Category Archives: Church History

The Memoirs of Peter on the Life of Jesus with John Mark

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The earlier posts in this series (part 1) explored the early evidence that a person named Mark is the author of the book we call the Gospel of Mark. This author was further identified as John Mark who makes brief appearances throughout the NT (part 6).

There is a prevailing opinion that the Gospels were not written by eyewitnesses and that those who did write them did not consult the eyewitnesses. These authors simply wrote the stories that they had heard.

Even though there may well have been eyewitnesses alive some 35-40 years after Jesus’ death, there is no guarantee – or, I would argue, no reason to think – that any of them were consulted by the authors of the Gospels when writing their accounts. The eyewitnesses would have been Aramaic speaking peasants almost entirely from rural Galilee. Mark was a highly educated, Greek speaking Christian living in an urban area outside of Palestine (Rome?), who never traveled, probably, to Galilee. So the existence of eyewitnesses would not have much if any effect on his Gospel. (emphasis added) 1
– Bart Ehrman

While Mark was not a disciple of Jesus during His earthly ministry the extant evidence affirms that he wrote down what Peter was teaching and proclaiming. Peter was, of course, an eyewitness and one of the three closest disciples to Jesus. We have seen that Mark and Peter would have known each other over a period of decades. This familiarity would give the author of the Gospel of Mark lots of opportunities to talk with him, ask questions and to hear his teaching. In addition, Mark’s mother was hosting meetings where Christians would gather. There would be no reason to think that most of the people that assembled were also eyewitnesses of Jesus’ teaching and healing (Acts 2:22; 12:12). Mark would have met and conversed with them as well. That should counter any idea that eyewitnesses did not have much effect on what was written.

AI generated image from the Fra Angelico painting of St Peter Preaching in the Presence of St Mark
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The Life and Times of John Mark or How to Date a Gospel (Part VI)

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The earlier posts in this series (part 1) explored the early evidence that a person named Mark is the author of the book we call the Gospel of Mark.

The testimony was largely in agreement about the following information:

  • Mark was the author.
  • Mark was not a disciple of Jesus (while Jesus was alive).
  • Mark wrote down what Peter was teaching and proclaiming.
  • The book was written at the request of believers in Rome.

The testimony of the early church also notes that Mark was in Alexandria, Egypt planting churches.

Who is this person named Mark?

The extant testimony of the early church is unanimous that it was written by Mark, a person taken to be John Mark, the associate of Barnabas and Paul on the 1MJ.

One factor in favor of this being correct, notes Daniel Wallace, is that Mark is “by no means a major player in the New Testament.”1

The author identified as Mark is widely accepted as the person named John Mark that we find referenced throughout the NT.

In The New Testament in Its World, affirms that no alterative person has ever been suggested as the author.

Certainty is impossible, but John Mark is probably the best candidate, not least because his name, as a younger and less well-known early Christian, would not naturally occur to second-century Christians when seeking to name the book. No alternative figure has ever warranted consideration. 2

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Blogging thru On the Incarnation: Athanasius, Faith and Free Will

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This is an addendum to the series blogging through the book On the Incarnation by Athanasius. You might want to start with part 1 and work your way through the series. This is also an extension to a series of posts that explored The Early Church on Free Will. These can be found in the Series page under that heading.

In both Against the Gentiles and in On the Incarnation, Athanasius was primarily focused on articulating the reasons for the cross of Jesus. Since he is writing to believers to demonstrate the rationality of faith in Christ it isn’t surprising that he does not spend much space elaborating on how one would become a follower of Jesus.

so let the one not believing the victory over death accept the faith of Christ and come over to his teaching, and he will see the weakness of death and the victory over it. (On the Incarnation Chap 28)

In Against the Gentiles he does offer some thoughts on the decision making capability that is inherent in people made in the image of God. Whether one would anachronistically label this libertarian free will or not, Athanasius’ viewpoint would not readily align with the doctrines of original sin that would be debated nearly a century later by Augustine against Pelagius. His view on decision making also falls in line with his contemporaries and predecessors.

In chapter 4, he notes that people are “by nature mobile”. That is an odd turn of phrase. Given it is an underlying part of his understanding of humankind we should quickly touch on what Athanasius means by this claim.

For being by nature mobile … 1

Athanasius does not explain the phrase, however the idea he has in mind is likely related to the Greek philosophical ideas of motion. We saw how Athanasius draws on the idea of eudaimonia as well as motion in the series that explored On the Incarnation.

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