Expository Notes on the Gospel of Mark

by H.A. Ironside

IT is interesting to notice the special object the Holy Spirit has in view in His presentation of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ in each of the four Gospels. In them we have four pen-portraits of our Saviour. It was given to Matthew to set Him forth particularly as the King, the Messiah of Israel, hence the genealogy proving Him to be the Son of David and Son of Abraham. This also accounts for the many references to and quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures. Luke presents Him as the perfect Man, the unique Son of Man who came to seek and to save the lost. A singular feature of his record is that of the table-talk of Jesus. Is there any function where a man relaxes and opens up his heart like a dinner-party? And in Luke we see our Lord on many such occasions. Luke traces His genealogy back to Adam through Heli, the father of Mary and hence the father-in-law of Joseph (Luke 3:23). John tells us plainly his object was to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, “believing ye might have life though His name.” John shows that He is the Eternal Word who became flesh for our redemption.

109 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Henry Allen "Harry" Ironside (October 14, 1876-January 15, 1951) was a Canadian-American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author.

Ironside was one of the most prolific Christian writers of the 20th Century and published more than eighty books and pamphlets, many of which are still in print. As an editorial reviewer wrote of a 2005 republication, "Ironside's commentaries are a standard and have stood the test of time."

Reviews

[Dr Author O Wright, PhD, MinD, ThD, DD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark: Ironside Commentaries by Henry Allan Ironside is a very sound and trustworthy study on the Gospel according to Saint Mark. Mr. Ironside exhibited a very knowledgeable and straightforward approach in presenting these biblical truths on this synoptic gospel.
Indeed, Professor Ironside seemed to have possessed a unique ability to present complicated biblical concepts from the gospel of Mark in a user-friendly and acceptable manner. His systematic presentation on the Gospel according to Saint Mark truly simplified the difficult areas you might have concerning his parables and make them more understandable.
Written in a mostly non-technical, conversational style, Mr. Ironside’s commentaries presented a beautiful and biographical masterpiece of the life and times of Jesus’ ministries. In fact, his commentaries of Mark contain a blend of scholarly and devotional elements all wrapped up in one book.
Mr. Ironside’s writing is forthright and unequivocal but not reckless or overstated. Each passage is considered in its proper sequence and special attention is given to key verses and difficult portions and sections which merit special comment. His method of presenting the Gospel of Mark greatly enhances your understanding of all the prophetic discourses.
This carefully written commentary on Mark’s Gospel is an excellent read for devotional reading and for serious Bible study. It is also a tremendous help and source of material for pastors, Sunday school teacher, and layman. It can also be used for as a textbook in Bible Colleges and Institutes.

[Nicholas Carpathia]

Devotional, practical, and Christ-centered, the Ironside Expository Commentary series offers insightful and practical comments that bring out the essential truths of God's Word. All volumes present the unabridged text in a newly typeset edition. A perfect resource for preaching and teaching from the English text of the Bible, these commentaries also provide the general reader with an excellent resource for personal study and spiritual growth.

[Bud Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ironside was, in his day, a renowned preacher/teacher. However, I found his book rather elementary in content... nothing of consequence for a student of serious study. Much of his writing is a paraphrasing of the biblical text, and his vocabulary and style is quite archaic. I had hoped for something more than what he offers.

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for use as a devotional, my one complaint being with this series of paperback editions, they left out the Bible text which is usually before each section of comments.