A Commentary On The Gospel Of Mark

This volume inaugurates a series of accessibly written yet substantive commentaries for use in Catholic universities, seminaries, and parishes.

This commentary series is established on the presupposition that the theological character of the New Testament documents calls for exegesis that is sensitive to theological themes as well as to the details of the historical, linguistic, and textual context. Such thorough exegetical work lies at the heart of these volumes, which contain detailed verse-by-verse commentary preceded by general comments on each section and subsection of the text. An important aim of the NIGTC authors is to interact with the wealth of significant New Testament research published in recent articles and monographs. In this connection the authors make their own scholarly contributions to the ongoing study of the biblical text.

William Wrede was among the first to recognise the creative contribution of the Gospel writers. His work thus laid the foundation for the work of the Form Critics, Redaction Critics and Literary Critics whose scholarship dominated New Testament studies during the twentieth century. This highly influential work was throughout this period the departure point for all studies in the Gospel of Mark and in the literary methods of the evangelists. It remains highly relevant for its ground-breaking approach to the classically complicated question of whether Jesus saw himself and represented himself as the Messiah.

The Gospel of Mark, addressed to an early Christian community perplexed by failure and suffering, presents Jesus as suffering Messiah and Son of God. Recognizing that failure and suffering continue to perplex Christians today, world-renowned New Testament scholar and theologian Francis Moloney marries the rich contributions of traditional historical scholarship with the contemporary approach to the Gospels as narrative. Now in paperback, this commentary combines the highest-level scholarship with pastoral sensitivity. It offers an accessible and thoughtful reading of Mark's narrative to bring the Gospel's story to life for contemporary readers.

The earliest of the four Gospels, the book portrays Jesus as an enigmatic figure, struggling with enemies, his inner and external demons, and with his devoted but disconcerted disciples. Unlike other gospels, his parables are obscure, to be explained secretly to his followers. With an introduction by Nick Cave

Delve Deeper into God's Word In this verse-by-verse commentary, Robert Gundry offers a fresh, literal translation and a reliable exposition of Scripture for today's readers. The Gospel of Mark counters the shame of Jesus' crucifixion by showcasing Jesus' power to perform miracles, cast out demons, teach authoritatively, best his opponents in debate, attract crowds, and predict the future. Pastors, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and laypeople will welcome Gundry's nontechnical explanations and clarifications. And Bible students at all levels will appreciate his sparkling interpretations. This selection is from Gundry's Commentary on the New Testament.

A highly regarded New Testament scholar offers a substantive commentary on Mark in the award-winning BECNT series.

The world to which the Gospel of Mark introduces its reader is a world of conflicts and suspense, enigmas and secrets, questions and overturning of evidence, irony and surprise. Its principal actor, Jesus, is perplexing in the extreme. He is evidently so for the religious authorities who oppose him, but also for his disciples, who shift from incomprehension to opposition and flight. Questions of meaning, life and death, good and evil are continually broached. This narrative is a subtle invitation to enter into a new world, that of the coming Reign of God, in which the first are last and whoever wants to save his life must lose it. This commentary on the Gospel of Mark has been enthusiastically reviewed in the French edition as one of the best current commentaries on Mark. As a narrative critical commentary, it favors an interpretation of the Gospel that tries to grasp the dynamic of the text taken as a whole. Even if the technical vocabulary of narrative analysis is not used, and the main results of the historical-critical criticism, particularly those of redaction criticism, are not neglected, as the notes will reveal, it is narrative criticism that guides the proceedings.