Gospel of Mark

2006-11-26

Another view of the origin of the Gospel of Mark

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by Neil Godfrey

Again about a year or so ago I woke in the middle of the night with “a brilliant revelation” that I had to work out on keyboard asap. I had been exploring the range of views in the scholarship on the date and theology of the Gospel of Peter and it occurred to me that the Gospel of Mark, with so many cryptic unexplained references and incidents, might very well be best explained as a response to the sort of gospel narrative that we find in the Gospel of Peter. I was not arguing that the Gospel of Peter as we have it pre-dates GMark, but if GPeter was setting down in ink a previously known oral gospel then many apparent anomalies in GMark are resolved.

Alas, I have since in my mind revised this idea, but have not yet had time to put down my retractions in any essay yet. I did once begin to do this and on re-reading my GPeter-GMark piece began to wonder again if my retraction would hold water. Anyway, for what it’s worth, I’ve attached a link to my original essay on a GPeter related trajectory of the GMark and other synoptics. It did at least provoke some kind comments and thoughtful responses when first released. I may write something opposite tomorrow, but will leave this idea stand for at least discussion and thought nonetheless.

The Gospel of Mark’s fictional characters

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by Neil Godfrey

A year or so ago I wrote an essay discussing characterization in the gospel of Mark and attempted to show that the author paradoxically shows as little interest in the earthly person of Jesus as we find in Paul’s letters. A little thought about the way Mark depicts his characters demonstrates, I think, that he is working at a level as far removed from any interest in Jesus’ earthly history as was Paul. At the time I titled it a bit clumsily Notes on the fictive and parabolic character of Mark’s gospel.

Gospel of Mark’s bookends

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by Neil Godfrey

Have updated and webbed a table to help me keep track of some of the bracket points found in the Gospel of Mark. The opening and closing scenes contain numerous matching “bookends” that are either intended to guide the interpretation of the gospel and/or to help an original oral storyteller recall how the narrative is meant to go (see Shiner’s ‘Proclaiming the Gospel, 2003).

A Cyrenius-Cyrenian link between Josephus and Mark?

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by Neil Godfrey

It is not hard to see curious shifting reflections between the lead characters in Josephus and the Gospel of Mark. Judas first, then Simon with James and Simon with John are Jewish rebel leaders and Alexander and Rufus are two Romans responsible for their executions (though John is apparently spared). In Mark we have Judas, Simon Peter, James and John as leaders and Alexander and Rufus named as identifiers of the one pressganged into the execution of their leader. (And the one executed in place of that leader was anciently believed by at least one form of Christianity, and by modern deconstructionists, the author of Mark himself being characteristically ambiguous, to be Simon himself.)

But is there another name also shiftingly reflected between Josephus and Mark that has not yet been remarked on?

“The sons of Judas of Galilee were now slain; I mean of that Judas who caused the people to revolt, when Cyrenius (Quirinius in Luke 2:2) came to take account of the estates of the Jews, as we have shown in a foregoing book. The names of those sons were James and Simon, whom Alexander commanded to be crucified.” (Josephus, Ant. 20.5.2, Whiston trans.) Continue reading “A Cyrenius-Cyrenian link between Josephus and Mark?”

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Giuseppe on Spit at a Late Date for the Gospel of Mark?: “Hi Neil, my post was meant to raise the suspicion that Karel Hanhart, far from giving a work that “is…” Sep 18, 16:29
Kuudere-Kun on Rome Burning – the Christian Problem in the Annals of Tacitus: “This is kind of verified by reading Lactantius’s Of The Manner in Which the Persecutors died. He does believe Nero…” Sep 16, 14:03
Neil Godfrey on Christ among the Messiahs — Part 4: “I don’t know how your comments relate to the above post about the meaning of “Messiah” or “Christ”. But you…” Sep 15, 21:46
balivi1 on Christ among the Messiahs — Part 4: “In 1 Corinthians 11:23, the name Jesus appears, but the translators may have misspelled it. The proportion in Hebrews is…” Sep 15, 09:18
balivi1 on Christ among the Messiahs — Part 4: “The Lord= Kűriosz” Sep 14, 23:44
balivi1 on Christ among the Messiahs — Part 4: ““Possible, I suppose, but I don’t know of any evidence to verify that the name “Jesus” was not part of…” Sep 14, 23:22
balivi1 on Christ among the Messiahs — Part 4: “The reference to the Son’s death can also be seen in the purpose of the Lord’s Supper designated by Paul:…” Sep 14, 23:09
balivi1 on Christ among the Messiahs — Part 4: ““Because I took from the Lord what I also gave before you: that the Lord Jesus took the bread on…” Sep 14, 23:03

Tag: Gospel of Mark

2006-11-26

Another view of the origin of the Gospel of Mark

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

by Neil Godfrey

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The Gospel of Mark’s fictional characters

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

by Neil Godfrey

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Gospel of Mark’s bookends

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

by Neil Godfrey

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A Cyrenius-Cyrenian link between Josephus and Mark?

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

by Neil Godfrey

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