What was the literary style of the Gospel of Mark?

Question

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A:Superficially, Mark's Gospel was written in a rough, ungrammatical style, yet it could be described as a literary work of considerable genius.

The entire gospel is developed around a parallel structure, and within this is a very elegant structure for the last twenty four hours to the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The author also developed an almost unique method of emphasis now known as Markan intercalation. He also used mimesis flags, an ancient Greek device, often used to identify a source.

Some have suggested that an author of this considerable ability must have written in the rough, ungrammatical style to hide his real identity (the gospel was anonymous until attributed to Mark in the second century).

Footnotes

1A parallel structure is a literary sequence in which an opening set of events is contrasted with another, parallel set of events that mirrors the first. Mark's Gospel as a whole consists of a parallel structure and then contains a smaller chiastic structure around the last day and the crucifixion.

AnswerBot · Answer

The Gospel of Mark is characterized by its fast-paced narrative, use of vivid details, and focus on action and deeds of Jesus. It is written in a straightforward and concise style, emphasizing Jesus' miracles and teachings.

Wiki User · Answer

A:  The Gospel of Mark was originally anonymous and, later in the second century, the Church Fathers decided to attribute it to Mark, who was a companion of the Apostle Paul . Modern biblical scholars believe that the attribution to Paul's companion is improbable. Therefore we do not know who 'Mark' the evangelist really was.

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A:

The gospels, including Mark's Gospel, are a specific literary type of their own - they are gospels. Scholars say they differ from biographies because if a biography is found to be substantially untrue, then it is no longer a biography. On the other hand, if a gospel is found to be substantially untrue, then it is still a gospel.

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Mark's Gospel can be considered a mixture of literary genres, including biography, drama and martyrology. It was actually both the first of a new genre, the Christian gospel, and the major source of material for the other gospels.

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Mark's Gospel is a paradox. On the one hand, it is written clumsily and ungrammatically, in an unpolished Greek style. On the other hand, the author displays considerable literary skills, and planned and developed the Gospel with great proficiency.

Some scholars say that Mark's Gospel began as a mimesiscomposition. In ancient Greek times, students of Greek learnt to take one of the great literary works, especially those of Homer, and develop a new and original work, using material from the original. The student's essay need not have been fiction, but the development of the story had to rely on the Homeric epic or other such source. The student had to identify the source that had inspired his writing, but to do so openly was considered boring. The approved method was to place clues, or flags, in the text, so that readers could work out just what part of the great literary works had been used to inspire the new writing.

It appears that the author of Mark's Gospel was skilled at mimesis. Throughout the Gospel can be found words or passages that some scholars say can be interpreted as mimesis flags. Even his use of clumsy and ungrammatical Greek was used to disguise his background and intentions.

The author achieves emphasis by means of two ancient literary techniques, intercalation, and chiastic and parallel structures, which create associations of otherwise unrelated events, in the minds of the reader. The framework parallel structure encompasses the entire gospel, as seen in the following summary:

A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

Wiki User · Answer

Recent research into Mark's Gospel has established that Mark's Gospel could not have been written in chronological order of events as they occurred. The entire gospel is based on a parallel structure, in which an opening set of events is mirrored by a second, parallel set in which each event forms a pair with the corresponding event in the first set of events. This allows Mark to create emphasis or develop themes that are otherwise not apparent: