Chapter # 1 Paragraph # 1 Study # 2
August 28, 2018
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: Mark's "Title" of His Gospel Indicates What He Considered a "Beginning" Point for the Gospel.
Introduction: In our introductory studies we looked into some of the implications of the historical and theological upheaval of the first century during the ministry presence of Jesus of Nazareth. We also considered some of the implications of Mark's particular place within the setting of Spirit-inspired records of that ministry presence; the most potent of which is that Mark "saw" Jesus in a particular light because he saw him as the particular solution to his own most glaring sin-issue.
1 John 2:16 puts all sin-issues into three categories that address "sin/sins" from the perspective of what "drives" men to sin. From what the Bible tells us of Mark, his particular weakness was tied up in what John called "the arrogance of functional capacity", or, as the Authorized Version translates it, "the pride of life".
In order to be as clear as possible about this particular issue I want to point out that "the arrogance of functional capacity" has two significant elements. The first of those elements relates to the aggressive pursuit of "the glory of men" by means of "works", "skills on display", or "significant achievements". The second, but no less important, of these elements relates to the aggressive attempts to defuse any situations which might humiliate, or embarrass, the person and diminish the level of "glory" that others might be willing to extend. The first of these elements we might characterize as "love/lust" and the second we might simply call "fear".
Mark is not revealed in the Scriptures as a "love/lust" motivated person; but he is revealed as a "fearful" one. But, the two are conjoined twins where one cannot exist without the other. So, since we know of Mark's "fear" we can assume his "love/lust" in regard to the glory of men.
It is in these lights that my particular understanding of Mark's Gospel stands (or falls) so that what we will see as we study is how this all plays out.
- I. The "Beginning".
- A. The word, so translated, is a word that has enough shades of meaning that it is sometimes hard to nail down an "exact" understanding of what is meant.
- 1. It is used in the Greek text that stands behind the KJV in 56 verses.
- 2. Strong's points out the fact that the translators of the KJV used eight different English words to attempt to indicate its meaning in those 56 verses.
- 3. In Mark's Gospel those translators were consistent, always translating Mark's use of the word with the English word "beginning" (1:1; 10:6; 13:8; and 13:19).
- a. In three of these four texts, "beginning" seems to fit pretty well.
- b. But it is somewhat hard to see Mark's record of Jesus' Gospel within the scope of that English word.
- 1) As a "beginning" to the Gospel, Mark presents John the baptizer coming as a fulfillment of a couple of "messenger/preparer" prophecies.
- 2) He then skips all of the information given in Matthew and Luke about any of the events that took place before the initiation of Jesus' public ministry.
- 3) Then, having recorded the material that he felt was most significant of what Jesus did and said, he, apparently, ended his record with a abrupt declaration of disobedience by the women at the grave motivated by "fear".
- B. My take on this is that Mark used the word in a slightly different sense in his "title".
- 1. It is my perspective that Mark wished to present Jesus in light of his own need for a solution to his "lust/fear" issues.
- 2. The use of "beginning", therefore, seems to be more in harmony with Paul's use in Colossians 1:18 where Jesus is called "the Beginning" as a matter of putting Him into the place of absolute preeminence.
- 3. Thus, I take this "title" word to mean that Mark is going to present Jesus in view of the most difficult, and, therefore, preeminent problem of man: the pride of life and his presentation is going to be a revelation of how the Gospel of Jesus is "good news" in regard to this difficulty.
- 4. Thus, I take Mark's meaning to be "The preeminent aspect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ".
- a. The "good news" is this: Jesus Christ has and is an adequate solution to that issue that lies at the root of all "sin".
- b. Lucifer's "sin" was not some "lust of flesh" (having no "flesh"); nor was it some "lust of eyes" (having no particular need to possess); but it was the "arrogance of functional capacity" with the driving desire to take God's place over all of creation so that he might demonstrate a greater capacity than God has to "run things" and, consequently, to then acquire the "glory" due to the One Who is wisest of all.
- c. This means that the lusts of flesh and eyes make men more susceptible to the Deceiver's deceptions, but the real problem for men is the same as that for Lucifer: the lust for the glory of being "wise" ("...ye shall be as God, knowing...").
- II. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- A. The essential sense of "gospel" is good news, particularly in view of current, situational, "bad news".
- B. But the pursuits of men in the study of the Scriptures has resulted in the claim by some that there are several different and distinct "gospels".
- 1. This is an error rooted in a flawed perception of attendant descriptors.
- 2. The solution to this error is to see "The Gospel" as a large concept that has many connected parts under its shadow.
- C. The fact is that Mark called his record "The Gospel of Jesus Christ", thus pulling everything under the umbrella of all of that "good news" that arises from the Person and Work of Jesus the Christ.
- III. The Name and Functional Title.
- A. "Jesus" is the "name" required by God of Mary and Joseph because of its connection to his action of "saving His people from their sins".
- B. "Christ" is the "title" given by God as He committed to "exalt "Jesus" above every name that is named so that every knee will bow to His authority and dominion.
- IV. The Phrase "the Son of God" is an emendation of Mark's record that he, apparently, did not write.
- A. This is not a problem in respect to the truth about Jesus Christ: He is the Son of God.
- B. But, it is a problem in respect to where our minds are directed in our attempt to understand Mark's record.
