Living in Liberty

A Ministry of Bryce Lowance

Elder Bryce Lowrance

Find Entries

The Gospel According To Mark

9 January 2014

Mark’s Perspective

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. - Mark 10:45

Mark (John Mark) was a cousin to Barnabas (Col. 4:10). He was a young man when we find him in the book of Acts chapter 12. He grew up in the church in Jerusalem, it actually met in his mother’s house (Acts 12:12). James, the half brother of Jesus, was his pastor. He heard James and Peter preach on a regular basis. He travels with Paul and Barnabas and was actually a point of contention between these two when he wanted to return home sick. In 2nd Timothy 4:11, Paul tells Timothy to bring Mark with him because he is profitable. They had obviously reconciled and Mark had become a beneficial minister of the gospel.

Mark’s initial audience was generally Gentile. His lack of genealogy and other things important to the Jews bears this out. Mark also explains some Jewish customs and defines some Aramaic words for the benefit of his Greek audience. He traveled with Paul on several occasions, and met a lot of Gentiles. He records more miracles than the other authors showing the servant ethic. Mark’s general picture of Jesus is as the suffering servant.

This is the view of Jesus that Paul had in mind when he taught us to imitate Christ.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. - Philippians 2:5-8

« The Gospel According To Matthew | The Gospel According to Luke »

Tags: harmony_of_the_gospels, jesus, mark

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.