John Mark
Encyclopedia
John Mark is a character in the New Testament
. According to William Lane, an "unbroken tradition" identifies him with Mark the Evangelist
. John Mark is mentioned several times in the Acts of the Apostles
. The first mention is in , when Peter
is coming to his mother's
house:
John Mark himself appears a bit later in the same chapter, in , as the travel companion of Saul (Apostle Paul) and Barnabas
:
John Mark is mentioned for the last time soon after the Council of Jerusalem
in . Paul (Saul) does not have a too flattering impression of his former associate, arguing over him with Barnabas in Antioch
:
This is apparently the same occurrence that was earlier mentioned in , this time referring to John Mark simply as "John":
This John had joined their mission in Antioch. says:
Barnabas' and Paul's showdown in Antioch is probably the same incident that Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Galatians
. According to Paul, however, the ultimate reason was a dispute with Peter
over acceptance of Gentiles, in which Barnabas had sided with Peter against Paul.
John Mark is also usually identified with Mark the cousin of Barnabas
.
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. According to William Lane, an "unbroken tradition" identifies him with Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist is the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. He is one of the Seventy Disciples of Christ, and the founder of the Church of Alexandria, one of the original four main sees of Christianity....
. John Mark is mentioned several times in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
. The first mention is in , when Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
is coming to his mother's
Mary, mother of John Mark
Mary, mother of John Mark is a character in the Bible. She is apparently mentioned only once in , when Peter is coming to her house, after his escape from prison:...
house:
When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
John Mark himself appears a bit later in the same chapter, in , as the travel companion of Saul (Apostle Paul) and Barnabas
Barnabas
Barnabas , born Joseph, was an Early Christian, one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem. In terms of culture and background, he was a Hellenised Jew, specifically a Levite. Named an apostle in , he and Saint Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts...
:
When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
John Mark is mentioned for the last time soon after the Council of Jerusalem
Council of Jerusalem
The Council of Jerusalem is a name applied by historians and theologians to an Early Christian council that was held in Jerusalem and dated to around the year 50. It is considered by Catholics and Orthodox to be a prototype and forerunner of the later Ecumenical Councils...
in . Paul (Saul) does not have a too flattering impression of his former associate, arguing over him with Barnabas in Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
:
BarnabasBarnabasBarnabas , born Joseph, was an Early Christian, one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem. In terms of culture and background, he was a Hellenised Jew, specifically a Levite. Named an apostle in , he and Saint Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts...
wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in PamphyliaPamphyliaIn ancient geography, Pamphylia was the region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus . It was bounded on the north by Pisidia and was therefore a country of small extent, having a coast-line of only about 75 miles with a breadth of...
and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, but Paul chose SilasSilasSaint Silas or Saint Silvanus was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who later accompanied Paul in some of his missionary journeys....
and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and CiliciaCiliciaIn antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
, strengthening the churches.
This is apparently the same occurrence that was earlier mentioned in , this time referring to John Mark simply as "John":
From PaphosPaphosPaphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
, Paul and his companions sailed to PergaPergaPerga was an ancient Greek city in Anatolia and the capital of Pamphylia, now in Antalya province on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Today it is a large site of ancient ruins east of Antalya on the coastal plain. Located there is an acropolis dating back to the Bronze Age...
in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
This John had joined their mission in Antioch. says:
The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to SeleuciaSeleuciaSeleucia was the first capital of the Seleucid Empire, and one of the great cities of antiquity standing in Mesopotamia, on the Tigris River.Seleucia may refer to:...
and sailed from there to CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. When they arrived at SalamisSalamis, CyprusSalamis was an ancient Greek city-state on the east coast of Cyprus, at the mouth of the river Pedieos, 6 km north of modern Famagusta. According to tradition the founder of Salamis was Teucer, son of Telamon, who could not return home after the Trojan war because he had failed to avenge his...
, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s. John was with them as their helper.
Barnabas' and Paul's showdown in Antioch is probably the same incident that Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Galatians
Epistle to the Galatians
The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, often shortened to Galatians, is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of Early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia...
. According to Paul, however, the ultimate reason was a dispute with Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
over acceptance of Gentiles, in which Barnabas had sided with Peter against Paul.
John Mark is also usually identified with Mark the cousin of Barnabas
Mark the Cousin of Barnabas
Mark the Cousin of Barnabas is a character in the New Testament. He is usually identified with John Mark , although Hippolytus of Rome thought them to be separate people...
.