Mark

• ANCIENT SOURCES: see Mark (sources)
• SCHOLARLY AND FICTIONAL WORKS: see Category:Mark (subject)

Mark (1st century CE) was, according to Christian tradition, one of followers of the Jesus movement and an evangelist.

Mark in ancient sources

A follower of Jesus, named "John-Mark," is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Some letters of Paul and 1 Peter also contains references to a "Mark."

A companion of Paul and Barnabas

In the Acts of the Apostles, John-Mark is first mentioned as the son of a certain Mary, in whose house at Jerusalem the first Christians used to gather for prayer. It was there that Peter went after his miraculous release from prison: "he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying" (Acts 12:12).

John-Mark resurfaces shortly afterward as a companion of Barnabas and Paul: "And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark (Acts.12.25). John-Mark was with them at Salamis: "When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them" (Acts 13:5). However, when "Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, John left them and returned to Jerusalem" (Acts 13:13). Paul apparently was so disappointed that when later "Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark" for another mission (Acts 15:37), he objected "to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphilia and had not accompanied them in the work. The disagreement became so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus (15:38-39), while "Paul chose Silas... and went through Syria and Cilicia" (15:40-41).

"A fellow worker"

In the Letter to Philemon, "Mark" (with Epaphras, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke) is part of a list of "fellow workers" who sent greeting to Philemon (1:24). The same names are mentioned, among others, in the final greetings of the Letter of Colossians, where "Mark" is identified as "the cousin of Barnabas"; Paul invites the Colossians to "welcome him" if he comes (4:10). 2 Timothy has Paul praising "Mark" as "useful to my ministry" (4:11).

"My son Mark"

Finally, the author of 1 Peter associates "my son Mark" in the final greetings from "your sister church in Babylon [=Rome]" (5:13)

Mark the evangelist

The Christian tradition, assuming that all references were to the same person, identified this Mark with the author of the gospel, the Mark who according to the testimony of Papias served as Peter's interpreter in Rome and after his death recorded what he could remember of that apostle's preaching. "Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his instructions to the necessities [of his hearers], but with no intention of giving a regular narrative of the Lord's sayings. Wherefore Mark made no mistake in thus writing some things as he remembered them. For of one thing he took especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put anything fictitious into the statements" (Papias as quoted by Eusebius)

The founder of Alexandrian Christianity

There are also ancient traditions about Mark's preaching in Egypt, which made him the founder of Alexandrian Christianity, and about his martyrdom. Mark's reputed remains were brought from Alexandria to Venice [Italy] in the 9th century.

Mark the eyewitness

Only from the 6th century CE, there were attempts to relate Mark to Jesus himself as one of the seventy disciples of Jesus (Lk 10:1), the one who bore the jar of water (Mk 14:13), and the one in whose house the events of Pentecost occurred (Acts 2:1-14). That the unnamed "young man... wearing nothing that a linen cloth," who "ran off naked" when Jesus was arrested (Mk 14:51-52), was Mark himself, is a modern conjecture.

Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan

Mark in Scholarship

Studies on the historical Mark are limited by the lack of evidence, and are generally restricted to introductory notes on the authorship of the Gospel of Mark, or on the legends surrounding his life.

Mark in Fiction

The traditional iconography of Mark focused on his role as evangelist and on his preaching and martyrdom in Egypt. Contemporary fiction seems to be more interested in Mark's relation with Jesus and in presenting him as a eyewitness.

Related categories

• Gospel of Mark

• Jesus of Nazareth

External links

• Wikipedia