FELLOW WORKERS. v.24 Mark. John Mark is first mentioned with his mother Mary, whose house served as a meeting place for believers in Jerusalem. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas, his cousin, as a “minister” (helper) on their first missionary journey early in the work of Gospel outreach; when he left the work at Pamphylia, Paul considered him to be a deserter. For some reason, he left them at Perga and returned to Jerusalem. Consequently, Paul refused to have Mark with them on the second journey, which led to Paul’s separation from Barnabas. Some writers say Mark was the young man who left his garment and fled naked when the Lord Jesus Christ was taken in the Garden of Gethsemane. Somewhere in his life, he came to put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but had to overcome fear of consequences and men. When his faith was strengthened and he recovered his testimony, he could be profitable again in the work of the Lord.
We may fail in our Christian living when we look at the circumstances surrounding us, and the fear of man or the fear of public commitment hinders our faith. There is always a way back to God, and when that happens, we can be useful again, likely in different ways, and be used to bring glory to God and blessing to His people. God sometimes works His will through disagreements and human disputes. God can work through human weakness to open doors we overlook or have not considered. The disagreements between them cannot hinder what God intends to do.
The outcome of the difference between Paul and Barnabas was that Mark opened up two missionary endeavors and added another worker who became a vital part of the outreach work in Europe. Barnabas and Mark’s return to Cyprus would likely have strengthened the work in assemblies there. Paul and Silas went on foot into Galatia and followed up on the work in the churches of God there before going further in outreach to regions beyond.
Mistakes are common among believers, and consequences for mistakes are inevitable. However, they effectively teach us things we would not have learned without them. If we choose to earn from them, we will be wise and perhaps more reliable in the future for having experienced what may have initially seemed insignificant. Self-centeredness is often at the center of our mistakes. If we learn from them, that is usually more important than the mistake itself.
Personal and spiritual maturity come from our mistakes when we take time to correct and benefit from them. We may panic when something happens and act in haste because of immaturity and lack of experience. When we “act in haste, we will repent at leisure.” We may be eager to do what is right, and then realize that the work we had committed to doing was harder than expected. When we fail, we can live in defeat or learn from it. That is our choice.
If we know another person who has made a mistake and feels defeated because of failure, we can come alongside them and give encouragement, advice, our testimony, sound counsel, and assistance in starting over. What a person overcomes and becomes, enabling them to accomplish what God wants, is of greater importance than what they accomplish. Life is an ongoing series of events in which we must persevere despite obstacles and failures.
When we see God working in us, our confidence in God is strengthened, and, like Mark, others' confidence in us is restored. Mark had been unprofitable when he had left the work in the past. Now, he is profitable for the service of the Lord again. Twenty-two years after the separation, this recovery and usefulness indicate that God is never finished with a servant. Mark became a valuable person to Barnabas, Paul, and Peter.
Peter was the source of information when Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark, telling of the events and subjects taught by the Perfect Servant of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. We are not told in the Bible how the Holy Spirit designated Mark to write “The Gospel of Mark,” but apparently, after being with Paul in Rome, he was also with Peter. The concise style of writing, as the account is given of our Lord’s life in public ministry, was likely dictated by Peter. The salient events in the life of our Lord show that He is the Perfect Servant of God. God used an imperfect servant to write about the servant characteristics of our Lord. The accounts, parables, and illustrations in Mark’s Gospel testify to that.
Time has a way of dealing with differences that are not doctrinal or fundamental. Some problems can be settled by agreeing to disagree on a particular matter. In those cases, God brings the desired results without our interference. The work of God in certain areas and aspects does not leave room for us to be too sentimental about those who participate or their way of doing things. Not everyone fits the same task, and not everyone’s personality can be accommodated. There has to be flexibility to adapt to others we work with, but it is not always possible for two people to work together and maintain the vision that just one had. It is wise to know when to separate and go about two different areas of work, yet have fellowship and joy in what the other is doing.
Aristarchus. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with Paul during a riot at Ephesus. He and Tychicus were among the group who were with Paul for three months in Greece, and he was also with Paul when they went on board a ship bound for Rome. The scriptures do not state whether he became a prisoner at the beginning of the journey or was made a prisoner because he stayed with Paul in Rome. Whatever happened, we know that he was a prisoner for the sake of the Gospel.
It is a privilege to be known as one who has put himself in a place to carry out the word of the Lord, even if it means imprisonment. We serve God when we serve His people like Aristarchus served Paul. Even though little is known about a person among us, when a believer is willing to meet other believers' needs, that person is worthy of our respect, honor, and gratitude.
Spiritual leadership calls for mentoring those who have the interests of the people of God at heart. Various men from various assemblies were with Paul during his third missionary journey, who would have been learning daily from him verbally and visually. The passion of a man concerned for the eternal welfare of lost souls is easy to observe by those who spend time with him. There will also be evidence of his faith in his Lord as he seeks to confirm the faith of the saints of God who have been called and saved by the Gospel. A new believer needs the example of a mature believer to lead him or her forward in the things of God and to point out areas of responsibility in which they can fill in the Lord’s work.
Christian living before unbelievers is probably the most effective way to commend the Gospel. When our conduct is consistent and recommends the message of salvation, our conduct can powerfully influence unsaved people. Wisdom is necessary to overcome misunderstanding and prejudice. The balance of common sense and wisdom, with enthusiasm and obligation, is not always easy to maintain. Enthusiasm and tact need to be seen together.
Demas. Our public conduct is usually a reflection of our private lives. The wise walk, the visible public life of a believer, is seen by those outside the kingdom of God. Our enthusiasm for the Gospel and moderation must be joined, not to make what we say unnecessarily offensive. A casual approach to eternal things makes it of no more value to most people than a newscast. An exuberance that is without caution is offensive to most people. The balance of common sense and spiritual understanding needs to be joined together in a practical way. We have to think beforehand about what we will say, and then the Holy Spirit will take that preparation of mind and heart and use it appropriately. We must be ready to pay the necessary price of time and intelligence, and then use them to act wisely.
In contrast to “those who love His appearing,” are people like Demas who “loved this present world.” This is a serious charge against any Christian. A person can be a fellow laborer in the Gospel and the work of the Lord, and even though they are a believer in Christ, they fall into the enticements of the world system. The world is an enemy of the kingdom of God, and can defeat a Christian, so they lose their testimony when they succumb to the pressure of the world and the pleasures of sin.
Demas had previously been with Paul, but he abandoned him and let Paul down. He fell in love with the world system. Demas didn’t lose his salvation, but he lost the blessings that come when God’s people “strive together for the faith of the Gospel.” He may have yielded to the enemy, the world, because of fear, pressure, and a desire to be liked by everyone.
To “live godly in Christ Jesus” and to fulfill the commission He gave us does not mean people will like us, respond to the warnings we must give, or the message of salvation the Gospel contains. The values of the world and the pleasures it offers in these last days are very attractive, even to Christians. As God created it, the physical world was good and meant to be enjoyed. However, the world system of the last days is seriously contaminated by sin, and if sin attracts us, we are in danger of unfaithfulness.