written, and to whom it was written. You understand at once it was written to a Roman public. If I were writing a letter to a red Indian I would make it very different from a letter I would write to a European. Now, Mark puts in a number of points which he would not if he had been writing to Greeks. For example, Mark almost never quotes prophecy. The Romans did not know anything about prophecy. Then, he gives little explanations of Jewish customs. When I was writing home I had to give some little explanations of American customs-for example, Commencement Day. When Mark writes to Rome about things happening farther East, he gives elaborate explanations. Again, Mark is fond of Latin words-writing to the Latins, who could understand them. He talks about "centurion, prætorium," and others. Then, he always turns Jewish money into Roman money, just as I should say a book, if I were writing to Europe about it, costs two shillings, instead of fifty cents. Mark, for example, says, "two mites, which make a codrantes." He refers to the coins which the Romans knew. In these ways we find out that the Bible came out of the circumstances and the places and the times in which it was written. Then if we will we can learn where Mark got his information, to a large extent. It is an extremely interesting study. like to refer you to Godet's "New Tes tament Studies," where you I should worked out. Let me just indicate to you how these sources of information are arrived at the principal sources of information. There are a number of graphic touches in the book which indicate an eye-witness. Mark himself could not have been the eye-witness; and yet there are a number of graphic touches which show that he got his account from an eye-witness. You will find them, for example, in Mark iv. 38; x. 50; vi. 31; vii. 34. You will find also graphic touches indicating an ear-witness-as if the voice lingered in the mind of the writer. For example, the retention of Aramaic in v. 41; and in vii. 34--“Talitha cumi; Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." He retained the Aramaic words Christ said, as I would say in Scotland, "My wee lassie, rise up." The very words lingered in his ear, and he put Then there them in in the original. are occasional phrases indicating the moral impression produced-v. 15; x. 24; x. 32. Now, Mark himself was not either the eye-witness or ear-witness. There is internal evidence that he got his information from Peter. We know very well that Mark was an intimate friend of Peter's. When Peter came to Mark's house in Jerusalem, after he got out of prison, the very servant knew his voice, so that he must have been well known in the house. Therefore he was a friend of Mark's. The coloring and notes seem to be derived from Peter. There is a sense of wonder and admiration which you find all through the book, very like Peter's way of looking at things-i. 27; i. 33; i. 45; ii. 12; v. 42; Compare vi. 50 with Matthew's account—xiv. 28. |