Diluted Teachings of 1st Century Judaea

In our previous presentation we read Mark’s succinct account of the forty days in the wilderness, using it as an opportunity to identify the Adversary who tried Christ, and following an examination of the evidence, we came to the conclusion that they were an incredulous and scornful descendant of Cain, perhaps an individual or group from those racial vipers among the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to enquire of John the Baptist.

In our introduction to Mark, we discussed how the early Christian writers attested that this gospel is the faithful preservation of Peter’s oral testimonies. The internal evidence supports this, such as the vivid descriptive style and its focus on the actions of Christ’s ministry rather than lengthy teachings or parables. This emphasis on works gives the Gospel of Mark a fast-paced and dynamic narrative compared to the other accounts.