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SOURCES ... MATTHEW AND JOHN WITNESSED JESUS' ENTIRE MINISTRY AND WROTE ABOUT IT IN THEIR GOSPELS. LUKE, WHO WAS NOT AN EYEWITNESS, BASED HIS ACCOUNT ON WRITTEN DOCUMENTS AND INTERVIEWS OF THE APOSTLES AND JESUS' MOTHER MARY (LUKE 1:1 - 4). MARK, HOWEVER, IS UNIQUE. HE WAS ONLY AROUND 14 YEARS OLD WHEN JESUS' MINISTRY BEGAN, MAKING HIM TOO YOUNG TO HAVE TRAVELED WITH HIM. HIS WRITING IS NOT BASED ON HIS OWN EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY OR IN-DEPTH RESEARCH. WHAT OR WHO, THEN, IS ITS SOURCE? CLOSE FRIENDS ... BOTH PETER AND MARK LIVED IN JERUSALEM FROM 30 TO 42 A.D. IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT PETER, DURING THIS TIME, WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MARK'S CONVERSION (1PETER 5:13). PETER WAS NOT ONLY CLOSE TO HIM BUT ALSO HIS FAMILY (ACTS 12:1 - 17). PETER WAS NOT AN EDUCATED MAN (ACTS 4:13). MARK, HOWEVER, WAS EDUCATED AS HE WAS A LEVITE (PRIEST) FROM A WEALTHY FAMILY. PETER USED MARK AND HIS SKILLS AS A SECRETARY TO RECORD HIS OWN PERSONAL TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS' LIFE AND TEACHINGS. "IT IS THE CURRENT AND APPARENTLY WELL-FOUNDED TRADITION THAT MARK DERIVED HIS INFORMATION MAINLY FROM THE DISCOURSES OF PETER." (ILLUSTRATED BIBLE DICTIONARY). " . . . IT SEEMS EVIDENT THAT THE GOSPEL OF MARK IS REALLY THE GOSPEL OF PETER" (RESTORING THE ORIGINAL BIBLE). PETER WAS PROMISED THAT HE WOULD REMEMBER ALL THAT HE HEARD AND SEEN SO THAT HE COULD SPREAD THE TRUTH TO THE WORLD (JOHN 14:26, ACTS 1:8). THIS IS PRECISELY WHAT HE DID THROUGH MARK! |
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