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Artist: Andrea Mantegna]]

Artist: Andrea Mantegna]]

::''This is a page about the author. For Mark's Gospel, see [[Gospel of Mark]]''.

::''This is a page about the author. For Mark's Gospel, see [[Gospel of Mark]]''.

'''Mark''' was the eyewitness author of the [[Gospel of Mark]], and outsider to the group of [[the Apostles]].  Though placed second in the [[New Testament]] due to its incompleteness,<ref>The original Gospel of Mark lacks any account of Jesus's background or the [[Resurrection]], neither of which the non-Apostle Mark would have known anything about.</ref> the Gospel of Mark was probably the first Gospel written, probably without authorization by the [[Apostles]].  It was written in [[Greek]] in a simple, forceful style.  As a young boy, Mark was almost certainly an eyewitness to the arrest of [[Jesus]], as described in Mark 14:51-52.  Mark was probably also the boy mentioned at John 6:8-9 ("One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?”).<ref>[[NASB]] version.</ref>

'''Mark''' was the eyewitness author of the [[Gospel of Mark]], and outsider to the group of [[the Apostles]].  Though placed second in the [[New Testament]] due to its incompleteness,<ref>The original Gospel of Mark lacks any account of Jesus's background or the [[Resurrection]], neither of which the non-Apostle Mark would have known anything about.</ref> the Gospel of Mark was probably the first Gospel written, probably without authorization by the [[Apostles]].  It was written in [[Koine Greek]] in a simple, forceful style.  As a young boy, Mark may have been an eyewitness to the arrest of [[Jesus]], as described in Mark 14:51-52.  Mark was probably also the boy mentioned at John 6:8-9 ("One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?”).<ref>[[NASB]] version.</ref>  ''See also'' {{bibleref|Mark|4|10}}: "And when he was alone, ''those present'' along with the Twelve questioned him about the [[parables]]."<ref>[[New American Bible]] version quoted here (emphasis added).</ref>

Mark was likely too young to be an [[Apostle]] of Jesus, and probably simply accompanied his mother (likely [[Salome]] as uniquely mentioned at {{bible ref|Mark|15|40}} and {{bible ref|Mark|16|1}}) when she followed Jesus.  See the ''[[Gospel of Mark]]'' for a discussion of how young Mark was.  Mark's description of [[Jesus]] walking on water is from the perspective of watching it from the shore, where someone too young to be with the [[Apostle]]s in the boat would have been.<ref>Mark 6:45-49.</ref>  Mark's description thereby contrasts with that by the Apostles Matthew and John.<ref>https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/30437/why-is-it-only-matthew-who-records-peter-walking-on-water-in-matthew-1426-31</ref> By a tradition in the [[Coptic Church]], Mark was an attendant at the wedding in [[Cana]].<ref>https://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/saints/mark.html</ref>

Mark was likely too young to be an [[Apostle]] of Jesus, and probably simply accompanied his mother (likely [[Salome]] as uniquely mentioned at {{bible ref|Mark|15|40}} and {{bible ref|Mark|16|1}}) when she followed Jesus.  See the ''[[Gospel of Mark]]'' for a discussion of how young Mark was.  Mark's description of [[Jesus]] walking on water is from the perspective of watching it from the shore, where someone too young to be with the [[Apostle]]s in the boat would have been.<ref>Mark 6:45-49.</ref>  Mark's description thereby contrasts with that by the Apostles Matthew and John.<ref>https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/30437/why-is-it-only-matthew-who-records-peter-walking-on-water-in-matthew-1426-31</ref> By a tradition in the [[Coptic Church]], Mark was an attendant at the wedding in [[Cana]].<ref>https://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/saints/mark.html</ref>

== Mark's Identity ==

== Mark's Identity ==

Mark was almost certainly a [[Gentile]], as he describes without precision Jewish customs in his Gospel.  Also, his bold opening sentence would have been blasphemy punishable by death under [[Jewish]] law, proclaiming (unlike the other [[the Gospels|Gospels]]) that his work is "the gospel of [[Jesus Christ]], the Son of [[God]]."<ref>Mark 1:1 ([[ESV]]).</ref> In addition, Mark was always an outsider with respect to [[the Apostles]], and was not invited into their group after the [[Resurrection]] or when a new 12th Apostle was chosen.  Furthermore, Mark was more critical of the [[Sabbath]], the Apostles themselves, and even Jesus's family who rejected him, in his Gospel than other Gospel writers were.  ''See'' Mark 3:21 (And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”<ref>[[ESV]].</ref>).

Mark may have been of Jewish descent, born to a Jewish family in Cyrene, North Africa (modern-day Libya).<ref>[https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints/mark-686 St. Mark], EWTN</ref> It is argued that his parents were of the tribe of Levi. While he is known for writing the Gospel of Mark, which is thought to have been directed towards a Gentile (non-Jewish) audience, this does not mean he himself was not Jewish.

 

Mark may have been a [[Gentile]], as he describes without precision Jewish customs in his Gospel.  Also, his bold opening sentence would have been blasphemy punishable by death under [[Jewish]] law, proclaiming (unlike the other [[the Gospels|Gospels]]) that his work is "the gospel of [[Jesus Christ]], the Son of [[God]]."<ref>Mark 1:1 ([[ESV]]).</ref> In addition, Mark was always an outsider with respect to [[the Apostles]], and was not invited into their group after the [[Resurrection]] or when a new 12th Apostle was chosen.  Furthermore, Mark was more critical of the [[Sabbath]], the Apostles themselves, and even Jesus's family who rejected him, in his Gospel than other Gospel writers were.  ''See'' Mark 3:21 (And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”<ref>[[ESV]].</ref>).

Mark preferred [[Aramaic]] and quoted [[Jesus]] in Aramaic while the other authors of [[the Gospels]] did not.  Also, Mark was the first to say that [[Jesus]] had changed the Jewish law for blasphemy, such that those who blasphemed anyone except the [[Holy Spirit]] would be forgiven.

Mark preferred [[Aramaic]] and quoted [[Jesus]] in Aramaic while the other authors of [[the Gospels]] did not.  Also, Mark was the first to say that [[Jesus]] had changed the Jewish law for blasphemy, such that those who blasphemed anyone except the [[Holy Spirit]] would be forgiven.

===Traditional Misinformation about Mark===

===Traditional Misinformation about Mark===

 

Although his concise [[Gospel of Mark|gospel]] was plainly written by an outsider, there have been strained attempts to fit Mark into the group.

Although his concise [[Gospel of Mark|gospel]] was plainly written by an outsider, there have been strained attempts to fit Mark into the group.

*[https://bible.fandom.com/wiki/Mark_the_Evangelist Mark the Evangelist], Bible Wiki

*[https://bible.fandom.com/wiki/Mark_the_Evangelist Mark the Evangelist], Bible Wiki

*[https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/the-life-and-gospel-of-saint-mark-the-evangelist/ The Life and Gospel of Saint Mark the Evangelist]

*[https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/the-life-and-gospel-of-saint-mark-the-evangelist/ The Life and Gospel of Saint Mark the Evangelist]

== References ==

== References ==