Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20111016.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Peter: Effective Christian Living In A Spiritually Hostile World
Part XIII: Exemplifying Effective Christian Living In A Spiritually Hostile World: Silas And Mark
(1 Peter 5:12-14 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. Real life illustrations of how to apply Scripture truth always edify the believer in Christ.
    2. The two men Peter reports in 1 Peter 5:12-14 were with him when he wrote 1 Peter, Silas and Mark, offer great illustrations of the truths Peter sought to have his readers apply on handling persecution (as follows):
  2. Exemplifying Effective Christian Living In A Spiritually Hostile World: Silas and Mark.
    1. Silas exemplified effective Christian victory over persecution in a spiritually hostile world:
      1. The first believer Peter mentions in his conclusion was Silas (NIV), a variant of "Silvanus" in the KJV, 1 Peter 5:12 NIV ftn.; KJV. Silas was a "faithful brother" with whom Peter could join to assert that his epistle on handling persecution was God's true grace in which believers should stand fast, 1 Peter 5:12.
      2. Silas' record specifically related to suffering persecution certainly marks him as a "faithful brother":
        1. To offset the false gospel that one had to be circumcised besides trusting in Christ to be saved, Silas traveled with Judas Barsabbas as "prophets" from the Jerusalem Council with Paul and Barnabas to testify in the Council's behalf at Antioch that salvation was by faith alone, Acts 15:22-32.
        2. When John Mark abandoned Paul and Barnabas at Pamphylia on their first missionary journey, leading Paul and Barnabas to split over whether Mark should join them on their second missionary journey, Silas agreed to go with Paul, Acts 15:36-40 with Acts 13:13. Some scholars think John Mark was intimidated by opposition to Christianity on Cyprus by Elymas the sorcerer, and when Paul reached Pamphylia in southern Asia, fear led him to return home, cf. Acts 13:4-12.
        3. On Paul's second missionary journey then, Silas was beaten and imprisoned in stocks in the prison at Philippi with Paul for the Christian faith, Acts 16:19-24. However, Silas and Paul sang hymns until God delivered them with an earthquake that opened the prison, Acts 16:25-26.
        4. Silas fled with Paul and Timothy from persecution at Thessalonica to Berea (Acts 17:1, 10) and stayed there with Timothy as Paul fled from persecutors at Berea on to Athens, Acts 17:13-14.
        5. Eventually this faithful brother joined Peter and was with him in the writing of 1 Peter, 1 Peter 5:12.
    2. Mark exemplified overcoming weakness in ministry commitment in a spiritually hostile world:
      1. The "Mark" in 1 Peter 5:13 is John Mark who left Paul and Barnabas at Pamphylia for some reason, perhaps involving fear of persecution (Acts 13:4-12); Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to 1 Pet. 5:13.
      2. After this spiritual defeat, when Paul and Barnabas split and Paul took Silas with him on his second missionary journey, Barnabas took John Mark with him to Cyprus (Acts 15:39) to disciple him. Barnabas himself was from Cyprus (Acts 4:36), so he took John Mark with him to disciple him on his home turf, living up to his name as "Son of Encouragement," Acts 4:36 NIV, ESV.
      3. This effort to salvage John Mark proved effective: just before his execution for the faith, Paul who had once refused to take John Mark with him on his second missionary journey asked Timothy to send him to him as Paul then considered John Mark profitable to him in ministry regardless of the persecution threat of Paul's current status as a condemned man, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 11; Ibid., ftn. to 2 Timothy 4:11.
      4. This John Mark became the author of the Gospel of Mark (Zond. Pict. Ency. of the Bible, vol. Four, p. 89), which Gospel highlights the theme of Christ as God's Servant, Ibid., Ryrie, p. 1397, "Introduction to the Gospel According to Mark." Thus, John Mark who had once abandoned service to God on the mission field ended up writing the Gospel about Jesus as God's Perfect Servant in going to the cross of persecution for our sin, and his gospel's key verse, Mark 10:45, teaches that great truth, Ibid.
      5. Finally, John Mark ministered in spiritual triumph with Peter, 1 Peter 5:13. Church Father Eusebius reported that after the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul, John Mark did not cease ministering for fear of persecution, but established churches in Alexandria, Egypt, Ibid.
Lesson: Though Silas never did fail to handle persecution well, and though John Mark initially did fail to serve the Lord, both men eventually became illustrations of victory in handling godless persecution.

Application: May we be motivated by the victories of Silas and John Mark to apply 1 Peter ourselves!