WHEN THE MENTOR IS WRONG: A SOCIO-HISTORICAL APPRAISAL OF APOSTLE PAUL’S EVENTUAL ACCEPTANCE OF JOHN MARK (2 TIM. 4:11)

Abstract

The apostle Paul rejected John Mark during preparation for the second missionary journey, resulting in the unfortunate episode of the split between him and Barnabas, an alien incident to the idealistic picture of the first generation Christian lifestyle and an embarrassment to those who see the apostle Paul as a “marble statue without blemish” (Janus 2:1).  Years later, in the evening of his life and close to the end of his ministerial endeavours, when he was in need of companion and support and suffering from cold and loneliness in a dark Roman dungeon, he unbelievably and unashamedly begged John Mark to come to him in Rome.  The man he wanted to leave behind some years before had become enviably valuable.  And in spite of his early misgivings about the fitness of John Mask, he requested him to come to Rome at a time Christian leaders feared for their lives.  His request is commendable because by way of contrast, some mentors don’t accept being wrong and they don’t bother to apologize or make amends when they make mistake.  They are so fixed in their views that they don’t see beyond their own rightness.  This paper argues that a mentor can be wrong.  It informs that it is not possible for a mentor to be always right.  It persuades that trying to be always right is wrong.  Adopting a socio-historical methodology, this paper recommends that Christian mentors should own up when they blow it.  They should also look for people they have let down and reconcile with them if possible.