Critique of the View that Mark Discredits the Disciples
The view that Mark's Gospel discredits the disciples has been a subject of debate among scholars. This perspective posits that Mark portrays the disciples in a negative light, highlighting their failures and misunderstandings. However, a closer examination of Mark's narrative and its interpretation by various scholars reveals a more nuanced portrayal.
Mark's Gospel does depict the disciples as sometimes misunderstanding Jesus' teachings and failing to grasp the full extent of his mission. For instance, when Jesus foretells his death, the disciples are perplexed and even rebuke him (Mark 8:31-33, not directly quoted but referenced in [7]). Moreover, they are shown to be unable to heal a boy possessed by a demon, which Jesus accomplishes with ease (Mark 9:14-29, not directly quoted but referenced in [5]). These instances might suggest that Mark is presenting a negative image of the disciples.
However, Adam Clarke, a Methodist/Wesleyan commentator, offers an alternative interpretation. According to Clarke, the disciples' unbelief and skepticism serve as a testament to the truth of the Gospel [3]. The fact that they required "the fullest evidence" before believing underscores the authenticity of their eventual testimony. This reading suggests that Mark's portrayal of the disciples is not necessarily negative but rather realistic and honest about their struggles with faith.
Furthermore, the disciples' failures are not unique to Mark's Gospel. Other Synoptic Gospels also depict the disciples in a less-than-flattering light. For example, in Luke 18:15 and Mark 10:13, the disciples rebuke people who bring their children to Jesus, indicating a lack of understanding of Jesus' teachings on the importance of children [1, 2]. The similarity in these accounts across the Gospels suggests that the portrayal of the disciples is not a peculiarity of Mark but a shared aspect of the early Christian narrative.
The criticism of the disciples in Mark's Gospel can also be seen as a rhetorical device to emphasize Jesus' teachings and character. By highlighting the disciples' misunderstandings and failures, Mark underscores Jesus' patience, wisdom, and authority. For instance, when Jesus corrects the Pharisees for their hypocrisy regarding traditions, he uses the occasion to teach about what truly defiles a person (Mark 7:1-23, referenced in [4]). This episode not only critiques the Pharisees but also educates the disciples and the reader about the true nature of purity.
Some scholars argue that the disciples' inability to understand Jesus' teachings, such as his predictions of his death, stems from their preconceived notions about the Messiah [8]. This misunderstanding is not unique to Mark but is a common theme in the Gospels, reflecting the challenge of understanding Jesus' mission and the nature of his kingdom.
The portrayal of the disciples in Mark's Gospel, therefore, is complex and multifaceted. While it includes instances of their failure and misunderstanding, it also highlights their role as learners and the gradual nature of their understanding. The narrative encourages readers to reflect on their own faith and understanding, much like the disciples.
The emphasis on the disciples' shortcomings can also be seen as a call to humility and recognition of one's own limitations. As Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist/Puritan commentator, notes in the context of Proverbs, refusing instruction or correction leads to despising one's own soul [6]. This perspective suggests that the portrayal of the disciples serves as a reminder of the importance of being open to teaching and correction.
Sources
- Luke “They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. -- Luke 18:15”
- Mark “They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them. -- Mark 10:13”
- Mark (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Mark 16:14: And upbraided them with their unbelief - Never were there a people so difficult to be persuaded of the truth of spiritual things as the disciples. It may be justly asserted, that people of so skeptical a turn of mind would never credit any thing till they had the fullest evidence of its truth. The unbelief of the disciples is a strong proof of the truth of the Gospel of God. See the addition at the end.”
- Mark (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Mark 7 (introduction): The Pharisees find fault with the disciples for eating with unwashen hands, Mar 7:1-5. Christ exposes their hypocrisy, and shows that they had made the word of God of no effect by their traditions, Mar 7:6-13. He shows what things defile men, Mar 7:14-16; and teaches his disciples in private, that the sin of the heart alone, leading to vicious practices, defiles the man, Mar 7:17-23. The account of the Syrophoenician woman, Mar 7:24-30. He heals a man who was dumb, and had an impediment in his speech, Mar 7:31-37.”
- Mark (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Mark 9 (introduction): The transfiguration of Christ, and the discourse occasioned by it, Mar 9:1-13. He casts out a dumb spirit which his disciples could not, vv. 14-29. He foretells his death, Mar 9:30-32. The disciples dispute about supremacy, and Christ corrects them, Mar 9:33-37. Of the person who cast out demons in Christ's name, but did not follow him, Mar 9:38-40. Every kind of office done to the disciples of Christ shall be rewarded by him, and all injuries done to them shall be punished, Mar 9:41, Mar 9:42. The necessity of mortification and self-denial, Mar 9:43-48. O”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 15:32: See here, 1. The folly of those that will not be taught, that refuse instruction, that will not heed it, but turn their backs upon it, or will not hear it, but turn their hearts against it. They refuse correction (margin); they will not take it, no, not from God himself, but kick against the pricks. Those that do so despise their own souls; they show that they have a low and mean opinion of them, and are in little care and concern about them, considered as rational and immortal, instruction being designed to cultivate reason and prepare for the immortal state. ”
- Mark (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Mark 8 (introduction): Four thousand persons fed with seven loaves and a few small fishes, Mar 8:1-8. Christ refuses to give any farther sign to the impertinent Pharisees, Mar 8:10-12. Warns his disciples against the corrupt doctrine of the Pharisees and of Herod, Mar 8:13-21. He restores sight to a blind man, Mar 8:22-26. Asks his disciples what the public thought of him, Mar 8:27-30. Acknowledges himself to be the Christ, and that he must suffer, Mar 8:31-33. And shows that all his genuine disciples must take up their cross, suffer in his cause, and confess him before men, Mar”
- Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 9:32: 9:32 The disciples were still unable to accept Jesus’ teaching concerning his death or to recognize how it fit into God’s plan.”