With over 90 percent of Mark being reproduced in Matthew and over 80 percent in Luke, the Gospel of Mark is probably not the gospel I'd put second. If modern critical scholarship is right, chronologically it would be first.
Regardless, an important question that arises is why these three "synoptic gospels" are so similar. For a nice, long explanation, see this site or this other site.
Personally, I think that Matthew and Luke agreed with Mark's story, and just wanted to expand. As Deut. 19:15 states, "The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."
Less than 10 percent of Mark is unique, but the first six chapters have two sections -- Mark 3:20-21 and 4:26-29 -- not found in the others. In the first, we see Jesus' family calling him "out of his mind" and trying to take him home with them. The Parable of the Growing Seed is in the second.
I think Jesus' conversion of his family one of the most amazing parts of the New Testament. I doubt he was ever a wild kid or a bad brother (see Luke 2:51), but for whatever reason, neither his hometown nor his family seemed to have any faith in him (Matt 13:53-58).
Compare this with Acts 1:12-14, when the 120 believers at the time included his mother *and* his brothers. James and Jude would even go on to write epistles; James (a.k.a. "the Just") is considered the first bishop of Jerusalem.
I'm sure it wasn't easy, but it's inspiring to know that it's possible.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment