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Commentaries on the Gospel according to Mark

Scroll below the quick recommendations list for my reviews.

Quick Recommendations List

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Best Choices: Edwards (PNTC); Garland (NIVAC); Geddert (BCBC).

Additional Strongly Recommended: Lane (NICNT); Witherington (Socio-Rhetorical); France (NIGTC) .

Most Economical: Hurtado (NIBC); Cooper (HNTC); English (BST). Much briefer: France (DBC).

Easy to Read: Garland (NIVAC); Edwards (PNTC); Geddert (BCBC). Easier but not as scholarly: Cooper (HNTC); English (BST). Easier still, but much briefer: France (DBC).

Most Practical: Garland (NIVAC); Witherington (Socio-Rhetorical); Geddert (BCBC).

Mainline Perspectives: Hooker (BNTC); Schweizer (The Good News according to Mark); Roman Catholic: Moloney (Hendrickson).

Research Specialists: Conservative evangelical: France (NIGTC). Moderate evangelical: Guelich and Evans (WBC); Gundry (Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross). Moderate mainline: Marcus (AB).

Ideal Pastor’s Library: Edwards (PNTC); Garland (NIVAC); Geddert (BCBC); Lane (NICNT); Witherington (Socio-Rhetorical); France (NIGTC); Evans (WBC); Hurtado (NIBC); Hooker (BNTC).

Note: Regarding the authenticity of Mark 16:9-20, scholarly opinion is close to unanimous: with one shaky exception, no evangelical or mainline commentary I have examined affirms it. The one exception, Cooper, seems to lean toward accepting 16:9-20, but offers no discussion or evidence for his reasoning except one bibliographic reference. Only a handful of these commentaries (Edwards, Evans, Hurtado, Hooker, Cooper, English) comment on the content of Mark16:9-20, and then only sketchily.

Strongly Recommended

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The Gospel According to Mark , James R. Edwards, Pillar New Testament Commentary, Eerdmans/Apollos, 2002. Conservative evangelical, developing level. Strengths: Edwards offers an outstanding combination of careful and faithful scholarship with fresh, practical insights and with great, good sense. His book is both readable and solid. There is attention to a good mixture of concerns: historical background, literary structure, word study, and biblical, devotional, and missional theology. Weaknesses: I can always find differences of opinion with any writer, but I find no obvious weaknesses in this commentary. The author and his writings: Edwards is a professor of religion at Whitworth College. His previous work is an excellent little commentary on Romans (NIBC-NT). He is devoted to the theological, spiritual, and moral renewal of the church.

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Mark , David E. Garland, NIV Application Commentary, Zondervan, 1996. Conservative evangelical, developing level. Strengths: Garland’s book is founded on excellent scholarship with wide-ranging contemporary illustrations that are certain to prove suggestive for the preacher. The book is readable, up-to-date, and practical. There is good sensitivity to literary structure and socio-cultural settings. For the busy preacher and serious layperson, this is one of the best. Garland both reports the work of other scholars and puts forth his own solid and original perspective. He uses the three-part format of the NIV Application Commentary to full advantage, presenting useful material under the headings of Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts, and Contemporary Significance. Weaknesses: One would not look here for detailed word studies, although brief ones are unobtrusively incorporated into the comments. Garland focuses so exclusively on Mark's reporting of events that it is as though the other Gospels have nothing to tell us about the same event. The author and his writings: Garland's Reading Matthew (RNT) is a useful supplement to this one. Garland has moved from the now very conservative Southern Baptist Seminary to the more moderate Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, but he is still sufficiently conservative to meet my broad definition of the term. Garland also has highly recommended commentaries on 1 Corinthians (BECNT), 2 Corinthians (NAC), and Colossians/Philemon (NIVAC). 

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Mark , Timothy J. Geddert, Believer’s Church Bible Commentary, Herald Press, 2001. Moderate evangelical/Anabaptist; beginning level. Strengths: Geddert offers a readable, engaging, thoughtful treatment of Mark’s Gospel. He is especially helpful on literary structure, theological meaning, and broad application. He gets the major themes and purposes of Mark’s Gospel right and handles complex issues with mature, well-balanced discernment. The preacher and teacher will find many usable insights and suggestions here. Weaknesses:  Conservative evangelicals may be concerned that most of Geddert’s scholarly notations go to mainline scholars, but, apart from that, they will not find much in the commentary that is objectionable to conservative views of scripture. Geddert does not give much attention to introductory issues (authorship, audience, date, etc.). The author: Geddert, of Anabaptist tradition, received his doctorate where many American evangelical scholars did, at the University of Aberdeen, where I. Howard Marshall taught.

