Mark

Mark, also known as John Mark, was a prominent figure in the early Christian church. He was the son of Mary, whose house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for the believers (Acts 12:12). Mark was also the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10) and accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:25; 13:5). However, he left them at Perga and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13), which later caused a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:37-39). Despite this, Mark remained active in ministry, as evidenced by Paul's later references to him as a fellow worker (Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11). He also worked closely with Peter, who referred to him as "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13). Tradition holds that Mark wrote the Gospel that bears his name based on Peter's teachings, making it one of the earliest written accounts of Jesus' life and ministry.