Failure isn’t fatal

The initial Starship flight test on April 20, 2023, ended in a dramatic mid-air explosion. Leaking propellant caused fires which severed connection with the vehicle’s primary flight computer. This led to a loss of communications to the majority of booster engines and, ultimately, control of the vehicle.

Multiple engines failed shortly after liftoff, and the spacecraft failed to separate from its booster stage properly. The rocket began to tumble, forcing engineers to trigger the self-destruct mechanism four minutes into the flight. But the failure provided crucial data that enabled SpaceX to achieve major subsequent flight successes.

Similarly, John Mark was a failure when he deserted the team on a missionary trip, but 14 years later he had matured and was useful for Christian service.

John Mark lived in Jerusalem with his mother, Mary, when the early Christians were being persecuted by the Jewish leaders. After king Herod imprisoned the apostle Peter, the Christians gathered at Mary’s house to pray for him (Acts 12:3-17). Then Barnabas and Paul took Mark to Antioch, where Christians who had escaped the persecution in Jerusalem had established a church (Acts 12:25).

About AD 48

Barnabas and John Mark travelled on Paul’s first missionary journey to Asia Minor (now Turkey) and Cyprus (Acts 13:4 – 14:28). Mark may have been included on this trip because Barnabas was his uncle (Acts 12:25; Col. 4:10). Mark’s role was to be their “helper” or assistant (Acts 13:5).

Although Mark travelled to Cyprus with Paul and Barnabas, he left them at Perga and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). We don’t know why he left, but we do know from Acts 15:38 that Paul considered it a fault. He didn’t want John Mark to travel with them on the next missionary journey. Mark deserted the mission field. And because of this desertion, Paul did not trust him on any future missionary team (Acts 15:36-39).

So, there was a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas about Mark. This caused Paul to take Silas on his second missionary journey, and Barnabas took Mark on a mission trip to Cyprus.

Perhaps in a sense Paul and Barnabas were both right. John Mark wasn’t yet ready to participate in the trip Paul was about to take, and God wanted Mark to accompany Barnabas instead.

About AD 60

The next we hear about Mark is about 12 years later. In a letter from Rome to the church at Colossae, Paul wrote “My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him)” (Col. 4:10NIV). So, Mark was with Paul and Paul passed on greetings from Mark.

The phrase, “received instructions” indicates that Mark was under a cloud of suspicion. Mark had a poor beginning, but he made a comeback. Paul forgave Mark for deserting him on the field and told the church to “welcome him”.

Also, in a letter to Philemon at about the same time, Paul called Mark a “fellow worker” (Phile. 24). So, Paul changed his mind about Mark and was now willing to work beside him.

It’s possible that Mark’s regaining of Paul’s confidence was, at least in part, the result of the time he spent under Barnabas’s influence.

About AD 62

Mark was also a close associate of Peter from whom he received the account of the things said and done by the Lord. It was gleaned from the preaching of Peter to the early church and recorded in the gospel of Mark, which is generally dated between AD 50 to AD 70.

This close relationship between Peter and Mark is supported by his statement in about AD 62 of “my son Mark” (1 Pt. 5:13).

About AD 66

Finally, Paul asked for Mark to come to him saying he is “useful for me in ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11). This commendation of Mark is without qualification.

Conclusion

Although Mark failed on the missionary journey in AD 48, by 12 years later he had made a comeback and was commended by Paul and later by Peter. And sometime in this period, he complied the gospel of Mark.

Initial failure does not mean ultimate failure in ministry.  Just because you failed the first time does not mean you will always fail. Failure isn’t fatal as long as God has a purpose for us.

Also see: Failure isn’t final

Written, September 2026