Mark as Peter's testimony : the narrator and the witnesses in the Gospel of Mark

Bychkov, Oleksandr

Etd

Mark as Peter's testimony : the narrator and the witnesses in the Gospel of Mark

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MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Bychkov, Oleksandr. Mark As Peter's Testimony : the Narrator and the Witnesses In the Gospel of Mark. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/9bc041ba-e2d3-4874-9a19-965b87c8983b.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

B. Oleksandr. Mark as Peter's testimony : the narrator and the witnesses in the Gospel of Mark. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/9bc041ba-e2d3-4874-9a19-965b87c8983b

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Bychkov, Oleksandr. Mark As Peter's Testimony : the Narrator and the Witnesses In the Gospel of Mark. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/9bc041ba-e2d3-4874-9a19-965b87c8983b.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

Bychkov, Oleksandr

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Abstract

Traditionally the close connection between the origin of the Gospel of Mark and St. Peter was recognized in the Christian church, primarily due to Papias’ witness. In the first half of the 20th century, this view was challenged and almost rejected due to the developments of so-called form criticism. Recently, several scholars argued for the validity of Papias’ tradition and the importance of eyewitnesses’ testimony, specifically Peter’s, for the Gospel’s origin. Thus, Richard Bauckham’s recent Jesus and the Eyewitnesses produced an intensive discussion among scholars. Some asked the valid question: does the Gospel itself support the claim of its possible origin from Peter’s (and others’) eyewitness testimony? This thesis seeks to answer this question and look for Mark’s Gospel internal evidence, which may imply its connection to Peter. The methodology utilized is provided by narrative criticism. The main topic of the research is the exploration of the relationship between Mark’s narrator and Peter as his possible key witness. Three features of Mark’s narrative, namely the narrator’s ability, point of view, and focalization, are put at the center of the investigation. Exploring these features allows drawing conclusions regarding the relationship between the narrator, Peter, and other disciples, and the implied reader in the spheres of knowledge, perception, psychology, and ideology. The study of the narrator’s ability revealed that it is possible to see the narrator as one with limited knowledge and dependent on the disciples in the sphere of knowledge. As the disciples had privileged access to Jesus, they were able to know him deeply. Jesus himself had exceptional knowledge abilities and openly revealed this knowledge in front of his disciples. It is argued that the disciples can serve as a medium between Jesus and the narrator and transfer Jesus’ knowledge to the latter. The study of point of view demonstrated the ongoing ideological conflict between Jesus and the disciples. This conflict affected the relationship between Jesus and the disciples and was revealed in the difference between Jesus’ and the disciples’ understanding and perceiving things. The study of focalization showed that the narrator constantly emphasizes the disciples’ perception, and both the narrator and the implied reader share their perception to a great extent. However, they are invited to learn Jesus’ perception. The conflict between the disciples and Jesus, if not resolved, would prevent them from right interpretation of the Gospel events, which is important for witnessing. It was shown that the conflict was resolved at the final point of Peter’s presence in the Gospel (14:72). At this moment, he learned to see the Gospel story in Jesus’ way. Passages 1:29–39 and 14:72 make the Gospel’s inclusio. This structure invites the implied reader to enter the Gospel story alongside Peter and then revisit it with him again after his vision is healed. Peter’s level of awareness, the emphasis on his perception, his role in the disciples’ conflict with Jesus, and its resolution make him an excellent candidate not only for Mark’s narrator’s key witness but that of Mark himself. Moreover, due to his experience in 14:72, the Gospel may be seen as Peter’s confession and testimony.

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