The book was written by John Mark. It is the earliest record of Jesus’ life-except for the notes of Andrew.
It is really the Gospel according to the teachings of Peter and the oral traditions of the church at Rome.
It was completed soon after Peter’s death-near the end of A.D. 68.
The record has been considerably changed. The latter one-fifth of the original Gospel was lost before the first manuscript was ever copied.
(The above facts come from the Urantia Book, UB 121:8.1.)
Scholars believe the book was written by Mark sometime between A.D. 64 and 85, perhaps around A.D. 75.
QUESTION: How is it that so little of Mark’s personal experiences got into this record?
ANSWER:
Peter had probably prepared some written notes which Mark used.
The oral traditions were carefully committed to memory-just like a creed or prayer would be.
Since Mark was writing at the request of the church at Rome, he felt under obligation to prepare a statement that would represent Peter’s way of telling the story of Jesus and his teachings.
He was not writing either a history of Jesus’ life or his own biography.
The anonymous “young man” (Mark 14:51) undoubtedly refers to John Mark.
Several early church fathers refer to John as interpreter for Peter.
Tradition claims that John Mark was the founder of the church at Alexandria.
There was a supposed transfer of Mark’s body from Egypt to Venice A.D. 832. His bones are supposed to rest beneath the altar in St. Mark’s Church in Venice.
Mark’s theology tends to be Hellenistic-in contrast with Matthew’s Jewish theology.
Mark’s theology is hardly his own-more a blend of Petrine and church of Rome theology.
Paul seems to have had little or no influence on Mark’s theology. Mark talks about Jesus’ “mighty work”-and Paul never once mentions Jesus’ miracles.
Mark represents an era in which the theology of Christianity is in process of reinterpretation from the Jewish to the gentile.
In Mark, Jesus never fully, unequivocally, and unambiguously claimed to be the Messiah.
Paul’s atonement doctrine “ransom” does appear here and there in Mark.
Mark clings to the “mystery” concept of Christian theology-the esoteric idea that the “inner circle” knew special things of which the rank and file of believers were wholly ignorant.
All Near East religions had this “mystery” idea-in fact, were known as “mystery cults.”
The blindness and obtuseness of the Jewish people were not stupidity, but some sort of divine judgment which had overtaken them-like God hardening Pharaoh’s heart.
There was an early trace of anti-Semitism-or rather, anti-Judaism in Mark’s Gospel.
When all is said and done, you can’t help feeling that Mark really knows that Jesus was the Messiah-not the Jewish, but the Christian.
Mark is one of the most “precious” books ever written, but it does not give us a full account of Jesus’ life.
John the Baptist appears. “John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin.” 1:4.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit. “‘I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” 1:8.
Fishers of men. “‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’” 1:17.
The sundown healing. “That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons…And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons.” 1:32,34.
Forgiving sins. “‘Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say “Rise, take up your pallet and walk.” But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins’-he said to the paralytic-‘I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.’” 2:9-11.
Calling sinners. “‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” 2:17.
Sabbath made for man. “And he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.’” 2:27,28.
Speaking in parables. “He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.” 4:34.
Stills the waves. “And he…rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” 4-39.
Peculiar type of healing. “And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, ‘Who touched my garments?’” 5:30.
Prophet and honor. “And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country.'” 6:4.
Feeding five thousand. “And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men,” 6:44.
Dogs eat the crumbs. “But she answered him, ‘Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’” 7:28.
You are the Christ. “And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’” 8:29.
Gaining the whole world. “‘What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?’” 8:36.
Help my unbelief. “The father of the child…said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief.’” 9:24.
The little children. “‘Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.’” 10:14.
Cursing the fig tree. “And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, ‘May no man ever eat fruit from you again.’…As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.” 11:13,14,20.
Taxation problems. “Jesus said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” 12:17.
Marriage in heaven. “‘For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.’” 12:25.
The widow’s mite. “‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury…she out of her poverty has put in everything she had.’” 12:43,44.
Anointing his feet. “‘This ointment might have been sold…and given to the poor.’…But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.’” 14:5,6.
Watch and pray. “‘Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.’” 14:38.
John Mark’s escape. “And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” 14:51,52.
The empty tomb. “‘He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him.’” 16:6.
Deadly poisons. In a forged appendix appears the passage about snakes and drinking deadly poisons.