These are the books:
-Borg, Marcus J. Reading the Bible Again for the First Time. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002. [= Borg]
-Coogan, Michael D., ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. [= NOAB]
-Ehrman, Bart D. A Brief Introduction to the New Testament. 3d ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. [= Ehrman]
Assignment:
Primary Reading: Mark 1:1-16:8 (preferably in one sitting)
Secondary Reading: Ehrman pp. 60-75; Borg pp. 185-195
After completing the primary and secondary readings, answer the following questions:
1. As you read the Gospel of Mark, compile a list of at least 10 complete passages that focus on Jesus' twelve disciples (in which stories is the focus/spotlight on the disciples?).
Reminder: You may wish to refer to the explanatory notes in your NOAB to determine what a complete passage is.
a. For each passage, provide a brief summary of that passage and the portrayal of the disciples (1-2 sentences, like a caption for a photo). e.g. Mark 4:35-41, after Jesus calms the storm, the disciples were "filled with great awe" and asked each other "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
b. If we only had the gospel of Mark, what impressions might we have of the disciples?
2. What do we know about Mark's community?