About the Author

Publisher's Description

'When John Mark wrote out his "good news" about Jesus two thousand years ago, his Gospel was a completely new kind of book. No one had ever written one before. In fact no one would have known what a Gospel was...What made the Gospel of Mark unique was this: it was not written merely as the memoir of Jesus as a great man, not even as the greatest man who had ever lived. Rather it was meant to persuade its readers that Jesus was the Son of God...Who is Jesus of Nazareth? What is the good news (gospel) about him?...This book presents us with Mark's answer.'

Endorsement

Ferguson is well positioned to write these sort of commentaries. He has a PhD in systematics and has taught at Westminster Theological Seminary, but he's also been the beloved pastor of a large, vibrant Presbyterian church in Scotland. He's written something like 30 books, and he has a gift for clear but deep writing.

The cover of my edition of this book, printed in 2005, is not overly cheesy (as the last reviewer charged). But an older volume in this series (Ferguson's Let's Study Philippians -- also great) does have an awful cover, so my guess is they updated it recently.

The chapters (73 in all) are short and accessible. They are packed with reliable and lively exegesis, with a theologically strong redemptive-historical approach. He pauses to make solid and penetrating practical applications as he goes. There are additional study questions in the back that tie themes from various chapters together.

If I were to pick just one commentary to use for a small group Bible study of lay people, or a teacher's guide for an adult Christian ed. class, this would be it.