The spelling “Marcan” (referring to the writer of what we know as the second gospel) reminds me, oddly enough, of “Vulcan,” and I’m not even a sci-fi fan. Anyway. . . .
In preparing for the third meeting of our study group, I decided to begin listing and investigating some vocabulary that appears significant to understanding this gospel. Here, I’ll use the English word, and also a reasonable facsimile of the Greek antecedent:
- Immediately/straightway/at once/euthus
- Desert/deserted place/lonely place
- Baptize/immerse/baptizo
- Gospel/godspel/good news/euangellion
- Follow/opiso
- Kingdom/basileian
- Way/hodis
- Authority/Heb. smichah/Gk. exousia
These terms and others appear to figure prominently and structurally into the early portion, at least, of Mark’s gospel. I think that the more we “get” some of these terms, their uses, and their immediate literary contexts, the more cohesive Mark’s inspired, whole picture of Jesus will be for us.
Earnestly Speaking 