St Mark (1st century) evangelist
Identification with John Mark
Traditionally, Mark
is identified with the young man described in Mk 14:51 who followed
Jesus when he was arrested: "He had nothing on but a linen cloth; they
caught hold of him, but he left the cloth in their hands and ran away
naked".
He is also mentioned in Acts 12:12 when Peter escaped from
prison: "He went straight to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark
in Jerusalem, where a number of people had assembled and were praying".
In Acts 12:25 John Mark accompanies Paul and Barnabas from Jerusalem to
Antioch and goes on with them to Cyprus (13:5), but for some reason he
went back from there to Jerusalem (13:13).
Violent quarrel with Paul
Paul did not appreciate
this and refused to take John Mark with him on his second missionary
journey (Acts 15:38).
After a violent quarrel Barnabas went with John
Mark to Cyprus (Acts 15:39) while Paul took Silas as his companion to
Asia Minor (Acts 15:40).
Later Paul and John Mark were reconciled (Col
4:10 and 1 Tim 4:11).
Disciple of Peter
However, another tradition
coming from a fragment of Papias of Hierapolis (2nd century AD) and
quoted by the historian Eusebius (263–339) in his Church History
III.39 sees Mark as a disciple of Peter who based his gospel - or at
least the first draft of it - on what he learned from Peter:
"Mark having become the interpreter of
Peter, wrote down accurately whatever he remembered. It was not,
however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ.
For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterwards, as I
said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his instructions to the
necessities [of his hearers], but with no intention of giving a regular
narrative of the Lord's sayings. So Mark made no mistake in writing some
things in this way as he remembered them. For of one thing he took
especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put
anything fictitious into the statements. Matthew put together the
oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted
them as best he could."
Peter refers to Mark affectionally as his "son" (1 Pet 5:13). Both
Saints Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria mention that association.
Death at Alexandria
According to Eusebius and the
prologue to the ancient Latin version of St Mark's Gospel, Mark died at
Alexandria.
Early in the 9th century his body was brought to Venice,
where he is patron saint of the city and cathedral even to this day.
The
basilica there contains his relics and a series of mosaics on Mark's
life, death and the bringing of his remains to Venice.