In contrast to Matthew, Mark was not one of the original disciples of Christ. He was, however, a native of Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), a companion of Simon Peter (1 Peter 5:13), and the cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10) who, in turn, was a close associate of Paul and the Jerusalem apostles. His relationship to the apostles was, therefore, close enough to render him familiar with the life of Christ and the activities of the early Christian group.
In a.d. 112, Papias cited Mark as “the interpreter of Peter.” A comparison of Peter’s sermon in Acts 10:34-43 with Mark’s Gospel shows the former to be an outline of the life of Jesus that Mark has given much greater detail.
Purpose and Content
Mark addressed his Gospel primarily to Roman readers and presented Jesus as the Worker, the Servant of Jehovah. (According to tradition, Mark wrote his record of the life of Christ in Rome.) The chief characteristic of Christ in this book is His activity, the mark of a good servant. The Greek word eutheos, translated variously as “straightway,” “immediately,” “anon,” or “forthwith,” appears forty-two times in the book. This message made a natural appeal to the busy, practical Roman reader.
According to the amount of space Mark allots to it, the most important activity of Christ was His death and resurrection. About three-eighths of the entire book is devoted to the narrative of the Passion Week (the last week of the life of Christ, 11:1–16:18). In the story, this is the most striking feature and shows clearly what aspect of Christ’s life was considered by the Gospel writers to be of supreme concern.
Outline
In keeping with the theme of the activity of Christ, the outline treats His life as a series of tours as He carried on His ministry. By so doing, one is impressed with the continual busyness of the Servant of Jehovah.
Introduction 1:1
Preparatory events 1:2-13
First tour of Galilee—Miracles and parables 1:14–4:34
Tour of Decapoli 4:35–5:43
Second tour of Galilee 6:1-29
Retreat to the desert 6:30-52
Third tour of Galilee 6:53–7:23
Tour of the north country 7:24–9:29
First announcement of passion 8:31
Fourth tour of Galilee 9:30-50
Second announcement of passion 9:31
Tour of Perea and Judea 10:1-52
Third announcement of passion 10:33
Ministry in Jerusalem 11:1–13:37
The passion and resurrection 14:1–16:20
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Mark
Author
In contrast to Matthew, Mark was not one of the original disciples of Christ. He was, however, a native of Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), a companion of Simon Peter (1 Peter 5:13), and the cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10) who, in turn, was a close associate of Paul and the Jerusalem apostles. His relationship to the apostles was, therefore, close enough to render him familiar with the life of Christ and the activities of the early Christian group.
In a.d. 112, Papias cited Mark as “the interpreter of Peter.” A comparison of Peter’s sermon in Acts 10:34-43 with Mark’s Gospel shows the former to be an outline of the life of Jesus that Mark has given much greater detail.
Purpose and Content
Mark addressed his Gospel primarily to Roman readers and presented Jesus as the Worker, the Servant of Jehovah. (According to tradition, Mark wrote his record of the life of Christ in Rome.) The chief characteristic of Christ in this book is His activity, the mark of a good servant. The Greek word eutheos, translated variously as “straightway,” “immediately,” “anon,” or “forthwith,” appears forty-two times in the book. This message made a natural appeal to the busy, practical Roman reader.
According to the amount of space Mark allots to it, the most important activity of Christ was His death and resurrection. About three-eighths of the entire book is devoted to the narrative of the Passion Week (the last week of the life of Christ, 11:1–16:18). In the story, this is the most striking feature and shows clearly what aspect of Christ’s life was considered by the Gospel writers to be of supreme concern.
Outline
In keeping with the theme of the activity of Christ, the outline treats His life as a series of tours as He carried on His ministry. By so doing, one is impressed with the continual busyness of the Servant of Jehovah.
Introduction 1:1
Preparatory events 1:2-13
First tour of Galilee—Miracles and parables 1:14–4:34
Tour of Decapoli 4:35–5:43
Second tour of Galilee 6:1-29
Retreat to the desert 6:30-52
Third tour of Galilee 6:53–7:23
Tour of the north country 7:24–9:29
First announcement of passion 8:31
Fourth tour of Galilee 9:30-50
Second announcement of passion 9:31
Tour of Perea and Judea 10:1-52
Third announcement of passion 10:33
Ministry in Jerusalem 11:1–13:37
The passion and resurrection 14:1–16:20
Exploring the New Testament.
Author
In contrast to Matthew, Mark was not one of the original disciples of Christ. He was, however, a native of Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), a companion of Simon Peter (1 Peter 5:13), and the cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10) who, in turn, was a close associate of Paul and the Jerusalem apostles. His relationship to the apostles was, therefore, close enough to render him familiar with the life of Christ and the activities of the early Christian group.
In a.d. 112, Papias cited Mark as “the interpreter of Peter.” A comparison of Peter’s sermon in Acts 10:34-43 with Mark’s Gospel shows the former to be an outline of the life of Jesus that Mark has given much greater detail.
Purpose and Content
Mark addressed his Gospel primarily to Roman readers and presented Jesus as the Worker, the Servant of Jehovah. (According to tradition, Mark wrote his record of the life of Christ in Rome.) The chief characteristic of Christ in this book is His activity, the mark of a good servant. The Greek word eutheos, translated variously as “straightway,” “immediately,” “anon,” or “forthwith,” appears forty-two times in the book. This message made a natural appeal to the busy, practical Roman reader.
According to the amount of space Mark allots to it, the most important activity of Christ was His death and resurrection. About three-eighths of the entire book is devoted to the narrative of the Passion Week (the last week of the life of Christ, 11:1–16:18). In the story, this is the most striking feature and shows clearly what aspect of Christ’s life was considered by the Gospel writers to be of supreme concern.
