amen: a Hebrew term meaning “truly,” “so be it,” or “it is so,” often said at the end of prayers (see 1 Chron 16:36). Jesus had a unique custom of saying “Amen” at the beginning of his solemn pronouncements, emphasizing their truthfulness and authority (see 3:28, etc.).
angel (Greek angelos, “messenger”): invisible spirit created by God, often sent by God to help human beings or to carry out his plan (see 1:13; 8:38; 13:27).
apocalyptic (from Greek apokalypsis, “revelation”): a distinctive type of ancient Jewish and Christian literature that professes to reveal mysteries of the future or the heavenly realm using symbols and strange imagery. Two prominent examples of biblical apocalypses are the books of Daniel and Revelation. There are also many nonbiblical apocalypses dating from about 200 BC to AD 200.
apostle (Greek apostolos, “emissary” or “one who is sent”): in the Synoptic Gospels, the twelve men chosen from among Jesus’ disciples to share in his mission in a unique way (Mark 3:14; 6:7, 30). The term was also used more broadly in the early Church (Acts 14:14; Rom 16:7).
Aramaic: a Semitic language related to Hebrew, adopted by Jews after their exile in Babylon. It was the ordinary language spoken by Jews in first-century Palestine, including Jesus.
Caesar: the family name of the Roman emperors, which became their imperial title. See sidebar p. 241.
canon: the list of those books discerned by the Church as belonging to sacred Scripture.
Christ (Greek Christos): see Messiah.
covenant: a sacred kinship bond established between God and his people, involving a mutual commitment of love and fidelity. God formed a covenant with Abraham and later with his descendants, the people of Israel, through Moses. Through his passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus established the new and eternal covenant that fulfills the old (see Jer 31:31–33; Mark 14:24).
Decalogue: the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:2–17; Deut 5:6–21).
demons, unclean spirits: invisible, supernatural beings who tempt, oppress, and seek to destroy human beings, but whose power Jesus overthrows during his public ministry and definitively in his death and resurrection. See sidebar p. 47.
disciple: a follower of Jesus Christ, called to share in his life and destiny. All human beings are invited to become Jesus’ disciples by denying themselves, taking up their crosses, and following him (see 8:34).
epiphany (Greek epiphaneia): an appearance or manifestation (see 4:39–41). See also theophany.
eschatology (from Greek eschata, “last things”): all that concerns the end of human history, the final tribulations, the coming of Jesus, the last judgment, and the resurrection of the dead (see 13:1–37). For the New Testament the end begins with Jesus’ passion and resurrection, the transition from the former age to the new and final age of salvation history.
evangelist: one who proclaims the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Evangelist (capitalized) also designates an author of one of the four canonical Gospels.
Gentile: a person of non-Jewish descent. Much of the Gospel of Mark is concerned with the extension of God’s blessings to the Gentiles, first in Jesus’ own ministry and later in the Church.
gospel (“good news”): the joyful tidings that God has come to save us through his Son Jesus Christ, fulfilling all the promises he made to his people Israel. Gospel (capitalized) later came to mean one of the four canonical narratives of the life of Jesus, written to lead people to faith in him.
Herod, Herodians: Herod in the Gospel of Mark refers to Herod Antipas, ruler of the regions of Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to AD 39. He was a son of Herod the Great, ruler of Palestine at the time of Jesus’ birth. The Herodians were Herod’s supporters and appointees. See sidebar p. 119.
Judea: the southernmost of the three regions of Palestine (the other two being Galilee and Samaria), so called because it was mostly comprised of the area settled by the tribe of Judah.
kingdom of God: the experienced authority and reign of God that was at the center of Jesus’ preaching (1:14–15). The kingdom is already present in the person of Jesus himself, grows mysteriously in the Church, and will be fully consummated at his coming in glory at the end of time (see Mark 4).
law, law of Moses, Mosaic law: see Torah.
Messiah (from Hebrew mashiah, “anointed one”): the descendant of King David promised by God, whom many Jews of Jesus’ day hoped would come to restore the kingdom to Israel. See sidebar p. 30.
parable: a short, memorable story or image used to convey spiritual truths. See sidebar p. 82.
Passover, Pasch: the great holy day of the Jewish calendar, commemorating God’s deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt. Passover, or the paschal mystery, also became the Christian term for Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. See sidebar p. 275.
Pharisees: members of an influential Jewish renewal movement that strictly observed Jewish laws and customs and maintained separation from Gentiles. See sidebar p. 60.
