Mark 1 Short Study

Mission, British Columbia

Christianity Explored

Preface

I volunteered and was asked to sit in the Christianity Explored course at a local megachurch. I will answer the first set of questions online rather than writing in the pretty new handbook. I will attempt to fuse the more practical standards of the course with site standards.

Mark 1: 1-20

1. The word 'gospel' means 'good news'. Mark begins his book of good news with three statements about Jesus:

a) by the Old Testament prophets (messengers) (Mark 1: 2-3)

b) by John the Baptist (Mark 1:7)

c) by God himself (Mark 1: 11)

What do the each say about Jesus?

a) by the Old Testament prophets (messengers) (Mark 1: 2-3)

W.R.F. provides the theological view and perspective that the term 'Son of God' was designated of Jesus Christ and that a pre-existent divine being entered human life as Jesus Christ. Browning (1997: 149).  Browning seems not as dogmatic on this point as does the New Testament text. Quote: 'this could mean that  a pre-existent divine being entered human life...' Browning 1997: 149). But for the purposes of this article, the scholarship is useful. Accepting the New Testament as historical religious history inspired by God, the textual support of Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God far outweighs theological and philosophical doubts of such a proposition.

Jesus Christ in the New Testament, is the eternal Word (John 1) and Son of God. The ministry and work of Jesus Christ was prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah to be prepared by another prophet, John the Baptist.

Millard Erickson in 'Christian Theology' expresses a Biblical, orthodox (not meaning Orthodox Church here) position that the Trinity via the Council of Constantinople (381), included ὑποστάσεις which expressed three separate persons that exist simultaneously in three modes of being or hypostases. Erickson (1994: 335). The idea being the Godhead is undivided in essential nature, in divided persons. Erickson (1994: 335). There are three distinctions within the triune God, but only one divine nature and therefore only one God. There is not tritheism. There is not modalism or Sebellanism as the persons of the trinity are simultaneously existing and not interchanging among one another. Jesus does not become the Father, for example. 

Greek scholar Walter Bauer defines 'Hupostasis' the original word: ὑπόστασις, εως, ἡit from the Greek as substantial nature, essence, actual being, reality. In the context of Hebrews 1: 3 the Son of God is the exact representation of God’s real being. (page 847). Erickson further explains that each member of the Trinity is quantitatively equal. Erickson (1994: 337).

This would be in spiritual essence accepting that God the Son took an additional human nature in the incarnation in order to accomplish the atonement and resurrection and also his future Kingship. This does not in any way alter the divine nature of God the Son or the Trinity. Erickson points out that the Son did subordinate himself to God the Father as fully human while on earth, but this was an aspect of will. God the Son did not become less than God the Father, or less God. Erickson (1994: 338).

Similarly, even though the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is named the 'Helper' in the Gospel of John in the New American Standard Version as well as the English Standard Version, this does not mean the Holy Spirit is any less Almighty God. In that instance, functionally the Holy Spirit willingly takes that position.

b) by John the Baptist (Mark 1:7)

John the Baptist was a Prophet of God; Jesus Christ was and is God the Son, infinite and eternal, incarnated in human form in order to perform the gospel ministry of atonement, resurrection and the eventual culminated Kingdom of God.

John the Baptist was a servant of God, including to God the Son. Jesus Christ as fully human and fully divine, humbled himself in human obedience to God the Father and was baptized by John.

c) by God himself (Mark 1: 11)

Mark 1:9-12

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Baptism of Jesus

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;[a] with you I am well pleased.” The Temptation of Jesus

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.

Footnotes: Mark 1:11 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved

In a trinitarian context, God the Father is confirming God the Son, ontologically as God, and at the same time is pleased with Jesus Christ as God the Son, subordinating his incarnated human nature and will to God the Father.

2. In chapters 1 and 2 Jesus shows his authority in different situations...

When Jesus speaks or acts, what sorts of things happen?

Verses provided by the workbook

Mark 1: 16-20: Jesus Christ called his disciples that followed him. Note, what is unstated within historical Scripture is how this was exactly accomplished. Did Jesus Christ possibly use supernatural means?

Mark 1: 21-22: The disciples viewed that Jesus Christ had authority of teaching unlike the Scribes, even in the synagogue and on the Sabbath (Saturday).

Mark 1: 23-28: Unclean spirits, also known as fallen angels and demonic beings obeyed Jesus Christ when called out of a human being. The man in the story acknowledged Jesus Christ as the 'Holy One of God', this is likely primarily, at least, supernatural knowledge from the demonic beings. This man reasoned Christ had the power 'to destroy to us' (New American Standard Bible). Indicating the demonic beings acknowledged God the Son's power of potential destruction over them.

Mark 1: 40-45: Jesus Christ healed a man of leprosy. God the Son, as creator had the power of healing and in a sense, recreation.

Mark 2: 1-12: Jesus Christ healed a paralytic and forgave sins.

English Standard Version (ESV)

7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Another indication of Christ's deity as incarnated man.

Christ calls himself the Son of Man (v10).

Strong describes the term for son, υἱὸς which is used widely in an immediate context and also in the remote or figurative context of kinship, child, foal, son. Strong (1986: 99). The word man, aνθρώποs, is defined as man-faced, human being, certain, man. Strong (1986: 12). Each usage of a Greek word needs to be understood individually in context, of course. The exact term aνθρώποu, is used in Luke 9:22. The Greek New Testament (1993: 237). The term is used in the genitive as the Son of Man. Anthropos is the anglicized version of the word defined by Strong and relates to the English word anthropology.

Browning notes the phrase Son of Man is common from Jesus and is in the gospels and in Acts 7 and Revelation 1:13. Browning (1996: 349). Browning reasons that an increasingly accepted view is that Jesus meant the term in an elusive, roundabout way of acknowledging his significance as ‘I, being the man I am’.Browning (1996: 350).

Erickson writes that the resurrection established the fact that the Son of Man is Christ, and that he is both a man that walked on earth and a heavenly being who would come in the future in the clouds of heaven. Erickson (1994: 693). Erickson explains that Jesus used the term Son of Man of himself and that one person, Jesus Christ, was both earthly man and pre-existent divine God who became incarnate man. Erickson (1994: 726).

3. Early impressions of Jesus based on further reading from Mark 2: 18-3:6?

Jesus Christ declared that the Son of Man is even Lord of the Sabbath. Therefore, according to the Marcan Scripture, he is both God and man. Christ did miraculous healing on the Sabbath and as a result the Pharisees and Herodians made plans to kill him. This also serves as a classic example of how religious leaders and followers can become more concerned with maintaining the political and social workings of their religion than in God's truth and true divinely inspired religion.

BAUER, WALTER. (1979) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Translated by Eric H. Wahlstrom, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.

BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Pickering, Ontario, Welch Publishing Company.