Editing Gospel of Mark (section)

==Structure and content==
<!--
didactic sequences are per Harris, Understanding the Bible
-->
<div class="floatright" style="border:1px solid #ddd; margin:0 0 1em 1em; padding:0 0 1em 1em; vertical-align:right; font-size:80%; background-color: #f8f9fa;">
<big><big>Detailed content of Mark</big></big>

<big>1. ''Galilean ministry''</big>

[[John the Baptist]] (1:1–8)

[[Baptism of Jesus]] (1:9–11)

[[Temptation of Jesus]] (1:12–13)

[[Return of Jesus to Galilee|Return to Galilee]] (1:14)

[[Good news (Christianity)|Good News]] (1:15)

[[First disciples of Jesus|First disciples]] (1:16–20)

[[Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum|Capernaum's synagogue]] (1:21–28)

[[Healing the mother of Peter's wife|Peter's mother-in-law]] (1:29–31)

[[Jesus exorcising at sunset|Exorcising at sunset]] (1:32–34)

[[Jesus cleansing a leper|A leper]] (1:35–45)

[[Healing the paralytic at Capernaum|A paralytic]] (2:1–2:12)

[[Calling of Matthew]] (2:13–17)

[[Mark 2#Fasting and new wineskins|Fasting and wineskins]] (2:18–22)

[[Lord of the Sabbath]] (2:23–28)

[[Healing the man with a withered hand|Man with withered hand]] (3:1–6)

[[Mark 3#Healings|Withdrawing to the sea]] (3:7–3:12)

[[Commissioning the twelve apostles|Commissioning the Twelve]] (3:13–19)

[[Exorcising the blind and mute man|Blind mute]] (3:20–26)

[[Parable of the strong man|Strong man]] (3:27)

[[Eternal sin]] (3:28–30)

[[Jesus' true relatives]] (3:31–35)

[[Parable of the Sower]] (4:1–9,13-20)

[[Parables of Jesus#Purpose and motive|Purpose of parables]] (4:10–12,33-34)

[[Lamp under a bushel]] (4:21–23)

[[The Mote and the Beam|Mote and Beam]] (4:24–25)

[[Parable of the Growing Seed|Growing seed]] and [[Parable of the Mustard Seed|Mustard seed]] (4:26–32)

[[Calming the storm]] (4:35–41)

[[Exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac|Demon named Legion]] (5:1–20)

[[Daughter of Jairus]] (5:21–43)

[[Rejection of Jesus#Hometown rejection|Hometown rejection]] (6:1–6)

[[Mark 6#Mission of the Twelve and the death of John the Baptist|Instructions for the Twelve]] (6:7–13)

[[Beheading of St. John the Baptist|Beheading of John]] (6:14–29)

[[Feeding the multitude|Feeding the 5000]] (6:30–44)

[[Jesus walks on water|Walking on water]] (6:45–52)

[[Jesus healing in the land of Gennesaret|Fringe of his cloak heals]] (6:53–56)

[[Discourse on Defilement]] (7:1–23)

[[Exorcising the Canaanite woman's daughter|Canaanite woman's daughter]] (7:24–30)

[[Healing the deaf mute of Decapolis|Deaf mute]] (7:31–37)

[[Feeding the multitude|Feeding the 4000]] (8:1–9)

[[Mark 8|No sign will be given]] (8:10–21)

[[The Blind Man of Bethsaida|Healing with spit]] (8:22–26)

[[Peter's confession]] (8:27–30)

[[Jesus predicts his death]] (8:31–33, 9:30–32, 10:32–34)

[[Mark 8#Instructions for followers|Instructions for followers]] (8:34–9:1)

[[Transfiguration of Jesus|Transfiguration]] (9:2–13)

[[Exorcising a boy possessed by a demon|Possessed boy]] (9:14–29)

[[Mark 9#Teaching in Capernaum|Teaching in Capernaum]] (9:33–50)

<big>2. ''Journey to Jerusalem''</big>

Entering [[Iudaea Province|Judea]] and [[Transjordan (Bible)|Transjordan]] ({{bibleverse-nb||Mark|10:1}})

