MARK, ST., THE GOSPEL OF. The genuineness and authen ticity of this Gospel are attested by the unanimous voice of ecclesiastical writers. Michaelis has indeed objected to its canonical authority, in common with that of Luke, but on no good ground. According to Papias, Irenteus, and other early writers, Mark committed to writing the gospel which was preached by Peter ; and Clement of Alexandria states that he did so at the reluest of Peter's hearers at Rome. Other early' writers add that in this work Mark had the approbation and assistance of Peter ; and many passages of the gospel have been thought to bear traces of being written under Peter's direction. From the tradition mentioned above, and from Latinisms and expla nations of Jewish phrases and customs contained In Mark's gospel, it appears to have been written at Rome for the benefit of the Latin Christians.
The time when it was written is uncertain. Irenaius says that it was composed Arra lie Tame,. (Peter and Paul) ftobor ; but whether he means after the death of Peter and Paul, or after their departure from Rome, is a question much disputed. Upon the whole, the meet probable date appears to be about A.D. 64 or 66. There is little doubt that it was written after tho Gospel of St. Matthew, and probably before the destruction of Jerusalem.
According to the unanimous testimony of the early ecclesiastical authors, the gospel of Mark was written in Oreek. The Latin MS. at
Venice, said to be part of St. Mark's autograph, has long since been proved to be nothing of the kind.
The opinion that Mark's gospel is an abridgment of Matthew's has been satisfactorily refuted by Michaelis; for notwithstanding the coincidences between these two gospels, we find, on comparing them, that there are in Mark omissions of and discrepancies with what is contained in Matthew, which it is difficult to account for on the supposition that he wrote with the gospel of Matthew before him. The true mode of explainiug these coincidences and discrepancies belongs to the more general question respecting the origin of the first three 15oepels. Those who believe that each evangelist composed his narrative from independent sources of Information have no difficulty in proving Mark's qualifications for the task; for besides the assistance which he probably received from Peter, what wo know of his life proves that he must have had opportunities of constant intercourse with the apostles and first Christians.
(Lardner s Credibility and Lives of the Apostles and Cave's Lives of the Apostles, and Evangelists ; Kuinoel, Comment. in Lib. Hist. N. T., Proleg. in Marc. ; Introduction to the Gospel according to St. Mark, in the Pictorial Bible, by Dr. Kitto, edit. 1849; and the Introductions of Michaelis, De Wette, Hug, and Horne.) MARK. [MoNEY.]