Is the Gospel of Mark Distinctly Pauline? A Critical Evaluation

Abstract The renewed interest in the relationship between the Gospel of Mark and the apostle Paul has led to more nuanced arguments for Paul’s influence on Mark based on refined methodologies. In this article, I critically evaluate the current state of the argument, concluding that it depends on too many variables and expects too much of our sparse evidence to make a convincing argument that Mark is distinctly Pauline. Therefore, the Gospel of Mark should be read independently of Paul so that its unique features might be first understood within its own narrative world, rather than interpreted through a Pauline lens.