Notes

Mark is considered by some scholars to be the first of the gospels written. The character of Saint Mark the Evangelist seems to be the same as John Mark from Acts. He was a younger companion of Saints Peter and Paul.

Another interesting bit of information, there are 678 verses in the Gospel of Mark. If the verses are counted backward with 1:1 being 678, then 1:13 is 666. 1:13 is also the first place in the Gospel of Mark where the Adversary appears. 1 : 678, 2 : 677, 3 : 676, 4 : 675, 5 : 674, 6 : 673, 7 : 672, 8 : 671, 9 : 670, 10 : 669, 11 : 668, 12 : 667, 13 : 666.

Additionally, Mark the Evangelist often uses the word "immediately". He uses it numerous times in chapter one and throughout the chapters. It suggests the instantaneous presence of the Holy Spirit Who is the all-pervading Helper, the "Paraclete", always breathing life into creation to uphold it. And similar to the first words in Genesis and Saint John's Gospel, Saint Mark starts his Gospel with Ἀρχὴ (ar-HAY), related to the English word "arch". It means the beginning or the first or the most important because it was first.

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