Paul, Barnabas and John Mark
Quitter’s Turnaround Produces Centuries of Non-Quitters
Jim Croft
Rejection, misunderstanding, and hurtful experiences can be turned around by commitment to forgiveness and to God’s purposes. There is a beautiful story of this truth hidden in the pages of the New Testament and in Church History. It’s pertains to John Mark who authored the Gospel of Mark and to the Coptic Orthodox Church that evolved from the church that he founded in Alexandria, Egypt.
John Mark was the son of a notable family of the Jerusalem church. He was the young cousin of Barnabas who was a friend and supporter of Paul’s for the first 12 years after his conversion from persecutor of Christians to a champion of the faith. Mark and the 2 men traveled from Jerusalem 300 miles north to Antioch, Syria. Mark’s role with the team’s first missionary journey might be described as a servant deacon. (Acts 12:12, 25, 13:1-13)
The first stop was Paphos, Cyprus and from there the threesome sailed to Perga which was a port city on the mid-southern coast of Turkey. It was there that John Mark angered Paul and disappointed his cousin Barnabas by abruptly choosing to quit the journey and return to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas continued to evangelize new regions by preaching and performing miraculous wonders in the midst of persecution riots, beatings and stoning. About 2 years later they made their way back to Jerusalem after staying for a while with the Antioch fellowship that had sent them forth.
We do not know why Mark abandoned the journey. For sure he felt awkward as the two churchmen reported all that God had done through them after his departure. It would not be unreasonable to suspect that the young man wanted to avoid direct eye contact with Paul. In spite of his previous blunder, Barnabas insisted that Mark accompany the team on their second missionary journey.
Paul was adamant that the quitter who left the work in Perga would not be permitted the honor of serving in another outreach with him. The contention was so strong that Paul and Barnabas parted company after years of effective ministry and loving friendship. Paul chose Silas and set out to go deeper into Syria. Barnabas and Mark headed for Cyprus. (Acts 15:36-41)
All rejection is painful, but spiritual rejection has to be among the hardest to rationalize. This is because there are inherent expectations that Christians are obligated to exercise a brand of forgiveness that lets bygones be bygones without proof of change. We do not know whether or not Mark was present during Paul and Barnabas’ heated discussion. For sure, he became painfully aware that the apostolic powerhouse Paul did not think that he possessed the saltiness expected of believers who would stay the course no matter what. Unquestionably, Satan haunted the young man with guilt for the responsibility of breaking up the dynamic Paul and Barnabas duo.
At this juncture, John Mark had to make choices: Would he grovel in sniveling hurt and return to mommy in Jerusalem? Or, would he man-up, forgive Paul’s attitude as justifiable, and determine to trust God to rectify his reputation? He chose the latter and God endeared him not only as a favorite of Paul’s, but also of the apostle of great stature, Peter.
Here are phrases that the apostles later used in relation to previously rejected John Mark. Paul said: If Mark comes to you, welcome him as I instructed (Col. 4:10); Mark is useful in ministry for me, bring him with you (2 Tim. 4:11); and Mark, my fellow apostle (Philemon 1:24).
Peter referred to Mark as his son in the faith (1 Pet 5:13). John Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark. There are credible manuscript researchers who believe that Peter entrusted the writing of his remembrance of his years with Jesus to John Mark.
All of this represents quite a promotion from the rejection that he experienced early on in his ministry. In addition, Mark’s determination to prove himself a non-quitter lives on in his spiritual descendants to this very day. Mark established the first church in Alexandria, Egypt comprised of original Egyptians 600 years prior to the Arab Islamic Jihad invasion. That church has evolved into what is known as the Coptic (Egyptian) Eastern Orthodox Church. It has branches all over the world with heavy concentration in the Middle East stretching from Kuwait westward past Libya.
Coptic church in Aswan, Egypt
The Coptic Church has a style of liturgical service and clergy apparel similar to that of the Russian and Greek Orthodox. At this point some readers might be tempted to yawn thinking that the chants, smoke, smells, and bells of traditional orthodox Christianity has little value in effective evangelism. There you would be badly mistaken.
The free independent Charismatic fellowships and Evangelical churches of the West are not necessarily more effective in outreach without overt persecution than the Copts have been in the face of 14 Centuries of bloody Islamic persecution. I am speaking of the rape of daughters; burned churches and businesses; imprisonment, beatings, and martyrdom of Egyptian Christians for their faith.
Mark’s spiritual posterity, the Copts are not quitters and have a proven evangelistic methodology. In spite of the persecution, the Copts produce more doctors, engineers and business professionals per capita than the Muslim community. Interestingly, the Copts have earned the reputation of being far more honest than Muslims in their dealings with employers and their customers. For this reason Arabic speaking Copts are choice employees with many business firms throughout the Middle East.
Young Copts who want to spread the Gospel volunteer to move to other Muslim lands. They do not press for one on one evangelistic encounters to make instant converts. The objective is to let the differences between the quality of their home lives and vocational accomplishments and that of Muslims speak to encourage those who observe them to initiate inquiries. This lowers chances of torture for attempts at proselytizing Muslims.
Simultaneous to this, the Coptic services are broadcast on radio and are televised from stations in free countries. At certain times the liturgies for divine healing and deliverance are emphasized by priests over the airwaves. Whatever the case, many Muslims listen and watch what we think are dead and dry traditional liturgies and thousands become secret believers yearly.
Contrary to what we might think, the worldview of everyone does not match that of Westerns. We tend to imagine that if a method is not innovative that it cannot possibly be of God. Middle Easterners are different in that they prefer traditions that have proven stability that has withstood the tests of time. In this regard many Muslims have secret admiration for the spiritual descendants of John Mark who have stayed the course and have not quit in the face of generations of severe challenges to their faith.
When I meditate on John Mark and the Copts, it makes me want to gird up my faith to have greater stick-to-it-tiv-ness. What say you?
Jim Croft
jimcroft777@gmail.com
