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'''Mark''', also known as John Mark,<ref>Acts 12:12</ref> was the author of the second Gospel, the [[Gospel of Mark]].  Though placed second in the [[New Testament]] due to its incompleteness,<ref>The original Gospel of Mark lacks any account of Jesus's background or the [[Resurrection]], neither of which the non-Apostle Mark would have known anything about.</ref> the Gospel of Mark was probably the first Gospel written, perhaps without initial authorization by the [[Apostles]].  Written in [[Greek]] for a [[Christian]] audience, Mark’s Gospel is a mixture of theology and history.  It is written in a simple, forceful style.  As a young boy, Mark was almost certainly an eyewitness to the arrest of [[Jesus]], as described in Mark 14:51-52.

'''Mark''', also known as John Mark,<ref>Acts 12:12</ref> was the author of the second Gospel, the [[Gospel of Mark]].  Though placed second in the [[New Testament]] due to its incompleteness,<ref>The original Gospel of Mark lacks any account of Jesus's background or the [[Resurrection]], neither of which the non-Apostle Mark would have known anything about.</ref> the Gospel of Mark was probably the first Gospel written, perhaps without initial authorization by the [[Apostles]].  Written in [[Greek]] for a [[Christian]] audience, Mark’s Gospel is a mixture of theology and history.  It is written in a simple, forceful style.  As a young boy, Mark was almost certainly an eyewitness to the arrest of [[Jesus]], as described in Mark 14:51-52.

Mark was likely too young to be an Apostle of Jesus, and probably simply accompanied his mother when she followed Jesus.  See the [[Gospel of Mark]] for a discussion of how young Mark was.

Mark was likely too young to be an Apostle of Jesus, and probably simply accompanied his mother when she followed Jesus.  See the [[Gospel of Mark]] for a discussion of how young Mark was. Mark's description of [[Jesus]] walking on water is from the perspective of watching it from the shore, where someone too young to be with the [[Apostle]]s in the boat would have been.<ref>Mark 6:45-49.</ref>  Mark's description thereby contrasts with that by the Apostles Matthew and John.<ref>https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/30437/why-is-it-only-matthew-who-records-peter-walking-on-water-in-matthew-1426-31</ref>

Mark himself accompanied [[Paul]] and [[Barnabas]], his cousin, on their missionary journey.<ref>Acts 12:25</ref>  Mark’s unexplained departure from that trip at Perga caused a later split between Paul and Barnabas, when Paul refused to take Mark on the second mission.  Barnabas, in loyalty to his cousin Mark, broke off his relationship with Paul and traveled with Mark instead to [[Cyprus]].<ref>Acts 15:36-39</ref>  Later Paul realized he was wrong about Mark and requested him to come visit.  Mark and Paul were reunited and went on an additional trip together.

Mark himself accompanied [[Paul]] and [[Barnabas]], his cousin, on their missionary journey.<ref>Acts 12:25</ref>  Mark’s unexplained departure from that trip at Perga caused a later split between Paul and Barnabas, when Paul refused to take Mark on the second mission.  Barnabas, in loyalty to his cousin Mark, broke off his relationship with Paul and traveled with Mark instead to [[Cyprus]].<ref>Acts 15:36-39</ref>  Later Paul realized he was wrong about Mark and requested him to come visit.  Mark and Paul were reunited and went on an additional trip together.