The Way of the Lord: Christological Exegesis of the Old Testament in the Gospel of Mark by Marcus, Joel (1992) Paperback

by Joel Marcus

This scholarly work includes a review of the Markan narratives about Jesus' baptism, his transfiguration, and his suffering and death, as well as the discussion of his relation to Elijah, his identity as "the stone which the builder rejected," and the question of whether or not he is David's son. Joel Marcus discusses what each of these passages meant for the early church and suggests their relevance for Christians today.

Genres: Biblical Studies

Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

Reviews

[C.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arguably one of best books I have read in the last two years. Marcus, in this 1992 monograph, addresses a topic that has been relatively neglected in NT studies, the use of the Old Testament by the author of the Gospel of Mark. With meticulous attention to content and current debates, Marcus examines key passages where Mark contains Old Testament passages which reveal the author's understand of Jesus' Christological identity and significance for the early Christian community. The passages examined are the introduction to the Gospel, Jesus' baptism by John, the Transfiguration, Jesus' relation to Elijah, Jesus as the rejected and vindicated stone, the question of whether or not Jesus is the son of David, and numerous OT citations in the Passion Narrative.

[Neil White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an older work now, published in 1992, so the dominant methodologies as NT study have changed from historical critical/source criticism/history of religion to canonical and literary approaches but the scholarly work in this work particularly around intertextuality and how Mark's gospel uses the OT is excellent.

[Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent survey of Markan use of the Old Testament! There is much insight to be gleaned from this informative and well-written study. It's a true gold mine of insight for those wishing to understand Mark's Gospel more deeply. Highly recommended as a secondary textbook for a collegiate level class on the Gospel of Mark!