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The Gospel of Mark , William L. Lane, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1974. Conservative evangelical; developing level. Strengths: This is deservedly the evangelical classic on Mark's Gospel. It is a very solid scholarly work with a straightforward explanation of Mark's message. Lane sees Mark as having preserved Peter’s proclamation of Jesus and as having shaped it to serve the needs of a church under persecution. Most determined readers will find little here to stump them. Scholarly details are confined to footnotes and are not overdone. I use Lane to to find some worthy alternatives to current trends in interpretation. Weaknesses: There are no detailed word studies, although they are often present in disguise. The focus on Mark’s message could have benefited from more recent methods of study (although I think that Lane gets the gist of it right). The use of the dated ASV text is a slight hindrance for many readers. The Christian world suffered a great loss when Lane died before he could undertake a revision of this now dated work. The author and his writings: Lane also wrote two commentaries on Hebrews, one at a popular level and one highly technical, both among the best of their type. As a human interest point, Lane is credited by musical artist and teacher Michael Card as his mentor.

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The Gospel of Mark , Ben Witherington III, A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Eerdmans, 2001. Moderate evangelical, developing/intermediate level. Strengths: Witherington is faithful and insightful. He offers careful attention to literary genre and structure, rhetorical strategy, and cultural backgrounds. His practical applications are stimulating. His writing is sometimes witty and clever. In his commentary on the Corinthian correspondence, Witherington demonstrated his fruitful skill at reconstructing the social setting of the intended audience; it must have been tempting for him to try to repeat that feat here by imagining a particular church audience for this Gospel; but he has the integrity to conclude that the Gospel is intended for a general audience. He takes seriously the traditions of Mark’s authorship and the historical reliability of the Gospel. Weaknesses: Although this work is more readable than some of Witherington’s other highly recommended commentaries, he does not always explain difficult terms when he first uses them. He sometimes refers us to another of his books where he has made a point in depth rather than offering a summary of his conclusions in this book. As with most of Witherington’s books, this volume could have used tighter editing, but the problems are not of great consequence. The author and his writings: Witherington’s socio-rhetorical commentaries on Acts and Galatians are among the best; he also has worthy commentaries on Romans, Corinthians, Philippians, John, and Revelation and many works on Jesus, Paul, and New Testament topics.

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Mark , Richard T. France, New International Greek Text Commentary, Eerdmans, 2002. Conservative evangelical, intermediate level. Strengths: France is a highly competent, faithful, and cautious scholar. This is the best choice for evangelicals wanting a solid commentary on the Greek text with a prudent weighing of some of the interpretive options. One may look to France for help with the relation of Mark to the Old Testament, the Apocrypha, rabbinic writings, early church writings, and Greco-Roman writings. Weaknesses: Although France’s English vocabulary is not overly technical, and his English writing style is quite readable, readers wishing to get the full benefit of this commentary need to know the Greek alphabet and to be acquainted with basic New Testament Greek vocabulary. France does not consider the full range of fruitful interpretations available from writers such as Edwards, Garland, and Witherington. One would not look primarily to France for socio-rhetorical comments, and he rejects some literary structure possibilities that seem viable to me (although he also has some creative structural observations, and is quite helpful in dividing the units of Mark). The author and his writings: British scholar France has a small devotional commentary on Mark (below), an excellent beginning level commentary on Matthew (TNTC), a general book about Matthew’s Gospel, and a number of books on biblical topics.

Also Recommended

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Mark 8:27--16:8, Craig A. Evans, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 34B, Nelson, 2001. Moderate evangelical, intermediate level. Robert Guelich wrote Volume 34A, but he died before he could complete the set; Craig Evans wrote Volume 34B. Although the detailed comment sections are at the advanced reading level, the explanation sections are at the developing level: intermediate thus becomes the best overall description of the level of this commentary. But even a beginner can mine the advanced section for valuable nuggets. Strengths: Evans’ Volume 34B (Mark 8:27—16:8) far excels Guelich’s Volume 34A (Mark 1:1—8:26, see under Other below). Thomas Nelson Publishers should ask Evans to write a replacement volume for that of his predecessor.  Evans specializes in Old Testament, Apocrypha, rabbinic, and Greco-Roman background. His work is filled with details that can help a preacher or teacher bring the passages alive with meaning. Although, like Guelich, Evans considers complex theories of the text’s development, he, unlike Guelich, is careful to affirm the historicity of what Mark reports of Jesus’ ministry. Weaknesses: Some conservatives will feel that Evans’ gives too much weight to liberal academic theories even as he rejects their more extreme claims.  The author and his writings: Evans has a highly recommended little commentary on Luke; he has co-authored a book on Luke-Acts and edited other Bible reference works.

