Why Mark Wrote His Tale

[robert j]

I'm not sure why Mark wrote his tale, but there is certainly one distinct possibility --- ease of transmission. If not high among his purposes in writing, ease of transmitting the story of Jesus Christ was certainly a very significant result.

This discussion is contingent upon the basic assumptions --- well supported by many critical scholars --- that Paul wrote his letters in the mid-first C., and that the author of GMark (Mark for short) used Paul’s letters in writing his story.

Paul’s letters were never intended to portray the full story of Jesus Christ --- Paul evidently taught his congregations about his Christ during his initial evangelizing (1 Cor 15:1-3). Paul’s letters were only intended to keep his established flocks in-line, to support some of his positions in the face of skepticism and opposition, and to solicit contributions. Those following immediately in Paul’s footsteps seem to have followed the same plan.

Picture the method of transmitting the story of Jesus prior to Mark. The author of Acts --- perhaps revealing more than intended --- clearly portrayed the process,

“… they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. According to Paul’s custom, he went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures, opening and setting forth that it was necessary for the Christ to have suffered and to have risen from the dead, and (saying) that this Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ.” (Acts 17:1-3)

And in Rome, among the leaders of the Jews,

“After arranging a day with him, many came to him at his lodging. From morning to evening he [Paul] set forth and testified about the kingdom of god, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.” (Acts 28:23)

I certainly don't accept those events in Acts as historically accurate. For one thing, Paul did not write about teaching in synagogues, nor in any clear fashion, directly to Jews. But the method of transmission described in these passages from Acts is confirmed by Paul's letters --- a couple of examples ---

"That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried. And that he was raised the third day, according to the scriptures …” (1 Cor 15:3-4)

"… the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to revelation of the mystery having been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested by and through the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, having been made known to all the nations … (Romans 16:25-27) **

Certainly it would have been difficult and time consuming for Paul, using a pile of scrolls, to show his congregations the many widely scattered passages in the Jewish scriptures that demonstrated the events of his Christ.

Such an inefficient method of transmission could go a long ways in explaining the limited spread of Pauline congregations, as well as the limited spread of belief in Jesus Christ until after the writing of GMark. In the tales in Acts, it took Paul 3 days in Thessalonica to relate the story of Jesus from the scriptures, and from dawn to dusk to relate the story from the scriptures while in Rome. This method of transmission was extremely inefficient and required a highly trained teacher, a large pile of scrolls, a patient and motivated audience, and many, many hours.

The difficulty of such a method of transmission could certainly have limited the early spread of belief in Jesus Christ, and could have been an impetus for Mark to write his tale --- to make the Christ more accessible to all. Armed with some of Paul’s letters and the LXX, it was Mark that came up with the concept of a recent story about a Galilean Jesus.

Professor Burton Mack described the use of Paul’s “Christ myth” by the author of GMark, (Who Wrote the New Testament, HarperCollins, New York, 1995) ---

"Mark took the basic ideas from the Christ myth but dared to imagine how the crucifixion and resurrection of the Christ might look if played out as a historical event in Jerusalem …” (p. 152).

"Mark's story can be actually viewed as a mythmaking endeavor that worked with the prophet motif … Mark combed through these books for images he could apply to Jesus as a prophet, as if the prophets had somehow anticipated Jesus' coming … Without this story, one would have to say, the emergence of Christianity as we know it would not have happened." (p. 161).

Any literate person, or any interested audience, could read or listen to GMark in an hour or less. Only then, with this new tool, did the flood gates begin to slowly open.

robert j.


** I don't think Paul composed this doxology, but rather was composed by one of his well-educated junior partners to clearly reflect Paul's teaching. The doxology has various translations, often suppressing the scriptural revelation. The different locations in various MSS are a result of the editorial shenanigans with chapters 15 and 16 of Romans.

[outhouse]

I don’t know why Mark wrote his tale,.

I figured it out this year.

Due to the fall of the temple. Traditions were no longer being shared at Passover, that created a desperate need to preserve these traditions as yearly gatherings and sharing stopped.

And then as the unnamed gospel began floating around the Empire, other communities decided they had more knowledge that needed to be added, as not all their books and oral traditions were included, so we then see M and L still unnamed being created.