Agnostic Bible Study | EP 3 - Who Wrote the Gospel of Mark? Why Does it Matter?

In this episode of Agnostic Bible Study, we take a close look at one of the biggest questions in New Testament scholarship: who actually wrote the Gospel of Mark?

Church tradition tells us Mark was written by John Mark, a companion of Peter, recording Peter’s eyewitness memories of Jesus. But when we step back and examine the evidence, things get more complicated. The Gospel itself never names an author. The earliest claims about Mark’s authorship appear decades later. And the writing style feels less like a firsthand memoir and more like a carefully constructed narrative told from a distance.

We explore what early church figures like Papias and Irenaeus said about Mark, why their testimony matters, and where scholars see potential problems or inconsistencies. We also look at internal clues within the Gospel itself, including its storytelling style, treatment of the disciples, and historical details that raise important questions.

This is not about attacking faith or defending tradition. It is about intellectual honesty and following the evidence wherever it leads. If we want to understand the Gospel of Mark, we have to ask the simple but powerful question: who wrote it, and how do we know?