馬可福音 緒論 (2026再版）
- 馬克牧師
- Jan 1
- 9 min read
各位平安，歡迎大家收聽這一系列關於《馬可福音》的講座分享，我是馬克牧師。
這一系列的講座，其實會用一個比較輕鬆的方式，來和大家一起分享這本非常有趣的福音書。我會用一個相對緩慢的步調，大約花兩個月的時間，帶大家一起讀完整卷《馬可福音》。每天我們大概只讀七、八節左右的經文，這樣的進度其實非常容易，也很適合大家一起跟著閱讀、一起分享。
在內容上，我會盡可能用比較平易近人的方式來講解，會加一點點必要的神學背景，但會刻意避免使用太多艱深的神學術語，希望讓大家能夠更容易理解，也更深入地認識這一本非常重要、而且很有特色的福音書。我的期待是，透過這樣的分享，能夠增加一些故事性，同時也補充一些當時的歷史與背景，讓你在閱讀《馬可福音》的時候，有更多可以思考、也可以彼此討論的內容。
我們在讀福音書的時候，第一件事情，就是先來理解當時的時代背景，也同時認識一下作者——馬可這個人。
在學術研究當中，通常都會認定馬可福音書裡面最早完成的一卷，這就要提到一個神學上的概念，叫做「符類福音」，比較容易理解的說法，就是「共觀福音」（Synoptic Gospels）。
「Synoptic」這個字，原來的意思就是「一起觀看、放在一起看」。也就是說，當我們把《馬太福音》、《馬可福音》和《路加福音》這三卷書放在一起閱讀時，它們會共同呈現出耶穌一個相當完整的生平輪廓。
你會注意到，《馬可福音》一開始就直接進入耶穌受洗與事奉的記載；《馬太福音》則是回到猶太人的脈絡，從家譜開始，連結以色列的祖先；而《路加福音》則是從一個外邦人的角度出發，從耶穌的出生開始敘述。因此，當這三卷福音書一起閱讀時，我們就能看見一個完整的耶穌生平。
同時我們也知道《馬太福音》和《路加福音》中，有相當多的內容是取材自《馬可福音》。馬可所寫的方式非常平實、直接，你會發現他的文字沒有太多華麗的文學修辭，而是清楚、快速地記錄事件的發生。因此，在《馬可福音》中，我們看到的耶穌非常有人性，祂有情緒、有反應，是一位非常真實的主。
相對來說，《馬太福音》比較著重於耶穌作為猶太人救主的身分來書寫；而《路加福音》則是從外邦人的角度出發，為那些不熟悉猶太文化、也不熟悉以色列背景的人，來記錄耶穌的一生。
至於《約翰福音》，就和這三卷福音書很不一樣了。雖然有少部分內容是重疊的，但約翰的寫作方式與前三卷福音書有明顯的差異。約翰特別透過七個神蹟，來見證耶穌道成肉身這個核心信仰重點。因此，約翰所呈現的角度，和馬太、馬可、路加都有所不同。
但整體來說，這四卷福音書彼此互補，一同完整地呈現了耶穌不同面向的生命與事奉。
接下來，我們來聊一聊馬可這個人是誰。其實在新約聖經中，有不少地方都提到他的相關背景。我們知道，馬可的母親名叫馬利亞，是耶路撒冷一位相當有財力的人，而她的家，也是初代教會非常重要的一個聚集地。這一點記載在《使徒行傳》第十二章第十二節。因此可以說，馬可是從小就在福音的環境中長大的，他很早就聽過福音。
馬可還有一位和保羅一同宣教的舅舅，就是巴拿巴 (也有記載認為巴拿巴是馬可的表哥)。當時，保羅和巴拿巴是一起合作、外出宣教的重要夥伴。因此，在保羅早期的宣教旅程中，馬可還是一位年輕人，但已經開始跟隨他們同行，協助他們，可能擔任書記或是類似小幫手的角色。
在《使徒行傳》第十三章中，有一段如果不特別留意，很容易就被忽略的小插曲。經文記載，當他們來到別加這個地方時，保羅提議要繼續往北前進，但就在這個時候，馬可不知道出於什麼原因，卻選擇回家去了，這記載在《使徒行傳》十三章十三節。
聖經並沒有清楚交代馬可離開保羅和巴拿巴的具體原因，但這件事情，確實在保羅和巴拿巴之間留下了一個心結。到了《使徒行傳》第十五章，當巴拿巴希望這一次能再次帶著馬可同行時，保羅卻堅決反對。他提到，馬可曾在旁非利亞離開他們，沒有完成當初的事奉。在保羅看來，這個年輕人可能不具備足夠的屬靈成熟度、勇氣，或是承擔宣教使命所需要的堅持，因此他把這次離開視為一種臨陣退縮。
而巴拿巴則認為，馬可應該被給予第二次機會。正因為這個分歧，最終導致保羅與巴拿巴分道揚鑣，這也成了聖經中最後一次記載他們兩人一同合作宣教的時刻。
如果我們的故事停在這裡，那在我們的印象當中，馬可可能只是一個臨陣脫逃的年輕人。他或許一開始願意跟隨、願意參與宣教，但當真正面對困難、挑戰與危險的時候，卻選擇離開了保羅。
但感謝上帝，故事並沒有停在那裡。當馬可再次出現在聖經的記載中時，他已經成為保羅一位非常重要的同工。保羅在羅馬寫信給歌羅西教會時，也就是在《歌羅西書》中，特別提到馬可與他同在，這記載在第四章第十節。接著，在另一卷書信《腓利門書》中，保羅更直接稱呼馬可為「與我同工的馬可」，這是在腓利門書二十四節。
更令人印象深刻的是，當保羅即將殉道、面對生命最後時刻時，他寫信給自己的屬靈兒子提摩太，竟然還特別交代：「你來的時候，要把馬可帶來，因為他在傳道的事上與我有益。」這記載在《提摩太後書》第四章第十一節。
從這些經文我們可以很清楚地看到，馬可後來因著各樣的原因，再一次回到宣教的行列之中。而這一次，他不再是那個臨陣退縮的年輕人，而是成為教會當中的中堅分子，甚至成為保羅身邊親密、被完全信任的同工，重新得到保羅的肯定。
