Mark, Evangelist

The four evangelists were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the Gospel account of Jesus Christ. The word “evangelist” comes from the Greek word “Gospel”. From the beginning of Mark’s Gospel account there is no doubt that the words he put to paper are about Jesus and His precious Gospel.

It must have been a rude awakening, then, when Paul, on one of his missionary trips, refused to have Mark along anymore [Acts 15:36-40]. What about the Gospel? What about the love of Christ? Why did Paul and Mark allow whatever tension was between them to get in the way of the spread of the Gospel?

Both Mark and Paul confess in their respective Gospel account and letters that Christ came into the world to save sinners. Paul and Mark were like every other human being that has ever lived—they were sinners. They let their egos get in the way of the work God had called them to do.

And yet God still used them. We forever benefit from the words the Holy Spirit inspired Mark [his Gospel account] and Paul [thirteen letters] to write. The mission work continued on despite the split up between them. And later on down the line there was reconciliation between the two men [2 Timothy 4:11]. Mark was privileged to be a recipient of the grace of the one he was inspired to write of. Because of that inspiration of the Holy Spirit we, too, know of Jesus and are recipients of His grace.