Kata Markon

[Norman Goos <normangoos AT comcast.net>]

Your project looks both interesting and useful.  My local church is
funding the start of a new non-denominational grad school in Trinidad
specializing in NT exegesis.  One of the courses will be the
translation and exegesis of Mark.  Is your project going to appear
on the Net so that students could interact with it as part of the
"between-module" exercises?

At 06:25 AM 1/17/2003 -0500, you wrote:
> I am beginning a
> series through 2003 entitled - The Journey with Jesus. The theme is that
> the Gospel of Mark was written for Christians that faced with a very
> special problem and needed a very relevant message for their lives.
> Between about 64 AD, when the Emperor Nero began Rome’s first official
> persecution of Christians, and 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed
> Jerusalem, the Temple, and the original apostolic church, the Christian
> community faced a series of crises that threatened its survival, of
> which, two problems loomed
> large.[i] 
>
> Under Roman law, certain religious groups were recognized and tolerated
> by the government while the authorities were suspicious of any new
> religion (like the emerging Christian faith). Christians would have to
> convince the Roman authorities that they was part and parcel of the
> existing Judaism that was allowed religious liberty if they were to avoid
> trouble. This brings us to the second part of the problem these early
> Christians faced. At the time the Gospel of Mark was written most
> Christians were Gentiles! Since the number of Jews who had accepted Jesus
> was very limited, one big question loomed large over the vulnerable
> Christians: "If Jesus was the Messiah as the Christians declare him
> to be, why have the religious Jews rejected him?" Christians would
> have to answer how their non-Jewish sect could be part of the existing
> Judaism of the day if they were to avoid trouble in the Roman Empire.
> [ii]
>
> I propose that the answer we have is called "The Gospel of Mark, and
> it deftly addresses both of these problems. First, Mark addresses why
> religious Israel does not recognize the Messiah. He concludes that Jesus
> cannot be seen apart from the eyes of faith. Ironically, Gentiles have
> seen him for who he is, while Israel remains blind. Second, the writer
> makes sure to link the story of Jesus with the Judaism of the day by
> retelling the Israelite epic when he tells the story of Jesus. Mark
> parallels the story of Jesus with the Exodus of the children of Israel
> from Egypt, God's leading them by the Spirit in the wilderness, the
> provision God made for the people there, to the final entry into the
> promised land and the overcoming of God's enemies. In an ultimate sense,
> Jesus is presented as the representative Israel, as the faithful son of
> God, as the people, as "the prophet like unto Moses", as the
> priest like Aaron yet perfect, and also the righteous martyr king like
> David.
>
> [i]Â  Adapted from
> Stephan Harris, The New Testament, a Student’s Introduction, second
> edition (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1995), 80. 
> [ii] Â Adapted from Roy L.
> Smith, Know Your Bible Series, Volume 12, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts
> (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1995), 17-24.
>
> Click here for the
> interpretive outline of The Journey With Jesus 
>
> Peace to you,
> Harry Staiti
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Ware Community Church
> "A Life-giving Congregation"
> 8 South Street
> Ware, MA 01082
> 413 967 5191
> www.warecc.com (UPDATED January 8)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pastor Norman Goos
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