Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross

Among our pastoral recommendations, this one is the most massive and technical. But Gundry delivers just what he promises: a cross-centered commentary on Mark. By keeping Jesus at the center, Gundry stays on point in his explanations of the text’s meaning. He will help preachers do the same. [Full Review]

Unlike his original Matthew commentary, Gundry’s Mark commentary is more focused on the text of Mark alone. This would have to be the case given his interest in Matthew as an editor of Mark, there is no real “redaction criticism” possible for Mark. The result is an exegetical commentary which is sensitive to the text and aware of the broader theological issues at stake. What sets this commentary apart from the rest is the “notes” section for each pericope. In the main commentary section, Gundry makes scant reference to other scholars, he simply lays out the meaning of the text. After his section, he includes a section of “notes” in which he surveys the opinion of virtually every modern scholar on the topic at hand, including major German and French scholars. The type is smaller in these sections and he cites his sources only briefly, making these sections dense but rewarding. [Full Review]

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