Mark, also called John Mark was a Coworker of Paul and Gospel Writer. He is also known to be Peter’s interpreter.
Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 2 TIMOTHY 4:11 ESV
Mark (also called John Mark) is a shining example of the power of God to redeem failed disciples. If you read only the book of Acts, you might come away thinking that Mark was simply another sad example of an unfaithful believer gone astray, and that was the end of the story. Not true.
Mark was a relative of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10) and was among the
first believers in the early church. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:5), but it seems that when things got rough, Mark decided to pack up and head home to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13; 15:37–38). Later, when Paul and Barnabas were considering making a second missionary journey, Paul was firmly decided that Mark should not be allowed to come (Acts 15:39).
Fortunately, the story doesn’t end there. Barnabas, the great encourager, took Mark along to Cyprus, perhaps on a second missionary trip through Barnabas’s home region (Acts 15:39). Apparently this second opportunity for Mark to show himself faithful paid off, because by the time Paul wrote Colossians and Philemon, he was referring to Mark as his fellow worker (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24). Paul’s great regard for Mark comes through most clearly late in his life in his second letter to Timothy, where Paul describes Mark as helpful in the ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). Even Peter later referred to Mark as a son (1 Peter)
Church tradition says that Mark composed the second Gospel from Peter’s sermons. In the first half of the second century, an early church leader named Papias wrote, “Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever 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].”