Mark
Overview
Mark (Korean: 마가, English: Mark) is an early Christian figure traditionally known as the author of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament. He worked as a companion of Peter, the disciple of Jesus Christ, and as a missionary colleague of the Apostle Paul. According to church tradition, Mark founded the Church of Alexandria and was martyred.
Main content
Background and life
Mark is a figure who appears several times in the New Testament. In the Acts of the Apostles, the house of his mother Mary is mentioned as the meeting place of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:12). This shows that Mark's family played an important role in the early Christian community. Some traditions say he was of Levite descent, but the biblical text makes no direct mention of his origin. His double name—John (a Hebrew name) and Mark/Marcus (a Latin name)—suggests that he lived between Greek and Jewish cultures.
Mark is mentioned as a relative of Barnabas (Col 4:10), and there is a record that he accompanied Barnabas and Paul on Paul's first missionary journey but left them in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13). Because of this deviation, Paul did not take Mark with him, and eventually Barnabas and Mark worked as a separate team (Acts 15:36-40). Later, Paul speaks positively of Mark and mentions him as his fellow worker (Col 4:10, 2 Tim 4:11, Phlm 1:24).
Role as author of the Gospel of Mark
Early church tradition testifies that Mark was Peter's interpreter in Rome and recorded Peter's preaching. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement, Tertullian, and others referred to Mark as the author of the Gospel of Mark. In particular, Papias's account says that Mark was concerned with accurately recording the words and deeds of Jesus as Peter remembered them.
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and most concise early document among the Synoptic Gospels, depicting throughout with urgency the march of Jesus toward his suffering and death. The Gospel of Mark devotes considerable space to the passion narrative and contains the announcement that Jesus' identity as the Messiah remains hidden even from the disciples for quite some time. In modern New Testament scholarship, the hypothesis that the Gospel of Mark was used as a major source for Matthew and Luke (Markan priority) is widely accepted. This shows that the authorship of the Gospel of Mark occupied an important place within early Christianity as well.
Missionary activity of Mark
Mark worked with Barnabas in Cyprus (Acts 15:39), and later joined Peter (1 Pet 5:13). According to tradition, he went to Alexandria in Egypt, established the church, and served as its first bishop. The lion symbol of Alexandria represents Mark, and he is depicted as the lion among the four living creatures, the symbols of the evangelists.
The Gospel that Mark wrote is characterized as having been written with Gentile readers in mind. He translates Aramaic expressions, explains Jewish customs, and uses Roman time reckoning, taking into account the geographical and cultural background of his readers. For this reason, the tradition that the Gospel of Mark was written in Rome gains plausibility.
Church tradition and martyrdom account
Church tradition says that Mark, during Easter festivities in Alexandria, angered pagans and was seized and martyred. He is described as having been tied to an animal yoke and dragged over stones until he was killed. Afterwards, the Church of Alexandria commemorated his martyrdom, and some traditions record that his first episcopate was stably succeeded.
Traditions regarding Mark's remains are varied. Some say his remains were moved to Venice, where he was honored as the patron saint of the early Venetian state. In fact, St Mark's Basilica in Venice is named after him and is famous as the place where the relics of St Mark are kept. These traditions contributed to the spread of Mark's veneration throughout Europe through pilgrimage and political exchange after the Middle Ages.
Latest trends
In the field of prosopography and textual studies in 2024-2025, with the development of digital humanities, research comparing and analyzing the manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark and their manuscript families has increased significantly. In recent years, as new approaches to the Synoptic problem have continued in biblical scholarship, scholars have emerged who critically reinterpret the traditional association between Mark and Peter.
Some scholars emphasize an attempt to understand the Gospel of Mark not simply as a record of Peter's interpreter but as an independent document with a theological purpose. In addition, archaeological studies connecting the formation of early Christianity in Alexandria with the reality of Mark have been published, raising new questions about the writing of church history. However, there has been no decisive change regarding Mark himself between 2024 and 2025.
Related topics
- [[Gospel of Mark]]
- [[Peter]]
- [[Paul]]
- [[Barnabas]]