dragged through thestreetsofAlexandria. and otherareas ofnorthAfrica.Hewas martyred bybeing lished thefirstChristianschool. HealsoevangelizedLibya to Egypt,wherehewasthe bishopofAlexandriaandestab- ministry ofJesus. St. MarkwrotedownPeter’s memoriesofthelifeand of Alexandria,Origen,Eusebius,andBlessedAugustine], (+130) andIrenaeusofLyons(+202)[aswellasClement such earlyChurchFathersasSs.PapiasofHierapolis St. Peter’slateryearsinRome(1Peter5:13).According to Silas wenttoSyriaandCilicia(Acts15:36-41). Ss. BarnabasandMarkwenttoCyprus,whilePaul and Ss. PaulandBarnabastogoonseparatemissionary trips: take St.Markonanothermissionaryjourneythatcaused (Acts 13:13).Infact,itwasanargumentoverwhether to ney [althoughhelefttheminTurkeytoreturnJerusalem] Ss. BarnabasandPaulonSt.Paul’sfirstmissionaryjour- cousin ofSt.Barnabas(Colossians4:10),andtraveledwith who knewtheHolyApostlePeter(Acts12:12).Hewas mother wasaChristianwomaninJerusalemnamedMary, written theGospel,youenlightenedwholeworld. tered untoPaulasagoodfellow-laborer,andhaving ior. Therefore,youfollowedPeterwithzealandminis- you, OMark,andyoulovedthelaborofChristSav- From yourearlyyouth,thelightoftruthenlightened WHO WASST.MARK? St. Marktraveledthroughout AsiaMinor,andlaterwent The BibletellsusthatSt.MarkknewPeterduring St. MarkisreferredtointheBibleasJohnMark.His LESSON ONE:ANINTRODUCTIONTOTHEGOSPELACCORDINGST.MARK

FAST FACTSFACTS sations, andtoteachthatJesusChristisGod. to theGentiles,defendfaithagainstfalseaccu- l Gospels:” Matthew,Mark,andLuke. l audience. l AD. l close toSt.Peter. ment. HewasthecousinofSt.Barnabas,and l St. MarkprobablywrotehisGospelbetween64-68 St. MarkisalsocalledJohnintheNewTesta- St. MarkwrotehisGospeltospreadthegoodnews There aremanysimilaritiesbetweenthe“synoptic This GospelwaswritteninRometoaGentile LOOK ATYOURSELF LOOK ATYOURSELF LOOK ATYOURSELF LOOK ATYOURSELF let usdown. to forgiveothers whenthey Timothy 4:11).Wealsoneed he wasimprisonedinRome (2 asking Marktovisithimwhen gave St.Mark,however,even missionary journey.Helater for- that St.Markhadleftthe first giveness. St.Paulwasangry stayed together. possible ifPaulandBarnabashad larger areathanwouldhavebeen to spreadtheGospelaneven used theirgoingindifferentdirections and Barnabasargued.God,however, disappointing totheearlyChristianswhenSs.Paul things toaccomplishHispurpose.Itwasofcourse seem bad—oreven tant things. their argumentaboutSt.Markteachesustwoimpor- divine Gospel. your Lord,OgloriousMark,bythepreachingof gathered allnationsintoyournetandbroughtthemto O Apostle,youbrokethewebsofphilosophers,and When youreceivedthegraceofspiritfromonhigh, Second, wealsolearnfor- First, welearnthat,evenwhenthingsimmediately The factthatSs.PaulandBarnabaspartedover are bad—Godcanusethese MAP WHEN WAS MARK WRITTEN? IT’S IN THE BIBLE We are not certain when St. Mark wrote his account When studying a single book of the Bible of the Gospel. We do know that it was written before the you see how God dealt with His people in a fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Blessed Theophylact (a great certain time and place, and to learn what biblical commentator who lived in the eleventh and this means for us today. There are several twelfth centuries) claims the Gospel was written in questions we can ask to help us under- 43 AD. St. Irenaeus states that it was written after stand the meaning of a chapter in a Bible the death of Ss. Peter and Paul, who were book: martyred approximately 64 AD, during the per- • Who is speaking? secution of the Roman emperor Nero. Most • To whom is the writer speaking? scholars believe this Gospel was written some- • When was the book or chapter where between 55-70 AD, with the majority of spoken or written? scholars believing it was written between 64-68 • Where is it being spoken or written? AD. • What circumstances prompted the It is generally believed that St. Mark wrote message? his Gospel in Rome. Clement of Alexandria • What is the main subject of the states that the Christians in Rome asked St. Mark message? to write the Gospel so that they could remember • What is the goal of the message? the things St. Peter had taught them about Jesus.

WHY DID ST. MARK WRITE HIS GOSPEL? St. Mark had a number of reasons for writing his Gos- rumors during the first two centuries of the Church that pel. Christians were dangerous rebels whose strange religious First, St. Mark wrote to spread the good news of Jesus beliefs and practices were a threat to the Empire. St. Christ to the Gentiles (people who were not Jews). While Mark’s Gospel both defends Jesus against charges of the Church started in Jerusalem with the Jewish Apostles, being a political revolutionary, and shows Christians to it was growing in the Gentile Roman Empire — people be good citizens. who did not understand the Jewish basis for the story of Christians today often need to do defend the faith: in Jesus Christ. He therefore spends a lot of time explain- this country we often need to correct the wrong under- ing Jewish words and customs that the Gentiles would standing that other Christians have of Orthodox Chris- not understand, making it possible for non-Jews to see tianity, and in some countries Christians still face perse- how Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in what is now the cution from governments and religions that do not un- Old Testament. derstand Christianity. St. Mark also wrote to encourage Christians to be The most important reason St. Mark wrote was to faithful disciples, particularly under persecution. The demonstrate that Jesus Christ is God. In his Gospel St. Church had experienced terrible persecution under the Mark shows the Father proclaiming Jesus as His Son at emperor Nero in 64 AD, even losing Ss. Peter and Paul. Christ’s baptism and Transfiguration. He also shows St. Mark prepares Christians to endure further persecu- Jesus’ divinity by having the centurion announce his be- tion by telling of Christ’s suffering and how he had pre- lief that Jesus is the Son of God, and through the Resur- dicted His followers would endure similar suffering. rection and angel’s announcement that the Son of God Another reason for St. Mark’s Gospel is to defend has conquered death. the Christian faith against false charges. There were many

WHAT DID I LEARN ABOUT FOLLOWING JESUS?

Future lessons will end with questions that you can answer to better understand the Bible reading for that week. This week, however, we have a challenge: be sure to read the assigned reading every week from the Gospel according to St. Mark. We should feel the same way about the Bible that St. John of Kronstadt (+1907) did: “I especially love to read the Holy Scriptures, both Testaments. I cannot live without this reading. They contain so much. So many laws for the life of man’s soul are revealed there! A person striving for spiritual renewal can obtain so much guidance in being reborn from evil to good.”