--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the first gospel, Mark, the risen…" description: "\"In the first gospel, Mark, the risen Christ appears physically to no one, but by the time we come to the last gospel, John, Thomas is invited to feel t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/john-shelby-spong-1488_appears_in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-chris_1787402.png" --- # In the first gospel, Mark, the risen Christ appears… ![“In the first gospel, Mark, the risen Christ appears physically to no one, but by the time we come to the last gospel, John, Thomas is invited to feel the nail prints in Christ's hands and feet and the spear wound in his side.” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/john-shelby-spong-1488_appears_in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-chris_1787402.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/john-shelby-spong-1488_appears_in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-chris_1787402.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/john-shelby-spong-1488_appears_in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-chris_1787402.png) > “In the first gospel, Mark, the risen Christ appears physically to no one, but by the time we come to the last gospel, John, Thomas is invited to feel the nail prints in Christ's hands and feet and the spear wound in his side.” [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Different gospel accounts illustrate a shift from unseen to tangible encounters, emphasizing personal experience in faith. **In simple terms:** Gospels move from unseen to seen faith. Key Takeaway Personal experience deepens belief. Themes faith experience scripture spirituality Mood contemplative inquisitive Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - church teaching - personal meditation - interfaith dialogue - spiritual practice Key Concepts theology historical criticism personal revelation Questions to Reflect On - How does personal experience shape your spirituality? - What role does evidence play in belief? A Different Perspective Literal readings may miss metaphorical meanings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appears/) [By the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/by-the-time/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christ Appears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-appears-1916325/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Gospel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospel/) [Gospel John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospel-john-972081/) [Gospel Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospel-mark-1916324/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hands and feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-and-feet/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [Invited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invited/) [John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john/) [Last](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last/) [Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mark/) [Nail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nail/) [Physically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physically/) [Prints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prints/) [Risen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risen/) [Risen Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risen-christ-680251/) [Side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side/) [Spear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spear/) [Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thomas/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wound/) ## Related quotes > [“The Gospel of Mark has some major shortcomings: It contains no birth narrative; it implies that Jesus, a repentant sinner, became the Son of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes-university-of-california/the-gospel-of-mark-has-some-major-shortcomings-it-contains-no-birth/) [Alan Dundes University of California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes-university-of-california/) > [Lights off light a candle power forward point guard handles like a celebrity trying to dodge scandals the finish line is in sight breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franko/lights-off-light-a-candle-power-forward-point-guard-handles-like-a/) [Franko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franko/) > [I never really liked the Gospel of John because I never could find the humanity of Jesus in it. I thought it presented Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-never-really-liked-the-gospel-of-john-because-i-never-could-find/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Almost any poll of regular churchgoers will reveal that their favorite book in the New Testament is the Gospel of John. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/almost-any-poll-of-regular-churchgoers-will-reveal-that-their/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Gospel of John makes explicit what all the Gospels assume - that is, the cross is not a defeat, but the victory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/the-gospel-of-john-makes-explicit-what-all-the-gospels-assume-that-is/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [“Whoever wrote the Gospel of John (we’ll continue to call him John, though we don’t know who he really was) must have been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/whoever-wrote-the-gospel-of-john-we-ll-continue-to-call-him-john/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [The learned are not agreed as to the time when the Gospel of John was written; some dating it as early as the year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/the-learned-are-not-agreed-as-to-the-time-when-the-gospel-of-john-was/) [Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/) > [“There is every reason to believe that the Gospel of John was spread and well known in Babylonia, if not separately then in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sch-fer/there-is-every-reason-to-believe-that-the-gospel-of-john-was-spread/) [Peter Schäfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sch-fer/) > [We don't actually know if the person who wrote the Gospel of John had a written copy of Thomas because we don't know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/we-don-t-actually-know-if-the-person-who-wrote-the-gospel-of-john-had/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [The Gospel of John opens with Jesus Christ in the bosom of God, and closes with the sinner in the bosom of Jesus Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/the-gospel-of-john-opens-with-jesus-christ-in-the-bosom-of-god-and/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [“The Gospel of John tells us that the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us, full of glorious grace and truth, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-a-noll/the-gospel-of-john-tells-us-that-the-word-who-was-made-flesh-and/) [Mark A. Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-a-noll/) > [I take literally the statement in the Gospel of John that God loves the world. I believe that the world was created and approved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/i-take-literally-the-statement-in-the-gospel-of-john-that-god-loves/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“There exists hardly any other New Testament text that is more unambiguous and firm in Jesus’ mission on earth and his divine origin, indeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sch-fer/there-exists-hardly-any-other-new-testament-text-that-is-more/) [Peter Schäfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sch-fer/) > [The best book in the world to put into the hands of one who desires to know about Jesus and to be saved is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-torrey/the-best-book-in-the-world-to-put-into-the-hands-of-one-who-desires/) [R. A. Torrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-torrey/) > [“Jesus himself did not baptize anyone; only his disciples did; This statement, which interrupts the narrative of the Gospel of John at one point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-salibi/jesus-himself-did-not-baptize-anyone-only-his-disciples-did-this/) [Kamal Salibi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-salibi/) ## More by John Shelby Spong > [The way that I see Christianity is that its role is to enhance the life of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-way-that-i-see-christianity-is-that-its-role-is-to-enhance-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“When a human life is open to all that humanity can be, humanity and divinity flow together as one. It was and is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/when-a-human-life-is-open-to-all-that-humanity-can-be-humanity-and/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I