Mark is the shortest of the gospels, even though in parallel stories, Mark often gives the most details of the Synoptic Gospels. For example, Mark and Luke include the detail that the paralytic was lowered from the roof, and Mark and Matthew include the reasons that John was arrested in more detail than Luke. Mark gets a reputation for being the most hurried and spectacular gospel. I think this honor should go to Matthew. In sharp contrast, I think Mark is actually more grounded. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, the cursed fig tree withers immediately, whereas in Mark the same curse takes a few days to play out. Matthew brings the paralytic to Jesus's feet, but Mark includes the details that he was lowered through the roof. Only Mark includes the second rooster crow before Peter's denial. Mark spells out all the stories, stretching out every event and detail. Instead of telling the Gospel as an epic like Matthew, Mark is telling it with realism.

The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles were written by Luke, a companion of the Apostles. These books bring the Gospel story to the middle of the first century. Together they create a complete record of the beginning of the church. The translators of King James translated this text from Greek to English using what was then consider to be the most accurate Greek text available: the Textus Receptus. Here I have corrected their translation to be faithful to the Byzantine Majority Text of the Greek New Testament.