Mark (NIV Application Commentary | NIVAC)

by David E. Garland

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 1996

Overview

When it comes to living the Christian life, beginnings are better than endings. That may be one of the most important lessons that the Gospel of Mark, by its very structure, teaches us.

Looking at life in terms of endings often leads to discontent, neuroses, and despair. We always want to win more, make more, succeed more. More is an insatiable taskmaster. But the Gospel of Mark says the better way is to focus on beginnings. It gives answers; it gives meaning to suffering; it restores hope as the queen of virtues.

Mark displays Jesus Christ as the New Beginning, giving us all the chance to start over at any time. The Gospel of Mark, itself, starts abruptly and really has no ending, showing that Jesus makes it possible for the story of God, working in human history and in the church, to go on and on.

Key Features

• Treats all the elements of traditional exegesis
• Compares the original context and the contemporary context
• Engages contemporary life and culture

Contents

Top Highlights

“The barren fig tree represents the barrenness of temple Judaism that is unprepared to accept Jesus’ messianic reign.” (Page 440)

“At the heart of this exorcism is the struggle for faith, not the struggle with a demon” (Page 355)

“These sayings, however, are integrally related to context. They reveal the essence of the new order that replaces the old. The new order is based on faith in God (11:22) that overcomes insurmountable odds (11:23), is sustained by grace (11:24), and is characterized by forgiveness (11:25).” (Page 441)

“What he answers is the tree’s false advertising with leaves that hide its fruitlessness. The tree gives the impression that it might have something to eat, just as the temple gives the impression that it is a place dedicated to the service of God. The temple profits only the priestly hierarchy; it profits nothing for God.” (Page 440)

“To call all Israel to baptism implies that in some way all Israel is defiled.” (Page 45)

About the NIV Application Commentary

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's world, each passage is treated in three sections:

• Original Meaning: Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context.
• Bridging Contexts: A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible.
• Contemporary Significance: This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved.

This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

Endorsements of the NIV Application Commentary

This is the pulpit commentary for the twenty-first century.

—George K. Brushaber, president, Bethel College and Seminary

The NIV Application Commentary meets the urgent need for an exhaustive and authoritative commentary based on the New International Version. This series will soon be found in libraries and studies throughout the evangelical community.

—James Kennedy, Senior Minister, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

It is encouraging to find a commentary that is not only biblically trustworthy but also contemporary in its application. The NIV Application Commentary will prove to be a helpful tool in the pastor’s sermon preparation. I use it and recommend it.

—Charles F. Stanley, pastor, First Baptist Church of Atlanta

Product Details

• Title: Mark
• Author: David E. Garland
• Series: NIV Application Commentary
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 1996
• Logos Release Date: 2010
• Pages: 656
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. Mark › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780310427223, 0310427223, 9780310493501, 0310493501
• Resource ID: LLS:NIVAC62MK
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-01-03T19:48:06Z

About David E. Garland

Dr. David E. Garland became Truett Seminary’s fourth dean on June 1, 2007. He also served as interim president of Baylor University from August 2008 until May 2010. He served on the Southern faculty for 21 years, was chairman of the Biblical Division from 1992–1997, and was the Ernest and Mildred Hogan Professor of New Testament Interpretation from 1993–1997.

He has authored, coauthored, and edited 20 books, including The Intention of Matthew 23 (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1979); Reading Matthew: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the First Gospel (Macon: Smyth and Helwys: 2000), Mark, NIVAC (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) and translated into Spanish, Colossians / Philemon, NIVAC (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998) and translated into Spanish, 2 Corinthians (New American Commentary; Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1999); “Gospel of Mark” in Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan 2002), and 1 Corinthians, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), and he has published more than fifty articles.