The Gospel according to Mark

BYU New Testament Commentary

by Julie M. Smith

The Gospel of Mark is usually read through the lenses of the other Gospels, but the Jesus presented in Mark’s Gospel is worthy of study. He is witty, warm, and wise. He’s also the Son of God. He has power which leaves people in awe, and he uses that power to help the people most people don’t like. His disciples usually misunderstand him, but he teaches them continually and patiently. This Jesus is betrayed and abandoned and alone and humiliated, but he still chooses God’s will over his own, even though he didn’t want to. Mark tells an amazing story.

The goal of Julie Smith’s commentary is to recover Mark’s unique voice. Special attention is given to five An examination of the differences in ancient texts of Mark is used to make conjectures about how the text read in its earliest versions. Basic cultural knowledge is supplied to help the modern reader bridge the gap between the modern and ancient worlds. Biblical allusions in Mark’s text are explored and explained. Literary structures, both large and small, are considered. The traditional neglect of women’s stories is corrected. The result is a commentary that answers the question, “What would Mark’s story of Jesus have meant to its first audiences?” in a way that informs and inspires.

Genres: Religion

1320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 28, 2019

About the author

Julie M. Smith graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in English and from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, with an MA in Biblical Studies. She is on the executive board of the Mormon Theology Seminar and the steering committee for the BYU New Testament Commentary. She is the author of Search, Ponder, and Pray: A Guide to the Gospels and the editor of and contributor to As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture and Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21–22. Julie is married to Derrick Smith; they live near Austin, Texas, where she homeschools their children.

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this commentary. Smith's approach, plainly stated and justified in the introduction, is to explain how an early Christian audience listening to the Gospel being read (or watching it being performed) would have understood it. Of course, Smith addresses Latter-Day Saint issues when relevant to that approach, but she is not interested in conforming Mark's Gospel to modern-day doctrine or practice. The result is informative and very helpful, noting the many connections and allusions to the Hebrew Bible and to other stories within the Gospel itself, all of which an early Christian audience would have recognized.

Smith also shies away from making firm conclusions about what Mark's text was intended to mean. She often provides several possible interpretations and lets the reader decide which is the most compelling. By so doing, this commentary promotes deep thinking about the text and avoids the limitations that would come from providing conclusions that exclude other interpretations.

Smith's theme -- discipleship -- was a natural one and is well-developed throughout the commentary. I learned so much about what it means to a be an effective disciple of Christ. I never realized how chock-full Mark's Gospel is with lessons for Christ's followers. For example, Smith points out that the miracles of the loaves and fishes was intended to teach the disciples about God's ability to help them in their various tasks as disciples (at least, that was the lesson that Mark wanted us to learn from those miracles). Also, Mark wanted the Savior's disciples to know that, even when they made mistakes, Christ would still want them to continue to follow him, as shown by the multiple stories of the disciples' failures. These are valuable lessons that Mark's Gospel (and Smith's commentary) highlight.

For those reading the book, I would strongly suggest that you read the appendixes immediately after you read the introduction. There is a lot of material in those appendixes that will help you as you read the commentary itself. The appendixes on Mark's Style and on Christology were particularly helpful in understanding Mark's approach to telling the story of the Savior's life.

I loved this book. I've been referencing it during discussions with my family for our "Come Follow Me" lessons and at Church when discussing our New Testament studies. I hope that future volumes of this Commentary Series will be of such a high quality.

[Keith]

She does not choose an answer for you. She puts down the evidence, and the various options and let’s you come to your own conclusion.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, ‘i’m Finished!’ in the sense that I’ve studied Mark this year, and used this exhaustively thorough and brilliant resource to decipher the gospel which appears, on the surface, to be the simplest and most straightforward. It ain’t no such thang. This is truly a resource to be treasured and consulted often.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the in-depth understanding that this book adds to my scripture knowledge. Julie has so many incredible insights and the Greek and Hebrew translations make it so much more understandable. What an intense scholarly work she has done here. It took me a long time to read it because it’s 900 pages and 1000 pages including appendix’s at the end but I loved every minute I got to spend reading!

[Erneilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took me a while to get through it but I have a new-found appreciation for the Gospel of Mark. This commentary is carefully written and has caused me to think much more deeply about the text than I have ever before. This has been a rewarding experience and my thanks to the author, Dr. Smith

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Bible commentary available. Julie M Smith sets a high bar for future books in this series. Particularly useful are her connections between Old and New Testament verses and her diversity of interpretations.

[CairoErica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book