01 — Foundations
The historical and ecclesial ground on which the figure of St. Mark the Evangelist stands: John Mark of Jerusalem, the young man of the house where the Church first prayed (Acts 12:12), the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), and the companion who moved in turn with Paul, with Barnabas, and with Peter. These files establish who John Mark was in the New Testament, how securely he can be identified with the evangelist and the founder of Alexandria, and the texture of the apostolic circles in which he is found.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox (Apostle and Evangelist)
Mark belongs to the first apostolic generation not as one of the Twelve but as a member of the founding Jerusalem community and a close associate of its leaders. He is reckoned among the Seventy whom the Lord sent out (Luke 10:1), commemorated in that company on January 4, and as an Evangelist on April 25. This section sets out the New Testament evidence — his mother Mary’s house in Jerusalem, his journeys with Paul and Barnabas, the sharp parting over him at Acts 15:37–39, and his rehabilitation in the later epistles — and his decisive bond with Peter, who calls him “Mark, my son” (1 Peter 5:13). It establishes what can be said of the man behind the Gospel and the see, and how the tradition came to gather the several New Testament “Marks” into one apostle.
Files in This Section
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| John Mark of Jerusalem | John whose surname was Mark (Acts 12:12, 12:25); his mother Mary’s house in Jerusalem as a gathering-place of the early Church; his Jewish-Christian origin; his place among the Seventy; and the patristic identification of John Mark with the evangelist and bishop of Alexandria. |
| Companion of the Apostles | Mark in the apostolic mission: the cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10); the assistant on the first journey who turned back at Perga (Acts 13:5, 13); the cause of the parting of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:37–39); his rehabilitation (Philem. 24; Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11); and his bond with Peter (1 Pet. 5:13). |
See Also
- The Gospel of Mark — the writing that makes John Mark the evangelist
- Peter and the Gospel — the apostle whose “son” and interpreter Mark was
- Authorship and Dating — the critical assessment of the identification of John Mark with the evangelist
- Holy Scripture — the New Testament canon within which Mark’s Gospel stands
References
- The Holy Bible (Acts 12:12, 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:37–39; Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11; 1 Peter 5:13). Revised Standard Version and King James Version consulted.
- Eusebius of Caesarea. The Ecclesiastical History. Trans. Arthur C. McGiffert, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series II, Vol. 1. 1890.
- Jerome. On Illustrious Men 8. Trans. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series II, Vol. 3.
- France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark (NIGTC). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.