Yes, Mark portrays Jesus as God

Let me first and foremost, state, up front, that I reject Markan priority, outright.  I don’t really see any convincing arguments for it.  I also believe the gospels were written by those whom they were traditionally attributed.

But, for reasons that are inexplicable to me, it has become rather common in academia to believe that the gospels were anonymous (they weren’t, Matthew, 1:1 - 2:5 library: BL folio: 200 scribe: A), and that Mark was the first gospel written (it wasn’t, A Question of Priority, Problems with the Synoptic Problem) and yes, I am aware of the fact that some people at Catholic Answers support Markan priority, (Jimmy Akin has a lot good about him, but, that is his one blind spot).  It’s more just “asserted” that the gospels were anonymous and that Mark was the first written.  Because it’s the shortest.  (It’s not Jimmy’s argument, but it’s a real argument). 

But, let’s grant for argument’s sake that Mark is the first gospel written.  So why grant this argument? 

Because some people have claimed that Jesus Christ is not portrayed as God in the Gospel of Mark. 

Of course, this is nonsense.  And we’re about to get into why. 

I should state, that I am not the originator of these ideas.  Some of my ideas are influenced by other Catholics (and occasionally, Protestants, especially C.S. Lewis), such as Brant Pitre, John Bergsma, amongst others.  One place I like to look at, is Mark 5:35-41, “And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.  And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship.  And there were also with him other little ships.  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.  And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was great calm.  And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

And they said to one another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Okay, keep that in mind.  Both Jesus’s calming of the storm, and the fact that they asked how the win and the sea could obey him. 

Well, it’s because he’s God, and only God has total control over nature.  (Yes, there is a natural process, but, this does not preclude God suspending his own laws from the natural process).  I also think it’s important to point out the Old Testament background of this. 

In Psalm 89, which sings of the mercies of the LORD (Psalm 89:1), v. 9 says the following,

“Thou rulest the raging of the sea when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them”. 

Jesus’s followers would have known Psalm 89.  They might not get that he’s God right away, but, Jesus is dropping some pretty big hints. 

And so I write this, not because I’m interested in having an argument over Markan priority (which I still don’t find convincing), or because I want to prove all the gospels were written by whom they were attributed.  No.  I wrote this because I get so sick and tired of people saying “Mark was the first gospel written, and it (because they don’t believe Mark really wrote it), doesn’t portray Jesus as God.” 

1.     It’s irrelevant if it was the first Gospel written, and,

2.     Jesus is in fact portrayed as God, as he has attributes in it, only God would have.

Jesus’s followers knew their Bible. 

By the way, read the rest on your own, so you can get the context.  Because, as has been often said, "a prooftext with out context, is a pretext". 

*All verses are from the King James Version of the Bible.