Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Those of us who were familiar with Joel Marcus' monograph, "The Way of The Lord", have long awaited the day he would write a commentary on the Gospel of Mark. It seems fitting that a strong commentary like this one be used to replace the astonishingly lame commentary by C.S. Mann.
The objective of the Anchor Bible commentary series is to make the Bible accessible to the modern reader by providing an exact translation, extended exposition and a reconstruction of the ancient setting. The targeted readership is the general reader with no formal training in biblical studies. Marcus' commentary does an outstanding job in reaching these objectives. His translation is fairly literal but is still readable for those of us whose first language is English. His crisp exposition also goes a long way in helping the general reader follow his arguments.
With regard to some specifics about his interprative decisions Marcus believes that the Second Gospel was written by someone named Mark but probably not the one associated with Peter as the Papian tradition would suggest. He also denies that the gospel was written for a general audience (aka Richard Bauckham) or as an evangelistic tool (aka Robert Gundry) but instead argues the pervasive opinion that Mark is addressing a particular 'Markan' community. Marcus also argues that this community probably resided in Syria. He suggests that the purpose of the Gospel was to address a community under persecution during the Jewish War and that Mark presents Jesus as a paradigm for suffering.
Undoubtedly this commentary is hefty and due serious consideration by students of the Gospel but nonetheless, I suspect, that many readers will find Marcus guilty of over-interpretation and straining to find subtle echoes of the OT where there probably is none to be found. For example, many readers may be bewildered by how Marcus can understand the author of the second Gospel to have felt on one hand the need to explain the OT Jewish custom of handwashing (7:3-4) and then on the other hand expect his readers to pick up on Jonah imagery in a storm on the lake.
Even though some may disagree with various issues of 'Introduction' and may see places where Marcus' interpretations seem strained and overworked, I suspect, it will be found useful to many studying the second Gospel.
If you are intending to study the Gospel of Mark definitly consider purchasing this book.
I would have given the book a three and three quarter stars if possible.
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Mark 1-8: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Anchor Yale Bible)Although it appears second in the New Testament, Mark is generally recognized as the first Gospel to be written. Captivating nonstop narrative characterizes this earliest account of the life and teachings of Jesus. In the first installment of his two-volume commentary on Mark, New Testament scholar Joel Marcus recaptures the power of Mark's enigmatic narrative and capitalizes on its lively pace to lead readers through familiar and not-so-familiar episodes from the ministry of Jesus. As Marcus points out, the Gospel of Mark can be understood only against the backdrop of the apocalyptic atmosphere of the Jewish rebellions of 66-73 c.e., during which the Roman army destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem (70 c.e.). While the Jewish revolutionaries believed that the war was "the beginning of the end" and that a messianic redeemer would soon appear to lead his people to victory over their human enemies (the Romans) and cosmic foes (the demons), for Mark the redeemer had already come in the person of Jesus. Paradoxically, however, Jesus had won the decisive holy-war victory when he was rejected by his own people and executed on a Roman cross. The student of two of this generation's most respected Bible scholars and Anchor Bible authors, Raymond E. Brown and J. Louis Martyn, Marcus helps readers understand the history, social customs, economic realities, religious movements, and spiritual and personal circumstances that made Jesus who he was. The result is a Bible commentary of the quality and originality readers have come to expect of the renowned Anchor Bible series. Challenging to scholars and enlightening to laypeople, Mark 1-8 is an invaluable tool for anyone reading the Gospel story.From the Trade Paperback edition.
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