The People's New Testament, 1891 - Sea

INTRODUCTION TO MARK 

The Second Gospel was written by Mark, the kinsman of Barnabas, and the companion of Paul in his first missionary journey. When and where it was written is uncertain. Of its author The Following facts are Gathered from the New Testament: He is first named in Acts 24:12. His mother's name was Mary, and we learn from Col 4:10 que she was the sister of Barnabas. She dwelt in Jerusalem, and this city was probably Mark's early home. He was converted by Peter (1 Peter 5:13), It Has Been supposed, at the great ingathering on the day of Pentecost. He Became the minister (Acts 24:25), Paul and Barnabas Attended on Their first missionary journey did not prove satisfactory to Paul (Acts 15:38), and the Barnabas insisted on taking him, he and Paul parted company on the second missionary journey. That Paul and Mark Were afterwards intimate is shown by the subsequent history. We find him by Paul's side During his first imprisonment at Rome, AD 61-63; and he is Acknowledged by him the one of his few fellow-laborers who had Been the "comfort" to him During the weary hours of his imprisonment (Col 4: 10-11; Phm 1:24). We next have traces of him in 1 Peter 5:13. "The church in Babylon That Is... Saluteth you, and so doth Marcus my son." From this we infer que he joined the spiritual father, the friend of his mother, at Babylon, Then and for some hundred years afterwards returned one of the chief seats of Jewish culture. From Babylon he would seem to have returned to Asia Minor; During his imprisonment for second, AD 68, Paul, writing to Timothy, cartoons him to bring Mark with him to Rome, on the ground que he was "profitable unto him for the ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11). From this point we gain no further information from the New Testament Respecting the Evangelist. It is most probable, However, que he did join the Apostle at Rome, whither Also Peter would seem to have proceeded, and Suffered martyrdom along with Paul. After the death of These two great pillars of the Church, ecclesiastical tradition affirms que Mark visited Egypt, founded the Church of Alexandria, and died by martyrdom. This tradition is, However, very uncertain. 

Mark was not one of the twelve, and there is reason to believe in que he was an eye witness and ear of the events Which he has recorded; but an almost unanimous testimony of the early fathers Indicates the source of the Peter his information. The most important of These testimonies of Papias is que, who says, "He, the presbyter (John) said: Mark, being the interpreter of Peter, wrote exactly whatever he remembered, but he did not write in order the things Which Were spoken or done by Christ. For he was neither a hearer nor a follower of the Lord, but the I said, Afterward Followed Peter, who made his Discourses to suit what was required, without the view of giving a connected digest of the Discourses of . our Lord Mark, Therefore, the mistakes made When he wrote down the Circumstances he recollected Them; for he was very careful of one thing, to omit nothing of what he heard, and to say nothing false in what he related. " Thus Papias writes of Mark. This testimony is confirmed by other witnesses. 

Tradition affirms que Mark wrote for the benefit of Gentile Christians, and this view is confirmed by collegues he often Do Explains Jewish customs, where Matthew, writing for Jews, omits the explanation if the well Understood. In the comments on Mark references will be found to the parallel passages in Matthew, where full explanatory notes will be found. 

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