SUMMER BIBLE STUDY 2025
The Gospel according to Mark
Are you tired, listless and rundown?
Are you bored with the same old routines on a typical weekday evening?
Are you running out of interesting Netflix series to watch?
Are you reading uninspiring books these days?
Are you looking for moral, intellectual and spiritual stimulation on the highest conceivable level?
Are you trying to connect the Sundays in a meaningful way?
Are you ready to be inspired by the living Word of God?
Are you searching for friendship and fellowship?
Then your existential dilemmas are solved and your restless search is over if you choose to attend the Summer Bible Study right here in your home parish! And if you so choose, you can join us from the comfort of your own home via zoom. Each weekly session will take us deeper into the Mystery of Christ as revealed in the Gospel According to St. Mark. Here are some of the many themes that we will discuss together as a group:
- What is the Gospel and what is a gospel?
- How does St. Mark present Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God?
- What is the source of tension between Jesus and the religious authorities?
- How does St. Mark present true discipleship?
As Fr. Thomas Hopko writes:
"Regular reading, study, and reflection on God's Word in the Bible is an essential part of Christian ascetical life. ... According to the Christian saints, the greatest cause of human evil and misery is the ignorance of the Word of God."
So please consider joining us. We will begin this coming Wednesday, June 18. Vespers is served at 7:00 p.m. followed by the Bible Study at 7:45 p.m. In preparation, read Ch. 1 of St. Mark's Gospel. I am looking forward to seeing you there. Bring your Bible with you.
7:35 pm on Wednesday evenings
beginning June 18
Vespers at 7:00 p.m.
Bible Study to follow
In our Education Center
Bring a Friend!
Class Notes posted below, in chronological order...
The Gospel According to St. Mark - with that solemn opening verse: "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" - is unbelievably rich and challenging, and thus worthy of our time and the effort to come together to study with care and attention. As Archbishop Demetrios wrote about St. Mark's presentation of Christ: " ... he presents the image of Jesus Christ with a unique authenticity, vibrancy, veracity, dynamism and wholeness." That is saying a great deal, but then again, Jesus is the Christ and Son of God!
We will be reading and discussing Mk. 2 & 3. Some wonderful, controversial and challenging chapters indeed. I have provided a link here to a handout on the website that you will thus be able to access. There are two charts that provide different perspectives on the "Controversy Stories" embedded in Mk. 2 - 3:6.
How did Jesus "provoke" and challenge the religious authorities in these passages? What did these controversies presage for the future? How are the essential themes of "authority" and "passion" interwoven in these passages?
Please read Mk. 2 - 3:6 carefully, and be ready for another lively and engaging discussion, as we hope to continue the momentum from last week's opening session. My intention is that we also get all the way through ch. 3.
Here is the handout that will be used during class: Controversy-Stories-21-36.pdf (5802kb)
My professor of New Testament at St. Vladimir's Seminary, Veselin Kesich, explained the use of parables by Jesus in the following manner:
"Jesus ... brought this art to perfection. Differing from previous storytellers in his subject matter, Jesus revealed his own character in these parables. His purpose was to lead the hearer to him and to compel a response to his challenge. Parables are never told to amuse people; but they are not merely interesting or entertaining. They are of a revelatory character."
The Gospel Image of Christ, p. 186 (A book that I would heartily recommend!)
Our main goal tomorrow evening is to read and discuss ch. 4 (after concluding our discussion of ch. 3) which is the "chapter of parables," highlighted by the Parable of the Sower.
+ What does it mean that the "sower went out to sow?
+ What is the most challenging part of that parable?
+ What is/are the ultimate purpose(s) of the parable?
+ How do the remaining parables of Ch. 4 challenge us further?
Be ready for an exciting evening and discussion!
We will read and discuss Mk. 5-6:6. In Ch. 5 especially, we encounter some of the great "dynamic acts" of Christ in this chapter.
Some topics for discussion:
Here is the link for this week’s handout:
Summer-Bible-Study---Mark---Session-4.pdf (2868kb)
+ Please take a look at the link and the chart there, comparing the three synoptic gospels and their respective differences in narrating the same events. What could be behind these differences?
+ What can we take away from the narrative of the healing of the Gerasene demoniac?
+ Is a "miracle within a miracle" in 5:21-43 effectively presented by this method?
+ As different as they are, what similarities can we discover in Jairus, his daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage?
+ Why could Jesus not do "mighty works" in his town, as described in 6:1-6?
We will read and discuss Mk. 6, perhaps the longest chapter in the Gospel of St. Mark.
+ A few general questions: How does the appearance of Christ on the water differ from the stilling of the storm from ch. 4?
+ How can we connect the feeding of the crowds with the Eucharist? What are some OT precedents?
+ How does the beheading of St. John the Baptist anticipate the crucifixion of the Lord?
We covered all of Ch. 6 of St. Mark's Gospel, and were thus able to discuss some of the most extraordinary events recorded about Christ in this Gospel - the multiplication of the loaves and fishes; and Christ walking on the water. Extraordinary, indeed! I appreciated the many insights shared by many of you, as we realize how inexhaustible is the "mystery of Christ."
We will discuss Mk. 7- 8:21
Possible points of discussion:
+ What is at stake in the dispute over "unclean" and "clean" in Mk. 7:1-23?
+ What does Jesus mean when he states: "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man?"
+ What does it mean that Jesus heals a Syrophoenician woman (7:24-30)?
+ What are the differences between the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000 (Mk. 6:30-44; 8:1-10)?
+ What is meant by the "leaven of the Pharisees" and the "leaven of the Herod?"
Please join us. It is never too late!
We will discuss Mk. 8:22-9:29, or at least as much of those passages as we are able to.
Speaking of great timing: On the Feast Day of the Lord's Transfiguration, we will discuss St. Mark's account of this powerful and mysterious event (9:2-8).
Possible questions to explore:
+ What is the significance of the event in Caesarea Philippi? What is the extent of Peter's confession, and why does Jesus rebuke Peter so fiercely?
+ How do we understand the word "life" (psyche), used six times in 8:35-37?
+ What does it mean that Jesus was transfigured? What is the meaning of the presence of Elijah and Moses?
+ What is the connection between Elijah and St. John the Forerunner?
We are drawing near to the close of this summer's Bible Study, with next Wednesday's session being our last. Although participation has "slimmed down" a bit, on the whole the sessions have been well-attended, and that is always encouraging. It is good to see established parish members, together with neophytes, catechumens and inquirers gathering together to study the holy Scriptures, in this case the remarkable Gospel According to St. Mark. We will close with a discussion of Mk. 9:14-10:52. That entails a good deal of material, so we may have to be a bit selective in what we cover.
Here are some potential questions or topics for discussion:
+ Why did the disciples either not understand or resist what Jesus spoke of his impending passion in Jerusalem?
+ How should we understand the severe and demanding teaching of 9:42-50
+ What is meant by Jesus when he says that a person must become "like a child" to enter the Kingdom of God?
+ Whats does it mean that the Son of Man would give his life as a ransom for the many?
+ What did you learn new about this particular Gospel? What did you find the most memorable? What may have surprised you about St . Mark's Gospel?