[[Mark 10#Divorce|On divorce]] (10:2–12)

[[The Little Children|Little children]] (10:13–16)

[[Jesus and the rich young man|Rich young man]] (10:17–31)

[[Son of man came to serve]] (10:35–45)

[[Bartimaeus|Blind Bartimaeus]] (10:46–52)

<big>3. ''Events in Jerusalem''</big>

[[Triumphal entry into Jerusalem|Entering Jerusalem]] (11:1–11)

[[Cursing the fig tree]] (11:12–14,20-24)

[[Jesus and the Money Changers|Temple incident]] (11:15–19)

[[Mark 11#The fig tree and the money changers|Prayer for forgiveness]] (11:25–26)

[[Authority of Jesus questioned|Authority questioned]] (11:27–33)

[[The Wicked Husbandman|Wicked husbandman]] (12:1–12)

[[Render unto Caesar...]] (12:13–17)

[[Resurrection of the Dead]] (12:18–27)

[[Great Commandment]] (12:28–34)

[[Mark 12#Teaching the crowd|Is the Messiah the son of David?]] (12:35–40)

[[Lesson of the widow's mite|Widow's mite]] (12:41–44)

[[Olivet Discourse]] (13)

[[Responsibility for the death of Jesus|Plot to kill Jesus]] (14:1–2)

[[Anointing of Jesus|Anointing]] (14:3–9)

[[Bargain of Judas]] (14:10–11)

[[Last Supper]] (14:12–26)

[[Denial of Peter]] (14:27–31,66-72)

[[Agony in the Garden]] (14:32–42)

[[Kiss of Judas]] (14:43–45)

[[Arrest of Jesus|Arrest]] (14:46–52)

[[Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus|Before the High Priest]] (14:53–65)

[[Pilate's court]] (15:1–15)

[[Mark 15#The soldiers mock Jesus|Soldiers mock Jesus]] (15:16–20)

[[Simon of Cyrene]] (15:21)

[[Crucifixion of Jesus|Crucifixion]] (15:22–41)

[[Entombment of Christ|Entombment]] (15:42–47)

[[Empty tomb]] (16:1–8)

[[Mark 16#Mark 16:9.E2.80.9320 in the manuscripts and patristic evidence|The Longer Ending]] (16:9–20)

[[Resurrection of Jesus#Biblical accounts|Post-resurrection appearances]] (16:9–13)

[[Great Commission]] (16:14–18)

[[Ascension of Jesus Christ|Ascension]] (16:19)

[[Dispersion of the apostles|Dispersion of the Apostles]] (16:20)
</div>
===Structure===
There is currently no agreement on the structure of Mark.{{sfn|Twelftree|1999|p=68}} There is, however, a widely recognised break at Mark 8:26–31: before 8:26 there are numerous miracle stories, the action is in Galilee, and Jesus preaches to the crowds, while after 8:31 there are hardly any miracles, the action shifts from Galilee to gentile areas or hostile Judea, and Jesus teaches the disciples.{{sfn|Cole|1989|p=86}} Peter's confession at Mark 8:27–30 that Jesus is the messiah thus forms the watershed to the whole gospel.{{sfn|Cole|1989|pp=86–87}} A further generally recognised turning point comes at the end of chapter 10, when Jesus and his followers arrive in Jerusalem and the foreseen confrontation with the Temple authorities begins, leading [[R.T. France]] to characterise Mark as a three-act drama.{{sfn|France|2002|p=11}} A four-act drama acknowledges a further turning point at 6.1, with divisions at 1.21, 6.1, 8.27 and 11.1. This scheme identifies Four Series of Seven Days, where the Series are arranged as a classic chiasm, ABB'A' and the Days in each Series are arranged as in Homer's ''[[Iliad]]'' ABB'-X-ABB'.<ref>Palmer, David G. (2020) ''The Gospel of Mark: Chapter and Verse'' Ceridwen Press pp.41-307. ISBN 978-0-9513661-1-0</ref> James Edwards in his 2002 commentary points out that the gospel can be seen as a series of questions asking first who Jesus is (the answer being that he is the messiah), then what form his mission takes (a mission of suffering culminating in the crucifixion and resurrection, events only to be understood when the questions are answered), while another scholar, C. Myers, has made what Edwards calls a "compelling case" for recognising the incidents of Jesus' baptism, [[transfiguration of Christ|transfiguration]] and crucifixion, at the beginning, middle and end of the gospel, as three key moments, each with common elements, and each portrayed in an apocalyptic light.{{sfn|Edwards|2002|pp=38–39}} Stephen H. Smith has made the point that the structure of Mark is similar to the structure of a [[Greek tragedy]].{{sfn|Smith|1995|pp=209–31}}

