Trinitarian Theology in Mark's Gospel

A Guest Post by Hallur Mortensen

Hallur Mortensen
The Baptismal Episode as Trinitarian Narrative: Proto-Trinitarian Structures in Mark's Conception of God
WUNT 2; Tuebingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 2020

Book summary by Hallur Mortensen

This book endeavors to examine the God presented in the Gospel of Mark. To do this the author focuses on the places where God speaks directly, particularly the baptism episode. To put this into context, he first shows the importance of the title (1:1), the opening citation (1:2-3), and the function of the whole prologue (1:1-15) and argues that these introduce to the reader the main claim and key themes that are essential for understanding not only the baptismal episode but the Gospel as a whole.

The opening citation (1:2-3), which is attributed to Isaiah, is a composite citation from Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1. The theme of both these texts is the coming of the Lord to his people; with salvation in the former and judgment in the latter. Mark makes his view of Jesus quite clear when he lets Jesus have the place that belongs to God in these texts, for it is before Jesus that the way in the wilderness is prepared. Similarly, the 'gospel' which Jesus proclaims (1:14-15), and which is the content of the book (1:1), concerns the hope and expectation of the return of the presence and reign of the Lord himself and which is now accomplished in Jesus. This notion of the coming reign of God has its origin in Isaiah (52:7, 40:9, 41:27, 61:1), and is adjoined to Daniel's vision of the eternal kingdom given to the Son of Man (2:31ff, 7:9-14). It is thus argued that while the Gospel according to Mark is a bios, it is not merely a bios, it is theology and proclamation, and it proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God whose coming constitutes the good news of the coming presence and reign of the Lord himself.

The baptism of Jesus commences with the tearing of the heavens, which is an allusion to Isa 63:19 (64:1LXX) where Isaiah cries out for the Lord himself to come down and be again with his people. That this plea is being answered by the whole Gospel is also suggested by the inclusio between the baptismal episode at the beginning (1:9-11) and the tearing of the temple curtain at the end of the Gospel (15:38-39). Indeed, God has now torn open the heavens and 'come down' to reign through his messiah and divine son. The divine voice citing Scripture identifies Jesus as the beloved Son of God, who is the king of Ps 2:7 and the servant of Isa 42:1. The tearing open of heaven is also a variation of the more common open heaven motif common in apocalyptic. Examining this motif across apocalyptic literature, it is argued that the open heaven motif is a prelude to a revelation rather than the revelation itself, suggesting that what transpires in 1:9-11 is primarily an unveiling rather than simply a baptism. At the baptism, Jesus is identified as the Son whom God loves and is well pleased, and the baptismal episode is thus a revelatory event that reveals not only Jesus as the Son of God but also and simultaneously God as the Father of Jesus. 

Accompanying the voice is the Holy Spirit that descends from God and remains on Jesus the divine son, and thus the baptismal event also reveals the Holy Spirit as the source of Jesus' power. It is clear that from this moment on, Jesus' ministry, his teaching, healing, and casting out demons, are all done in the power of the Holy Spirit that is on him. The spirit-anointed Jesus has come to destroy Satan, to bind the strong man, and will establish God's reign. Analyzing the Spirit in Mark, and in Isa 63 which is alluded to, it seems clear that the Spirit is no less than God. However, the real question is to what extent the Spirit can be said to be distinct from, or within, God. It is argued that since the Holy Spirit is distinct from both the voice that speaks from heaven and the Son, the Holy Spirit may best be described by the word hypostasis. 

To discuss the notion that Jesus is identified with and even as the Lord revealed in the Scriptures, and of the Spirit as distinct within God, raises the question of Jewish monotheism. The author argues that while Jewish monotheism is 'exclusive', it is open enough to encompass Jesus and the Holy Spirit within the identity of YHWH. For this reason, it is not blasphemy, as claimed by the High Priest, to locate Jesus in the position of God. On the contrary, it is the High Priest's view of God that is too restrictive since it does not and can not encompass Jesus as God's Son.

One can not, therefore, assume that one already knows what "God" means, and the question is not simply where one places Jesus in relation to the already known entity 'God', for God is not altogether known until he reveals himself in Jesus his Son. From the Old Testament onwards God's known identity is not static, for God is known by his actions and relations; as the God of Abraham and as the God who delivered Israel out of Egypt. God who is known by his actions and relations is made known in the good news of the coming of his own reigning presence in Jesus. Thus in the Gospel as a whole, and particularly at the baptism of Jesus, God is further unveiled; because now God is not only the God of the patriarchs but the God who calls Jesus 'My Son'.

One can thus conclude that Mark's view of God includes Jesus and the Spirit as distinct within the divine identity, and this is played out in the narrative of the Gospel. Since the Gospel simultaneously insists on the oneness of God, the divinity of the Son, and suggests the distinct identity of the Spirit, the text pushes in a trinitarian direction. Thus while later trinitarian developments are, of course, not found in Mark, Mark can best be described as proto-trinitarian and narrative trinitarian in its theology.

Hallur Mortensen Born 1981; 2007 BA (Hons) ICC/University of Aberdeen; 2008 MLitt University of St Andrews; 2009 MTh University of Edinburgh; 2018 PhD Durham University; previously lecturer at Peter Achimugu College of Theology, Nigeria; currently with Operation Mobilization in Japan.