Understanding Mark’s Gospel

“Keown brings alive both Mark’s Gospel and its first-century world in Understanding Mark’s Gospel. His easy-to-read, engaging style draws the reader into each passage of Mark’s narrative, producing a well-rounded, thorough introduction to Mark’s Gospel. Throughout, Keown explains how the events in Mark should shape the lives of Christians today, creating an informative, thought-provoking, and practical book.”


—Julia van den Brink, Laidlaw College





“Keown has put together a detailed yet wonderfully approachable study on the Gospel of Mark, offering his readers insight and inspiration in equal measure. Assessable and challenging, this is a fantastic companion for the working preacher, pastor, and congregation member alike. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”


—Andrew Gardener, The Vine Church, Hong Kong





“I often suggest to students who want to study the New Testament in more depth that they start with Mark’s Gospel. Keown’s new book Understanding Mark’s Gospel is a great way to be guided to that greater depth of understanding and that richer level of insight. This easy-to-read book will open up Mark’s Gospel in fresh and exciting ways, both for new readers of Mark’s Gospel and for those who have read the Gospel many times. Understanding Mark’s Gospel will also assist its readers in reaching the goal that Mark the evangelist had in mind when he wrote his Gospel—that we as readers might encounter Jesus and grow in faith in him.”


—Paul Trebilco, University of Otago, New Zealand





“This is an excellent guide to the Second Gospel. Keown writes in simple and accessible English—but covers all the key issues and is engaged with the latest scholarship, so that he offers an impressive breadth of learning. The great strength of his approach is setting out clearly all the options for contentious issues and giving supporting reasons for each before offering his own view. This will be a useful guide to all students of this dynamic gospel.”


—Ian Paul, Fuller Theological Seminary





“Dr. Mark Keown was my thesis supervisor at Laidlaw College, New Zealand, and I am delighted to endorse Understanding Mark’s Gospel, the first publication of our Tyrannus Textbook series.”


—Paul Cheng, Tyrannus Online Seminary





“Those who have known of Mark Keown for a while and read some of his earlier books will be eagerly anticipating this one. While it is written in the same easily readable style, it should not be mistaken for a superficial book. It is the fruit of many years of working with Mark’s Gospel both in the classroom and in the pulpit. Readers will not only find valuable insights into this, the first gospel to be written, but also food for their souls and challenges for their way of life. “


—Philip Church, Laidlaw College