The disputes in the Gospel of Mark are short scenes of conflict where Jesus is always the attacked one. Though he can prove his innocence and wisdom, his opponents continue to persecute him, and achieve his crucifixion.As Jesus' opponents cannot prove their accusations, those disputes – and thus the whole gospel – work as an apology. It serves to present Christians as followers of a teacher who was unjustly judged, and it addresses a wide readership extending beyond the circle of the Christian congregations.