John Mark

Who Was John Mark?

The Bible says very little about John Mark. The consensus of conservative scholars is that He was the author of the Gospel of Mark, yet we know very little about him. He is mentioned six times in the book of Acts and four times in the epistles. Yet the mention of him is incidental-in a sense, accidental. One might even think that his actions were unimportant, perhaps even a failure. Yet he inspired loyalty in important men. The noble Barnabas, his cousin, defended him fiercely before Paul. Interestingly, Paul, in the closing verses of his last epistle, 2 Timothy, stated that Mark "is useful to me for ministry." Peter called him his son.

Why did Mark become so important to three of the key figures of the New Testament period? And why, taking into account all the people who were so involved in the life of Christ, did the Gospel he wrote become the basis of the New Testament? Mark, as far as we know, had no contact with Christ during His lifetime.

In John Mark - A Faithful Life of Service, Patrick seeks to answer some of these questions. In his characteristic style, he combines scriptures, commentary, and history with fictional narrative. You will see John Mark, and friends and family he interacted with, in a whole new light.