OBS #2.2 - Mark 1:1-8

Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

St. Mark begins with the word “beginning,” showing that his contribution to the Roman Christians is simply a beginning and foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mark uses the first eleven verses of his Gospel to illustrate that Baptism is the bridge between the Old and New Testaments.

The wilderness metaphor in verse 3 pictures hindrances and obstacles which separate Israel from God. Impenitence raises the mountains of obstruction. Repentance opens the way of YHWH.

John brings forth the model of Biblical preaching as the call to announce clearly and distinctly exactly what God orders us to announce in His Word.

“The very appearance of John was thus a stern sermon. It was a call to all those who made food and drink, house and raiment their chief concern in life to turn from such vanity and to provide far more essential things. John was a living illustration of how little man really needs here below—something we are prone to forget” (Lenski 38). St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in his Catechetical Lectures, likens John’s living sermon of repentance to a snake shedding its skin:

He fed on locusts to make his soul grow wings. Sated with honey, the words he spoke were sweeter than honey and of more profit. Clothed in a garment of camel’s hair, he exemplified in his own person the holy life. … For every snake puts off its signs of age by pushing through some narrow place, and gets rid of its old apparel by squeezing it off. From then on it is young again in body. So “enter in at the straight and narrow gate,” squeeze yourself through by fasting, break yourself away from perishing, “put off the old nature with its deeds.”

John shows himself finally to be so unworthy of his calling that he likens himself to the humblest of slaves—the one who takes the shoes off his master’s feet upon entering the home—and says he is unable to do even that.

OBS #3.1 - Introduction to the Acts of the Apostles

Introduction to Acts of the Apostles

Author/Compiler: St. Luke is a companion of St. Paul on his missionary journeys. This comes explicitly clear in the "we" passages throughout the book of Acts.

Date of Composition: Acts' date of composition is under heavy dispute. Some believe it was written in 78 AD, being several years after St. Luke's Gospel. There is also some who believe that it was written in the late 90s to 100 AD (around the same time as St. John's Gospel). The majority of the opinion and the evidence points towards as being written in the mid-60s AD. This would be after St. Mark's Gospel (St. Peter's death) and before St. Paul's death. Since St. Peter was executed in 64 AD, St. Paul was executed in 67 AD and Acts ends with St. Paul still being imprisoned, Acts must have been written between 64 and 67.

Occasion/Purpose: Luke wrote this as a second volume to his Gospel. The major purpose of the book of Acts is as a continuation of Jesus' words in Luke 24:47: "repentance and forgiveness should be proclaimed in [Jesus'] name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem".

Major Theme: The major theme of the Acts of the Apostles is the progress of the proclamation of the Gospel by the early Church from Christ's Ascension until the end of St. Paul's ministry.

OBS #2.1 - Introduction to St. Mark's Gospel

Introduction to St. Mark's Gospel

Author/Compiler: St. John Mark is the son of Mary (Acts 12:12) and a Greek father. He lived in Jerusalem. It is believed by some that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper in the Upper Room in Mary's house in Jerusalem. John Mark grew up to become a missionary helper of St. Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1-13; 15:36-41). He was also St. Peter's helper in Rome (1 Peter 5:13) and continued helping St. Paul during his second Roman imprisonment (2 Timothy 4:11).

Date of Composition: The Gospel was written around the year 64 AD. There is some debate even among the ancient church fathers as to whether it was before or after Peter's death. Some say that Peter accepted and encouraged the Gospel being written down by Mark. Others say that it was written after his crucifixion as a memorial. Mark was either the first or second Gospel written. There is debate (starting in the 19th century) as to whether Matthew or Mark was written first, the second using the first as a primary source. Most of the ancient church fathers believed that Matthew was written first, then Mark, Luke and John (therefore the order we have them in the Bible).

Occasion/Purpose: Mark wrote the Gospel because the Christians at Rome requested a copy of what St. Peter had preached to them in his time in Rome (between St. Paul's first and second imprisonments). Mark then took the written Gospel and founded the Church in Alexandria. Its style is indicative of the fact that Mark wrote Peter's teachings from memory and recorded them as he remembered.

Major Theme: The major theme of the Gospel of St. Mark comes in its very first verse: "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ" (1:1).

OBS #1.3 - Daniel 2:1-16 : Nebuchadnezzar's First Dream

Daniel 2:1-11
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. And the king said to them, "I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream." Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation." The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation." They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation." The king answered and said, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm--if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation." The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

Date: fifth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign; two years since the end of the three years in 1:5

Dreams were used by God to reveal things which will happen in the future. This dream worried Nebuchadnezzar to the point of his losing sleep for the night. He summoned all those who were supposed to be naturally inclined to deciphering codes and riddles. The magicians were the philosophers of the kingdom (often shortened to magi). The enchanters were astrologers. The sorcerers carried the same connotation as it does now in the realm of wizards and warlocks. The Chaldeans were not necessarily Chaldean by nationality (of which all the previous groups would have been) but they were a particular order of wizard-priests.

Nebuchadnezzar’s orders were designed to test the truthfulness of these men and the powers they call upon for their sorcery. By forcing these men to tell the dream and the interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar was asking something that “no great and powerful king has asked such a thing” (v10). Nebuchadnezzar knew that they were wise enough to come up with an answer and interpretation if it meant saving their lives. Nebuchadnezzar would not accept just any answer.

Daniel 2:12-16

Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, "Why is the decree of the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.

Unaccustomed to his orders being refused, Nebuchadnezzar (showing that power corrupts) ordered that the entire class of wise men be executed. They came after Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in their quest, but Daniel requested to have an audience with the king. How that turns out comes next time.

NOTE: All Scripture readings taken from English Standard Version. Used by permission.