y", which occur forty-one times in this
gospel. The last meaning, straightway, is truest to the Greek idea and
may be called Mark's characteristic word. It indicates how with the
speed of a racer he rushed along and thereby furnishes us a breathless
narrative which Farrar says makes us "feel like the apostles who,
among the press of the people coming and going, were twice made to say
they 'had no leisure so much as to eat'." It moves as the scenes of a
moving picture show.

3. It Is a Gospel of Power Over Devils. Here as in no other gospel the
devils are made subject to Jesus. They recognize him as the "Son of
God" and acknowledge their subordination to him by pleading with him
as to what shall be done with them (5:7, 12).

4. It Is a Gospel of Wonder. Everywhere Jesus is a man of wonder that
strikes awe and terror and causes to wonder those who see and hear
him. Some of these may be studied, especially in the Greek, in 1:27;
2:13; 4:41; 5:28 6:50; 51; 7:37. As Archbishop Thompson puts it, "The
wonder-working Son of God sweeps over his Kingdom swiftly and meteor-
like" and thus strikes awe into the hearts of the on-lookers. He is "a
man heroic and mysterious, who inspires not only a passionate devotion
but also amazement and adoration".

5. It Is a Gospel for the Romans. The Romans were men of great power,
mighty workers who left behind them great accomplishments for the
blessing of humanity. So that Mark would especially appeal to them by
recording of Jesus his mighty deeds. He lets them see one who has
power to still the storm, to control disease and death, and even power
to control the unseen world of spirits. The Roman, who found deity in
a Caesar as head of a mighty Kingdom, would bow to one who had shown
himself King in every realm and whose kingdom was both omnipotent and
everlasting, both visible and unseen, both temporal and spiritual.

Then, too, the Roman cared nothing for Jewish Scripture or prophecy
and so he omits all reference to the Jewish law, the word law not
being found in the entire book. He only once or twice refers in any
way to the Jewish scriptures. He omits the genealogy of Jesus which
could have no value to a Roman. Then, too, he explains all doubtful
Jewish words, such as "Boanerges" (3:17), "Tabitha cumi" (5:41),
"corban" (7:11), "alba" (15:36). He reduced Jewish money to Roman
currency (12:42). He explains Jewish customs as not being understood
by them. (See 7:3; 13:3; 14:12; 15:42).