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?