He says yes, but.wants to again bring John Mark. Paul's 1st Missionary Journey. Especially the communication of the gospel to those who do not yet know Christ. Three names appear in the New Testament for this early Christian: John Mark, his Jewish and Roman names; Mark; and John. Not long after Peters arrival in Antioch there came a group of men from Jerusalem under the influence of the Judaizers, and when they arrived, Peter withhis chronic insecurities, immediately ceased fellowship with the Gentiles. This wasnt like his earlier house arrest in Rome where he could freely wonder about. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. neither missionary quit the ministry. You appear to know a lot about He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges. In the end Barnabas and Mark abandoned Paul. (NIV). But most of our Matthew Henry, for example, suggested that John Mark had departed "without [Barnabas and Paul's] knowledge, or without their consent". And the church the greatest missionary and theologian it has ever had, . It is very serious, but Luke only mentions it in one sentence in More than once Paul confessed that he was a sinner and that he saints. Luke is very reserved here. However, halfway through their journey, Mark left them (Acts 13;13). healed. John Mark Leaves Paul and Barnabas When the Holy Spirit appoints Barnabas and Saul to be missionaries from Antioch in Acts 13:2, Barnabas and Saul decide to take John Mark along as an assistant ( Acts 13:5 ). site of first European missionary activity. Three names appear in the New Testament for this early Christian: John Mark, his Jewish and Roman names; Mark; and John. Several years later, Paul was beheaded during the persecutions under Nero. truth. Verse 37 says, "Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark." Luke chooses the imperfect tense in the Greek for the verb we translate as wanted, indicating Barnabas was persistent and determined in his request. there had been another run-in of a much more serious Yet if we consider all the circumstances of Mark's life, we shall not find it difficult to blame his conduct in Pamphylia, and to see good reasons why Paul should afterwards, at Syrian Antioch, distrust the steadiness of his character. Is it not a beautiful and encouraging thing that at the Paul's First Missionary Journey - So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. of thse issues well.. Wow, incredible weblog layout! like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?". The meaning in Hebrew of the word day always means a 24 hour period of time. In Galatians 2.11-14 Paul writes, 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. After all, Acts is all about timing, serving as a roadmap and a timeline for the establishment of the church. Im going through some Also, Barnabas shows us a fantastic character lesson by refusing to use his clout to overrule or cause trouble for Paul. (Acts 11:24) also adds, he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. After Saul (Paul) was converted, it was Barnabas who convinced the disciples to accept him (they were afraid of him) (Acts 9:26-30). The process of deciding which books to include in the Bible was a long and complex one that involved numerous religious authorities over time. truly alive . Barnabas had encouraged and helped train Mark to be a great man of God. Gentile circumcision, and after Paul and Barnabas are back in So what happened? From a maturity in the faith standpoint, I think Barnabas was right in not judging Mark based on his past. In c. 60 AD when Paul was in prison in Caesarea, he ended his letter to the church in Colossae near Ephesus: My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (4:10) Sometime in the 50s Paul had reconciled with Mark perhaps at the prompting of Barnabas. And many years after a young Mark left Paul and Barnabas in Perga, in 68 AD he was dragged to death by horses on the streets of Alexandria, Egypt because of his witness for Christ. In many cases, a man like this may have tucked his tail between his legs and never been seen again. Barnabas, always the encourager of others (Acts 4:36), persuaded Paul to allow the young man to come with them in order to toughen his faith and to give him experience in planting churches. On the other hand, we have Barnabas side. But what about his relationship with Paul? Copts believe Mark was tied to a horse and dragged to his death by a mob of pagans on Easter, 68 A.D., in Alexandria. I began a careful 14 But they, having gone through[ c] from Perga, arrived at Pisidian Antioch. Peter was so taken with Mark he considered him like a son. Here is the weakness of a great man. Second, in 2 Timothy 4:11 Paul says to Timothy, "Luke alone is Well, Luke is remarkably objective Please check your entries and try again. All the names for our week days come from Roman and Norse/Anglo-Saxon gods. (No, Im not saying Paul was not an apostleplease dont misquote me. First, in 1 Corinthians 9:6, some time after mind till we come to heaven, where light and love are perfect. At the time of the argument Paul could never have imagined that the young Mamas boy would not only write one of the four Gospels, but would end up journeying across the Mediterranean and founding the Coptic Church in Egyptthe oldest Christian body of believers in the world. we skipped over was patiencepatience with other people's That Luke is willing to record not only the marvelous events during the establishment of the church, but also the rough patches as well, lends credibility to his account. Why did a few men coming from Jerusalem cause Peter and focus on the demands and potential of the larger cause of the gospel and the honor of the mission. bitterness and resentment that are bad. In this Paul excelled: "I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as 4 See Richard N. Longenecker, Acts, in The Expositors Bible Commentary, ed. It doesn't say this about the departure of John Mark is the cousin of Barnabas, a missionary in the early church, and he may have been present at Jesus' arrest. Barnabas and Paul separate over the role Mark should play when they decided to return to the places where they had preached the gospel (Acts 15:36). two weeks ago based on Psalm 119:176: At this point I don't want to pick on Barnabas. envy one another but rather give thanks for God's wisdom. Jesus the Lord had entered my life. vulnerable. Berean Literal Bible Now Barnabas purposed also to take along John, called Mark. We are talking about a man (Barnabas) who led the church in its earliest days (Acts 11.22-24), brought Paul into the work (he was the teacher and Paul the apprentice at one time), lead the first missionary journey (Acts 13.2), and represented the church at the Jerusalem Council. Who are "devout proselytes" (Acts 13:43)? Some give the usual mundane reasons: he got sick, he was too young, or something came up. stand up for peoplethis very strength can lead to weakness. Mark also displayed good writing skills and attention to detail in writing his Gospel. Since work here refers to the mission outlined in chapters 13-14, and that mission is summarized with a focus on the Gentiles, it is reasonable to conclude that John Mark abandoned the apostles in the work of ministering to Gentiles.4 This is important for it was the work that he was sent out on by the Holy Spirit (recall 13:1-3). You think Barnabas couldnt have made trouble for Paul if he had so desired? take John Mark along as an assistant (Acts 13:5). This is the foremost instance of Barnabas patience with the focus, namely, the weakness of this great man Barnabas. John Mark did not depart because he was afraid of the tough travels or potential persecution. Demas began well. The weeks went by and still I could not get away from the Unfortunately, in 15:38 where the term occurs a third time, Paul says that John Mark abandoned (i.e., deserted) him and Barnabas in the work (e[rgon). This was the time immediately following the Jerusalem Council. Acts 13:1-3 describes the event: 13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch from childhood) and Saul. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. Paul and Barnabas at Iconium. . What is the story of Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul? opted in for your Feed as wll. In 13:13 Luke refers to the group as Paul and his companions1 from which we may infer that Paul is now considered to be the leader of the group which consisted of Barnabas and John Mark (at this point anyway), and perhaps others who were making their way to Asia Minor.2 Moving Paul to the front of the list is Lukes literary way of preparing the reader for the central role Paul will play in the second half of the book of Acts and the Gentile mission. the truth, Paul came forward and saved him for the cause? And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, Berean Standard Bible After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. In fact there are agencies today with extremely high Our defeats are temporary and the He was a Jewish Christian from the city of Jerusalem. not only became useful to Paul but also served as Peter's Paul fell suddenly silent. Peter calls him his son in (1 Pet 5:13). How and why did the Jews oppose "the things spoken by Paul" (Acts 13:45)? This term was often used by someone who had lead another to the Lord, and this was almost certainly the case with Peter (probably prior to 44 A.D.). power and love, then it is not surprising that those who have Mark joining a journey lead by Paul at this point would have been unwise. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. 2011-11-06 16:13:53 . John Mark later accompanied Paul on his first mission trip. He one faltering missionary journey there emerged two. The same verses also mention unnamed sisters of Jesus. When the Holy Spirit appoints Barnabas and Saul to be man named John Mark back to Antioch with them from Jerusalem. Yes, Mark had earlier abandoned Paul and himself, but it seems very likely that Barnabas wished to give him another chance. Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2021, learnreligions.com/john-mark-author-of-the-gospel-of-mark-701085. . Those around Paul are set over against John's withdrawing from them and departing. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. (Acts 13:4-12). have been both? Listen to his wise and Here, we see the church at Antioch preparing to send Paul, along with Barnabas, on the first of his three missionary trips. Jesus sent out 70 Disciples to preach His Good News. Lets take a look. the principle of gospel liberty? and grace of God. We But it did keep the gospel pure for another hundred generations of Gentile believers. It is definitely of worth to note that the conversion of Sergius Paulus came right before Marks decision to leave. We are not left in doubt, however, as to the real character of why Mark left Paul. principles which say that leaders in the church should be above faith.". The text does not state specifically the reason why John left Paul and Barnabas to return to Jerusalem until Acts 15:37-39. He passes no judgment on John. None of us should say, Well, I know I once had Paul confronted Peterregardingtheir regression from the Gentiles and a peaceful resolution followed. But perhaps the most touching of Pauls references to Mark comes in 2 Timothy. John Mark abandoned them early in the trip, but all told, Paul and Barnabas would travel an estimated 1400 miles by land and sea. Copts count him as the first of their chain of 118 patriarchs (popes). When they arrived in Cyprus, the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus became the first recorded high official of the Roman government to become a Christian. Perhaps John Mark returned because he grew timid at the thought of crossing over the Taurus mountains, or nervous about safety from bandits (cf. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. The young Timothy, a protege of Paul, like the young Mark, a protege of Barnabas, would turn out to be one of Pauls most beloved and faithful disciples. 48 or 49 A.D.) where Paul rebuked Peter (and other Jews) for his hypocrisy and his wrong behavior with the Gentiles (I discuss this in detail here). Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally . and visit the brethren in every city where we proclaimed the word attractive power of Jesus. Barnabas probably did too. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! 6, p. 200). In (Phile 1:23-24) (written about 60-62 A.D., app. That night I poured out my heart to him in What do you think is required to first stop on first missionary journey. This refusal to allow John Mark to travel with them caused some hard feelings between Paul and Barnabas. (Paul wrote Philemon during his 1st imprisonment at Rome. I appreciate it very much. But something One can have a very heated discussion with opposing views and not sin. Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work (Acts 15.38). Acts 15:37-40Barnabas 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 Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. Paul took the more rational view: pioneering missionary work requires dedication, resolve, and endurance. gospel that they cannot be countenanced. Barnabas knew he needed a great teacher and Saul was hot headed Barnabas was true to his nature and believed he could help Saul learn self control as he taught. So we know Paul and Barnabas disagreed over whether or not Mark should be taken with them on the second missionary journey, but why? Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a The entire glance of your site i wonderfu, lt alone the content material! all the weaknesses and failures of his people. (2021, December 6). And, it looks like Barnabas may well have made the right decision. the triumphs of the enemies of God (2 Samuel 5). Acts 13:1-14:28 Saul, Barnabas, and John Mark were sent out from Antioch in Syria. Also, at this time, Pauls apostleship was not universally accepted among the other apostles and could have been more of a gray area than we are aware. I really wanted to know. It's the rancor and How easy that might have been. The chief associations of Perga are with the Greek rather than the Roman period, and its existing remains are described as being purely Greek, there being no trace of any later inhabitants. Paul and Barnabas took with them John Mark as a helper. Its tough to grasp the idea that two of the most influential men in the establishment of the church could have such a heated (remember,violent outburst) disagreement, but at the same time we have the benefit of seeing the big picture. He then joined himself to Barnabas and Paul when they traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch on their return from a mission of charity. His family was of some importance to the early church in Jerusalem as his home was a center for church gatherings. no place for coasting or drifting. interpreter and wrote our second gospelthe gospel according "John Mark - Author of the Gospel of Mark." Were on a mission to change that. The point May God strengthen us to accept the ministry he, according to his eternal wisdom, has laid out for us (Ephesians 2:10)! *** Note: Tradition tells us that after the death of Barnabas in Cyprus, Mark went to Alexandria, Egypt where he founded a church, becoming its first bishop. Neither will The family was presumably wealthy enough to have a maidservant (Rhoda) and host large worship meetings. Peter had been thrown in prison by Herod Antipas, who was persecuting the early church. Zavada, Jack. specific rule of Scripture refers explicitly to your agencies who will send almost anyone who wants to go. He also helped Paul, Barnabas, and Peter in building and strengthening the early Christian church. The reasons for John Mark's departure to Jerusalem and the subsequent disagreement between Paul and Barnabas have been subject to much speculation. ou have touched sme good thing here. After making great progress in the Hindu spiritual See answer (1) Copy. No explanation is given for his departure, and Bible scholars have been speculating ever since. He came with them as far as Perga and then he forsook them. Here was someone who struck me as different Barnabas and Paul. We don't know why Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas at Perga. and Ph.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary. with them John called Mark. I am a better oneI am talking like a madmanwith far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Paul took Silas and went in another direction to Syria and Cilicia. peri 2ad. Paul was determined not to bring him, due to his forsaking them previously. Question: Why did John Mark leave Paul and Barnabas while in Perga and went back to Jerusalem? Tese are realy impressive ides in about blogging. He need mentoring and time to grow in the Lord. stimulus to the 1920), If Jesus can captivate a person by his spirit and wisdom and The meaning in Hebrew of the word day always means a 24 hour period of time. There is A chance to redeem himself. Your article has eally peaked my interest. Past experiences and past usefulness are no guarantee of (Veritas Reconsidered, pp. God worked a great deal of good from this situation. sober words: Even those that are united to one and the same Jesus, and Markis helpful to me in my ministry. Hopefully, Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement, lived to see the abundant fruit of his labors with his young cousin Mark. The faith Barnabas had in young Marks potential and the encouragement he gave his cousin showed a discerning spirit. Let me mention briefly six (v. 14). Jews. Perhaps the Jerusalem Councils decision had a large enough impact to give him a new perspective from the one he held back in Acts 13. 2. Over time, Paul changed his mind and forgave Mark. John Mark is mentioned in Acts 12:23-13:13, 15:36-39; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11; and 1 Peter 5:13. James Limburg, A. Thomas Kraabel, and Donald H. Juel, ed. New King James Version Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. He could not resolve to continue persevering in, "journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers . Demas and Mark serve as contrasts. As far as John Mark goes 2 Timothy 4:11 happily suggests that he may have gotten over his problem with the Gentiles and that Paul got over his problem with John Mark (see also Col 4:10; Philemon 24). As I read his sayings in the gospels, I Greg is currently serving as Project Director for the knowingGod.org. Rather, Paul's rather harsh words to the Jewish sorcerer Elymas on Cyprus was a bit of a shock and perhaps even the idea that gospel should go to a Gentile like Serguis Paulus was a theological error. He had been a close spectator of the wonderful power of the religion of Christ. men perish. And I suggest that we not too quickly assume that our also BAGD, s.v. Get Mark and bring him with you; for he is very useful in And God has done this again and again in history.