Section 1:1–8
God sent John the Baptizer to prepare the people to receive Jesus
These notes have divided this section into three paragraphs:
1:1 serves as an introduction both to section 1:1–8 and to the book as a whole.
1:2–3 introduces John the Baptizer by quoting the Old Testament verses that predict his ministry.
1:4–8 describes John, his ministry and his message.
In some languages it may be more natural to make different paragraph breaks. For example:
• 1:1–3 and 1:4–8 (Good News Bible, New Century Version)
• 1:1–8 (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)
Divide the paragraphs in a way that will fit the style of your language.
It is good to translate the section before you decide on a section heading for it. You will need to use terms in the heading that you have used in the verses within the section. For example, before you write a section heading for this section, you will need to know how you have translated the word “Baptizer.” See the note on 1:4a.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The preaching of John the Baptizer
-or-
John prepared people for Jesus to arrive
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 3:1–12; Luke 3:1–18; and John 1:19–28.
Paragraph 1:1
This paragraph introduces the book of Mark. It tells readers that the subject of the entire book is the gospel about Jesus Christ. This gospel begins with how John the Baptizer prepared people for the coming of Jesus. (Scholars are evenly divided as to whether this verse introduces 1:1–8 or the book as a whole. But this difference is not apparent in most English versions. Either way, the book as a whole is about Jesus Christ, and the next verses begin with an account about John the Baptist.)
1:1
This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the words This is to make this verse a complete sentence. The Greek phrase is an incomplete sentence and is more like a title. Translate in a way that is natural in your own language.
Here are some other ways to translate this verse:
The story of the good news about Jesus the Christ, God’s Son, begins in this way:
-or-
This is how the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, begins.
the beginning of the gospel: The phrase the beginning of the gospel indicates that in this section the author tells how the gospel began. It began with the prophecy in 1:2–3 and the ministry of John the Baptizer in 1:4–8. The phrase does not indicate that the entire book of Mark is only the beginning of the gospel.
gospel: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gospel means “good news.” In Mark, this word refers to the good news about Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
good/sweet news
-or-
good news about Jesus Christ
-or-
good news from God
-or-
message/report that causes joy
Be sure that the term you choose does not refer only to a news report or to a story that is not true.
of Jesus Christ: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as of Jesus Christ means that the good news is about Jesus Christ. It does not mean that the good news came from Jesus Christ.
Christ: Here the word Christ is used as a title. It is not just one of Jesus’ names. In the other verses where it is used in Mark, it is clearly used as a title, not just a name.
The Jews used the title Christ to refer to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as King and Savior. The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” and the two words have the same meaning.
Here are some other ways to translate Christ:
• Transliterate it according to the sounds of your language. For example:
Krais
-or-
Karisiti
• Transliterate it and indicate in some way that it is a title. For example:
the Christ
-or-
the Kirisita
• Transliterate Christ and include a phrase that explains the meaning. For example:
Christ, the appointed one
-or-
Cristo, the Savior God promised
-or-
the Christ who comes from God
If you do not indicate the meaning of Christ in the text, you may want to include a footnote to explain the meaning of Christ. Or you may want to explain the meaning in a glossary. For example:
The word/title “Christ” refers to the King and Savior whom God had promised to send.
If you use a descriptive phrase, be sure that it fits smoothly with the title “the Son of God” in the last part of the verse.
See also Christ in the Glossary.
the Son of God: The Bible uses the title Son of God to express the fact that Jesus has the same nature as God. The title also indicates that the relationship between God and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship of human fathers and sons. God does not have a physical body, and he did not create/produce Jesus the way a human father produces a son. Jesus existed eternally as the Son with his Father.
In areas where people do not understand the term Son of God in this way, you may wish to include a footnote. For example:
God is the Father of Jesus the Son in a different way than human males are fathers of their sons. The Bible uses the word Son to express the fact that Jesus has the same nature as God. It also indicates that the relationship between God and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship of human fathers and sons.
In languages where there is no single word for Son, many translators have used a more general expression, such as:
child of God
Other verses will usually make clear that Jesus was a male child. If you use a descriptive phrase such as “male child of God,” be sure that this expression does not imply that God had another child who was female.
God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as God here refers to the eternal Spirit who created everything. He is more powerful than any other spirit, and he is perfectly good and wise. He deserves to be worshiped.
Here are some ways to translate God:
• Use a name or title for God that people in your culture already use.
• Use a descriptive term that fits the truth about God that is revealed in the Bible. For example:
Creator
-or-
Great Spirit
-or-
Ruler of the universe
Choose a term that is acceptable to the believers and churches in your area. For more detailed information, see God in the Glossary.
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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