Around AD 44, the Apostle James was the first apostle (one of the original 12) to be martyred by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-2). James’s death manifested the growing opposition to Christianity and likely instilled some fear and anxiety within the burgeoning Church.
As the reader may recall, the Apostle Paul led the mission to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentile world. However, the people were enslaved to polytheism and idolatry. Therefore, there were two primary forces in opposition to the spread of Christianity in the First Century: (1) polytheism, and (2) the Jewish religious hierarchy. As we have previously discussed, for the most part, Rome was indifferent to Christianity until Nero’s official persecution of Christians after the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64. Nero sought to blame Christians for the Great Fire of Rome in order to divert attention from himself. The masses believed that agents of Nero started the fire to clear space for Nero’s building projects.[1]
Of course, Paul understood there were unseen forces of darkness opposed to his mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At Ephesians 6:12, Paul wrote,
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
In the execution of his mission to spread the Gospel to the world, the Apostle Paul endured a mindboggling amount of suffering. Most every one of us would shrink back from the type of suffering endured by the Apostle Paul. We should always acknowledge and respect Paul’s unique endurance and perseverance in his service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, we read about the immense sufferings of the Apostle Paul:
Are they servants of Christ? —I am speaking as if insane— I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
Very few Christians, if any, will measure up to Paul’s fortitude of service to our Lord. Most of us are more like John Mark, who was a combination of enthusiasm and anxiety. The English word “enthusiasm” is defined as “intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval”[2] Webster’s New World College Dictionary notes that the English word “enthusiasm” is derived from the Greek word enthousiasmos, which includes the idea of “supernatural inspiration.”[3]
John Mark was inspired by God to follow Jesus, but like many of us, he struggled with issues of anxiety in his service to the Lord. John Mark is an interesting contrast to the Apostle Paul. I concur with the general belief that John Mark was the author of the Gospel of Mark. He was a younger protégé of both the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter. At Mark 14:51-52, Mark made a very humble and veiled autobiographical projection regarding himself. An autobiographical projection can be used by a writer to subtly reveal things about their own personal struggles, personality and even victories. Scholars such as Ben Witherington and Richard Bauckham agree in their opinions that the author of the Gospel of Mark was making a veiled reference to himself.[4]
At Mark 14:50-52, we read that a young man was following behind Jesus and the disciples at the time of Jesus’s arrest. Mark writes: “And His disciples all left Him and fled. A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they [the authorities] seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.” Most likely, Mark humbly recorded a moment of personal anxiety and shame. Like the other disciples, he fled in fear, but this was not Mark’s only moment of fear and anxiety. Later, Mark appeared to rightly discern the very real danger of being a part of Paul’s missionary team. As a result, during Paul’s first missionary journey, Mark abandoned the team as they prepared to enter Perga in Pamphylia. Scripture states that John Mark “left them and returned to Jerusalem” (Acts 13:13). The Apostle Paul reacted strongly to John Mark’s lack of loyalty to the mission. Before their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to give Mark another opportunity to join the missionary team, but Paul refused to allow John Mark to join the team. Ultimately, this disagreement caused a fracture between Paul and Barnabas. Instead, Paul chose Silas to accompany him, and Barnabas traveled with Mark to Cyprus (Acts 15:36-81). Paul’s second missionary journey was initiated around AD 49.
Despite all of the foregoing, Scripture suggests that there was ultimately a reconciliation between Paul and Mark. Several years later, in his letters to the Colossians, and in 2 Timothy and Philemon, Paul referred to John Mark as a trusted companion and coworker (Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philemon 1:23-24).
People suffer anxiety due to an interaction of biological, psychological, and spiritual factors. Anxiety can be a normal response to perceived danger and uncertainty. First, Mark ran in fear at the time of Jesus’s arrest, and later, Mark correctly sensed the danger of being a part of Paul’s missionary team. Scripture shares with us these two occasions in which John Mark was overwhelmed with fear and he fled. But this was not the end of Mark’s Christian journey. Mark persevered in his spiritual journey. Most likely, John Mark had a sensitive nervous system that was prone to developing anxiety under stress. However, Mark persevered in His spiritual journey, and he grew strong in faith. Ultimately, Mark was also an important protégé of the Apostle Peter. Historically, it has been generally accepted that Mark wrote the first Gospel account in reliance upon Peter’s perspective and experience.[5] By his spiritual perseverance and God’s grace, Mark made a valuable contribution to God’s plan of salvation for humanity.
Like John Mark, God does not disqualify us from service when we struggle. In God’s grace and provision, we can persevere in our faith. This is a reasonable goal for all of us.
[1] Gentry, Jr., Kenneth L. The Beast of Revelation. American Vision, 2002, pp. 16-17.
[2] “Define enthusiasm” prompt. Google, 21 July 2025, www.google.com (citing, Oxford Languages).
[3] “Enthusiasm,” Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 3rd Ed., Editor-in-Chief, Victoria Neufeldt, Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1996, p. 453.
[4] “What did Ben Witherington and Richard Bauckham say about Mark 14:51-52” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-4, Open AI, 21 July 2025, chat.openai.com/chat.
[5] “Who wrote the Gospel of Mark” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-4, Open AI, 21 July 2025, chat.openai.com/chat.
