Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Did Jesus proclaim Himself? This research question arises from an observation of the longstanding debate within New Testament scholarship, particularly the conflict model proposed by the Tübingen School, which distinguishes between the gospel of Jesus (concerning the Kingdom of God) and the gospel of Paul (concerning Christ). This article aims to assess the validity of such a dichotomy by examining the literary-theological relationship between the Gospel of Mark and the Pauline epistles, especially in their use and interpretation of the term εὐαγγέλιον (gospel). This study employs a qualitative-descriptive method through literature review, combined with literary-theological observation and exegetical analysis of key texts in the Gospel of Mark. In addition, a limited quantitative approach is utilized to analyze the frequency of the term “gospel” within the New Testament corpus in order to establish lexical correlations between Mark and Paul. The findings indicate a substantive continuity between Jesus’ proclamation in Mark and the Pauline gospel. In Mark, the gospel of the Kingdom of God cannot be separated from the person of Jesus as the present and reigning King; the motif “for My sake and for the gospel” underscores that Jesus Himself constitutes the primary content of that proclamation. Therefore, the dichotomy between Jesus and Paul loses its persuasive force. Jesus in the Gospel of Mark is both the proclaimer and the content of the gospel—a theological resonance that strongly aligns with the Pauline gospel.
Source: Manna Rafflesia
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $26
OpenAlex ID: W7224965266