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Mark, Second Edition, Larry W. Hurtado, New International Biblical Commentary, Hendrickson, 1983, 1989. Moderate evangelical, developing level. Strengths: This little volume is a bargain. It is readable, concise, mostly on target, and especially helpful for quick reference. Weaknesses: Conservative evangelicals may not be happy with some of the critical views.

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The Gospel according to Saint Mark, Morna D. Hooker, Black's New Testament Commentary, Hendrickson, 1991. Moderate mainline, developing level. On a vocabulary level similar to that of Lane, Hooker offers a middle-of-the-road reading of this Gospel. Strengths: Mature readers, who are able to filter Hooker’s work, should find her informative and helpful. Weaknesses: Conservative evangelicals will not always be happy with Hooker's interpretations, especially with what seem to me to be unnecessary reconstructions of the development of the text. The author and her writings: Hooker, a professor at Cambridge, has specialized for three decades in the study of titles of Jesus (such as Son of Man, Suffering Servant), in the atonement, and in Mark's Gospel.

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The Message of Mark, Donald English, The Bible Speaks Today, InterVarsity Press, 1992. Conservative evangelical; beginning level. Strengths: English offers solid, readable, and insightful comments that help modern readers understand some of the major points. Weaknesses: This cannot compare to Edwards and Garland in thoroughness and helpfulness, nor is it as up-to-date.

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The Gospel of Mark, Francis J. Moloney, Hendrickson, 2002. Roman Catholic equivalent of moderate mainline, developing level.  Strengths: Specialists in literary and narrative approaches to the Gospel will find Moloney helpful. He also helps us see Mark’s theological distinctives. Along the way, the discerning reader will find many useful insights. One example is that Moloney correctly sees the significance of 11:20-25, that faith, prayer, and forgiveness by the community of fruitful disciples will replace the unfruitful temple. Weaknesses: Although the main text of the commentary is readable enough, the reader must patiently work through a variety of comments, some less helpful than others, to arrive at the point. The critical views sometimes interfere with getting the point, as in his treatment of Mark 13. Liberal students will be happier with his critical views than will evangelical students. The author: Moloney offers two commentaries on John’s Gospel and has edited an introductory volume partially updating Raymond Brown’s Anchor Bible commentary on John.

Others

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Mark, Rodney Cooper, Holman New Testament Commentary, Broadman & Holman, 2000. Conservative evangelical, beginning level. Strengths: There is a reason that this user-friendly series is popular; it is extremely helpful for Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and beginning students of the Bible. Its aim is to report broadly accepted conclusions about the text in ways that are widely usable by non-experts. Cooper fulfills the purposes of the series reasonably well, providing helpful illustrations and getting many of the major points of Mark's Gospel right (such as Mark's central emphasis that Jesus' Suffering Servanthood sets the pattern for his disciples). Cooper's interest in Christian leadership occasionally shows through. Weaknesses: Two of the scholars that Cooper most often quotes (Barclay and Cole) are badly out-of-date and a third (Brooks) is not among the better commentators. Five of the commentators listed above published soon enough for Cooper to consult their commentaries, but only one of them makes his list. Cooper's biases sometimes show through and may sometimes trouble charismatics and Pentecostals.

Not currently available new:

Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross, Robert H. Gundry, Eerdmans, 1993. Moderate evangelical, advanced level. Strengths: This is one of the more informative books available on Mark's Gospel. It is never less than stimulating for those who manage to read with understanding and discernment. Weaknesses: Gundry is something of a maverick in his interpretations. His work on Mark is not so objectionable to conservative evangelicals as is his work on Matthew, but he tends toward reconstructing the development of the text, which I consider a distracting waste of time. The many details are in dense and technical language that all but the best-trained readers can manage only with perseverance. The author and his writings: Gundry also has a major commentary on Matthew and an introductory textbook on the New Testament. Gundry holds a unique and provocative combination of views, some of which seem quite liberal and others, quite conservative (he has even labeled himself paleofundamentalist). I have averaged his views into the label moderate evangelical, but average and moderate hardly seem appropriate with Gundry. Unfortunately, this work is out of print and can only be purchased used.

Hardcover, used

Paperback, used

Not currently available new:

Mark, Richard T. France, Doubleday Bible Commentary, Doubleday, 1998. Conservative evangelical, beginning level. Strengths: Here are deceptively well-grounded devotional comments by a major New Testament scholar, a good practical supplement to other commentaries including France’s technical commentary above.  Weaknesses: With the form of a lightweight devotional commentary, it will not substitute for a more comprehensive commentary. The author and his writings: British scholar France has a major Greek text commentary on Mark (above), an excellent beginning level commentary on Matthew (TNTC), a general book about Matthew’s Gospel, and a number of books on biblical topics. Unfortunately, this devotional book is out of print and can only be purchased used (not available through Amazon at the time of creating this page).

