Mark: Images of an Apostolic Interpreter 0800631684

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MAR I( [fma9E,1, of an c/fpOl,tolla [fntE,7.p7.E,tE,7.

C. CLIFTON BLACK

FORTRESS PRESS MINNEAPOLIS

STUDIES ON PERSONALITIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

D. Moody Smith, Series Editor TITLES IN THE SERIES

Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans Peter Richardson (Fortress Press, 1999) Mary: Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus Beverly Roberts Gaventa (Fortress Press, 1999) Just James: The Brother of Jesus in History and Tradition John Painter (Fortress Press, 1999) Paul: The Man and the Myth Calvin Roetzel (Fortress Press, 1999) John, the Son of Zebedee: The Life of a Legend R. Alan Culpepper (Fortress Press, 2000) Peter: Apostle for the Whole Church Pheme Perkins (Fortress Press, 2000) Mark: Images of an Apostolic Interpreter C. Clifton Black (Fortress Press, 200 I) Who Is Jesus? History in Perfect Tense Leander E. Keck (Fortress Press, 2001)

MARK Images of an Apostolic Interpreter

First Fortress Press edition 2001 This book was originally published in hardcover by the University of South Carolina Press. Copyright © 1994 University of South Carolina All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manlier without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Augsburg Fortress, Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440. . ISBN 0-8006-3168-4 (Fortress Press paperback edition) Cover art: Detail from Saint Mark, Antonio Triva (c. 1626-99), S. Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy. Copyright © Cameraphoto/Art Resource, N.Y. Used by pennission.

The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition of this book as follows: Black, C. Clifton, 1955Mark: images of an apostolic interpreter I C. Clifton Black. p. cm.-(Studies on personalities of the New Testament) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-87249-973 (alk. paper) 1. Mark, Saint. 2. Evangelists (Bible)-Biography. 3. Bible. N.T. Mark-Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Fathers of the church. I. Title. II. Series. BS2475.B75 1994 226.3 06-dc20 93-37578

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences - Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z329.48-1984. Manufactured in the U.S.A. 05 04 03 02 01

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To the memory of my parents

Iris Rebecca Hill Black (1920-1983 ) and Carl Clifton Black (1920-1992) eo.v 'tE oOV ~roJ.1EV eo.v 'tE cl1tOeVTIO"KCl)J.1EV 'tOU Kupiou eO"J.1EV

John Mark, the cousin of St. Barnabas (Col. 4.10), a Jew, set out with St. Barnabas and St. Paul on their first missionary journey, but for reasons which failed to satisfy St. Paul turned back (Acts 12.25, 13.5, 13, 15.37f.). Afterwards he accompanied Barnabas on a mission to Cyprus (Acts 15.39), and he was in Rome with St. Paul (Col. 4.10, Philem. 24,2 Tim. 4.11) and St. Peter (1 Pet. 5.13), whose "interpreter" (tP~llV£\)tll