Through the Eyes of Mark

“Jack has gifted us with a powerful tool in biblical study and preaching. While time travel is not possible, Jack’s careful research and straightforward writing transports the reader on an enjoyable trip to the first century. This journey to better understand Mark’s world is a welcome addition to my library.”


—Richard J. Wilcox, pastor, Somerton Friends Meeting, Virginia





“In this book, Jack Ciancio guides the reader through ‘the mystery’ of the first written Gospel. ‘Why this Gospel, in this form, at this time?’ he asks. To answer these questions, Ciancio strips away two thousand years of cultural and theological interpretation to offer the reader a concise view of the Gospel as it was intended for its original time and audience.”


—Mark R. Sills, founding executive director, FaithAction International House, North Carolina





“Jack Ciancio asks the question ‘Why another book on Mark’s Gospel?’ and answers by letting the reader know that other books on Mark’s Gospel are academic while he invites the readers to see through Mark’s eyes, but this does not mean Ciancio’s book is not academic. On the contrary, it offers the necessary scholarship any Bible teacher or preacher needs to steward the Word faithfully. It also offers any reader of the Bible a way to experience Mark’s Gospel firsthand by being invited to live in Mark’s world through seeing through Mark’s eyes. As he writes at the end of his book, ‘The Gospel according to Mark is a mystery not waiting to be solved but an ongoing challenge to be pursued.’ Jack Ciancio’s well-written book invites you into this challenge and maybe along the way you will encounter Jesus in a new way and understand the gospel story in a transformative way.”


—Scott Wagoner, pastoral minister, High Point Friends Meeting, North Carolina