Why did Mark's Gospel appeal to Romans?

Answer 1

The gospel of Mark seems to have been written with non-Jews in mind because it's terminology was different than other gospel accounts. Mark's account includes explanations that were not necessary for natural Jews. For example, He explains that the Jordan was a "river" and that you could see the temple of Jerusalem from the "Mount of Olives" ... even explaining to the reader that the Pharisees were "fasting" and did not believe in the "resurrection".

So in this way, Mark's account is more descriptive and geared for someone with more limited knowledge of the Jewish ways.

Since Mark was known to accompany the Apostle Paul (as the Apostle to the nations) and visited him when he was imprisoned in Rome, it is acceptable that his gospel would help continue the preaching of the good news to non-Jews.

Answer 2

We do not really know whether Mark's Gospel appealed to Romans, although it did become so popular in the Mediterranean world that it is likely to have done so. Mark was written in Greek and contains allusions to Greek literature and mythology, but these were also well known to may in Rome. We know from Paul's epistles that there was already a thriving Christian community in Rome before Mark was written, so the Gospel probably appealed to Romans who wished to know more about Jesus.