按照教會傳統的記載，亞歷山大教會被認為是由馬可所建立的。這也再次證明，馬可是一位生命被更新、被改變的人。即便他曾經在宣教的路上退卻過，但後來，他重新站立起來，成為保羅極為看重、也對教會產生深遠影響的重要同工。而最後，這一個作者寫下了馬可福音，為後世留下了珍貴的耶穌的生平紀錄。
你會注意到，馬可的寫作方式非常直接、非常簡短、也非常快速。一開始第一章就立刻切入重點，馬上進入耶穌的事工：耶穌受洗、聖靈降臨，接著立刻被帶到曠野，然後馬上開始祂的事奉。你會發現，《馬可福音》的整體節奏非常快，幾乎沒有多餘的鋪陳。
同時，在這卷福音書裡，你也會看見耶穌非常人性化的一面。你會看到祂生氣、看到祂悲傷、看到祂驚訝。在《馬可福音》中，我們特別清楚地看見耶穌最真實、最貼近人的那一面。可以說，這是出自一位非常貼近耶穌的人，用第一手所見、所聞的資訊，把他眼睛所看到的一切、他所知道關於耶穌的一切，清清楚楚、誠誠實實地記錄下來。
因此，這真的是一本充滿情感、也充滿故事性的福音書。
好，以上就是對《馬可福音》的一個簡短介紹。接下來，我們就一起進入《馬可福音》第一章。
Peace be with you.Welcome to this lecture series on the Gospel of Mark. I’m Pastor Mark.
This series will be shared in a relatively relaxed and approachable way as we explore this very fascinating Gospel together. I plan to move at a slower pace, spending about two months walking through the entire Gospel of Mark. Each day, we will read only about seven or eight verses, which makes the pace very manageable and easy for everyone to follow along, read together, and share together.
In terms of content, I will try my best to explain things in a simple and accessible way. I will include a small amount of necessary theological background, but I will intentionally avoid using too many technical theological terms. My hope is to help everyone better understand—and more deeply appreciate—this very important and distinctive Gospel. Through these sessions, I also hope to add more storytelling elements and provide historical and cultural background, so that as you read the Gospel of Mark, you will have more to reflect on and more to discuss together.
Whenever we read the Gospels, the first thing we should do is understand the historical context and also get to know the author—in this case, Mark.
In biblical scholarship, it is generally accepted that the Gospel of Mark was the earliest Gospel to be written. This brings us to a theological concept known as the “Synoptic Gospels.” The word synoptic comes from Greek and means “to see together” or “to view together.” In other words, when we read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke side by side, they collectively present a fairly complete picture of the life of Jesus.
