Background Information

The author never identifies himself in the text. Nowhere does he say something like: “I am Mark and this is my gospel” like Paul sometimes does in his letters. The classical opinion, which was accepted almost unanimously until recently, is that the author of the gospel is the John Mark mentioned several times in the New Testament. However, this has been challenged today by some scholars, who now generally claim that the gospels were originally anonymous texts.

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Who was John Mark? There are eight passages in the New Testament that mention him, calling him either John Mark, Mark, or John. This practice of referring to the same person with different names was not uncommon. Peter was also called Simon and Simon Peter. We learn from these passages that Mark was the son of a widow called Mary. We think she must have been wealthy because she not only owned a house, which was used by the first Christians for their meetings, but also had servants. We read about her in Acts chapter 12. Peter had been arrested and imprisoned by King Herod. However, an angel appeared and helped him escape. At first, Peter thought he was just dreaming, but, when he realized that this was truly happening:

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He went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and told that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, “You are mad.” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel!” But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell this to James and to the brethren.” Then he departed and went to another place. (Acts 12:12–17)

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Some believe that this place was the upper room where the Last Supper took place. Mark was also the cousin of Barnabas. Paul says so in his letter to the Colossians.

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Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, receive him). (Col 4:10)

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Barnabas was a Levite—the male descendants of the Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites—so it is likely that Mark was one as well. Paul and Barnabas brought Mark with them on their first missionary journey, as we read in the Book of Acts.

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And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was Mark... So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. (Acts 12:25; 13:4)

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However, he left them during the middle of their journey for some unknown reason.

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Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem; but they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisidia. (Acts 13:13–14)

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This must have upset Paul because he refused to take him on his second missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas argued and separated because of this. 

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And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Come, let us return and visit the brethren in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” And Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. (Acts 15:36–41)

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However, Paul must have eventually forgiven Mark for we find them together again. 

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Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you; for he is very useful in serving me. (2 Tm 4, 9-11)

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Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. (Phil 23–24)

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The last time Mark is mentioned in the Bible, he is with Peter. Their relationship must have been close because Peter calls him his son.

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She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark. (1 Pt 5:13)

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In the early Church, Babylon was a codename for Rome, so they must have been in that city. Several Church Fathers say that Mark was Peter’s secretary and interpreter. There is one more passage in the Bible which could refer to Mark without explicitly naming him. We read of a young man who escapes from being arrested with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane:

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And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. (Mk 14:51–52)

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Some have speculated that Mark was speaking about himself. Although we can’t know for sure, this would explain how he knew this apparently insignificant detail and why he would have included it in such an important moment of the gospel.

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Could this John Mark be the author of the gospel? The early Church unanimously thought so. For example, Papias, a disciple of the apostle John and bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor who lived from circa AD 60 to 130, wrote:

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Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. (as quoted by Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3.39.15)

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And Irenaeus of Lyon wrote around AD 180:

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After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. (Against Heresies, 3.1)

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Clement of Alexandria said:

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As Peter had preached the Word publicly at Rome, and declared the Gospel by the Spirit, many who were present requested that Mark, who had followed him for a long time and remembered his sayings, should write them out. And having composed the Gospel he gave it to those who had requested it. (as quoted by Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6.14)

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It is from these and other early witnesses that the Church has traditionally believed that the Gospel according to Mark was written by Mark. However, there is not enough evidence to prove this with absolute certainty. This has led some modern scholars to challenge this opinion. They claim that the gospels were originally written as anonymous texts that were only later attributed to the evangelists to link them to authoritative figures.

 

However, the claim that Mark was the author is quite plausible. It is the explanation that best matches the information we have. Peter, being a fisherman, probably couldn’t speak Latin or Greek, so he would have needed the help of a translator. We know that Mark was with him in Rome, and since he probably could speak and write these languages, it is quite likely that he would have helped him.

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Why do we say that Mark knew Latin and Greek? As we saw above, he belonged to a wealthy Levitical family. As such, he would have received a good education, which, at that time, included learning these languages, just like many children today learn English as a second language. Although Mark wasn’t an apostle, being a close associate of Peter, would have given him the opportunity to learn enough about Jesus to be able to write about him. This would also explain why this gospel was accepted by early Christians as one of the four canonical gospels. Justin Martyr, in fact, calls it the memoirs of Peter.

 

In addition, the claim that later generations attributed the gospel to Mark to give it more authority doesn’t seem credible. Mark was a prominent figure in the early Church precisely because he was considered to be one of the evangelists. If this were not true, then why would they have attributed the gospel to him? He would have just been an anonymous disciple among many others. In this case, it would have made much more sense to attribute the gospel to Peter or another prominent figure.

 

Therefore, taking into account both the internal evidence we find in the New Testament as well as the external evidence we have, the opinion that Mark authored this gospel is the most convincing one. At least, we don’t know of any other early Christian who matched the characteristics of the author of the gospel as well as Mark did.