Synoptica
The Gospel of Mark

Our previous investigations have confirmed the already widely accepted idea that Mark is the earliest of the Synoptics. This leaves open the question whether Mark may also be earlier than itself; that is, whether it may be a growth text. We here identify various passages which by standard tests are late additions to the previous text of Mark, and note that their addition is probably theologically or practically motivated: they either legitimize practices which grew up in the early Church, or answer questions, such as the divine vs human nature of Jesus, which were problematic for the early Christian believers.

We end with a transcript of what Mark looks like if the later additions are subtracted: the earliest layer of Mark that seems to be a complete narrative rather than just a pile of raw material. We also note the point of doctrinal evolution to which this earliest Mark seems to witness, and cite independent evidence that the very early Church saw Jesus in this way.

• Preliminaries
  • The Great Omission
  • The Little Omission
  • The Lost Ending
  • The Feeding Miracles
  • The Small Apocalypse (Mk 13)
  • Unique Markan Material
• Layers in Mark
  • Post-Resurrection Appearances
  • The Resurrection
  • The Little Apocalypse (Mk 13)
  • The Son of Man Sayings
  • The Son of God Sayings
  • The Lord's Prayer
• Further Questions
  • The Nature Miracles
• The Residual Mark
  • Mk 1
  • Mk 2
  • Mk 3
  • Mk 4
  • Mk 5
  • Mk 6
  • Mk 7
  • Mk 8
  • Mk 9
  • Mk 10
  • Mk 11
  • Mk 12
  • Mk 14
  • Mk 15
• Confirmation
  • The Philippians Hymn
  • Rabbinic Tradition
• Conclusion

25 Sept 2005 / Contact The Project / Exit to Synoptica Page