You will notice that the Gospel of Mark begins immediately with Jesus’ baptism and the start of His ministry. Matthew, on the other hand, traces Jesus’ genealogy and roots Him in Israel’s history, emphasizing His identity as the Jewish Messiah. Luke writes from a Gentile perspective and begins with Jesus’ birth. When these three Gospels are read together, they give us a full and rich portrait of Jesus’ life.
We also know that a significant portion of Matthew and Luke draws from Mark. Mark’s writing style is very plain and direct. There is little literary ornamentation; instead, events are recorded clearly and quickly. As a result, the Jesus we encounter in Mark’s Gospel is very human—He shows emotion, responds deeply, and comes across as profoundly real.
By contrast, Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the Savior of the Jews, while Luke writes for Gentile readers who are less familiar with Jewish culture and background.
The Gospel of John is quite different from these three. While there is some overlap, John’s approach is distinct. He structures his Gospel around seven signs to testify to Jesus as the Word made flesh. Because of this, John presents Jesus from a different theological angle than Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Taken together, however, all four Gospels complement one another and collectively present the many dimensions of Jesus’ life and ministry.
Next, let’s talk about who Mark was. In the New Testament, we find several references to his background. We know that Mark’s mother, Mary, was a woman of considerable means in Jerusalem, and her home served as an important gathering place for the early church. This is recorded in Acts 12:12. This means that Mark grew up in a gospel-centered environment and was exposed to the message of Christ from a very young age.
Mark also had a close family connection to Barnabas, who partnered with Paul in missionary work. Some records identify Barnabas as Mark’s cousin. During Paul’s early missionary journeys, Mark was still a young man, but he already traveled with Paul and Barnabas, assisting them—possibly as a secretary or helper.
In Acts chapter 13, we find a small detail that is easy to overlook. When they arrived at Perga, Paul proposed continuing northward, but at that point, Mark unexpectedly returned home. This is recorded in Acts 13:13.
Scripture does not explain why Mark left Paul and Barnabas, but it clearly caused tension between them. By Acts chapter 15, when Barnabas wanted to bring Mark along again, Paul firmly refused. Paul remembered that Mark had left them in Pamphylia and did not complete the work. In Paul’s view, Mark may not have had the spiritual maturity, courage, or endurance required for missionary ministry, and he saw Mark’s departure as a form of withdrawal under pressure.
Barnabas, however, believed Mark deserved a second chance. This disagreement ultimately led Paul and Barnabas to part ways, marking the final time Scripture records them ministering together.
If the story ended there, we might remember Mark simply as a young man who abandoned the mission. He may have started with enthusiasm, but when faced with difficulty, danger, and hardship, he walked away.
But thanks be to God, the story does not end there. When Mark appears again in Scripture, he has become a trusted and valuable co-worker of Paul. While Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he wrote to the church in Colossae and specifically mentioned Mark as being with him (Colossians 4:10). In the letter to Philemon, Paul refers to Mark as “my fellow worker” (Philemon 24).
Most strikingly, near the end of his life, as Paul awaited execution, he wrote to Timothy and specifically requested, “Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).
These passages make it very clear that Mark eventually rejoined the work of ministry. This time, he was no longer the young man who withdrew under pressure, but a key leader in the church and a trusted companion of Paul, fully restored and affirmed.
According to church tradition, Mark went on to establish the church in Alexandria. This further confirms that Mark was a man whose life was transformed. Though he once stepped away from ministry, he later stood firm and became an influential leader in the early church. Ultimately, he became the author of the Gospel of Mark, leaving behind a priceless record of the life of Jesus.
You will notice that Mark’s writing style is very direct, concise, and fast-paced. From the very first chapter, he moves straight into action—Jesus is baptized, the Spirit descends, Jesus is immediately driven into the wilderness, and then He begins His ministry. The pace of the Gospel is rapid, with very little delay or embellishment.
At the same time, this Gospel reveals Jesus in a deeply human way. We see Him experience anger, sorrow, and amazement. In Mark, we encounter the most vivid and personal portrayal of Jesus’ humanity. It is the work of someone who was very close to Jesus, faithfully recording what he saw and heard—honestly and clearly.
For this reason, the Gospel of Mark is a deeply emotional and story-driven account of Jesus’ life.
This concludes our brief introduction to the Gospel of Mark. Next, we will begin our journey through Mark chapter one together.
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