Theme - It is quite generally accepted that Mark's Gospel was produced from information received from Peter; it may be spoken of as "Peter's Gospel" written by Mark. It is quite generally agreed that he refers to himself in the account of the youth who fled in the garden at the time of Christ's arrest. This indicates his personal association with Jesus, at least in the closing days of his life. It also appears certain that the "upper room" in which Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples was in the home of Mark's mother. His intimacy with Peter, his labours with Paul and his cousin Barnabas, and his evident Roman training and characteristics fitted him to write the "Memoir of the Life and Teachings of Christ" especially adapted to the needs of Gentile readers throughout the Roman world. He presents Jesus as the mighty worker, as the divine, humanly incarnate, and all-powerful Saviour, as the incarnate Son of God in the form of a servant. Mark's Gospel is distinguished for vividness and detail, for activity and energy, for supernatural power over disease, nature, and demons, as well as for amazing and wonderful features - distinguishing marks adapted to the Roman mind.

Date of Writing - Various dates from A.D. 57 to A.D. 63 have been suggested for the writing of Mark's Gospel. Early writers suggest that it was written by Mark while in Rome during Paul's imprisonment, and at the request of Roman Christians as a means of preserving the teaching of the Apostle Peter. It is thought that this was Peter's method of carrying out his pledge given in 2 Peter 1:13-15. The many graphic details enumerated in Mark's Gospel clearly point to an eyewitness of the events described and an earwitness to the utterances recorded; that witness was either Mark himself or the Apostle Peter who acted as Mark's informant.

Outline - The following, though brief, outline will be helpful: I. Initiation and Preparation of the Messiah for His Public Ministry (1:1-13) II. Ministry of the Messiah in Galilee (1:14 - 7:23) III. The Ministry of the Messiah North and East of Galilee (7:24 - 9:50) IV. The Ministry of the Messiah en Route to Jerusalem (10) V. The Ministry of the Messiah in Jerusalem (11 - 13) VI. The Obedience of the Messiah (14 - 15) VII. The Triumph of the Messiah in His Resurrection, Commission, and Ascension (16)