Gospel of Mark

Definition and Meaning

The Gospel of Mark is the second of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament and consists of sixteen chapters. The word gospel means "good news," and the book opens with the words "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). It is grouped with Matthew and Luke as one of the "Synoptic Gospels." "Synoptic" means "seen together," reflecting the considerable overlap in the content and sequence of the three books. Korean churches group these three books with John and refer to them collectively as the "Four Gospels."

Biblical and Historical Background

Early church tradition identifies the author as "John, whose surname was Mark" (Acts 12:12). He accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey but turned back partway through (Acts 13:13), and he later appears as a close associate of Peter (1 Peter 5:13). The second-century church father Papias reported that Mark wrote down the teaching he had received from Peter.

Most scholars regard Mark as the earliest of the four Gospels and date its composition to roughly between the AD 60s and about AD 70. It contains no birth narrative, beginning instead with the ministry of John the Baptist, and it moves rapidly from one event to the next, frequently using the word "immediately." It records the deeds and miracles of Jesus Christ more than his sayings and places great emphasis on his suffering and the cross. A verse often cited as central to the book is "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

Mark 16:9–20 is absent from some of the oldest manuscripts. The Korean Revised Version (New Edition) and the New Korean Standard Version enclose this passage in brackets.

Practice in the Korean Church

The Gospel of Mark is closely tied to the history of Korean Protestantism. Around 1885, Yi Su-jeong, then living in Japan, published an edition of Mark consisting of the Classical Chinese text with Korean grammatical markers added, and Horace Underwood and Henry Appenzeller are said to have brought this translation with them when they arrived in Joseon Korea.

Today, because of its brevity and concise narration, Mark is often the first book recommended to new believers and to those just beginning to read through the Bible. Across denominations, the Passion narrative (chapters 14–15) is frequently read aloud during Lent and Holy Week.

Churches differ in their understanding of Mark 16:9–20. Churches in the Pentecostal tradition frequently cite Mark 16:17–18 as a basis for speaking in tongues and divine healing. Other pastors and scholars, however, pointing to the manuscript questions surrounding this passage, hold that caution is needed in using it as a primary basis for doctrine.