The Gospel of Mark: Background and Author

The early church fathers widely recognized the Gospel of Mark as having been written by Mark in Rome. Mark was the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), a fellow worker with both Paul and Barnabas, and a close companion of the apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:13).

The primary audience for the Gospel of Mark was Gentile Christians. As a result, it makes fewer references to Mosaic Law and frequently explains Jewish customs, place names, plants, currency values, Aramaic words, and other concepts. It also uses more Latin terms than the other Gospels. The purpose of Mark’s selection of material was to present the Son of God as a suffering servant who came to serve people. For this reason, some have called it “a passion story with a long introduction.” It does not mention Jesus’ birth, genealogy, or many of His titles. Instead, it begins with Jesus’ ministry (Mark 1:14) and concludes with the cross as the pinnacle of His service (Chapter 15).

Much of the material in the Gospel of Mark comes from Peter’s preaching. Because Peter was an eyewitness, his account provides many vivid details of Jesus’ ministry. Peter was a man of strong emotions, so Mark’s record is fast-paced and uses lively language to describe Jesus’ feelings and reactions.

Due to Mark’s concise and refined writing style, the Gospel of Mark is an ideal introduction to the Christian faith. It is often the first book translated into new languages in new missionary fields. In this Gospel, we see the perfect Servant of God, the Lord Jesus, who “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7), and “came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version of the Bible and a comprehensive biblical interpretation.