Unlocking the Puzzle: The Keys to the Christology and Structure of the Original Gospel of Mark

by David Oliver Smith

Overview

A shorter, simpler first draft of the Gospel of Mark has been theorized by New Testament scholars for almost two hundred years. Using literary tools, David Oliver Smith strips away interpolation and redaction from the canonical Gospel to reveal that long-sought first draft--the Original Gospel of Mark. Original Mark, shorter than the canonical version and with several large blocks of text replaced in their original locations, reveals a coherent structure and a different picture of who Jesus is. But it is anything other than simple. The Original Gospel also presents puzzles for the curious reader of Mark to solve, and Smith has found the keys to their solution. Analysis of the text that was interpolated into Mark reveals who that redactor might have been. Evidence is presented that it was the author of the Gospel of Luke who redacted the first-written Gospel, jumbled its structure, and changed its Christology. Follow the analysis of literary structures created by the genius who wrote Mark's Gospel and discover the astounding design of the Original Gospel of Mark.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781532605574
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	11/22/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	324
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

David Oliver Smith (JD, Duke University) is a retired lawyer who began his study of the Gospel of Mark after his retirement in 2006. He is the author of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul (2011). He lives in La Quinta, California.
David Oliver Smith has a JD from Duke University and is a retired lawyer who began his study of the New Testament more than fifteen years ago. He is the author of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul: The Influence of the Epistles on the Synoptic Gospels (2011) and Unlocking the Puzzle: The Structure and Christology of the Original Gospel of Mark (2016).

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Abbreviations xii

Part I Literary Structures

1 Introduction 3

2 Markan Literary Techniques 12

3 The Prologue and Epilogue Parallel Structure 24

4 The Beginning and Passion Chiastic Structure 38

5 The Beginning and Transfiguration Chiastic Structure 53

6 The Middle of the Gospel Chiastic Structure 78

7 Removing 6:38-56 and 7:24-8:4 from Canonical Mark 92

8 The Jerusalem Chiastic Structure 105

9 The Discourses 114

10 Textual Revisions and Answering Questions 125

11 Luke-Redactor of Mark 134

Part II Style, Plot, Purpose, Sources, and Structure of the Original Gospel of Mark

12 Markan Structure Puzzles 149

13 Pericope-Level Chiasms with Parallel Centers 174

14 The Plot and Drama of the Original Gospel of Mark 178

15 Promoting Paul 187

16 Sources of the Original Gospel of Mark 200

17 Four Structures of the Original Gospel of Mark 240

18 Discovering the Original Gospel of Mark 247

Appendix 1 The Original Gospel of Mark 251

Appendix 2 Triplets in the Original Gospel of Mark 281

Appendix 3 Pericopae of the Original Gospel of Mark 290

Appendix 4 Pericopae of Canonical Mark 293

Appendix 5 Luke Edits of Mark 296

Bibliography 299

Subject/Name Index 303

Scripture Index 309