Introduction
John Mark (Hebrew: Yochanan—Greek: Iо̄annēs Markos) was born circa AD 15 (3775–3776 in the Hebrew calendar) in the Roman province of Judea. He was a Jewish man called Yochanan (H3076; "John"), which means "God has been gracious." John's other first name, Markos (G3138; Latin: Marcus), originally came from Latin. He was from Jerusalem, and his mother was an affluent woman named Mary (see Acts 12:12 ff.). After he joined the Jesus movement via his contact with Simon Peter, Mark traveled with Paul of Tarsus and Barnabas on their missions across the Mediterranean (see Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13). Moreover, John and Barnabas were cousins (see Col. 4:10).
Mark was at the center of the argument between Paul and Barnabas when they split from each other after the Council of Jerusalem around AD 50 (see Acts 15:36-40; Gal. 2:13). However, a few of Paul's letters imply that he eventually reconciled with John Mark, even identifying him as "helpful to me in my ministry" (see Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11; Phlm. 24). The reconciliation between Paul and John Mark not only speaks to the importance of forgiveness and second chances within the early Christian community but also reflects the evolving dynamics and relationships among its prominent figures, illustrating a journey of growth and maturity in both individuals. This narrative of reconciliation serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of grace and redemption, resonating across generations as a testament to the enduring principles of unity and reconciliation within the Christian faith.
Mark the Evangelist
There is only one reference in the New Testament—albeit a vague one—that suggests that John Mark wrote the gospel ascribed to him: "She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark" (1 Pet. 5:13). The early church leaders, beginning with Papias of Hierapolis (AD 70–155) believed that Mark was a follower of Peter and wrote down his lessons about Jesus. Eusebius of Caesarea (260–340) noted this in his Ecclesiastical History (Bk. 2, Ch. 15, §§ 1–2):
When the divine word had made its home among them, Simon's power was quenched and immediately destroyed, together with the man himself. So remarkably did the splendor of piety illuminate the minds of Peter's hearers that they were not satisfied with hearing once only and were not content with the unwritten teaching of the divine gospel, but with all sorts of entreaties, they besought Mark, a follower of Peter, and the one whose gospel is extant, that he would leave them a written monument of the doctrine which had been orally communicated to them. Nor did they cease until they prevailed with the man and thus became the occasion of the written gospel, which bears the name of Mark.
They say that Peter, when he had learned, through a revelation of the Holy Spirit, of what had been done, was pleased with the zeal of the men, and that the work obtained the sanction of his authority to be used in the churches. In the eighth book of his hypotyposes, Clement gives this account, and with him agrees the bishop of Hierapolis named Papias. Peter makes mention of Mark in his first epistle, which they say that he wrote in Rome itself, as is indicated by him when he calls the city by a figure, Babylon, as he does in the following words: "She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark" [1 Pet. 5:13].
Eusebius also wrote this statement about Mark based on Papias' testimony:
This also the presbyter said: "Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but afterward, as I said, he followed Peter, who adapted his teaching to the needs of his hearers. Still, with no intention of giving a connected account of the Lord's discourses, Mark committed no error. At the same time, he thus wrote some things as he remembered them. For he was careful of one thing: not to omit anything he had heard or to state any of them falsely." Papias relates these things concerning Mark (Bk. 3, Ch. 39, § 15).
The anti-Marcionite prologue to his gospel account reads, "Mark recorded, who was called Colobodactylus ['stumpy finger'] because he had fingers that were too small for the height of the rest of his body. He himself was the interpreter of Peter. After the death of Peter himself, the same man wrote this gospel in the parts of Italy."
Conclusion
Again, Eusebius wrote: "They say that this Mark was the first that was sent to Egypt and that he proclaimed the gospel which he had written, and first established churches in Alexandria" (Bk. 2, Ch. 24, § 1). Bible scholars today believe that Mark was the first evangelist to record one of the four canonical gospels (i.e., Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Mark wrote his biography from Q (from Quelle, the German word for "Source"), a probable list of Jesus' quotes. Because he was from Jerusalem, Mark had access to early documents such as Q, which circulated sometime after Jesus' resurrection. The Q hypothesis seeks to answer the "synoptic problem," that is, why Matthew, Mark, and Luke "saw together" (Greek: sunoptikos) large amounts of the same material. Mark wrote his gospel first around AD 60, perhaps even being the author of the Q source. So, it follows that Mark inspired Matthew and Luke in their works. Although Mark is a minor New Testament character, he served alongside Peter and Paul and had access to the earliest documents about Jesus.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe; by the hand of Mark, the evangelist, you have given your church the good news of Jesus. We thank you for his witness and pray that you will provide us with the grace to know the truth and not be carried about by every wind of false doctrine, that we may know Jesus the Messiah as our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Bibliography
"The 'Anti-Marcionite' Prologues to the Gospels." Roger Pearse, translated for the Tertullian Project, 2006. https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/anti_marcionite_prologues.htm.
The Book of Common Prayer. Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019. p. 628. http://bcp2019.anglicanchurch.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/BCP2019.pdf.
Cruse, C. F., trans. Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998.
Dobson, Kent, ed. NIV First-Century Study Bible: Explore Scripture in Its Jewish and Early Christian Context. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014.
Ferguson, Everett. "Eusebius of Caesarea." Christian History 72 (Christian History Institute, 2001). https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/the-problem-of-eusebius.
Kranz, Jeffrey. The Beginner's Guide to the Bible. Bellingham, WA: OverviewBible, 2020.
Nelson, Ryan. "Who Was John Mark? The Beginner's Guide." Bellingham, WA: OverviewBible, 2019. https://overviewbible.com/john-mark.
Schaff, Philip, and Henry Wace, eds. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 1. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1890. Harry Plantinga, edited for Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1993–2020. https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201/npnf201.iii.vii.xvi.html.
Strauss, Mark L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels. Second ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020.
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