don't see Jesus as rescuing the fallen; I see Jesus as expanding the potential of life. The primary reason the old idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-don-t-see-jesus-as-rescuing-the-fallen-i-see-jesus-as-expanding-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible interprets life from its particular perspective; it does not record in a factual way the human journey through history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-interprets-life-from-its-particular-perspective-it-does-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [My basis of morality is this: does this action enhance life, or does it denigrate life? Does it build up or does it tear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/my-basis-of-morality-is-this-does-this-action-enhance-life-or-does-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I want the traditional family upheld, but I don't want it upheld to the detriment of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-want-the-traditional-family-upheld-but-i-don-t-want-it-upheld-to/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible was written between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, and it's filled with the knowledge that people had in that period of time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-was-written-between-3-000-and-2-000-years-ago-and-it-s/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We are in a survival mentality, and that's hard-wired into our humanity, because we are the winners of an evolutionary struggle of millions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-are-in-a-survival-mentality-and-that-s-hard-wired-into-our/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Some people think prayer stops bullets or rockets or land mines. It doesn't. That's magic, that's not God. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-people-think-prayer-stops-bullets-or-rockets-or-land-mines-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Benedict XVI kept saying that homosexuals are deviant. They're not deviant. They're deviant only if you say that anyone who is different from me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/benedict-xvi-kept-saying-that-homosexuals-are-deviant-they-re-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I find it fascinating that Paul \[the apostol\], writing to the Galatians, responds to the question, "What does it mean to live in Christ?"… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-find-it-fascinating-that-paul-the-apostol-writing-to-the-galatians/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Explore all 236 John Shelby Spong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## More Appears quotes > [You know, as somebody who writes op-eds and appears on the television, I appreciate as well as anybody that... there is a limit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bolton/you-know-as-somebody-who-writes-op-eds-and-appears-on-the-television/) [John Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bolton/) > [A man may not always be what he appears to be, but what he appears to be is always a significant part of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-gaylin/a-man-may-not-always-be-what-he-appears-to-be-but-what-he-appears-to/) [Willard Gaylin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-gaylin/) > [I won't divulge the details, but there's a way to call somebody's phone and have whatever number you want appear on the caller I.D.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-malina/i-won-t-divulge-the-details-but-there-s-a-way-to-call-somebody-s/) [Joshua Malina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-malina/) > [“Apparuit iam beatitudo vestra' That is, "Now your blessedness appears.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/apparuit-iam-beatitudo-vestra-that-is-now-your-blessedness-appears/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [“It appears that you were meant to be mine only for a little while.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-sotto/it-appears-that-you-were-meant-to-be-mine-only-for-a-little-while/) [Samantha Sotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-sotto/) > [One is always of his age and especially he who least appears so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/one-is-always-of-his-age-and-especially-he-who-least-appears-so/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) > [The Obama administration's attempted short-term fixes, even with unprecedented monetary easing by the Federal Reserve, produced average GDP growth of just 2.2% over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hubbard/the-obama-administration-s-attempted-short-term-fixes-even-with/) [Glenn Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hubbard/) > [I don't like fantasy where a king snaps his fingers and suddenly a whole army appears and goes off to war - he's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-don-t-like-fantasy-where-a-king-snaps-his-fingers-and-suddenly-a/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [Most of the time, your risk management works. With a systemic event such as the recent shocks following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, obviously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-scholes/most-of-the-time-your-risk-management-works-with-a-systemic-event/) [Myron Scholes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myron-scholes/) > [What appears on the page comes out of your experience, and no-one is going to see it in quite the same way - so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/what-appears-on-the-page-comes-out-of-your-experience-and-no-one-is/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [The dream appears to be real. It does really seem we are here in this world; but this is not so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-dream-appears-to-be-real-it-does-really-seem-we-are-here-in-this/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The island of Hawaii appears to be developing a Florida climate: Hot and humid with thunderstorms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-island-of-hawaii-appears-to-be-developing-a-florida-climate-hot/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Are you facing a superheated furnace? What God wants is for you to look full in the face of Jesus. Get your focus off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-graham-lotz/are-you-facing-a-superheated-furnace-what-god-wants-is-for-you-to/) [Anne Graham Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-graham-lotz/) > [We have met on a solemn occasion, and in this crowded assembly there is one thing that appears important, that is, for every one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-hicks/we-have-met-on-a-solemn-occasion-and-in-this-crowded-assembly-there/) [Elias Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-hicks/) > [So many things for me are unfortunate in the commercialization of something that is special. It's like when Led Zeppelin appears in Cadillac commercials.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-carter/so-many-things-for-me-are-unfortunate-in-the-commercialization-of/) [Chris Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-carter/) [Browse all 162 Appears quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appears/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the first gospel, Mark, the risen Christ appears physically to no one, but by the time we come to the last gospel, John, Thomas is invited to feel the nail prints in Christ's hands and feet and the spear wound in his side.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-christ-appears-physically-to-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appears" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-christ-appears-physically-to-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/john-shelby-spong-1488_appears_in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-chris_1787402.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/john-shelby-spong-1488_appears_in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-chris_1787402.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/john-shelby-spong-1488_appears_in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-chris_1787402.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the first gospel, Mark, the risen Christ appears physically to no one, but by the time we come to the…” — John Shelby Spong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Shelby Spong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In the first gospel, Mark, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-christ-appears-physically-to-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/in-the-first-gospel-mark-the-risen-christ-appears-physically-to-no/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```