===Content===
* Jesus is first announced as the Messiah and then later as the Son of God; he is baptised by John and a heavenly voice announces him as the Son of God; he is tested in the wilderness by [[Satan]]; John is arrested, and Jesus begins to preach the good news of the [[kingdom of God]].
* Jesus gathers his disciples; he begins teaching, driving out demons, healing the sick, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and giving sight to the blind; he delivers a long discourse in [[Parables of Jesus|parable]]s to the crowd, intended for the disciples, but they fail to understand; he performs mighty works, calming the storm and walking on water, but while God and demons recognise him, neither the crowds nor the disciples grasp his identity. He also has several run-ins with Jewish lawkeepers, especially in chapters 2–3.
* Jesus asks the disciples who people say he is, and then, "but you, who do you say I am?" Peter answers that he is the Christ, and Jesus commands him to silence; Jesus explains that the Son of Man must go to Jerusalem and be killed, but will rise again; [[Moses]] and [[Elijah]] appear with Jesus and God tells the disciples, "This is my son," but they remain uncomprehending.
* Jesus goes to Jerusalem, where he is hailed as one who "comes in the name of the Lord" and will inaugurate the "kingdom of David"; he drives those who buy and sell animals from the Temple and debates with the Jewish authorities; on the [[Mount of Olives]] he announces the coming destruction of the Temple, the persecution of his followers, and the coming of the [[Son of Man]] in power and glory.
* A woman perfumes Jesus' head with oil, and Jesus explains that this is a sign of his coming death; Jesus celebrates [[Passover]] with the disciples, declares the bread and wine to be his body and blood, and goes with them to [[Gethsemane]] to pray; there [[Judas Iscariot|Judas]] betrays him to the Jewish authorities.  Interrogated by the high priest, Jesus says that he is the Christ, the Son of God, and will return as Son of Man at God's right hand.  The Jewish leaders turn him over to [[Pilate]], who has him crucified as one who claims to be "king of the Jews"; Jesus, abandoned by the disciples, is buried in a rock tomb by a sympathetic member of the Jewish council.
* The women who have followed Jesus come to the tomb on Sunday morning; they find it empty, and are told by a young man in a white robe to go and tell the others that Jesus has risen and has gone before them to Galilee; "but they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid".{{sfn|Boring|2006|pp=1–3}}

===Ending===
{{Further|Mark 16}}
The earliest extant Greek manuscripts of Mark, codices [[Codex Vaticanus|Vaticanus]] (which contains a large blank space in the column after 16:8) and [[Codex Sinaiticus|Sinaiticus]], end at Mark 16:8, with the women fleeing in fear from the empty tomb. The majority of recent scholars believe this to be the original ending,{{sfn|Edwards|2002|pp=500–01}} and that this is supported by statements from the early Church Fathers [[Eusebius]] and [[Jerome]].{{sfn|Schröter|2010|p=279}} The "shorter ending", found in a small number of manuscripts, tells how the women told "those around Peter" all that the angel had commanded and how the message of eternal life (or "proclamation of eternal salvation") was then sent out by Jesus himself; it differs from the rest of Mark both in style and in its understanding of Jesus and is almost universally considered a spurious addition; the overwhelming majority of manuscripts have the "longer ending", with accounts of the resurrected Jesus, the commissioning of the disciples to proclaim the gospel, and Christ's ascension.{{sfn|Schröter|2010|p=279}} In deference to its importance within the manuscript tradition, the New Testament critical editors enclose the longer ending in brackets.{{sfn|Metzger|2000|pages=105, 106}}