Pontius Pilate: Roman military governor of the province of Judea from AD 26 to 36. See sidebar p. 306.
prefigurement (or type): a person, thing, or event in an earlier stage of God’s plan that displays in a veiled way the pattern of the fulfillment of his plan in Jesus Christ. The temple in Jerusalem, for example, prefigures the body of Christ, the true dwelling place of God. The many prefigurements in Scripture reveal the dynamic unity of God’s plan of salvation. See also typology.
prophet: one called by God to speak God’s authentic word to his people. The prophets often had to deliver a challenging message regarding sin, judgment, and repentance, and thus often met with persecution. Jesus fulfilled in himself the vocation of a prophet (see 6:4).
rabbi (Hebrew for “my great one”): a Jewish title of respect often used to address Jesus (see Mark 11:21). In later usage it designated those qualified to teach the Law of Moses.
repentance (Greek metanoia, “change of mind”): a wholehearted conversion or return to the Lord, acknowledging one’s sin and need for his forgiveness. The call to repentance was a central element of Jesus’ preaching (see 1:4, 15).
sabbath: the seventh day of the week, set apart by God as a day of rest and worship of God, and a sign of his covenant with Israel. The Church recognizes the sabbath as fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection from the dead on the eighth day (Sunday); thus observance of the Lord’s Day replaces that of the sabbath. See sidebar p. 47.
Sadducees: a party within Judaism in Jesus’ time comprised of the priestly aristocracy, their families, and supporters. See sidebar p. 243.
sandwich technique: a literary device characteristic of Mark, in which one story is inserted in the middle of another so that each throws light on the other (see 3:20–35; 5:22–43; 6:7–30; 11:12–25; 14:1–11, 53–73).
Sanhedrin: the supreme judicial council of the Jewish people, consisting of seventy members, including elders, priests, and scribes. See sidebar p. 298.
Satan (Hebrew for “adversary”): in the Old Testament, a member of the heavenly court who accused or opposed God’s people (1 Chron 21:1; Job 1:6–12). In the New Testament, Satan is the prince of demons, the invisible spirits who oppose God’s plan and seek to destroy humanity. The Gospel of Mark presents Jesus progressively dismantling Satan’s dominion (see 3:26–27).
scribes: men trained in the skilled craft of copying manuscripts, who were often experts in the law of Moses.
second coming: the coming of Jesus at the end of history when his divine glory will be fully revealed (see 8:38; 13:26; 14:62). Elsewhere in the New Testament it is often called the parousia (Greek for “coming” or “presence”).
Septuagint (abbreviated LXX): an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament. See sidebar p. 136.
Son of Man: Jesus’ characteristic self-designation, drawn from Dan 7:13–14 and alluding in a veiled way to his vocation to suffer and be glorified by God. See sidebar p. 164.
synagogue (Greek synagogē, “assembly”): a local place of worship where Jews gather for prayer, readings, and instruction in the Law and Prophets. Synagogues arose after the destruction of the first temple in 587 BC; after the temple was rebuilt they continued to exist, and by the first century AD could be found in many cities of the Roman Empire. The Christian liturgy is in many ways modeled on the synagogue service.
Synoptic Gospels, Synoptics (Greek for “seeing together”): term applied to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke because they contain much similar material and view the life of Jesus from a similar perspective.
theophany (Greek for “divine appearance”): a perceptible manifestation of God’s holy presence, which causes human awe, fear, and trembling. See also epiphany.
Torah (Hebrew for “law” or “instruction”): the first five books of the Bible, attributed to Moses and thus also called the Law of Moses, the Books of Moses, or the Pentateuch. Torah is also used more broadly to refer to all God’s teachings on how to live an upright life in covenant relationship with him.
typology: the recognition of how biblical persons, things, and events at an earlier stage of salvation history prefigure the way God would accomplish his future purposes, especially the culmination of his plan in Jesus Christ. See also prefigurement.
unclean spirit: see demons.
YHWH: God’s holy name, revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:14). According to ancient custom Jews refrain from pronouncing the divine name out of reverence; when reading the Scriptures aloud they substitute the title “the LORD” (Hebrew Adonai, Greek Kyrios) or another title for the divine name. The form YHWH (called the Tetragrammaton) is used because Hebrew script has no vowels; the form “Yahweh” is sometimes used to approximate the original pronunciation.