As twentieth century Christians with a first-century New Testament, it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the human element in the men and women who labored for the early church. The passage of the years adds the halo of sainthood to the apostles, and we tend to forget that they made mistakes, committed sin, or struggled with temptation as do their modern counterparts. To objectively consider Paul, Barnabas, and Mark is not to depreciate them, but for our own encouragement and enlightenment, to emphasize anew their humanity.
The New Testament in several places mentions the pastors, the teachers, the evangelists, the deacons, the elders, and the apostles. Moreover, there are several passages alluding to the "trials and tribulations" of ministerial interns. A ministerial internship is often considered as consisting of those precarious and terrifying years between the shelter of college and the security of ordination. Every minister in our denomination must experience this period as an embryonic preacher. Acts 15:36-40 is a good illustration of the point. "And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: . . . and Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God."
In the first of these verses we see the evangelistic team planning a series of revival meetings in the churches raised through an earlier campaign. Paul was a dominant figure in the early church, being the most renowned missionary-evangelist.
Barnabas was a famous man too and was greatly respected. People admired his noble bearing. More than that, he was a special field secretary of the General Conference in Jerusalem (Acts 14:12; 11:22).
The committee meeting where this new evangelistic trip was discussed was held in Antioch in Syria. The brethren must have gathered in the home of one of the believers. Dr. Luke recorded the minutes.
The proceedings got off to a stormy start because the first item on the agenda was the reorganization of the evangelistic team. Of whom would it consist? Several good men were available. There was Silas; and Judas Barsabas. They carried excellent credentials, being eloquent speakers, certified prophets, and highly recommended by the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:27, 32). Also available was a young, second-year intern named John Mark. The conversation may have gone something like this:
Brother Barnabas is campaigning for Mark. "Paul, let's take the young man with us. He needs a bit more seasoning in the work."
Now this is a sore spot with Paul. "I'll say he needs more seasoning! Barnabas, have you forgotten so soon? Mark left us in the lurch over in Pamphylia on our last effort" (see The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 169, 170). And Mark begins to squirm uncomfortably in his chair.
Mark is the son of Barnabas' sister (see Col. 4:10; The Acts of the Apostles, p. 166).
The folks back home are probably pressuring Uncle Barnabas to keep the internship going. So Barnabas replies: "Mark is older and wiser now. He is sorry for the past. Let's give him another chance."
And Paul retorts: "You can't be serious, Barnabas! I refuse to be deserted again. Mark is not going, and that's final!"
Barnabas, "son of consolation," seems to have had the more charity, but perhaps Paul had a case too. Mark had deserted the evangelists at a crucial time. He had evidently become discouraged and gone home to mother in Jerusalem (Acts 13:13).
Barnabas must have been looking at John Mark's future. He was able to see beyond the foolish, careless antics of the young ministerial intern and see the apostle Mark who would take up the mantle of service after he and Paul had fallen. Perhaps already John Mark was showing the talents that would enable him to write the story of Jesus—the Gospel according to Mark.
Paul was considering John Mark's past. Desertion from that first missionary journey was not the only time Mark had run from danger and hardship. In fact, in his own Gospel, Mark tells of a youth who ran away when Jesus was arrested. "And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body, and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked" (Mark 14:51, 52).
The writer of the Gospel of Mark is normally generous with details. However, in this case he mysteriously deletes the name of the fleeing youth. Many scholars have suggested that this embarrassed young man was Mark himself and he includes the account in the record to satisfy his own conscience. Other Gospel writers are evidently ignorant of the episode.
Mark's mother lived in Jerusalem. Her house was close to the Garden of Gethsemane. Hearing that Jesus had left the upper room after the Last Supper, John Mark could easily have arisen from his bed to follow the Master. Perhaps he anticipated something climactic. It was not uncommon in that day for people to rise at night and go on errands wearing nothing more than the coverings from their beds.
Let us get back to the committee room. Barnabas is pleading the case of his nephew. He sees something worthwhile in John Mark, the intern with the questionable reputation. Paul sees only cowardice, something he had always loathed. Neither of the two strong-willed, opinionated apostles was willing to give an inch. Tempers were ruffled. Some hard words were said. When men are angry they often say things that hurt. Mark must have felt the crimson creeping into his face as this uncomplimentary report was turned into the committee.
The blades of a pair of scissors are hard and strong, yet when they come together they do no harm to each other. They compliment each other with a mutual sharpness. But pity the poor thing caught between them. Mark must have been wounded and embarrassed. Men, even good men, can sometimes hurt with their words.
By now the committee is talking frankly. Both Paul and Barnabas take the floor. Other members are taking sides. Finally Paul announces: "That wayward, irresponsible mamma's boy isn't going with me! You take him. Let me have Silas." Today he might have added: "Our colleges are not turning out good material anymore!" The reader of this episode may well doubt if they even waited for a benediction. The Scriptures simply say: "They parted asunder one from the other" (see The Acts of the Apostles, p. 202).
While the New Testament ministerial association followed the simple solution of separating clashing personalities, such action is not always expedient today. Occasionally fellow workers are of such divergent cast that they are unequally yoked together. In such instances the harness is mutually galling. Consider the situation of the frightened intern and the overbearing pastor; or the insecure pastor and the confident, promising intern. More distressing is the plight of a church that is trying to ascertain its direction between the contesting, conflicting ideas of two aggressive ministers, or that of a church languishing under the "leadership" (?) of a tired pastor and an equally weary intern.
As fellow laborers, it would be well for us to take the long view of one another; to look back and try to see these things that have made us each what we are today; to look ahead and capture a brighter future for one another than we are often willing to concede at first glimpse. Surely Mark needed to grow up. And Paul needed to grow out—to a future, more generous view of his intern. While the young man lacked maturity, the older worker needed to mellow. These two characteristics are vital to understanding human behavior.
Paul was a composite product of his times and experience. Hardship and soldiering for the gospel of Christ had molded him into one who could demand acceptable behavior and successful results from his colleagues without apology for seeming brusqueness. His resolute and forceful nature exemplified all that he expected of others.
Paul made several missionary journeys after that committee meeting back in Antioch. His ministry carried him through evangelistic campaigns in city after city, land after land. He firmly established the gospel in the hearts of thousands of converts.
By the time Paul was imprisoned in Rome, most of his associates had forsaken the tired old apostle. He is looking about for someone to take up his work. Finally he writes to Timothy requesting a visit before the execution. The lonely plea is found in 2 Timothy 4:9-11: "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: for Demas hath forsaken me, haying loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me."
After completing the list, Paul adds almost as an afterthought, something that probably had bothered him for a long time. "Oh, yes, Timothy: Get Mark, and bring him with you when you come. He is profitable to me for the ministry." In other words, I believe in him. He has revealed himself as a wonderful minister. Yes, bring him with you. The great apostle saw Mark through different eyes as he himself faced the sunset. (See The Acts of the Apostles, p. 455.)
How these words must have thrilled Timothy, for he must have regretted the disagreement of earlier years. Paul had been forthright; Mark had been weak. Paul had been stubborn; Mark had been a quitter. Now all that was forgotten. Paul longed to have John Mark with him in these last hours. I hope that Mark arrived in time. How the years together with the sacrifice and self-denial of the work mellow our nature and expand our vision! And is that not what every worker in God's cause needs?
