Exegesis of Mark, NT811 and Bi816, Exposition of Mark

This page serves both the exegesis class (taught spring odd years) and the exposition (taught fall odd years) class. These are both M.Div.-level courses. The page contains links to the various documents and assignments throughout the semester for one or the other of these related courses. Some are here now, others will be added as the semester develops. Others will be revised along the way. Not all notes are posted here since this is a public site. (Need to provide some motivation for our students to take the course! :) Some student papers/projects are also posted here for peer review and for access by others outside the class. Most of these will be in .pdf format. Some are from previous years. This page is not updated or maintained on a very regular basis, even when these classes are in session. Many documents are older versions.

• NT811 class syllabus (10 pg., 216K .pdf file) spring 2003 edition
• Bi816 class syllabus, (7 pg., 177K .pdf file) fall 2003 edition
• Select bibliography of books and commentaries on Mark (now on a separate page so that I don't have to maintain separate bibliographies for each class)
• The Alexamenos Graffito
• Critical Methods (12K .pdf file)
• Synoptic Problem
  • Synoptic Problem (draft form!) (42K .pdf file)
  • Verbal Parallels in the Account of the Feeding of the 5,000.  Color-coded chart of the verbal parallels (in Greek) found in this account; all four Gospels are included (17K .pdf file).  A separate document summarizes the data from the chart (15K .pdf file). (Student versions of other passages are linked below.)
• Textual Criticism
  • A Brief Introduction to Basic Issues in Textual Criticism. (35K .pdf file, 7 pgs.) This course does not assume that the student has already taken NT810, NT Textual Criticism, so this brief intro is provided by way of orientation. (You realize, of course, that introducing a subject as extensive as textual criticism in 7 pages is somewhat of a pipedream!) You really should plan to take NT810 when it is offered next spring (an elective taught alternate years). That course will not make you a textual critic, but it will expose you to the issues and teach you enough about it so that you can make intelligent use of the apparatus in your "red text" as well as follow the discussion in exegetical commentaries. It will also provide you with the information that you need to confront the many translation issues that you will face in ministry.
  • Several charts to summarize the data used in textual criticism:
    • Nature of the MSS (55K .pdf file) writing materials and style of NT MSS
    • Number of MSS (5K .pdf file) total number of extant MSS by century
    • Type and Number of MSS (7K .pdf file) number of extant MSS by type and century
  • Symbols (23K .pdf file) This file shows a reproduction of Mark 1:1-8 in the NA27 text with each  of the sigla/abbreviations/symbols in the text identified.
  • Abbreviations (41K .pdf file) This file walks you through the apparatus of the NA27 text for Mark 1:1-8; 8:35 and explains each piece, including the abbreviations and symbols (i.e., the bottom of the page).
• Grammar
  • Apollonius' Canon in Mark (19K .pdf file)
• Verbal Aspect: Evaluating the discourse function of verbal aspect (step-by-step guide using Mark 1)

Student Papers/Projects

The following .pdf files represent portions of student class work, therefore the usual disclaimers apply!  :)

I have converted them to .pdf format as the students submitted them on disk. Formatting will vary, especially in the Synoptic Problem assignment due to the varying computer/software capabilities and Greek fonts with which they prepared the material. Not all papers submitted have been posted here.

Papers from previous years

• Synoptic Problem projects

  • Miche Maniguet (Mark 6:17-29)  (2001)
  • Michael Pierce, Mark 6:45-52 (1999)
  • Mark Rubin, Mark 8:11-21 (chart only)  (1999)
  • Paul Bussom, Mark 8:27-9:1 (1999)
  • Nate Wingert, Mark 9:33-40 (1999)
  • Kirk Stephens, Mark 6:1-13 (summary only)  (1999)
     

• Textual Criticism projects

  Note that these projects are not full text-critical studies. The assignment being fulfilled was to learn to read the apparatus of the NA27 text. Some students have included more if their previous studies included textual criticism, but most have not had any previous exposure to this area.

  • Miche Maniguet (Mark 6:17-29)  (2001)
  • Mark Rubin, Mark 8:11-21 (1999)
  • Paul Busson, Mark 8:27-9:1 (1999)
  • Nate Wingert, Mark 9:33-40 (1999)
  • Kirk Stephens, Mark 6:1-13 (1999)
  • Mike Pierce, Mark 6:45-52  (1999) (This is the most substantial of these projects; Mike has had an introductory course in textual criticism and did far more than this assignment asked!)
     

• Grammar projects
  (Several of these are in temporary format [scanned images].)

• Mark Rubin, Mark 8:11-21, grammar paper, grammatical diagram  (1999)
• Paul Busson, Mark 8:27-9:1, grammar paper, grammatical diagram (scan)  (1999)
• Nate Wingert, Mark 9:33-40, grammar paper, grammatical diagram (scan)  (1999)
• Kirk Stephens, Mark 6:1-13, grammar paper, grammatical diagram (scan)  (1999)
• Mike Pierce, Mark 6:45-52, grammar paper, grammatical diagram  (1999)

Verbal Aspect Projects

• Mark Rubin, Mark 8:11-21  (1999)
• Paul Busson, Mark 8:27-9:1  (1999)
• Nate Wingert, Mark 9:33-40  (1999)
• Kirk Stephens, Mark 6:1-13  (1999)
• Mike Pierce, Mark 6:45-52  (1999)

Final Project (Homiletical Implementation and Exegetical Basis/Justification)

• Mark Rubin, Mark 8:11-21  (1999)
• Paul Busson, Mark 8:27-9:1  (1999)
• Nate Wingert, Mark 9:33-40  (1999)
• Kirk Stephens, Mark 6:1-13  (1999)
• Mike Pierce, Mark 6:45-52  (1999)

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These pages use Unicode UTF-8 encoding; most Greek text is now in Unicode format, though some remnants of the older, non-standard Galilee encoding remain. You should not have difficulties viewing this material if you have a relatively current web browser and a font that contains polytonic Greek. Certain disclaimers apply. Please note that I am unable to serve as a Q & A resource. As my schedule permits, I will attempt to answer questions related specifically to my own writings posted on this site, but I cannot answer general Bible or Greek questions from anyone who is curious. Sorry!

hits since 7/3/03; page first posted 1/11/99