1. Is Mark’s Gospel reliable? Can we trust his information is correct?. YESNO Write down 2 points for each side why Mark’s information is or is not reliable. Complete your points Write your own opinion He heard the stories first hand from Peter – Jesus’ closest disciple, as he travelled with him on missionary journeys He heard the stories in the language they were told in by Jesus - in Aramaic He himself knew the disciples, might have met Jesus (last supper in mother’s house) He eyewitnessed some events himself eg arrest in the garden -the young man who ran away naked He was not actually one of the disciples and did not see everything Jesus did himself He might have remembered Peter’s stories inaccurately, or Peter might have got things mixed up He might have translated badly, as his Greek was not very good He might not be the same Mark who travelled with Peter

2. To describe what life was like for the early Christians in 1 st century Rome To explain why Romans were suspicious of Christians To explain why Mark’s gospel was written at this time Read p. 1. What was Rome like in the 1 st Century? Culturally/ racially Religions practiced **What would be the average Roman’s view of a Christian? Rome and the Early Christians

3. Watch the video and answer the questions: 1.Who started the persecution of Christians in AD 64? Why? 2.What happened to them? 3.Why did the Romans hate Christians? Read p.22 and find 5 reasons. **Which reason do you think motivated Mark the most? "Therefore, to stop the rumour that he had set Rome on fire, he [Emperor Nero] falsely charged with guilt, and punished with the most fearful tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were generally hated for their enormities...but the evil religion broke out yet again through the city of Rome. Accordingly the first to be arrested, were those who confessed they were Christians… [and they were charged] not so much on the charge of burning the city, as of "hating the human race." In their very deaths they were made the subjects of sport: for they were covered with the hides of wild beasts, and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and when the day waned, burned to serve for the evening lights. Nero offered his own garden players for the spectacle. For this cause a feeling of compassion arose towards the sufferers, though guilty and deserving of exemplary capital punishment, because they seemed not to be cut off for the public good, but were victims of the ferocity of one man." The Roman historian Tacitus wrote the following, in his book Annals a few years after Nero set fire to Rome (AD 116).

4. Mark’s Gospel was written… From faith, for faith… For the Romans … For the Christians..

5. Why could suspicion of Christians be a reason for Mark writing his gospel? How could the gospel help Christians being persecuted? Christians Are Not Dangerous!