Observations on the Gospel of Mark, Acts, Philemon, with The Sermon on the Mount

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The Gospel of Mark is considered by scholars to be the earliest of the three Synoptic ("seen-together") Gospels, is the shortest of them, and is the earliest example of this genre of literature. It is the least-biographical of the four Gospels, and does not offer a birth narrative. We present observations and thoughts as we read through the author's expanded translation, and consider apparent allusions to OT texts, as well as insights from other NT writers that would have been circulating at the time. We occasionally use passages from the other Gospels to inform our readers of some things that those other authors recorded that may shed light on Mark's text. The author's translation of the fragments of the 1st century Gospel of Peter, a visionary description of Christ's resurrection and surrounding events, is inserted toward the end of Mark's account. Next, we offer selected passages from the Book of Acts and focus on: the early events that followed the resurrection of Jesus, the early development of the new movement, the content of the messages which the representatives of Christ presented to their listeners, and finally the paradigmatic life and missions of Paul. We consider the book's agenda: Was it just a "history" of this early period of Christianity, or was there a purpose for what was included and what was not mentioned? In the first chapter we find the leadership sensing a need to replace Judah (Judas) in order to keep intact their original number of "the twelve, " but this group almost immediately disappears from Luke's narrative. Were Paul's revelations and teachings considered by Luke to be the central stream for the future followers of Christ? Of the major speeches in this book, about one half of them are an abbreviated presentation of Israel's history which led to the coming of Jesus, His death and His resurrection, all of which then resulted in the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishing of called-out, covenant communities. This is a book about the time of transition from the old creation (Israel under Mt. Sinai) to the new creation (Israel upon Mt. Zion - Heb. 12:22): the new age of the Messiah had arrived. This inter-age history co-exists with the final decades of Second Temple Judaism (which ended with the destruction of the temple, in A.D. 70). The Sermon on the Mount: a foundational, "outer court" teaching for Life in the Kingdom, which is a presentation from the Chief Corner Stone, upon which Paul and the called-out communities were to begin building the new Temple of God. From the author's expanded translation, this study takes a fresh look at Jesus' teachings in the Mathew 5, 6 & 7, along with additions noted in Luke's version. It addresses the question of how these teachings now speak, and apply, to us.