Outline
In keeping with the theme of the activity of Christ, the outline treats His life as a series of tours as He carried on His ministry. By so doing, one is impressed with the continual busyness of the Servant of Jehovah.
Introduction 1:1
Preparatory events 1:2-13
First tour of Galilee—Miracles and parables 1:14–4:34
Tour of Decapoli 4:35–5:43
Second tour of Galilee 6:1-29
Retreat to the desert 6:30-52
Third tour of Galilee 6:53–7:23
Tour of the north country 7:24–9:29
First announcement of passion 8:31
Fourth tour of Galilee 9:30-50
Second announcement of passion 9:31
Tour of Perea and Judea 10:1-52
Third announcement of passion 10:33
Ministry in Jerusalem 11:1–13:37
The passion and resurrection 14:1–16:20
Exploring the New Testament.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew presents the Lord Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and King, as well as the One who shall save His people from their sins. The opening sentence gives the key to the book—“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Seven times the Lord Jesus is addressed as “Son of David” in the Gospel, and ten times, altogether, is this title found there. “Son of David” connects the Saviour with Israel’s throne, “Son of Abraham” linking Him with Israel’s land—Abraham being the one to whom Jehovah first gave the land. But nowhere after the opening verse is this title “Son of Abraham” applied to Christ, for the restoration of the land to Israel is consequent upon their acceptance of Him as their Saviour—King, and that which is made prominent in this first Gospel is the presentation of Christ as King—twelve times over is this title here applied to Christ.
Matthew is essentially the dispensational Gospel and it is impossible to over-estimate its importance and value. Matthew shows us Christ offered to the Jews, and the consequences of their rejection of Him, namely, the setting aside of Israel, and God turning in grace to the Gentiles. Rom 15:8, 9 summarizes the scope of Matthew’s Gospel—“Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers; And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.” Christ was not only born of the Jews, but He was born, first, to the Jews, so that in the language of their prophet they could exclaim, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isa 9:6). Matthew’s Gospel explains why Israel, in their later books of the New Testament, is seen temporally cast off by God, and why He is now taking out from the Gentiles a people for His name; in other words, it makes known why, in the present dispensation, the Church has superseded the Jewish theocracy. It supplies the key to God’s dealings with the earth in this Age: without a workable knowledge of this first Gospel it is well-nigh impossible to understand the remaining portions of the New Testament. We turn now to consider some of the outstanding features and peculiar characteristics of Matthew’s Gospel.
...more tomorrow
Matthew is essentially the dispensational Gospel and it is impossible to over-estimate its importance and value. Matthew shows us Christ offered to the Jews, and the consequences of their rejection of Him, namely, the setting aside of Israel, and God turning in grace to the Gentiles. Rom 15:8, 9 summarizes the scope of Matthew’s Gospel—“Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers; And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.” Christ was not only born of the Jews, but He was born, first, to the Jews, so that in the language of their prophet they could exclaim, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isa 9:6). Matthew’s Gospel explains why Israel, in their later books of the New Testament, is seen temporally cast off by God, and why He is now taking out from the Gentiles a people for His name; in other words, it makes known why, in the present dispensation, the Church has superseded the Jewish theocracy. It supplies the key to God’s dealings with the earth in this Age: without a workable knowledge of this first Gospel it is well-nigh impossible to understand the remaining portions of the New Testament. We turn now to consider some of the outstanding features and peculiar characteristics of Matthew’s Gospel.
...more tomorrow
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew’s Gospel breaks the long silence that followed the ministry of Malachi the last of the Old Testament prophets. This silence extended for four hundred years, and during that time God was hid from Israel’s view. Throughout this period there were no angelic manifestations, no prophet spake for Jehovah, and, though the Chosen People were sorely pressed, yet were there no Divine interpositions on their behalf. For four centuries God shut His people up to His written Word. Again and again had God promised to send the Messiah, and from Malachi’s time and onwards the saints of the Lord anxiously awaited the appearing of the predicted One. It is at this point Matthew’s Gospel is to present Christ as the Fulfiller of the promises made to Israel and the prophecies which related to their Messiah. This is why the word “fulfilled” occurs in Matthew fifteen times, and why there are more quotations from the Old Testament in this first Gospel than in the remaining three put together.
The position which Matthew’s Gospel occupies in the Sacred Canon indicates its scope: it follows immediately after the Old Testament, and stands at the beginning of the New. It is therefore a connecting link between them. Hence it is transitionary in its character, and more Jewish than any other book in the New Testament. Matthew reveals God appealing to and dealing with His Old Testament people; presents the Lord Jesus as occupying a distinctively Jewish relationship; and, is the only one of the four Evangelists that records Messiah’s express declaration, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel” (15:24). The numerical position given to Matthew’s Gospel in the Divine library confirms what has been said, for, being the fortieth book it shows us Israel in the place of probation, tested by the presence of Messiah in their midst.
...more tomorrow
The position which Matthew’s Gospel occupies in the Sacred Canon indicates its scope: it follows immediately after the Old Testament, and stands at the beginning of the New. It is therefore a connecting link between them. Hence it is transitionary in its character, and more Jewish than any other book in the New Testament. Matthew reveals God appealing to and dealing with His Old Testament people; presents the Lord Jesus as occupying a distinctively Jewish relationship; and, is the only one of the four Evangelists that records Messiah’s express declaration, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel” (15:24). The numerical position given to Matthew’s Gospel in the Divine library confirms what has been said, for, being the fortieth book it shows us Israel in the place of probation, tested by the presence of Messiah in their midst.
...more tomorrow
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