The Original Gospel - Mark's message unearthed

Biblical scholarship has provided its theories on the Gospel texts, their authors, dating, genre, sources and structures. The problems they approach, such as the synoptic problem, are rather like solving a jigsaw puzzle: How do the pieces fit together? Have we got all the pieces? In this particular problem, scholars have imagined a piece they call 'Q', which would fit well with Matthew, Mark and Luke. But even when scholars have invented their own jigsaw piece, the puzzle still doesn't seem to come together!

As academics started to really grapple with the Gospel texts, they realised the importance of studying the sources: How did the authors 'receive' their ideas? This developed into 'form criticism'. Basically, scholars knew that they had to evaluate the genre, structure and origins of the text if they wanted to know how the Gospels were crafted. As a result, they saw the Gospel of Mark as little more than 'a string of pearls'. Its 'pearls', like our jigsaw pieces, could be placed side by side in a long line. Matthew and Luke could then choose the pieces they wanted to use and place them in different orders. But this long line does more to deconstruct the image than to help us see the jigsaw's assembled picture.

Scholars moved on to other forms of criticism, looking from different angles at the same unsolved jigsaw. 'Redaction criticism' considers what caused the pieces to be placed as they are, but even with its imaginary authors and their imaginary purposes, there emerged no convinving jigsaw picture.

Today, there seem to be as many forms of 'criticism' as there are pieces to the jigsaw! In these times, scholars tend to specialise on study of certain books or ideas in the Bible, effectively looking at all the pieces of the jigsaw which are of a similar colour, or all the pieces with an edge to them. Have we given up on the task of solving the jigsaw?

While scholars continue to ponder whether two or three pieces of their jigsaw fit together, it remains difficult for them to convince others one way or another. If they could reference the picture on the puzzle's box lid, that would certainly help them in placing the individual pieces and proving their findings, but scholars have not had that privilege.

Jas.C.Brooke - Once well regarded as a problem-solving computer programmer, has spent over a decade re-examining the structure of Mark's Gospel, the earliest written Gospel. Returning to 'first principles' (the earliest sources) helps to identify and avoid some small yet significant 'bugs' which have crept into this area of Biblical studies. The research has included some old and some new areas of study:

• Investigations into orality, which highlights the importance of picture language in the Gospel 'pericope' scenes. Scholars have often been overly concerned with interpretation of individual words and missed the overall picture.
• Evaluation of how the Gospel content and genre stem from such writings as the Dead Sea Scrolls and how did the accepted Gospels incite some to produce 'gnostic' gospels at a later date? What do the similarities and differences teach us?
• Plotting the structural relationship with Matthew, Luke... and John: How did those who knew about Gospel writing use the original Gospel?
• Detailing the relationship between Mark's Gospel and its Old Testament prophecies.

In 2009, study into the development of Mark's Gospel led to an unprecedented breakthrough in understanding how Gospel authors used their sources. This breakthrough has enabled the assembly of a far more 'completed' jigsaw, which can certainly be used as much-needed evidence to support some scholarly findings while rejecting others.

All will be explained at a later date... The focus is now on compiling and publishing the findings of the research, linked with the development of media which presents the Original Gospel in an original way so that its message can be grasped by people today.

This site will also point you to some recent and historic works related to the Gospel investigations.

At Hand has previously supplied packs of cards for individuals and large quantities for distribution by churches. Aiming to put remaining stock to good use, At Hand is offering quantities of cards from just £8 per hundred. Some of these cards sold at 85p each.

Sell them for a good cause, or print details of special events on them and distribute them in your local community! Please email or phone for Further details.

We produced a guide for those who'd value some pointers in some right directions.
if you'd like to read it.