The earliest of the four Gospels, the book portrays Jesus as an enigmatic figure, struggling with enemies, his inner and external demons, and with his devoted but disconcerted disciples. Unlike other gospels, his parables are obscure, to be explained secretly to his followers. With an introduction by Nick Cave

The story begins in the period immediately after the lifetime of Jesus when as yet there were no written accounts of any sort, but the tradition about him was preserved entirely by word of mouth. So far as the material in our Gospels is concerned, it was preserved during this period exclusively by Christians. Although St. Mark was no biographer, by linking together the various separate stories and groups of stories with summary passages of his own composition, he has produced what is, so far as its form is concerned, a connected historical narrative. It tells of the Lord's baptism by John the Baptist, of a subsequent varied ministry in Galilee, of some journeys outside Galilee ending with a journey to Jerusalem, and finally of a series of events -- the entry upon the ass, the cleansing of the temple, the scene in the treasury, and the like -- which must obviously have taken place in Jerusalem. - Introduction.

This volume inaugurates a series of accessibly written yet substantive commentaries for use in Catholic universities, seminaries, and parishes.

This item is part of: Lenski New Testament: In Twenty Volumes. Pastors and students of the Bible who seek deep and detailed engagement with the text of the New Testament have long relied on R.C.H. Lenski's classic text now available again. Even though its historical-critical work has been surpassed, the strong narrative quality, accessibility, and "holy reverence for the Word of God" (Moody Monthly) of Lenski's work have allowed his commentary to continue as an excellent resource for serious study of the New Testament and sermon preparation.

St Mark's Gospel is among the earliest records about Jesus of Nazareth. This commentary focuses primarily on the problem of understanding what Mark himself intended to convey to his readers when he set out to write the good news of Jesus Christ'. There is an examination of information in the gospel about the historical Jesus, about the early Christian community and about Mark's theological concerns. There is, also, consideration of the sources for the Gospel, of the tradition behind it and of interventions by editors. Professor Hooker's new commentary takes account of the many lasted twentieth-century Markan studies and comes with her own translation of the Gospel. References to Greek sources are included but do not require a knowledge of Greek.

This new Pillar volume offers exceptional commentary on Mark that clearly shows the second Gospel though it was a product of the earliest Christian community to be both relevant and sorely needed in today's church. Written by a biblical scholar who has devoted thirty years to the study of the second Gospel, this commentary aims primarily to interpret the Gosepl of Mark according to its theological intentions and purposes, especially as they relate to the life and ministry of Jesus and the call to faith and discipleship. Unique features of James Edwards's approach include clear descriptions of key terms used by Mark and revealing discussion of the Gospel's literary features, including Mark's use of the "sandwich" technique and of imagistic motifs and irony. Edwards also proposes a new paradigm for interpreting the difficult "Little Apocalypse" of chapter 13, and he argues for a new understanding of Mark's controversial ending.

Saint Mark's Gospel is generally agreed to be the primary source for the life of Jesus - both Matthew and Luke drew on his account when they were writing their own. None of them, stresses the author of this book, was attempting to create a modern-style biography. But although Mark lays his own individual emphasis on the perennial struggle between the forces of good and evil, the suffering and secret Messiahship of Christ, he seems largely to be handing on, unmodified, the traditions of the early Christian Church.