The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary

by Ben Witherington III

This superb commentary offers the first sustained attempt to read the Gospel of Mark both as an ancient biography and as a form of ancient rhetoric. Leading New Testament scholar Ben Witherington applies to Mark the socio-rhetorical approach for which he is well known, opening a fresh new perspective on the earliest Gospel. Witheringtons work provides us with a fascinating view of how the life and teachings of Jesus were presented to a largely non-Jewish auidence - and what this presentation of Jesus still holds for Christians today.

Genres: Biblical Studies, Theology, New Testament, Reference

489 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 2000

About the author

Ben Witherington III (PhD, University of Durham) is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, and is on the doctoral faculty at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He is the author or coauthor of more than thirty books, including The Jesus Quest, The Paul Quest, and The New York Times bestseller The Brother of Jesus. He has appeared on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, and CNN.

Reviews

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps you’ve already used other works by prolific commentator Ben Witherington. If so, you’ll know what to expect—broad research, lively writing, and a socio-rhetorical emphasis. This work on Mark is up to the same level as others of his that I have used. No one understands how he gets such copious amounts of writing done, but that is not ours to know. What is apparent is that he grades out well on quality amid all that quantity.

The Introduction will prove that he’s not skimming but probing deeply all the scholarly questions. In the first sections, unsurprisingly, he addresses genre and rhetoric. Next, he wades through Mark’s sources. I find both his ideas and the overall importance of the whole question of sources off the mark, but he again is clear as a bell on explaining what he thinks. There are, however, some good points on Mark’s style that he digs out that help no matter your perspective on sources themselves. From there he slides into authorship and dates Mark from 66 to 70. I enjoyed his explanation of Mark’s social context much more. You’ll find plenty of insights there as well as the next section on structure. He gives perceptive analysis on both Mark’s Christology and the widely-debated Messianic Secret viewpoint. All in all, the Introduction is a deep dive running over 60 pages.

The commentary proper maintains his level of work. You’ll see things introduced in the Introduction fleshed out even more in the commentary. There’s real value here and the writing remains engaging throughout.

I don’t always agree with Witherington’s conclusions, but I appreciate the clarity that he presents his with. Some scholarly writing so entertains differing viewpoints that you’re not quite sure which ones the author holds. Witherington will not fail you on that count ever.

While this commentary would not be my first choice for an exegetical commentary, it’s an excellent volume to give another angle. He’s not a parrot of any other commentator and that means you will get food for thought throughout.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Erik Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read a real commentary cover to cover (besides some of the intro and epilogues stuff.) I found it on Tim Mackies' library on the Bible project website and just went with it. Will definitely try to read Witherington again. It's from the 1990s I think so it was refreshing to read something outside of the usual debates these days. What might have been a "hot take" now just felt like something to take or leave. You don't get the sense that the author is trying to convince you of something scandalous or defend a precarious, loaded position. Maybe that's academic theology, idk I'm new to it.

Pros: his translation. the historical context. Learning how biblical authors use different types of rhetoric. Who knew what chreiae were? Not me. Getting more comfortable with author choice and differences between gospel narratives without dumping the idea of inspiration.

Cons: I don't know Greek or Hebrew. Had to ignore paragraphs.

Overall, I think I was taught that commentaries were cheating and laziness. I don't know if think that right now. You can't just stumble onto all this stuff with enough time in it and prayer.

Now who wants to argue with me about what the real ending of Mark is??

[Donner Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess that I am not exactly a great fan of (most) bible commentaries much as I love reading the bible. The need to interpret the bible aright necessitates my going to good commentaries for background info and the pool of scholarly opinions. As such, reading bible commentaries often feels like consulting encyclopedias or some such reference books - one entry at a time. But not with Ben Witherington's socio-rhetorical commentaries! This creative writer exemplifies how bible commentaries should be written, not merely to inform but to bring the inspired, ancient texts to life! At once informative, interpretive and inspiring, the book offers much fodder to chew on as well as for sharing with others. But lest anyone thinks this book belongs to the glut of 'application-driven' lightweight devotional commentaries out there, this book represents a solid scholarly treatment of the pertinent issues that attend to interpreting the biblical text, in this case the gospel according to Mark.

Witherington sees the gospel of Mark as an ancient biography of Jesus with a special focus on the passion narrative. The over-riding question behind Mark's account is: Who is Jesus? Mark may not be as polished in the Greek language as the other NT writers but his masterful use of literary devices such as chiasm, intercalation, strategically placed questions and so on sets him apart as a powerful communicator. In Mark, you also see many of the rough edges of Jesus' words preserved, which led many scholars to place this gospel earliest among the others. There are many such observations made in the commentary that illuminate our reading of this particular telling of the good news and help us hear the distinctive voice of Mark as he presents the Son of God to non-Jewish readers. Witherington gives his own translation of the Greek text which is often refreshing. For example the translation of 'basileia tou theou' as the 'dominion of God' helps one see the words and deeds of Jesus - the kingdom parables as well as the healings and exorcisms in the light of the inbreaking of God's reign in the world. For a reader like me with only a sophomoric grasp of Greek, the translation provides a unique angle for understanding such familiar biblical metaphors afresh. Included in the commentary are excursus where the good professor treats us to some insights into special topics of interest (eg the temple in first century Judaism, the controversial Olivet discourse in Mk 13, etc) These are neatly bracketed for those interested in these subject matters without interrupting the flow of the textual commentary. I also appreciate the section 'bridging the horizons' where Witherington masterfully draws the different strands of the foregoing pericopes together and help readers connect the message of Mark to the contemporary world.

I have not exhausted the merits of this commentary but I just want to say I like it a lot and it's one of very few bible commentaries I can read from cover to cover 400 plus pages notwithstanding!

[E. · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the beginning Witherington quotes Reynolds Price claiming that Mark "is the most original narrative writer in history" and that the Gospel of Mark is "the most influential of human books."
But aside from an idea here or there, this commentary is rather bland, boring, and conventional lacking in any surprising insights that might open new eyes upon the text.

[Bill Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witherington’s commentaries are excellent — thorough, well-researched, illuminating. This study of MARK is no exception

[Andy Littleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very accessible scholarly commentary!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have yet to read a commentary by Witherington that wasn't simple amazing in terms of breadth, insight, and just plain exegetical common sense. When I choose to purchase a commentary for the New Testament, Witherington is always a no brainer. So it goes without saying that his commentary on Mark is excellent. Where he really excels is in his knowledge of ancient rhetoric. This is the unique thing about Witherington and it always provides an angle on the text that others often miss. All in all, just a good commentary!

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary. I read Ben Witherington's blog from time to time and have been wanting to read one of his commentaries for a long while. I expect I will purchase more of his work. Well written and very informative.

[Brad]

If you want a scholarly commentary on Mark, you can't go wrong with Ben Witherington. Excellent insights on Mark's gospel set in the proper context.

[John Kaess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done, thorough commentary with good look at the culture and society.

[Sandra Todd]

Was hoping for some common English reading; however this seemed to be a theological study and was more than I xpected