence of the new age (12:41-44)

VIII. God's Agent Foresaw Impending Distress for Jerusalem and the Old Order (13:1-37)
   A. God's Agent foresaw the impending destruction of the Temple (13:1-4)
   B. God's Agent warned of deception through those who falsely claim to act for God (13:5-8)
   C. God's Agent warned of impending persecution and called for steadfastness (13:9-13)
   D. God's Agent warned of the sacrilege that causes desolation (13:14-23)
   E. God's Agent looked beyond the impending distress to triumph for His people (13:24-37)

IX. The Old Order Was Unified in Its Action Against God's Agent (14:1-15:47)
   A. Representatives of the old order determined to seize God's Agent (14:1-2)
   B. God's Agent was anointed for His burial (14:3-9)
   C. God's Agent was denied by one of the twelve who agreed to betray Him (14:10-11)
   D. God's Agent announced His betrayal during the Passover meal (14:12-21)
   E. God's Agent provided His own symbol of the new age (14:22-26)
   F. God's Agent foresaw the failure and denial of His own followers (14:27-31)
   G. God's Agent affirmed His submission to the will of God in Gethsemane (14:32-42)
   H. God's Agent experienced betrayal and arrest, fulfilling Scripture (14:43-52)
   I. God's Agent was condemned, mocked, and brutalized by the old order (14:53-65)
   J. The prophecy of Peter's denial was fulfilled (14:66-72)
   K. The old religious order joined the political order to condemn God's Agent (15:1-20)
   L. God's Agent was crucified as King of the Jews (15:21-37)
   M. God's Agent was acknowledged to be the Son of God by a Roman (15:38-39)
   N. The death and burial of God's Agent was witnessed by godly women (15:40-47)

X. The Resurrection of God's Agent Validated the Presence of the New Age (16:1-8)

XI. A Later Appendix: Proof of the Vindication of God's Agent (16:9-20)