"When we study the Gospel According to Saint Mark," declares Dr. Barclay, "we study the most important book in the New Testament, for in it we have the first life of Jesus ever to be written," the one on which all other accounts are based. In his introduction, Dr. Barclay explains why the first three Gospels are called synoptic, how they came to be written, and how scholars have concluded that Mark was the first. Touching on Mark's own life, he discusses the rift that Mark occasioned between Paul and Barnabas, Mark's sources of information about Jesus, the characteristics of his Gospel writing, and the mystery of the "lost ending." Millions of readers have found these distinctive commentaries the ideal help for both devotional reading and serious Bible study. This new revised edition includes updated references and clarifications of meaning, so that the commentaries are even easier to understand. The volumes are completely reset in new type, so that reading them is easier on the eyes. The complete series furnishes a comprehensive commentary and devotional study guide on the New Testament for individuals or groups who want to discover what the messages of the New Testament writers really mean for their lives.