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"Mark," Walter W. Wessel, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume VIII, Zondervan, 1984. Stand-alone paperback, 1995. Conservative evangelical, developing level. Strengths: This is a solid, straightforward summary of Mark's Gospel. Those who want to avoid unnecessary detail may like it. Weaknesses: It is neither comprehensive nor outstanding. Edition: In the hardcover edition, it is bound with Carson on Matthew, which is incomparably better, and Liefeld on Luke, which is perhaps a bit better. There is also a stand-alone paperback edition that is unfortunately out of print. By far the least expensive way to buy the twelve-volume Expositor's Bible Commentary is on CD-ROM!

Hardcover (with Matthew and Luke)

Paperback (stand-alone, not currently available new)

Hardcover New Testament, five volumes

Hardcover Old Testament, seven volumes

CD-ROM, twelve volumes, best buy!

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Mark, James A. Brooks, New American Commentary, Broadman and Holman, 1991. Conservative evangelical, beginning level. Strengths: This is a readable and simple introduction to Mark. Weaknesses: It is not as helpful as a good commentary should be. This early volume does not live up to the standards that have come to characterize this series. Nor, more importantly, does it offer nearly as much help as the books above. Edwards and Garland, for instance, offer far more.

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Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus, Ched Myers, Orbis Books, 1988. Moderate mainline; intermediate level. Strengths: Myers offers a unique sociological perspective and a focus on literary issues that is often provocative and occasionally enlightening. Weaknesses: While the Gospels do have social implications, Myers finds far more implications than are present. This will not substitute for a basic commentary. It must be read with discernment. The technical jargon of literary criticism hinders easy comprehension.

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Mark 1--8:26, Robert A. Guelich, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 34A, Nelson-Word, 1989. Moderate evangelical, intermediate level. Guelich died before he was able to write Volume 34B which was written by Craig Evans. Although the detailed comment sections are at the advanced reading level, the explanation sections are at the developing level: intermediate thus becomes the best overall description of the level of this commentary. Strengths: The explanation sections attempt to locate the applicable message of each text. Weaknesses: I do not find in this volume much of value for preachers, teachers, and other faith-centered students. Guelich's speculative reconstructions of the history of traditions and of Mark's reshaping of the traditions strike me as a needless distraction, and there is not enough help for readers seeking to understand and apply the message of the text. Nor are the exegetical details that Guelich provides of the kind that increase insight into the text’s message.

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"The Gospel of Mark," Pheme Perkins, New Interpreter's Bible, Abingdon, 1995. Roman Catholic equivalent of moderate/liberal mainline; beginning level. Strengths: Perkins offers some helpful observations. The NIB format is attractive and user-friendly. Weaknesses: For what you get, this volume is expensive. Perkins engages in modernist demythologizing and in reconstructing the development of the text. She must be read with discernment. The edition, the author and her writings: Her work is bound with Boring on Matthew. In other commentaries, Perkins shows a decided leaning toward theories of pseudonymity: Ephesians, James, I and II Peter, Jude.

I am listing the NIB set, print and electronic editions, from Christian Book Distributors because I believe that they provide better pricing and service on these products:

Hardcover set from CBD

CD-ROM set from CBD

Warning: The CD-ROM version will not transfer its data base to your hard drive; you must use the compact disks to access the commentary.

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Mark 1-8, Joel Marcus, Anchor Bible, Doubleday, 1999. Moderate mainline, intermediate level. Strengths: Marcus offers some useful insights and information that are often quoted even in evangelical commentaries. Weaknesses: Marcus’ critical and theological views are likely to be unacceptable to both conservative and moderate evangelicals. It ends with 8:21. Presumably the next volume will pick up with 8:22.

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The Good News according to Mark, Eduard Schweizer, Good News, Westminster John Knox Press, 1970. Liberal mainline, developing level. Strengths: Schweizer is theologically profound and not overly-complicated. Many who do not accept his scholarly perspective nonetheless make use of his insights into Mark’s message. Weaknesses: Schweizer is a modernist in his approach to supernatural events. Recommendation: Those who are interested in Schweizer's work would do well to buy all three volumes of the Good News series, one on each of the Synoptic Gospels. In some ways the Mark volume is the foundation for the other two.

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Mark, Lamar Williamson, Jr., Interpretation, Westminster John Knox Press, 1983. I haven't seen this one. This series is designed for the preacher/teacher. The series viewpoints vary from moderate evangelical to liberal mainline, but are mostly moderate mainline.

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