Barton's Gospel Of Mark: Summary

Barton provides detailed and carefully deliberated comments regarding the spiritual focus of the gospel of Mark. His attention to the obvious motifs in the gospel seems to be legitimate. While he does use the Gospel of Matthew to give illumination to Mark, I believe he did a masterful job at using the Markan episode to advance his thoughts. In terms of how this plays out in the life of the church, Barton’s work provides a rich array of relevant topics and themes for preaching in the contemporary church.

I found his section on the emphasis on “following” to be most helpful. Given our tendency to look at the gospels only as historical narratives to prove the existence of Jesus, the discussion on following provides much fodder for discussions regarding the life of a disciple in the church. While the contemporary church in America may not be experiencing the type of marginalization experienced by the first century audience, there is much to be received as a challenge in terms of hope in the face of uncertainty and the paradoxical challenges (e.g., to save your life you must lose it, greatness comes through serving). On the contrary, Barton’s thoughts regarding Jesus’ teaching and its corollary with household relations seemed underdeveloped. It was the one section that gave …show more content…
The study of angels (and demons) is often conflated with fantasy and apocalyptic imagination. As such, our artistic depictions of angels are replete with blonde haired white women holding harps and our discussions are full of doomsday imagery of a supernatural degree. It is interesting that as Christians embrace the gospels and the study of Jesus, there is often a “glossing over” when it comes to discussions about angels. The author raises the bar in terms of discussion and creates the spiritual and intellectual space to consider the role of angels in the