John Mark...A Character Study

John Mark...A Character Study

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Scriptures: Acts 13:13, Acts 15:36-39, II Timothy 4:11, Colossians 4:10-11

John Mark (referred the majority of the time in the bible as Mark) was a cousin of Barnabas.

Apparently, he was a young believer. His first missionary journey was with Paul and Barnabas to Perga, a port town in Pamphylia which was located in the Northern Mediterranean Sea, North of Cyprus. Scripture (Acts) tells us that Mark left Paul and Barnabas and returned to Jerusalem. It does not say why Mark left. Evidently, the pressures of missionary life were too much for young Mark.

Later, when Paul and Barnabas were preparing to go on another missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark, but Paul didn't. Paul felt that since Mark left them in Perga, he wasn't dependable and just didn't have what it took to be a missionary with Paul and Barnabas. But Barnabas wanted Mark to go with them. So, Paul and Barnabas split up. Paul took Silas and Barnabas took Mark.

Now scripture doesn't tell us much about what happened with Barnabas and Mark. Did Barnabas take Mark “under his wing” and really begin to disciple him? Barnabas is known in the bible as a person who had the gift of encouragement. We can speculate about what happened, but God's word doesn't say much.

What we do know is that years later, Paul asked for Mark by name and said that he (Mark) was helpful to him (II Timothy 4:11).

Later, in the book of Philemon, Paul includes Mark as one of his fellow co-workers! What a change! What a compliment from Paul!

Also of note....History tells us that this same Mark (with Paul) wrote the Gospel of Mark!

So, before you are ready to “kick that person to the curb”, you might want to seek God on it first. You can't see what God is doing in the person's heart...only our Lord sees the heart.

John Mark.....A testament to the changing power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

In Christ our Lord,

Don