The Fleeing Mark

Mark was a figure in the Bible who lived during the formation of the early Christian church. His name is generally translated as John Mark or Mark, and he is traditionally believed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Mark once traveled with Barnabas and the Apostle Paul on their missionary work, but he had a moment of disgrace during his ministry. Acts 13:13 records this difficult part of Mark’s story.

Mark, who was Barnabas’s cousin (Colossians 4:10), suddenly left them during their missionary journey. He departed from them in Perga of Pamphylia and returned to Jerusalem. This caused a major conflict when Paul and Barnabas decided to embark on a second missionary journey. Although Barnabas insisted on taking his cousin Mark, Paul was firmly against it. The disagreement was so severe that it caused a dispute between the two apostles, leading them to separate and preach in different regions. This event is recorded at the end of Acts 15.

Later, Mark underwent a profound transformation. He changed from a weak, fleeing man into a courageous, fearless, and faithful servant of the Lord. The Apostle Peter, whom Jesus Christ called “the Rock,” referred to Mark as “my son Mark” (1 Peter 5:13). Mark also earned the recommendation of the Apostle Paul, who eventually recognized him as a person “useful to me in my ministry.”

Furthermore, Mark used his gifts to write the Gospel of Mark. He transformed from a gospel deserter into the first person to write a gospel, leaving behind an invaluable record and becoming a pioneer in the work of written missionary evangelism.